self-discipline

How to Write 2000 Words a Day

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This post originally appeared on the WriteAnon blog on 3/14/11.

The last few weeks, I’ve been trying to write 2000 words or more each day. I’ve found there are a few things that have helped me be successful.

 

1. Don’t sit down to write 2000 words at once.

I’ve found a lot more success when I focus on writing a scene or much smaller goal, like 100 words. I can write 100 words in 3-5 minutes. At that pace, it will take 1-2 hours to write 2000 words. However, blocking aside 1-2 hours seems hard, while blocking a few 30-minute chunks makes it a lot easier. With 30 minutes at lunch, 30 minutes before dinner, and 30 minutes before bed, there are one-and-a-half hours right there. I can usually find the extra time somewhere else (generally a little longer at night).

 

2. Focus on scenes, not word counts

Each of my scenes tends to run from 1000-3000 words. By focusing on completing a scene, I take the pressure off just filling out my word counts, and can focus on completing scenes. The word counts tend to flow after that.

That being said, if I’m stuck, I’ll fall back to just trying to write 100 words. Small goals are easy to achieve.

 

Click here to read the full post, which includes four more specific strategies, on WriteAnon.

 

Start Writing Your Novel Now

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This post by Lovelyn Bettison originally appeared on her blog on 12/6/13.

It’s come to my attention that a lot of people want to write a novel. It seems like most people think they’ve got a book in them, but for some reason they just haven’t gotten around to writing it.

There are a lot of excuses for not sitting down and actually getting to that novel you’ve always dreamed of writing, but this post isn’t about excuses. I don’t want to hear any of those. Many writers have gotten up a few hours earlier than usual to write in the morning before heading out for work. Many have burned the midnight oil after work to write the book they always dreamed of writing.

Walter Mosely wrote his novel, Devil in a Blue Dress, whilst working full time. I heard an interview with Toni Morrison in which she described handwriting The Bluest Eyes on a legal pad with her baby in her arms. If you really want to write a book you will find a way to make it happen. If it is important to you you’ll make time for it.

Here are some tips to get you started.

Make a commitment to write everyday. Writers write. You can’t call yourself a writer if you don’t. Give yourself an allotted amount of time, whatever you feel like you can set aside: an hour, thirty minutes. Whatever you feel like you can do is fine. Sit in front of your computer, with the internet off preferably, and write something. Write anything at first. This is just to get you used to writing.

Even if you only come up with a couple of sentences that’s fine.

 

Click here to read the full post on Lovelyn Bettison’s blog.