Not happy with your productivity as a writer? It's easy to write more; all you need to do is set a daily word count goal.
Once you've set your goal, you need to track it. I use a spreadsheet.
As I said in the Editorial to this week's writing tips ezine:
You can keep your daily word count in a word processor file, or in a spreadsheet. A spreadsheet is probably easier. What matters isn't so much the number of words you write, but the fact that you're actually counting them. What you focus on increases, so you won't need to do much beyond tracking to find that your daily word count gradually goes up.
For example, if you write just 50 words today, you'll be amazed that tracking will increase your word count to 500 and 1000 words a day within six weeks.
Tracking your daily word count is powerful and it's easy, so do it.
I set a relatively high word count goal: 2000 words. This is because I have a lot to write each day, for clients, blogs, ebooks, and on and on.
If you're a new writer (that is, you've been writing for money for less than five years) set a low daily word count goal. Make it a word count you could exceed, even on your worst day, when the car breaks down, your kids act like maniacs, and you have a migraine: LOW. :-)
When you set a low goal that you can easily exceed, it gives you confidence and builds your writing habit. Once you've exceeded a word count for three weeks, set it slightly higher.
Set your word count today: you'll be earning more within weeks.
