How much can one person write in a day? That really depends on a number of factors: what they are writing, what other obligations they might have, how much in-depth research is involved, etc. Can you write 10,000 words a day without completely losing your mind? Can you do it?
The short version is, yes, you probably can. Here is, at the very least, what might help you plow your way through a lot of writing in a short amount of time.
Prioritizing isn’t just a buzzword
When we say you have to make writing a priority, we’re not just feeding search engines here. Sure, it sounds simple. Just prioritize. It’s not simple, obviously, because as a writer you are busy and there are distractions and you might be having a bit of a creativity block and you don’t always intentionally put writing at the top of your to-do list. But you have to make that a habit. You at least have to try.
There are points when, if you want to write a lot in a short amount of time, you just have to put it first whether it’s convenient or not. It’s not even about finding time, but making time. You will not have time to catch up on your favorite show and write 10,000 words in a day, especially if you have other responsibilities on top of writing, like school or another job. That’s just something you have to be willing to accept. That show will be online on the network’s website tomorrow. You can wait.
Writing is really just typing out one word at a time
For some reason, we have this idea in our head that there is a right or wrong number of words an article or story or book has to have, and we have to do what we’re told if we want to get paid for the work we do. That’s just how it goes. You take what you can get and you run with it. This can be overwhelming, knowing you have x amount of words to write before you can hit submit. But you can get through it.
It gets easier the longer you sit there working. You stop counting eventually. You stop worrying so much about how many more words you have to go. You get caught up in the narrative and worry much more about whether you are actually getting your point across, which is something worth fretting over. It’s just a number. You can achieve that number without sacrificing the quality of your prose.
You are capable of much more than you think you are
The more time you spend writing, the less tempting it is to give in to distractions. That’s what you would think, logically, would happen, right? It doesn’t always happen that way. It’s hard to start, then you get on a roll, then you take a break and it’s hard to start again. Distractions don’t go away easily and our brains get tired. It is a constant game of write, stop, write more, being afraid to stop because you’re not sure if you will be able to start again, and so on.
You will probably whisper “I can’t do this” a hundred times (though that’s something we can all work on, positive affirmations, anyone?). You will get up, walk around, consider just giving in, but honestly, you will feel so much more fulfilled and happy if you just keep going. It’s not fun now, you wish you could be doing something else, but that something else will be there when you’re done. You are the only one stopping yourself from doing it. Just write. It may not be simple, but it is possible.
What’s the most you have ever written in one day? How did you feel when it was over? How much do you write now, in comparison?
Images courtesy of 100awesomethings.com.
Meg Dowell Writes 
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