In less then a week I am going to write approximately 1667 words every day for a month, because my goal is to write 50,000 words in November.
HISTORY: I have failed to reach this goal twice in the past. I have never succeeded. So, you ask, why am I setting a goal which I can't attain? First, I believe I can accomplish this goal. I am working hard to set myself up for success. I have outlined, set aside time, informed family and friends that I will be hard to reach, and told the world that I am going to do this. Second, coming up short is not failing - it is winning.
That's right. Even if I can't write 50,000 words in 30 days, making this attempt is a big win for me. How? I love writing. I dream of writing for a living. Getting millions of dollars for every book I publish and taking vacations paid for by my amazing success. Ok, reality check time. How many books did I write last year? None. How many books did I start last year? None. Why not? I don't write books without putting words on the pages. Getting any words written is a win.
Let's talk about writing for a living. News flash: very few authors write for a living. News flash: even fewer get paid millions for their books. One of the most successful authors living right now is Stephen King. Writes for a living? Check. Millions per book? Check. Movie deals? Check. Television deals? Check. What is Stephen King's approach to writing?
"I like to get ten pages a day, which amounts to 2,000 words. That’s 180,000 words over a three-month span, a goodish length for a book — something in which the reader can get happily lost, if the tale is done well and stays fresh." King, Stephen. On Writing: a Memoir of the Craft. Hodder, 2012.
That's 2000 words a day, every day. Not one month per year - every month - every year!
So, what is writing 1667 words every day for a month about? It's about creating a daily writing habit. It's about putting words towards a novel. It's about writing because I want to be an author. It's about writing when I don't feel inspired. It's about taking a step toward writing every day year round. It's about writing. I know I can do this!
If you want to do something amazing, if you want to write a book, if you want to develop a writing habit -- why not join me? Head over to https://nanowrimo.org// and create your free account. Push yourself a little and see how far you can go. Win with me in November!
Thank you to pixabay and https://nanowrimo.org// for the images contained in this post. All images are used with permission. Special thank you to @beanz for the inspiration to write this post.
