# Authors, how much time do you schedule each day to write?



## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

On average, I get approximately 3-5 hours per day to write.  My writing goal each day is 5-8 pages.

How about you?  Do you aim for hours or for number of pages?


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## neciaphoenix (Aug 1, 2011)

I do most my writing at night after the kids have gone to bed (I do most my editing/cover design in between daily chores and chasing toddlers). I shoot for 1500 to 2000 words a day, which I can sometimes do in a single sitting if I am on fire or drags out over a couple hours, but that varies depending on how tired I am and if the babies are being fussy.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

neciaphoenix said:


> I do most my writing at night after the kids have gone to bed (I do most my editing/cover design in between daily chores and chasing toddlers). I shoot for 1500 to 2000 words a day, which I can sometimes do in a single sitting if I am on fire or drags out over a couple hours, but that varies depending on how tired I am and if the babies are being fussy.


I love when the muse zaps full force, rather than the dry spells of waiting for inspiration.


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## JA_Paul (Jun 23, 2010)

I write early in the morning for an hour, before everyone is awake and before work. I can usually write 600-1000 words in that time.


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## cecilia_writer (Dec 28, 2010)

I do all my first drafts as part of NaNoWriMo writing at about 2,000 words a day, which I can usually do in about an hour and a half - this gives me the core of a whole novel at somewhere between 50,000 and 60,000 words. I've just completed another one for 'Camp NaNoWriMo' in July. However I have serious trouble scheduling time for editing and re-writes, and at the moment I have a backlog of 3 novels waiting for this. But I've told myself to be more organised and hope to edit/rewrite for at least an hour a day from now until November.


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

I don't schedule writing time, I just sneak it in when I can. Usually that's at night after the kiddies have gone to bed or on the weekends when hubby is home to keep them out of my hair while I closet myself in the bedroom.


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## Flopstick (Jul 19, 2011)

I try to put aside an hour or ninety minutes when I stagger in from work.  It's not ideal, because I seem to write much more quickly and creatively first thing in the morning, sometime between my first cup of tea and my second, but it can't be helped.  Though recently I've found myself booting Word up again between eleven and midnight and doing a bit extra.  I always mean to get loads done at the weekend, but it never quite pans out that way.


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## Seanathin23 (Jul 24, 2011)

On week days I try and get about two and a half hours in between chores before I go to work at 2:30.  On weekends I try and slip a lot in before the wife wakes up and makes me do things.  

I shoot for 2k words a day and usually just get there, unless I'm on fire in which case I can knock out about 3k before work. 

At work I normally work on my outlines and such.  Though playing with Google documents right now so I'll probably get another few hundred done a day at work. 

As for editting I do it at the same time as I move between projects.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

I went to a speech give by a writer who wrote full time and she mentioned she liked to write 2-3 pages a day...sometimes 4.  I felt elated, because that was my usual output when writing.  I can usually crank out a novel around 160-200 pages in about two months...  I once did National Novel Writing Month and managed 55,000 words in 20 days...that was exhausting.

So, I give myself an hour or two each night.  Since I also write news articles and such for other sites, I have to spend some of the evening working on that, too.  In the course of a day I write 2-3 news articles, a blog post for my website, post on Kindleboards, write press releases and article at my day job and write about 1,000-2000 words on my most recent book project...all before 9 pm.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

Wow, some very unique writing schedules.  The important thing is to make time for writing.  Thanks, all, for sharing!


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## Amanda Leigh Cowley (Apr 28, 2011)

Well, I aim to write for a couple of hours a day, but I'm too easily distracted - by Kindleboards, Kindle User Forum, my blog, facebook or twitter.  I know what the problem is, every time my email chimes to tell me I've got a message, I check it, and then I'm off again!

I know what I've got to do - turn the PC volume down and get stuck in.

Right, logging out now.  Or maybe in a couple of minutes...


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## Kevis Hendrickson (Feb 28, 2009)

I schedule myself to write no less than 8 hours a day. Since writing is my job, I'd be cheating myself if I didn't. Makes no sense that I'd be willing to work that long at a 9-5, but not at my career.


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## dtconklin (Jul 28, 2011)

I write 6-8 hours a day, starting at 9AM, and I strive for 2,000 new words per day.  If I'm editing, I try to plow through 5-10 thousand per day.  Some days are better than others  .  

Oh right, and this is my first post.  So... hi  .


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## Aimee Laine (Jul 11, 2011)

1 hour. Depending on my muse, I can crank out 1000-2000 words in that timeframe.  Sometimes more. (I'm told that implies I type at a ridiculous rate of speed and that's true.) 
Aimee


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## Ian Fraser (Mar 8, 2011)

I tend to work according to hours, up at 6am, writing by 8am - then keep going till I run dry at around 3 or 4pm and go 'off duty.' I don't really worry about the number of words or the pages - just so long as I get something on the page every day. Journey of a thousand miles needs those first few steps


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I schedule two hours a day. I try to be at the library by 9am but usually don't get out of the house until 9am. The kids will start school the end of the month and I'll head for the library straight from the bus stop. I'm hoping to work my way up to three hours a day.


