You're not struggling to hit your word count goal because you're lazy or a bad writer.
This one approach is keeping you stuck in a cycle of guilt, pressure, and burnout. It's time to stop chasing results and start focusing on effort and consistency. Let's explore the mindset that is holding you back and the perspective that will actually help you reach your goals.
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Struggling to hit your daily word count doesn’t mean you’re a failure. It means your approach isn’t working. Let's talk about why chasing strict word-count goals hasn't worked for me and the strategies I've found to be more effective. I want us to find purpose and fulfillment in our writing, not shame.
Let's define some practical strategies for setting achievable writing goals that actually lead to progress. Whether you’re working on a novel, short stories, or any other written piece, these tips will help you create consistently and in a way that fuels your creativity, instead of stifling it.
Takeaways for your writing:
- Why word-count goals can be detrimental to your creativity and productivity
- Alternative strategies for writing consistently
- Ways to measure success that go beyond the number of words written
Have you struggled with hitting daily word-count goals? Share your experience in the comments.
▶️ Word counts don't matter if you're not passionate about your work. An open discussion: https://youtu.be/cpTyaWz68ng
⏱️ CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS
00:00 - Why word count goals backfire
00:50 - The emotional roller coaster
01:47 - Motivation, guilt, and burnout cycle
02:46 - How word counts sabotage creativity
03:43 - Choosing effort-focused writing goals
04:37 - Creating consistent writing habits
05:28 - How to reduce resistance
06:56 - Reconnecting with your story
07:24 - Accountability and writing community
08:21 - Building sustainable writing habits
08:44 - Tracking progress without pressure
09:10 - Output improves when pressure drops
10:10 - Trusting yourself as a writer
🎧 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
YouTube: https://writingwoods.com/youtubeSpotify: https://writingwoods.com/spotifyApple: https://writingwoods.com/apple
EFFORT-FOCUSED GOALS
- Write daily or on scheduled days
- Write at a certain time of day
- Write before doing certain other things
- Write for a certain amount of time (even during a song or while your tea is steeping)
- Go to a specific writing place each day
- Open your manuscript document
- Engage mentally with your story (e.g. writing, journaling, rereading, thinking walk)
- Check in with your writing group
- Encourage another writer
- Journal about your writing session (or about why you didn’t have a session)
Get the PDF list: https://bit.ly/4ifGblc
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https://victoriagriffin.com/handbook
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https://victoriagriffin.com/quiz
