I think things at work have finally slowed down for me, so I’m not quite as tired every day. I plan to start getting back to more blog reading and commenting this afternoon.
I don’t know how many of you read my post about time vs. word count, so I’ll go over it quickly again here, since many ROW80ers don’t read blogs except for check ins on the linky tools. I’ve found that I need to change from word count goals to time goals. This came about because I sat in front of the computer the other day and couldn’t do anything but write a few words then change them around. I ended up with somewhere between 250-300 words that day instead of my 700+.So I decided I would start making myself sit down for at least 45 minutes a day and write…or at least try. I’m going to sit there no matter what happens. That time will be my writing time. I started that yesterday. I ended up writing for an hour and 15 minutes and wrote 1577 words (yeah, I know I’m not supposed to worry about word count, LOL). I think this method is going to work for me this round. I’ll do my 45 minutes whether I’m on a roll or whether I feel like I’m being imprisoned and tortured. 🙂
So how about the rest of you? Have you had to make any adjustments for this round? How did things go last week?
lauralynnelliott.com 
I’ve thought about doing the time rather than word count thing, but since my time is so inconsistent and my words often dribbled out in an anemic trickle over the course of the day, for now that one doesn’t really suit me. Plus oftentimes, if I put a specific tag to it “this is my writing time” my brain will be all obnoxious and stubborn and go “hahaha, I won’t work for you now…I’ll pick the most inconvenient time to give you words instead”. 😀
The word count has always worked for me before, but this book feels a little different. It’s one of those where some days the words just spew out and some days they dribble. I’m going to see how it works. Are you able to actually write a few words here and there while you’re at work?
Yeah, I have the file open in the background (yay for Dropbox) so if something occurs to me, I might scribble a few lines or a paragraph between other stuff. And once in a while, I’ll finish what I’m doing for the evil day job early and might get a chunk of half an hour or so to actually write at work, which is always nice.
I think changing it up is good and going with your gut is so important. I’ve given myself such a strict deadline I have to focus on words right now, but I think your approach sounds like one that will work for you. Good luck!
Stacy, my gut feeling is to try the time goals. With a deadline, that would be more difficult, of course. My deadline has always been the end of a round, but I’m coming to realize that it’s ok not to finish a book, especially novel length, during a round. If I didn’t work full time, I could do it, but I can’t do it and work.
I used to be like Kait where I could have something running in the background and just add to it as the muse struck. These days, not so much, LOL. Glad the change in mentality seems to be working for you! Good luck for the upcoming week.
I could probably leave it up at work and work on a little at a time like that, but not this time of year. I’m still too busy. Besides, I would probably feel guilty doing that instead of working. LOL.
I like both styles. If I wait for big chunks of time, I’ll never get anything done, because my life allows those chunks at most twice a week…but if I leave the iPad open at the kitchen table, and sit down for five minutes here, fifteen minutes there, basically whenever the kids are happy, I’ll end up with 500 to 1,500 words by mid-day. I think it’s a matter of tricking yourself into producing. I trick myself a lot. 🙂
Do you actually write on your iPad? Are you comfortable with the keyboard? I’m planning on buying an iPad Tuesday evening!
Since my kids are grown, the only thing that really hinders me from writing during a chunk of time in the evenings is fatigue from my day job. I’m hoping that will get better since it’s slowing down just a little at work. I can at least make myself sit there and look at the computer screen, even if I don’t write a huge amount. LOL
Good for you! It can take time to find what works for you and then, sometimes, you still have to change it up. I give myself 3 days a week when I do nothing but write on my story and respond to comments on my blog. he other days i take care fo everything else. It’s working so far. Have a great week ahead!
Thanks, Marcia. Word count worked for me before, but I think time will work better now. And who knows? I might change it again for the next story. You’re right…sometimes you have to change it up.
I’ve done and do both. Even my word count goals have layers dependent on what I’m doing, yes, 1k a day is my minimum but only for first drafts. After that it gets a bit more complicated but works for me. I’m picking up a timer program called Write or Die that you might be interested in looking at. Seen it recommended by quite a few and it seems like a good system for working time-based writing goals. Whatever keeps and improves our productivity is worth the look.
Have a great week, Lauralynn 🙂
Hi Gene. Your word counts have always been great, and I’ve always admired you for your stamina. 🙂 I’ve heard of the timer program but couldn’t remember what it was called. I think Write or Die is the one. I might look into that.
Thanks!
I started out ROW80 focusing strictly on word count, and then last round, switched over to time goals (1 hour a day, 5 days a week). Time goals worked for me, but the downside was that I stopped tracking word count, and I have NO clue how much I actually accomplished (er, I may have also been less than stellar at tracking which scenes were finished, which led to me rewriting the same 3 scenes for weeks… it was a bit of a mess).
Anyway, go with your gut, and with what the book seems to be demanding. Have a great week!
Hi Lena. Actually, I will admit that I still track my word count. I just don’t have a word count goal, just a time goal. (I’m probably going to up the goal from 45 minutes to an hour.) I can’t make myself stop using the spreadsheet to track words. LOL
Ahh, the old ‘butt-in-chair’ treatment always works well for me. Hope you find the same success. I cannot measure in words per day; I have to go with time. I usually set two 45 minutes appointments with my WIP unless I’ve already worked over that amount. Some days I work for three hours or so effortlessly – others, I have to set the timer and sit my buns down until it goes off! Ha.
I know it worked well for me last night. I went beyond my time goal and my original word count goal. In order to get everything I need to get down and actually have some down time after my day job, it would be really hard to set a time goal of more than an hour, but sometimes I could do more. It’s weird how some days are harder than others to get words out.
Any progress is good progress, whether its time or word counts. I spent the latter part of Thursday staring at my laptop for over an hour and only produced 200 words… Oh well!! I still count my hour as productive!
Hey, you were 200 words ahead of when you started, right? Sometimes the words just don’t come as easily as other times.
Glad to hear that things are easing up at work. That’ll help quite a bit. Wow, that time block method really works for you. You’re a writer (the “crime” LOL) and now it’s time to do the time! I look forward to seeing how the 45 per day works out. Good luck!
Thanks, Ryan. I’ll let everyone know how it works out. I like your crime/time analogy. LOL
Glad the time block seems to be working!! I still track word count too. I think it’s important to measure it for many reasons. It’s just not the thing that helps motivate me everyday. Have a good week darling!
Hi Lauren. My official goal is time, but I can’t help myself. I have to track words. And you’re right, I think it’s important to measure it. You don’t really know how you’re coming along unless you can look at the words. But if I can make myself sit and write for 45 minutes to an hour, I’ve been productive.