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## Usedtopostheretoo! (Feb 27, 2011)

During the work week, I wake up EVERY morning between 4:30 and 5 to write until about 7...when the kids start rumbling around. On weekends, I find myself in front of the computer around 6AM and go until 8 or 9. I count words, but focus more on completing a scene...some days are very productive, other days you'll see me here (and I don't mean this isn't productive).


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## Martin Perry (Aug 2, 2011)

Currently I'd say I'm putting in a minimum of three hours a day into the _Legacy Universe_. That might be writing, it might be editing, it might be formatting, but it all counts!

I would say that, generally, I won't write more than 1500 to 2000 words in a day - mostly just to make sure I stay sharp, and that I'm not just churning out words.

Everybody is different though!


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## Michael_J_Sullivan (Aug 3, 2011)

I'm about to go do that now...Generally mornings are my productive times from 8:00 - lunch.  Then in the afternoon I do email and social networking stuff. Then get back to the writing in the evening.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

mandymoo said:


> Well, I aim to write for a couple of hours a day, but I'm too easily distracted - by Kindleboards, Kindle User Forum, my blog, facebook or twitter. I know what the problem is, every time my email chimes to tell me I've got a message, I check it, and then I'm off again!
> 
> I know what I've got to do - turn the PC volume down and get stuck in.
> 
> Right, logging out now. Or maybe in a couple of minutes...


Psst. Turn off the chime. I was having the same problem myself and decided it best to do my writing first and then check in with all my social networking. It has worked to my advantage. My fourth novel is almost finished!


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## unkownwriter (Jun 22, 2011)

Wow, I feel like an underachiever. I'm home all day, and I _could_ be writing but I'm not. I keep finding other things to do, and I hate it. So, thanks to all your inspiration, I'm going to schedule myself to write everyday.

It's not like I'm not thinking about my writing, I am. And I'm also plotting and researching, but little actual writing gets done day to day. But I need to get my SF novel finished and published, as well as some shorter works that have been hanging around, so I can move on and "build my bakery" as Dean Wesley Smith says.

Well, I guess I need to get to work! Thanks for the kick in the pants, guys.


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

I spent about 2 hours or so at the library writing every day but Sunday. Anything more than that, and my brain starts to go "bleph" and produce nothing worthwhile.


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## Nick Wastnage (Jun 16, 2011)

I split my day in two. Writing in the morning, then marketing - kindleboards, forums, FB and blog etc in the afternoon. I don't set myself any word or page goal. If what I write is not good, I go back and work on it until I'm happy. I guess my total day stretches from 8am until 5pm, maybe a bit more later in the evening.


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## LKWatts (May 5, 2011)

I usually write mid morning for however long it takes before my brain burns out and then I market in the afternoon.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

Aimee Laine said:


> 1 hour. Depending on my muse, I can crank out 1000-2000 words in that timeframe.  Sometimes more. (I'm told that implies I type at a ridiculous rate of speed and that's true.)
> Aimee


Nice . . . I can see smoke coming off the keys.


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## jwholmes2011 (Jun 18, 2011)

I'm always interested to know how much time is split (for those that do this full-time) between promoting your last book and the time you spend writing your next one...


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

jwholmes2011 said:


> I'm always interested to know how much time is split (for those that do this full-time) between promoting your last book and the time you spend writing your next one...


Interesting question that you should perhaps add as a new topic. For myself, I am busily working on my fourth book and reducing my time for promoting, because I'd never finish the book.


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## terryspear (Jul 31, 2011)

Before work and after work. Sometimes on lunch break! It's the only way to meet deadlines!


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

terryspear said:


> Before work and after work. Sometimes on lunch break! It's the only way to meet deadlines!


True.


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## Doctor Barbara (Aug 17, 2010)

Leonard makes a good point.  The big conflict us writer's have is how to divide time for writing vs. promotion.  You need both, but I wish sometimes I could hire an Assistant!


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## LesleaTash (Mar 3, 2011)

I require more focus for writing than promotion, so I try to get an hour or two a day while the kids are otherwise occupied.  Then I edit like mad and pray for the best. I schedule the rest of the day (while I'm doing other things) for brooding about my decisions and wondering if I am crazy for putting myself out there like this.  I'm a real multi-tasker, that way. 

As for promotion, since I'm not selling anything yet, just building a base and getting my name out, I do that as I feel led.  I have a marketing plan, and I will eventually get certain parts of the promotion locked into my weekly schedule (one day for this, one day for that), and as long as I get it done at some point *that day,* it's a win.  That was what worked for me when I was doing it for other businesses/endeavors. Eventually it becomes a habit to, for example, blog after dinner, or tweet at lunch.  I will set a specific time for responding to conversations, too, online. 

