Recently I discovered another useful tit-bit to add to my writing toolbox.
It’s so unbelievably simple that it’s scary. It comes from the fact that is nothing like a deadline
or goal to get you cracking! I put together a simple word counting spreadsheet.
The formula gives me the word increase for each writing session. its qualitative different to using word count because I can see my progress. For me, that’s important
because I can’t sit at the PC for long periods, so in the times I am able to do so do so, every
word counts. My goal is to finish with more words than I started knowing that I
have limited time available to do it in. Being able to see my progress
makes a huge difference to my motivation. Sometimes I add only a few
hundred words but every word moves the total forward. I know it isn’t all about
the word count but without the words on the page there is nothing to edit and
shape. In the last few weeks, this strategy has helped me feel like I can get
to the end of my novel – counting on every word.
