Daily word count

I have a rule for taking a day off from the gym. If I feel too tired, I try to convince myself to go for fifteen minutes. If after 15 minutes I really can’t get into it, I call it a day.

That same thinking goes into my minimum daily word count for novel writing. It’s 500 words. For me, that’s a fairly low bar. I can force myself to write 500 words almost regardless of the circumstances. Usually I can do better, but even if I can only just make it, that’s a win.

However, there are days when I wake up and nothing feels appealing. I don’t feel like writing, reading, playing video games, etc . That’s when I know I need a break. It’s a signal that I need to take a day or two off from writing and do something different.

Living life this way will give you a novel in less than a year.