If only I could write/edit in bits & bites like that, I'd already be on fire.


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## KateEllison (Jul 9, 2011)

I usually shoot for 2k words or so per day ... how long it takes me depends entirely on my state of inspiration.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

KateEllison said:


> I usually shoot for 2k words or so per day ... how long it takes me depends entirely on my state of inspiration.


Since August 1st, I have been shooting for three pages a day, and I've found that I am getting 4-6 pages per day. The inspiration has been lasting longer now.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

LesleaTash said:


> I require more focus for writing than promotion, so I try to get an hour or two a day while the kids are otherwise occupied. Then I edit like mad and pray for the best. I schedule the rest of the day (while I'm doing other things) for brooding about my decisions and wondering if I am crazy for putting myself out there like this.  I'm a real multi-tasker, that way.


Writing takes getting into the groove and sometimes that can take staring at an empty page for a few minutes to an hour. Once you push past that point, everything else seems to flow more smoothly.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

My writing schedule has taken a new curve since I've enrolled in an MFA creative writing program.  Seems I'm writing all the time, but never seems like I'm getting anything done. lol


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## Bellagirl (Jul 23, 2011)

I don't tend to schedule time per se as much as word count. If I get my ideal 1000 words done, anything else is gravy. That could take an hour or it could take longer, if I get stuck. Usually I'm at the computer for a couple-hour stints.


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## Bakari (May 25, 2010)

I am a page man.

My minimum output is one page and my max is three pages. Adopting this routine has allowed me to always move forward without burning out. I get an incredible amount of work done (over a relatively short amount of time) and it feels effortless.


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## Iowagirl (Jul 17, 2011)

I write for an hour to an hour-and-a-half every morning before work and whatever I can squeeze in on the weekends. 

Tracey


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

Bakari said:


> I am a page man.
> 
> My minimum output is one page and my max is three pages. Adopting this routine has allowed me to always move forward without burning out. I get an incredible amount of work done (over a relatively short amount of time) and it feels effortless.


That's an interesting process. Oscar Collier suggested in his book, "How to Write and Sell Your First Novel," that writers aim for three pages per day. In a few months of steady writing you can have a novel completed.


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## Evan Couzens (Jul 18, 2011)

I usually get about 2 or 2.5 hours a day and aim for 800 words. Lately I've been smoking that goal though, and have clocked 1100+ every day this week and last week. 

I write after I work out, usually from about 8-10pm.


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## Klip (Mar 7, 2011)

I'm new to this, and have just started on my first full length book (as opposed to short stories).  My schedule is always changing because I freelance.  When doing ass-work writing, (ass-work is work for pay. I write textbooks) I write from about 6am to 4:30 pm with frequent breaks for dog walks and snacks and if the writing is very boring, long baths.   I produce around two chapters a week, completed, diagrams, everything.

For my creative work I fit it in around my other work.  At the moment that means writing for about 2-3 hours in the afternoons before I have to break off to go teach my evening classes.  So far I've tried not to set myself any kind of word or page count goal as I'm anal and pedantic enough as it is and that would just make me seize up.

Instead, I try to write a complete "scene" and also, I try to stop while the writing is flowing and not when I'm stuck. Makes it easier to start again.


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## Bakari (May 25, 2010)

Leonard,

Yes, consistency is the key. I feel the compulsion to write all the time, so writing everyday is no problem for me. As a consequence, the small bits add up quickly (19 books).


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## Debra Burroughs (Feb 17, 2011)

I shoot for 2000 words a day, which can take me 2 to 3 hours, depending on how the ideas are flowing. If I have to sit, stare out the window and think things through,  it takes me the longer amount of time. 2000 words is my goal, but some days I only get 500 words because life gets in the way. But if I have no goal, I may go days without writing anything. Having a goal helps me write more.


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## Tommie Lyn (Dec 7, 2009)

I don't schedule time for writing. I know it goes against all the advice writers are given, but, in order to write a decent story, I have to get involved in it, involved in my characters' lives, and I can't do that by the clock.

I go for days, even weeks, when I don't write (I don't count blog posts and other non-fiction I produce as "writing," by the way...for me, "writing" refers a time when I'm lost in that "other world"). But then, I close my office door, put on music and headphones...and I'm out of the loop for the duration.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

Wow, there is such diversity among us!  Very interesting to read!


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

Bakari said:


> Leonard,
> 
> Yes, consistency is the key. I feel the compulsion to write all the time, so writing everyday is no problem for me. As a consequence, the small bits add up quickly (19 books).


Wow! 19 books!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I've recently revised my schedule. Things change. 

