Daily Word Goals…yay or nay??
I recently read an article by James Clear regarding the difference between setting goals and simply having a process or plan in place that would ultimately achieve your goal. It is an interesting theory and worth the read.
I am participating in Camp Nanowrimo this month. It is a little more laid back and relaxed than the regular Nanowrimo in November and usually helps me get the cobwebs out if I am struggling to get something written.
I want to write 25,000 words this month and finish up a novel that I have been working on for nearly two years. While this is lower than my normal word goal of two thousand words a day, it is still a hefty sum of words to put out there. Honestly, it is about eight hundred and thirty four words a day which in all truthfulness, should be very doable. Unfortunately procrastination is my middle name and eating chocolate instead of writing is my favorite game.
So tell me, have I stopped worrying about my ultimate goal and just set a process in place of writing eight hundred and thirty four words a day? Or have I simply traded one goal for another? I have no idea but I have stopped eating as a way to procrastinate.
I love Chuck Wendig's Blog, "Terribleminds" He talks about writing, he talks about his family, he talks about his books. I happen to believe that he is a genius when it comes to cutting through the crap of what makes a writer, well, a writer. He gets to the heart of what it takes to put out a novel without blowing smoke up your arse.
I keep him in my Feedly feed.
His blog post, succinctly entitled, "How To Push Past the Bullshit and Write That Goddamn Novel: A Very Simple No-Fuckery Writing Plan to Get Shit Done" is a wake-up call. Read it and then do it.
And for all of us whiners out there complaining about low word counts on any given day, his blog post, Counting Words is a kick in the pants. And a smack upside the head just when you need one.
His recommendation? "Shut up and write."
Good advice.
