# So... how much writing did you get done today?



## Guy Faukes (Dec 11, 2014)

Hey forum,

So... how much do you write per day?

I don't want to make it seem all quantified and calculated, but writing is indeed a hobby. Like all good hobbies, we must measure how much we can accomplish in one day than try to beat this arbitrary measurement the next... or at least someone else's. This is how "fun" is achieved. 

Kidding, kidding, but it is a habit, and all good habits require some discipline to adhere ourselves to the typewriter/computer/notebook for a some amount of time. I don't know about the rest of you, but motivation is hard to find. To start writing, the stars had to align perfectly, my chi perfectly balanced, stomach full but not too full, and a stream of ideas ready to run onto a page. 

Now, I just sit myself down and force myself to write. Currently, I average about 1000 words/day before my imagination starts quitting. How about you?


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## dale (Dec 11, 2014)

not enough.


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## Laughing Duck 137z (Dec 11, 2014)

I'm mostly outlining now. Each week I outline a character in a boo series. Cast of 20 I believe.

1000 is impressive Guy.

Hang in there dale. Its not about about the detours you take but the destination


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## dale (Dec 11, 2014)

Laughing Duck 137z said:


> Hang in there dale. Its not about about the detours you take but the destination



lol. i don't know any destination.


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## Guy Faukes (Dec 12, 2014)

Laughing Duck 137z said:


> I'm mostly outlining now. Each week I outline a character in a boo series. Cast of 20 I believe.



A cast of 20? Nice, I get a cold sweat when I have to introduce new characters. "Oh crap... names... descriptions... how will they play into the plot? How can I make each one unique and interesting?"



dale said:


> lol. i don't know any destination.



I hear writing and kids are similar in that regard. You keep plugging and plugging, and eventually some good comes out of it all. Where? Who knows?


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## John Galt (Dec 12, 2014)

Currently averaging 2000-3000 (ie a chapter), sometimes 1.5 chapters. Trying to push that up, given that I waste so much time.


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## Sam (Dec 12, 2014)

I make it my goal to get 1,000 every day, but with college and the business I'm running at the moment, that has dwindled to between 250 and 500 a day. 

When I'm free and relaxed, I can write 2,000/2,500 a day easily. Some days even 5,000 and above.


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## Bishop (Dec 12, 2014)

2000 words a day is my minimum, but I have missed that mark in the past. This week's been tougher with some doctor's visits and the like, but I'm in no rush.


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## Schrody (Dec 12, 2014)

I would say my average is around 1000, sometimes you write more, sometimes less.


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## Deleted member 56686 (Dec 12, 2014)

I shoot for between 1000 and 1500. On a good day I might hit 2000.


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## Guy Faukes (Dec 12, 2014)

*John Gait *- 2000-3000 is pretty impressive, as is

Damn, *Sam*, looks like you got your hands full. What sort of business do you run if you don't mind me prying? 

Y'all alright, *Bishop*? 

Truer words about averages were never spoken, *Schrody* 

That's a good daily quota, *mr**mustard*


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## Bishop (Dec 12, 2014)

Oh yes, just my nose being a jerk. After the surgery on my deviated septum, some scar tissue formed that had to be taken out and stitched. Stitches came out this week, and I'm breathing well


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## Guy Faukes (Dec 12, 2014)

Ohh, I see. Consciously forcing oneself to breathe through the mouth is a pain. 

In the future, if I may suggest, Bishop, you gotta learn when to walk away from a confrontation. Not all fist fights are worth it


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## Bishop (Dec 12, 2014)

Guy Faukes said:


> Ohh, I see. Consciously forcing oneself to breathe through the mouth is a pain.
> 
> In the future, if I may suggest, Bishop, you gotta learn when to walk away from a confrontation. Not all fist fights are worth it



Hah! I wish that's how it had happened. My doctor actually said that it's likely it had been malformed for most of my adult life, and can't trace back exactly when I did the damage. Either way, the correction is... nice.


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## dale (Dec 12, 2014)

i once had a nose problem. i snorted so much coke and meth over a period of time...that i blew my nose and part of the inside of my nose fell out in the kleenex. it was like this chunk of meat in the kleenex. so i threw it away. but my point is...breathing easier is always a bitch.


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## Apex (Dec 12, 2014)

I don’t have a minimum, nor a maximum per day, week, or month. Before I start writing a story, I will think about a story that comes from a question in real life I have. Questions always lead to other questions. After a time, an idea for a story will emerge. With this I will lay out a simple one page plot. The one page plot may, or may not get refined. After doing many one page plots on the same theme. If I feel there is a good idea here for a story, I will do a full plot, which could take six month to a year.  Between laying out the plot, I will make notes (ideas) for scenes. Many I will use, many I will put away for something else.  
I’ll do a draft which will take as long as it takes. Often I will put it away for a time to clear my head. I like all writers fall in love with my work…this is not good. I want to see it as the reader sees it.
Once the first draft is done, I will check the SPG. That done I will start to cut all the flab. (Words that do not help the story.) My next step is to make sure all sentences have a verb. 
Before I start a major edit, I print out the story, and past every page (in order) on the wall. This is where I will cut sections, and move others around. My last story I moved the first three page 1,000 different times. It drove me crazy until I knew it was in the right order.
Then I start the fun part. There are always sections of a story which seem dull, but play a key roll. You can’t cut them, nor leave them as they are…what’s the key? Metaphors. These have to be made up. They can’t be ones other writers use, or ones you have heard. They have to be fresh. Metaphors the reader will remember years after they put the story down. These will give life to a dull section. How long does it take to make up one? Sometimes months. Are they worth it? Well, ask a fish if his tail is worth anything.
Then more rewrites. How many? When you do the third, and find one simple word like off, spelled of…you know you need one, maybe two more. 
How many pages do I write per day? It’s not on my calendar…a story is all in ones thinking. You type out your thinking. It’s not a word count game, it’s a thinking game.