The college library is now open from 9-1 on Saturday so I can get in about 3.5 hours there. I also go to the college library three days a week for another 3.5 hours per day. I have one day a week that I go to McD's for two hours because that is always a very busy day for me. Most of the time, I can put in another two hours that night at GS's activity. 

I take one morning off because I have to take Mom shopping and I use Sunday for "administrative" tasks; interviews, editing, cover design and lots of other little things.

My word count is usually 1K/hour. Sometimes a little higher and sometimes a little lower, but that's pretty much my average. 

I have to stay focused or I'd just sit at home doing laundry, playing video games, napping, reading.  Hey, that sounds pretty good!


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## Robert Appleton (Oct 31, 2010)

I'm more of a night writer--it feels more like solitude, and I can sometimes glide for 4-5 hours at a reasonably inspired level. By day, it's more of a trudge. I shoot for 2000 words but usually fall short. And I need, need, need a concrete deadline to have the book finished by, or else I'd manage a few lines a day.


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## Ryan Sullivan (Jul 9, 2011)

Everyone blitzes me. I aim for at least 200 words every day. That can take up to 2 hours if I'm not at an easy place.

On the other hand, with some pre-planning and the use of Write or Die, I can write 300 words for every half-hour. I'm hoping once my first book is released, I'll have the drive to write more every day. But 200 words (or sometimes a 300 word minimum) consistently is what works for me right now. If I tried any more than that and couldn't make it, I'd stop writing for weeks or a month, and that would be anti-productive. I've been there a few times.


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## Todd Russell (Mar 27, 2011)

I write in the mornings when I first get up. Usually knock out a new flash fiction story in 15-45 minutes as a warm-up exercise--this is all I "schedule"--and then onto other projects where I might write anywhere from a few to thousands of words. Depends on how much gas is in the tank.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

modwitch said:


> My writing has been really, really chopped up lately, courtesy of my 4yo, and the current WIP is a mess because of it. So a week ago, I got an office. It's down the street, and entirely small-child free.
> 
> I'm trying to block 3hrs a day there. I usually can't write for 3 hours straight - like David, nothing good comes after a couple. But I have music there, a yoga mat, my knitting (I know - I'm an old lady in training ). So quite often I write a scene or two, then take a break to percolate on the next scene.
> 
> ...


I would love to get an office but the cheapest I could find was $300 a month. It's still cheaper to go to the library even though it costs me half a gallon of gas a day. 

My Thursdays at McD's cost me hotcakes and tea but I got 2400 words done today.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

I love to write in libraries, provided they're not overly busy.  I have written chapters while sitting in a lab classroom while others worked on their projects.  Sometimes you find great creativity in new surroundings.  That's the beauty of laptops, too.


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## Ethan Cobb (Jun 7, 2011)

I write an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening.  Plus whatever time I can sneak in during the lunch break.


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## Tamara Rose Blodgett (Apr 1, 2011)

4-5 hours, 6 days per wk. 3K minimum.  And complete silence is a mood-killer, I need music blasting.


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## 16205 (Jun 8, 2010)

I go by word count. No less than 2k, no matter how long it takes. Sometimes that's an hour and a half, other times it's 4 hours with interruptions/distractions etc. I have a lot of days I hit 5-6k though.

The past few days, I've been writing one book in the morning, and another in the evening.  In between, I'm doing a final read through on a completely different one.

Like Tamara, music is a must have.


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## JuliaJamieson (Sep 19, 2011)

I write about 6 hours a day, six days a week. Then I spend another 3-4 hours doing interviews, answering email, promoting on FB/Twitter/my website, and now, visiting the KBs. 

Sometimes I have to hold myself to an even tougher schedule. Like now when I have a book due to my editor my November 30th. 

That I haven't started yet. 


Juiia


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## CollinKelley (Sep 1, 2011)

When I was working on my latest novel, Remain In Light, I wrote from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. I'm always more creative in the evenings.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

CollinKelley said:


> When I was working on my latest novel, Remain In Light, I wrote from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. I'm always more creative in the evenings.


Night time is the best time for me to write. At least when I had a midnight shift job, that worked best. Now, dark dreary days are the best way to get that eeriness in my novels. Love it!


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## PBThompson (Jun 22, 2011)

My time depends on my work times.  When on late's I can write for a couple of hours in the morning and then an hour at lunchtime.  When I'm on earlies I get a couple of hours in after I've picked the kids up from school.  Weekends I have 2 hours in the morning before everyone is awake and 2 hours in the afternoon when the kids have their weekend video game treat.

This will all change as we are expecting our third child in March. 

Paul


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

PBThompson said:


> This will all change as we are expecting our third child in March.
> 
> Paul


Congrats!


