Counting Words

After a surge in my writing/editing during Camp NaNoWriMo in April, my non writing life took control in May. Add to this the fact that I couldn't get my head around a new scene that I needed to write and my wordage ground to a halt.

After throwing ideas around for that evasive scene for a couple of weeks, I finally managed to get it down on paper this week - phew. I also came to the conclusion that my writing output suffers when I don't have a plan in hand, a regular target. I've therefore returned to an old friend.

I've talked about the Pacemaker website before. Using your own choices of regularity of writing and wordcount etc, Pacemaker creates a writing plan for you. My writing plan looks like this:

Target wordcount: 25,000 (I've already written around that amount. Another 25k should finish my novel). Start date: Today. Finish date: 17th July (I want to complete this before my children break for the summer and take over my sanity). I've chosen the 'Steadily' option of writing the same amount every day which is apparently of average intensity. There's also an option for 'hard core' intensity - scary.

Using a wordcount plan like this, works for me. It gives me an immediate target. I'm too easily distracted to just 'wing it'. Working like this won't suit everybody. In fact, not everyone will even need a plan. I do. 

So the target for today is just shy of 800 words. I have a fight scene to write, well, revamp, with slightly different details and a smaller cast. After that, I have another new chapter to write. Wish me luck.