By: Yesenia Vargas
Writers (me included) tend to be a bit
obsessive about word count.
Too much. Too little.
Daily, Hourly. Weekly. Yearly.
I have always thought that a good way
to reach your long-term writing goals was to set word counts.
And it is.
But it's not the only way.
It's actually harder for me to get back
into my writing groove after a long break because of word count
goals. Writing becomes a chore, and I dread the feeling I get when I
won't meet that goal. I can't even get started writing.
That's why sometimes it's better to
just forget about word count and simply write.
When it's hard to pick up that pen and
you end up staring at that blank page...Or
put your fingers on the keyboard and stare at the blank
screen....forget about word count and just write. Remember why you
love writing in the first place.
For the stories that get your heart
racing and make you feel better when you didn't know something
was wrong.
A lot of the time you will find that
you will meet that word count and then some without even
realizing it. And writing will be a joy again.
When you are at that place again, set
those word count goals again. Adjust them if you need to. Or don't
set them at all if you find that you work better without them.
What works better for you? Word
count goals or no word count goals? A little of each?