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## Shiromi (Jul 5, 2011)

I try to shoot for a couple of hours a day with fiction writing. Right now I've been working on editing a story about to come out and now that time goes to editing instead of writing. However, since I like to exercise that writing muscle every day, I try to get in 1000 words a day on a new story, even when I'm editing. I hate juggling projects, but it helps my creativity.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

Shiromi said:


> I try to shoot for a couple of hours a day with fiction writing. Right now I've been working on editing a story about to come out and now that time goes to editing instead of writing. However, since I like to exercise that writing muscle every day, I try to get in 1000 words a day on a new story, even when I'm editing. I hate juggling projects, but it helps my creativity.


Editing is still writing. Great writing comes from rewriting and rewriting and . . . .


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## Cher Carson (Mar 27, 2012)

4-5 hours and 7 pages.


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## L.M. Gautreaux (Apr 15, 2012)

I'm trying to work the kinks out of my schedule now and figure out when I'm most productive.

Work on the novel early morning with a 2000 word goal. Research and reading midday. Family time early evening.  Then back to writing late evening.  Lots of phone calls in between with my writing partner.

I have some chronic illnesses that often get in the way so I never quite know what the day will bring.

LM


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## LKWatts (May 5, 2011)

I aim to do a couple of hours 5 days a week. 500 plus words a session


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## AmberC (Mar 28, 2012)

My husband tries to write 3-5 hours a day and 3,000-5,000 words. It really depends on my work schedule that day and the state of our children.


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## 56139 (Jan 21, 2012)

I try to hit number scenes, since I write in Scrivener and there are no page numbers.  Each of my scenes is about 1000-2000 words.  I try to do at least two scenes, maybe three.  Every once in a while I get five or six done, if I'm at a fast paced part of the book.  I usually spend most of the day looking over, thinking about, and adding to what I did yesterday, then spend the late afternoon or evening writing new stuff.  Unless I already know what I want to write that day, then I think about it on the treadmill in the morning and write it up after.

I have two other jobs, so like this weekend - I have to spend most of my time writing and designing a new product to be ready for Monday.  I'll probably do half the scenes I normally do.  I have another job that takes me on the road every other week, so of course I get no writing done on those days, but since I'm driving all over the state by myself, I get a lot of thinking done.  

For me, thinking is almost as productive as writing.


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## Carradee (Aug 21, 2010)

I try to schedule at least 1–2 hours of writing a weekday, though that hasn't happened lately. That's about 1k–2k words on a reasonable day.

Not that I've been able to do that, lately.


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## Jason Varrone (Feb 5, 2012)

Between a full-time job and a family with young kids, keeping a solid schedule is difficult. I write in bursts: 1.000 words here, a few days off to mull them over and revise and add a blog post, another 1,500 words there, rinse and repeat. So far it works, but I do get frustrated with not being able to write consistently. I am in the early stages of my writing career, so things will improve. I just ordered a new laptop and plan to hit the library (my favorite place to write) every week for a few hours. I am not a morning person, so after getting the kiddos on the bus, working a full day, spending time with the family in the evening, by the time I have a moment to myself, I am usually tapped. Ah well, family life, what can you do.


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## Lee Lopez (Jan 19, 2012)

I'm good for 2hrs, during the week, and maybe 3hrs on the weekend. I try to average six pages a day. 

The problem, its spring, the weather is beautiful, and I'd rather be outdoors, hiking, biking or running. It's not a struggle for time, but the desire to sit in a chair and write.


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## Eleanor1976 (Apr 7, 2012)

I have a hectic life so I try to write whenever I can. I don't really have a schedule. I do find though that I write better in the late morning and early afternoon. I think the coffee has had ample time to kick in by that point. 
I wish I could have the courage of Graham Greene, who set himself a limit of writing just 100 words a day  Even if he was in the middle of a sentence, if his 100-word limit was up, he would just stop. How cool is that?


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## JRWoodward (Apr 26, 2011)

I schedule two hours in the afternoon and two hours in the evening, and when my pets and stepchildren wreck that, I stay up till 3:30 AM.
Does that help?


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## GUTMAN (Dec 22, 2011)

*DEPT. OF MORE INFORMATION THAN NEEDED*

_From September to June_
Up at 5am.
Half hour of hard treadmill time.
Breakfast, shower, coffee.

6-7am: Write
7am: Leave for work
Teach 6 classes of drama, seeing 180 hormone charged, fantastic student tweens each day
4-6pm Rehearse school play
(On Monday nights, from 6:30 to 9:30 Teach at University)
Come home with brain fried

Saturday-Sunday, grab a few hours each day to write

_From June to September:_
Up at 7:30
Half hour of hard treadmill time.
Breakfast, shower, coffee.

10-1: Teach at University, Mon-Thur
1-2- lunch
3-6 Writing Time

Fridays, Saturdays: Writing from 10-2

Summer is great!

I use the Hemingway trick of stopping for the day in mid sentence. That way I know where to start the next day.

I also use MacFreedom. It's stupid, I know, but for $10 it's the best software ever--and it keeps me off the Net.

