Writer Off The Leash: What's a Respectable Daily Word Count?

Thursday, May 14, 2015

What's a Respectable Daily Word Count?

Respectability is subjective. Some dress up in fishnet stockings and feather boas for a night on the town. Others won't leave the house without a three-piece suit. The same holds true for a daily word count. What is a respectable amount?

It varies, writer to writer. Here are the goals of a few big names . . .

Anne Rice 3000
Ernest Hemingway 500
Jack London 1500
Mark Twain 1400
Maya Angelou 2500
Michael Crichton 10,000
Nicholas Sparks 2000
Stephen King 2000

As for me, I shoot for 600 a day. Sometimes I do less. Oftentimes I write more. I suppose if I had a deadline, I'd be writing like crazy go nuts. The point is that there isn't any particular goal that makes you a little champion. Write what works for you.

And if you need help keeping track of those words or like to see a visual of your progress, here are a few handy dandy sites that will do just that . . .

The Amazing Mechanical Word Count Tracker
Pacemaker
Honorless
WriteChain (app for an iPhone)

4 comments:

Carrie Lynn Lewis said...: Michelle,

I've been a big believer in setting daily or weekly word count goals since I began writing seriously in 2008, so you're preaching to the choir on this subject.

But I'm intrigued by the word count tools you shared at the end and will be looking into those. Will they replace my spreadsheet? I don't know, but they sound like fun.

Thanks!

Carrie; May 14, 2015 at 12:54 PM
Michelle Griep said...: I suppose it depends on how attached you are to your spreadsheet, eh?; May 14, 2015 at 4:34 PM
ashley said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; June 17, 2015 at 7:30 AM
ashley said...: While Hemingway's goal (500 words/day) is the smallest one on this list, I bet those 500 tightly crafted words packed a bigger punch than most other writers' words would!; June 17, 2015 at 7:34 AM