Word Count Wednesday!



Image Courtesy of africa / FreeDigitalPhotos.Net

Yesterday I had an epiphany.

Although an important indication of progress on a writing project, word count alone is insufficient. As anyone who has participated in NANO knows, a certain number of words does not necessitate cohesion or usability, to say nothing of the other literary components which make a novel worth the read.

This caveat is especially true here. Though technically a revision, this go-round with my novel is more like a deconstruction, a remix if you will, so I can take nothing for granted as I proceed.

As my MC reminds me every time we meet.

So I no longer set arbitrary weekly word count goals, choosing instead to focus on my MC's whereabouts and activities.

But I do want a steady uptick in that number in the lower left-hand corner. It makes me smile.

So…

Wednesday, May 22: 11,157 words

Wednesday, May 29: 16,280 words

Weekly tally: 5,663 words

*grinning*
I wrote five days this week, yielding an average daily count of about 1,132 words and meeting my 1k daily quota.

I took Sunday off and had a surge of inspiration after yesterday's epiphany. So my “Brainstorm” document where I keep ideas for this project grew by 1, 272 words which will multiply as they migrate to the novel proper.

Goal for next week: Get my MC home again.

What do you think about word counts? Does a daily target help or hinder you? Do you use a different measure of progress in your writing? Let me know!

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