Great thread. I'm endlessly curious about writer's methodologies.

G


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## Beatriz (Feb 22, 2011)

LeonardDHilleyII said:


> On average, I get approximately 3-5 hours per day to write. My writing goal each day is 5-8 pages.
> 
> How about you? Do you aim for hours or for number of pages?


I envy you. I wish I could do that but chores and reality always intrude but I'm happy when I manage to do a page or two, or even a few paragraphs!


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## MarieDees (Feb 14, 2011)

I don't schedule time to write. I schedule time to do mundane things like laundry and cooking. But only because being cold and naked makes me uncomfortable when I'm writing. But essentially, if I'm awake and not doing something essential to remaining part of civilized society, I am writing. Non-fiction for the day job, fiction for the me-job.


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## 56139 (Jan 21, 2012)

MarieDees said:


> I don't schedule time to write. I schedule time to do mundane things like laundry and cooking. But only because being cold and naked makes me uncomfortable when I'm writing. But essentially, if I'm awake and not doing something essential to remaining part of civilized society, I am writing. Non-fiction for the day job, fiction for the me-job.


 Me too! This is pretty much how I live right now - except I consider the treadmill to be part of my writing since that's where all my ideas come from.. Today I was on there an extra twenty minutes because I was playing out an entire scene in my head and I forgot I what I was doing.


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## Routhwick (Apr 1, 2012)

It depends on several factors:

1) Whether I've got enough energy to keep up with the task
2) The volume of household chores that await me each day
3) How little distraction (from music, personal experiments and other web sites) I can take in one sitting

In short: an irregular pattern. And it doesn't help that I'm only latched on to one special book and little more these days...


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## Quinn Richardson (Apr 20, 2012)

What a terrific forum and a great thread.  This one drew me out of lurking.

I woke up on January 1st with the resolution that I would write and publish my first novel before 2012 was over.  How hard could it be to write a page a day?

Not nearly as easy as I had predicted, it turns out.

So on day 121, I am 70 pages into a 300 page book, so my roughed-in schedule of a page a day isn't working out yet.

However, since it's my first time around I find myself reading and researching as much as I write.  I have to imagine most writers started as avid readers, so I can't be the only one with this problem.

But the whole experience has been incredibly fun so far, and I am enjoying the ride immensely.  I hope to pick up the pace as I figure out new stuff every day.  It will be a challenge, but I'm looking forward to it.


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## xandy3 (Jun 13, 2010)

3 hours a day mon-fri.  5-6 hours on weekends.  
If I get an extra day off through the week, then I allow myself 6 hours to write


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## John Daulton (Feb 28, 2012)

Definitely interesting to go through this thread. I give myself a minimum output of 1850 words a day, minimum 5 days a week. I shoot for more, and most days it's closer to 3,000, with the occasional 5,000 or more day (maybe once per week). I have a calendar and I fill in squares for every day I hit the minimum word count. Any day I don't hit it, doesn't get filled in. There's something about a blank square that infuriates me, so I avoid letting that happen at all costs, regardless of my mood or sense of the muse.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

Cher Carson said:


> 4-5 hours and 7 pages.


I try to spend that much time per day, too.

Unseasonably cold today and cloudy, which is the best writing environment I could hope for, so I've been able to concentrate more on writing and churning out pages.

I absolutely love reading everyone's replies, too. We all work a bit differently.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

John Daulton said:


> Definitely interesting to go through this thread. I give myself a minimum output of 1850 words a day, minimum 5 days a week. I shoot for more, and most days it's closer to 3,000, with the occasional 5,000 or more day (maybe once per week). I have a calendar and I fill in squares for every day I hit the minimum word count. Any day I don't hit it, doesn't get filled in. There's something about a blank square that infuriates me, so I avoid letting that happen at all costs, regardless of my mood or sense of the muse.


Reading how other authors work is always interesting.


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## Guest (May 25, 2012)

I usually have to burn a big joint, put my headphones in, sit in front of word, and just let the music get my flow going.


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## Guest (May 26, 2012)

At least 1-2 hours a day when writing first drafts.

Currently revising book 5. When I'm editing I focus on pages, not time. Trying to hammer 4-5 pages into shape each day.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

Attebery said:


> At least 1-2 hours a day when writing first drafts.
> 
> Currently revising book 5. When I'm editing I focus on pages, not time. Trying to hammer 4-5 pages into shape each day.


Congrats on Book 5! Yes, revising is a monster in itself. But to get a novel or short story in its best possible shape, this is necessary.


