The All or Nothin’ Approach to Writing

“How much do you write per day?” That’s a question we writers often get, from fellow wordsmiths and non-scribes alike. During the month of November, aka National Novel-Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), there’s a daily goal of 1,667 in order to hit 50,000 words by the 30^th. The official NaNoWriMo website even rewards you for getting your words in daily via badges. And, of course, there’s the ever-present advice to “write every day,” even if it’s just 500 words or a few paragraphs.

That’s sound advice for some people. I always envy those who have a set schedule of waking up an hour earlier than their families every morning and knocking out a few pages while the rest of the world is making its coffee, or who settle down every evening after dinner to get their word count in for the day. I get how that kind of routine works well for creatures of habit – this is writing time, and writing shall be done.

 

Problem is, I’m the opposite of a creature of habit. Every time I’ve tried to set a daily schedule for myself for anything, be it work, writing, exercise, or music practice, it’s been a disaster. Oh, it’ll be nice for a few weeks, this daily rhythm of knowns, but soon, an agitated instinct pops up, going “Every day, it’s the same stupid thing! Can I blow off this one?” The next thing I know, I look forward to the blow-offs, until I’m back to my usual chaotic habits.

 

When it comes to writing, saying “okay, 500 words a day, come hell or high water” or something can be fun for a spell. I remember during NaNoWriMo 2017, I managed to get my 1700ish words in en route to and while vacationing in Arizona, typing them out on my phone and emailing them to myself. But the moment I hit that 50k, even though there were still a few days left to November and I still had half my novel left to go, I was like “Mmkay, I’m done.”

 

I’ve managed to write an 8,000-word short story in a single day, and then refused to touch a word of fiction for the next three weeks. I’ve cranked out half a novel one month, then ditched it for another, then picked it up again and cranked out the other half in a few frenetic weeks. Basically, for me, it’s all or nothin’. I’m either banging out thousands of words over the course of three-plus hours, or I’m binge-watching Netflix comfort shows and pretending there is no book. In fact, I can’t even bring myself to sit down to write unless I have at least two hours to dedicate to it. “Oh, there’s an hour before I have to head out? Can’t get anything done, might as well faff around on Facebook.”

 

So, how much do I write per day? It’s complicated. What about you? Do you write every day, or is it feast or famine?