I see a lot of writers get caught up in word counts and progress bars, sending them into panic spirals when they don’t hit daily goals or go a few days without writing. Writing more isn’t always the most helpful or productive goal. What if I told you that writing less will actually lead to a more productive writing schedule over time?
The Road to Writing Burnout
I have a really bad habit of writing a lot in a very short amount of time. I’m working on kicking that habit — not because it’s necessarily wrong to write faster, but instead because it’s just not good for my mental or physical health. It never has been. From the outside, it might seem like my ability to write massive amounts of words in days or weeks should be impressive. But such bursts of productivity almost always result in devastating stretches of burnout. I like to call it “brain drought.”
Unless you’re getting paid a lot of money to write really fast (and if you are — do you know anyone in your field who’s hiring?), stop rushing. Technically, producing drafts faster could eventually earn you more frequent paychecks, but always remember that revisions exist. You’re going to have to go back and revise anyway! Make the first attempt count. Burnout isn’t worth the fleeting dopamine rush.
My 500-Word Method
I’ve accidentally discovered that the less you write (at one time), the more you generally end up writing over time. So at the moment, I’m sticking to what I’ve found works for me: Writing in very short bursts, once a day, for a set number of days per week.
Writing 500 words at a time becomes a lot easier once you make it a habit. And honestly? So does forcing yourself to stop when you hit 500, even when you’re on a roll. Now, instead of burning out at the end of every week from writing too much, I’m able to stick to a schedule and look forward to my next writing session simultaneously.
Slow Progress Is Good Progress
The reality is, everyone writes at their own pace. Just because you write faster or slower than someone else doesn’t mean you’re not putting in the same amount of effort, if not more. And it’s most definitely not a reflection of how well you’re doing, both in quality and in the progression of your current writing journey.
Slow progress is better than no progress. And often times, the slower you progress, the more likely you’ll be to finish something and have a better first draft to work with. You still have to do your best to work through the various mental blocks that are known to plague most writers — self-doubt; distraction; I could go on — but a little bit at a time still counts as a win.
Meg Dowell Writes 