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## Emma Daniels (Jan 21, 2011)

Yes, I'm a bit of a mood writer too, so sometimes I don't write for ten years. But thankfully that ended three years ago and the muse found me again. Now I try to write something every day. I also try to fit in some jewellary making every day too. Even being a stay at home Mum means there are a hundred other things that need my attention.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

Emma Daniels said:


> Yes, I'm a bit of a mood writer too, so sometimes I don't write for ten years. But thankfully that ended three years ago and the muse found me again. Now I try to write something every day. I also try to fit in some jewellary making every day too. Even being a stay at home Mum means there are a hundred other things that need my attention.


Glad to hear you and your muse have reconnected!


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

cdstephens said:


> I don't schedule time to write. I write when the mood strikes me. I sometimes envy novelists who write X number of words per day, or screenwriters who write X number of pages per day, but that's not me. Most days I write nothing, but some days I write 10-15,000 words of a novel, and I've been known to do a draft of a screenplay (100 pages) in a week.


I used to do that, too. Lately, I've set a goal for a minimum of 1000 words per day. And what I've discovered is that once you set your mind to write, the process comes out quite well. I tend to write about 1500-1700 words per day now.


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## Error404 (Sep 6, 2012)

I'm an early-night owl writer, and getting my goal of 1k per day usually has me staying up until 11pm (not that late, I know).  Getting that many words sometimes requires as many as three hours and as little as one.


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## ChadWilliamson (May 31, 2011)

My goal is 1200-1500 words a day, though I like to go higher when I can. Sometimes I can do that in an hour and a half, and other times I have to drag it out of me.

For me, setting a deadline is the best thing for me, and saying I HAVE to finish this many words a day to complete. I'm using an iPad app called Write on Track, which lets me set a deadline and tells me how many words I need per day. It's a good way for me to keep honest on my writing goals, finally to a point I'll be done just talking and may finally have a BOOK published!


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

ChadWilliamson said:


> My goal is 1200-1500 words a day, though I like to go higher when I can. Sometimes I can do that in an hour and a half, and other times I have to drag it out of me.
> 
> For me, setting a deadline is the best thing for me, and saying I HAVE to finish this many words a day to complete. I'm using an iPad app called Write on Track, which lets me set a deadline and tells me how many words I need per day. It's a good way for me to keep honest on my writing goals, finally to a point I'll be done just talking and may finally have a BOOK published!


Daily goals help a lot.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

Almost a year ago I took the position as a full-time instructor at a local junior college. Finding time to write has been a challenge.  I do get a few hours a week to write and look forward to the coming break so I can spend more time writing.


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## 31842 (Jan 11, 2011)

Such awesome writing schedules here!  I'm afraid my brain is a stubborn ol' cuss.  If given six hours to write, I'll surf the internet all day.  But if told I only have to write for 15 minutes, I'll write for six hours.  So, that's my schedule.  Fifteen minutes everyday, set with a timer.  And usually that turns into several hours from the time I wake up until about noon, and then sometimes a couple hours in the afternoon.  But as far as my brain is concerned, we only write fifteen minutes a day.


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## Gennita Low (Dec 13, 2012)

8-9am, and sometimes not, because of phone calls from various people.

Lunch, whenever that is, at a greasy spoon, usually half an hour, after eating (because food splashes on screen irritates me).

Scribbled on paper while I sit on roof during breaks from shingling.

After walking my squirrel, the scribbles are transcribed onto computer every night, quickly, before my body decides to crash.

Drink.

Sometimes wake up at 3am to write for an hour. Or edit. 3am is perfect for edits.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

Lately, I have to jot down scenes, notes, and dialogue on index cards or notebooks because my time is so limited.


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## Justawriter (Jul 24, 2012)

I've been getting up early, anywhere between 5-6, making a cup of coffee and opening up Scrivener to write at least one scene, which usually takes an hour to hour and a half. I'm much more productive if I write first, then check email, surf the net....otherwise I am easily distracted and don't get the writing in. This usually means 800-2000 words, with about 1200 or so being the norm. I'd like to get the word count up to at least 2000 day, but find I need a break after getting a scene down to figure out what the next one needs to be.

What I may try this week is to schedule a second session in sometime during the day. I remember a few years back a now famous writer was in our local writing group and also working full time, would actually schedule 2 hour chunks of time into her day and that time would be off-limits...she'd write in her office at work and no one was allowed to interrupt her. That sounds wonderful!


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## Edward Lake (Mar 11, 2012)

This has become my favorite thread. 

When I write, I try to do at least 1500 to 2000 words. As for editing and rewrites, I just go until I can't do it anymore. I find that revising a project is far more exhausting than writing the rough draft. So I take my time with it and let the inspiration come naturally.


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## valeriec80 (Feb 24, 2011)

Currently, I'm writing 5K a day, which I spread out into five 30-min sessions and do whenever the heck I feel like doing them. It's nice when I can be up and at my computer by 9 AM, and awesome when I'm done before dinner, but more likely, I get my first session in before lunch, and I'm finishing up the last one around 7 or 8 PM. It's a fun schedule. I do all kinds of things between writing sessions. Take walks. Read. Go grocery shopping. Work on stuff for the little creative writing class I'm teaching. Watch movies. (Or like seven episodes of Veronica Mars.)