Side note: Does it pay to have others edit your work? I'll answer that with a question: "Do they have your style of writing?"


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## IvyRuth (Dec 12, 2014)

When home in my office, on a normal writing day, I shoot for 3,000 and get about 2,500. That is not a real picture of writing a book. 

It takes me about six weeks to write the FSD (first sh***y draft) of a short 50,000 word book. Another six weeks are divided on editing, rewriting, creating book descriptions and the myriad of marketing and prep things that need to be done as an indipendent author. When factoring in all that stuff the daily average drops to about 500 words a day.


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## TKent (Dec 12, 2014)

Haha, love FSD. Had not heard that one 



> It takes me about six weeks to write the FSD (first sh***y draft) of a short 50,000 word book


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## Morkonan (Dec 12, 2014)

IvyRuth said:


> ...It takes me about six weeks to write the FSD (first sh***y draft) of a short 50,000 word book. ..



I am going to go to the office supply store and get a custom-made ink stamp that says "F.S.D." on it, so I can stamp all my FSD's with it... Thanks for that, IvyRuth, I was wondering what to call those steaming piles of paper. Now I know!


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## Guy Faukes (Dec 12, 2014)

*Bishop* - ahh yes, the inconveniences we don't notice until they are gone. 

*dale* - sadly enough, that might have been an actual event that happened to a meth user DD: 

*Apex* - Yeah, writing is a long and winding road. It's difficult to know if it will be fruitful or not in any particular way. A scene might be rubbish but may be the ground work for other projects. I think the important thing is just to plug away every day, whether or not you're inspired. 
Having another pair of eyes like a teacher or friend is valuable, but I don't think buying editing services is helpful. I've only seen English majors offer those services, who might have their own literary biases and just want a source of income from fledgling writers. 
It depends. If there's a service that looks reputable and legit, it might be worth it.

*IvyRuth* - FSD. Concise and to the point. Should I be concerned if I'm writing second and third s!@#$y drafts? Haha


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## twelvesoswald (Dec 15, 2014)

I'm not working on my novel at the moment, and so I write at least 300-500 words every few days when I'm doing character replies. This will most likely go up when I edit my NaNoWriMo novel in Jan.


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## Laughing Duck 137z (Dec 16, 2014)

twelvesoswald said:


> I'm not working on my novel at the moment, and so I write at least 300-500 words every few days when I'm doing character replies. This will most likely go up when I edit my NaNoWriMo novel in Jan.



NaNoWriMo is in Jan?


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## Phil Istine (Dec 16, 2014)

I'm afraid that I've written nothing for a few days now.  It's not a lack of motivation.  It's just that there are a few difficulties here that ought to be resolved fairly early in the new year.  I'm having to start work earlier, finish later and use a more tiring work method until my regular vehicle is mended. It's a bit stressful at the moment.  I thought I was self-employed to avoid such situations


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## aj47 (Dec 16, 2014)

Nothing today.  I have the first two verses of a holiday hymn but I'm not feeling it right now. The tone I set is kinda snarky and I'm not pleased with it but I can't unwrite that part so I'm sorta drifting.

I have another idea, but I need that first line to spring from and it's not jelling yet.


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## FleshEater (Dec 19, 2014)

When I feel like writing it's usually 500-2,000. It all depends on how the story is flowing in my mind. I never force writing though. If I'm not in the mood, or can't clear my mind, I just don't write. But, man...after taking a break, I can come back to the screen like a starved animal. 

The idea of forcing a certain amount of words each day has never worked for me.


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## Guy Faukes (Dec 19, 2014)

Wheww.... I figured the holidays would be a good time to get some writing done, but between work, seeing family and getting ready, I'm tuckered out by the end of the day. Hopefully the rest of y'all are feeling productive.


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## Sakurako (Dec 23, 2014)

I've spent my morning working on Character Outlines, and reading my Beat Sheet, going over things in my mind, before I restart this novel that I attempted to write during NANOWRIMO.


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## SwitchBack (Dec 23, 2014)

150 words today ... and then my cat decided that the keyboard was a perfect resting spot. I tried, really I tried, but there's only so much one can do against a cat that will start having a one sided conversation with your nose, your cheek and occasionally your forehead if ignored... he wins paws down every time.


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## Nemesis (Dec 24, 2014)

SwitchBack said:


> 150 words today ... and then my cat decided that the keyboard was a perfect resting spot. I tried, really I tried, but there's only so much one can do against a cat that will start having a one sided conversation with your nose, your cheek and occasionally your forehead if ignored... he wins paws down every time.



XD

Alright, I'm gonna open up all of my WIP, read a bit of each and see if I'm ready to add to any of them

wish me luck.


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## Boofy (Dec 27, 2014)

I fluctuate massively depending on my workload for the day, but on a good day it's about 2000, not so good? Maybe hitting the 300 mark if I only work on filler to bulk out some of my chapters. ^^


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## Nemesis (Dec 27, 2014)

Boofy said:


> I fluctuate massively depending on my workload for the day, but on a good day it's about 2000, not so good? Maybe hitting the 300 mark if I only work on filler to bulk out some of my chapters. ^^



Wish I was doing half that a day XD


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## Gavrushka (Dec 27, 2014)

I stagger to my office at around 4:15am, swim in coffee for a little while and then, after a quick towel dry, settle down to edit yesterday's words before adding new ones.

Of recent, my average is a little over 2,000, but that is mainly as I'm rewriting a novel I penned in 2010. I appreciate that the lifestyle of many makes it hard to remain consistent, so I suggest you all grow ridiculously old, like me, and live in an ickle village.


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