[Jude Hardin]

I've read that Ernest Hemingway limited himself to exactly 500 words per day. I try to get at least 1000 myself. Every day, seven days a week.

How about you?

And do you think word count is ever an indicator of quality? Is it probable to crank out, say, 5000 words a day and still produce something that's worth reading?

 

[41413]

Oh, I put out. Just ask my high school chess team.

 

[41413]

And do you think word count is ever an indicator of quality? Is it probable to crank out, say, 5000 words a day and still produce something that's worth reading?

I write at least 2k words a day, every day, even when I'm feeling like a s***flake. Sometimes I do 10k days. Rarely, even more. The quality is roughly the same regardless--I just spend more time in my word processor on those days instead of snarking on KB.

This is a subject guaranteed to get panties in a twist, so please let me say that everyone writes at different speeds, everyone is doing what's best for them, and my high school didn't actually have a chess team.

 

[vizzle]

I try to do 2k a day. Sometimes I screw up and I only get 1.5k one day, but the next day I'll just do 2.5k. I know I could do more, with the amount of time I have, but my mind just seems to have a mental "ok no more words" when I get that far.

 

[vrabinec]

and my high school didn't actually have a chess team.

My image of you was TOTALLY blown, until you said that.

I think I figured it out one time, and it came to something like 30 words a day on average, though mine is more a "type 1000 words and remove 970" kind of thing.

 

[MegHarris]

I looked at your title, and all I could think was, what kind of a girl do you think I am??

I'm erratic lately. Too much going on. Got 3000 words written yesterday, but lately I've been lucky if I get anything done. Ideally I shoot for 2000 a day, but when I really get rolling I can easily do a lot more.

 

[Rick Gualtieri]

I put out as much as I can, pity that nobody wants to take it. 

Oh you mean words...

I aim for 2K when I'm in the middle of a book. 

 

[41413]

My image of you was TOTALLY blown, until you said that.

You know I'm a mom, right? You don't have kids without gettin' yo freak on at least once in awhile.

Or by abusing the turkey baster. But, you know, whatever.

 

[markobeezy]

I crank out 400-700 words a day, 5 days a week. I rarely write on weekend, but when I do it's usually another 1-2k. The key is consistency, more than anything else. When you take significant time away from a novel, the characters become stale and the excitement fades.

I know some people put out 1500+ words everyday, and I would expect to do that if I didn't work full time.

 

[markobeezy]

You know I'm a mom, right? You don't have kids without gettin' yo freak on at least once in awhile.

Or by abusing the turkey baster. But, you know, whatever.

Lol damn I shouldn't have read that while drinking coffee...the mess was worth it...hahaha

 

[vrabinec]

You know I'm a mom, right? You don't have kids without gettin' yo freak on at least once in awhile.

I know, I know, I just took you for this Elinor Dashwood type...

 

[Zelah Meyer]

... and my high school didn't actually have a chess team.

They would have done if they'd known.

At the moment - I'm averaging around 500-600 words a day. I fit that in around sleep-deprivation & studying writing. Most of what I'm currently working on isn't actually intended to go anywhere (I'm doing a different story start each day & I'm unlikely to write all the stories!) but it's keeping me in practice and allowing me to work on improving my skills. Plan is to do all three NaNoWriMo months this year & try to polish up some of the stuff I've already got written in first draft form.

 

[Edward C. Patterson]

2,800 to 4,500 per day, according to how tired I am after a full time day job and the resiliance of eyesight (I'm blind in one eye).I usually write 6 days a week. But it pays to be dilligent. I've got 20 books published, one coming ut in March and 10 others in the pipeline. But quantity isn't the ticket. Quality is. So for every word you write, there should be three others you cut and two others you revised in during the critical post draft stage, when you put on that other cap - the craft cap, replacing the imaginative work you do in the ZONE.

Edward C. Patterson

 

[Burrito Fart]

Oh, I put out. Just ask my high school chess team.

Ha ha oh man.

I put out at least once a week. Writing wise I try to get at least 500 a day. Sigh. I wish it was at least a thousand.

 

[Lisa J. Yarde]

I put out every day.  On a good one, 1-3k; bad / stressed day maybe 300-500. It's been a good day so far.

 

[Carradee]

I've read that Ernest Hemingway limited himself to exactly 500 words per day. I try to get at least 1000 myself. Every day, seven days a week.

How about you?

It varies. I'm trying to work my way up to 2k words a weekday. Unfortunately, work, health, and minor family emergencies keep conspiring against me. I'm afraid to run the averages. >_> At the moment, I'm trying to get a steady 1k words a weekday. Then I can maybe even get it in the right project…

And do you think word count is ever an indicator of quality?

No. I think it's an indicator of practice, dicipline, and applying oneself.

Is it probable to crank out, say, 5000 words a day and still produce something that's worth reading?

Yes. I've done it. And been paid for it. I find non-fiction easier than fiction, though.

 

[Judi Coltman]

And then there's me.  I don't write every day.  I sometimes don't write for weeks. I do THINK about writing everyday.  I season, rub and sometimes torture the ideas, but they must marinade in my head for awhile before the words happen. 

 

[Amanda Brice]

I looked at your title, and all I could think was, what kind of a girl do you think I am??

LOL, I thought the same thing.

When I'm on deadline I can do 3000 but I feel like poop afterwards. I generally try to stick to 1000-ish, but there are some days when I'm lucky to find the time or inspiration to do 500. I don't write every day. Sometimes I don't write for weeks, or even months.

I have no idea how some people are able to do 10,000 and have the quality be there. I'm in awe. I just can't do that. Like I said, 3000 is pushing it for me.

But we're all different. Nobody's process is the same.

 

[Betsy the Quilter]

*moderator sticks head in door and looks around.*

 

[Edward C. Patterson]

And then there's me. I don't write every day. I sometimes don't write for weeks. I do THINK about writing everyday. I season, rub and sometimes torture the ideas, but they must marinade in my head for awhile before the words happen.

Judi, I like your word count thingie in your signature. I thought I was the only one who kept such records.

words published in the last 1,997 days = 2,232,506 words
units sold in the same period = 1,847
words sold in the same period = 1,496,770,160 words
miles run = 0 miles walked = 1,800 miles (since March 2012)


Edward C. Patterson