For me, this is a nice balance of having firm goals and also giving myself freedom, like Kate's telling herself she only writes 15 minutes.


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## Taking my troll a$$ outta here (Apr 8, 2013)

I usually write from 8-4 during the week.  On weekends, I do a few hours in the morning and take the rest of the day off. I find that if I skip a day, it gets too easy to skip another, so I write everyday.


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## Jan Thompson (May 25, 2013)

I only write part-time. Each time I have the opportunity to write, I try to finish at least a scene, if not a chapter. Anywhere from 1000-3000 words. I might not be able to write for days, so I try to do the best with the time I have.

For those of you who can write a lot each day, more power to you. Time is a gift. Treasure it. Guard it.


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

I aim for 1000 words a day (see 1000 words a day club thread) from Saturday to Wednesday. This involves dashing off a hundred words in five minutes then running into the next room to separate two brawling preschoolers. Rinse and repeat throughout the day. Thursdays and Fridays they go to childcare so I aim for 2000 words on each of those days.


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## 71089 (Jul 12, 2013)

I write whenever I can, but I always want a minimum of 1500 words a day and 2000 to be happy. More is always welcome. If I don't, I get disappointed in myself, lol. Need to write more!
I usually do this in 1 or 2 hours or something. Sometimes 3, if I'm having a bad day.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

ClarissaWild said:


> I write whenever I can, but I always want a minimum of 1500 words a day and 2000 to be happy. More is always welcome. If I don't, I get disappointed in myself, lol. Need to write more!
> I usually do this in 1 or 2 hours or something. Sometimes 3, if I'm having a bad day.


I understand that disappointment. If I have days when I can't write, I feel the loss, too.


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## 69959 (May 14, 2013)

I write from 4 or 4:30 am (whenever I can get up!) until 6:00. My goal is 2000 words per day. As long I've written an outline for the day's writing I can usually hit it if I start writing by 4:30. I take Saturdays off unless I fell behind during the week, but I don't get up early!


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## rjspears (Sep 25, 2011)

I work a full-time job, so getting in writing time is a challenge.  I write an hour to start off the day, then write over the lunch hour.  That usually ends up being 2 to 2 1/2 hours.  My goal is 1,000 words a day.  I break past 1,000 on most days.

That's on days when I'm producing new material.  It seems lately that I've been editing for days.  I just turned a novel over to my publisher and I'm in the editing phase there.  I have a very long novella out to my proofread and am making edits on that piece.  I'm also doing a major revision on an old novel.  Today, I spent 2 and 1/2 hours editing.  I'd much rather be generating new material, but editing is about finishing the work, so it is necessary.

--
R.J. Spears


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## Verbena (Sep 1, 2011)

About three hours a day


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## Jan Thompson (May 25, 2013)

I'm astounded that this thread began in August 2011? Three years ago?



rjspears said:


> I work a full-time job, so getting in writing time is a challenge. I write an hour to start off the day, then write over the lunch hour. That usually ends up being 2 to 2 1/2 hours. My goal is 1,000 words a day. I break past 1,000 on most days.


I admire you for successfully juggling two careers. I write part-time and I can't keep a consistent writing schedule because life gets in the way, and life gets priority over writing right now. So I write when I can. My editor is waiting for my NF but I'm giving it one more revision.

I read somewhere -- James Scott Bell probably -- that instead of keeping daily counts, a writer should keep weekly counts instead. He said that some days you'll write more, some days less, but at the end of the week, it'll all add up. I'm going to try that and see how it works.


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## dkw (Sep 20, 2013)

Writing is my winter sport, so ~1-2 hours a day after work once the days get shorter. I _try _not to worry about word counts but the bean counter in me can't always help it (800-2.5k).


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## AworkInProgress (Sep 5, 2013)

I'm trying to gain a bit more discipline, so my current goal is for 1000 words or at least an hour of writing a day.  So far so good.


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## Zenferno (May 29, 2013)

No writing time at all at the moment.  Living with terrible teens and all their mates around all the time .  Moving out (of hell) next week though so I'll have 4-5 hours a day peace and quiet to write up a storm.


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## Nikki Pink (Jan 23, 2013)

I try to do about two hours on a week day. I haven't really written on the weekend before, but I intend to start next weekend. I try to make a daily schedule around my class timetable (I teach at a university) and stick to it. It's really easy to procrastinate reading kboards threads instead of making myself write though! These days I'm aiming for about 2,000 words a day.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

Zenferno said:


> No writing time at all at the moment. Living with terrible teens and all their mates around all the time . Moving out (of hell) next week though so I'll have 4-5 hours a day peace and quiet to write up a storm.


Every experience one has offers a LOT of writing material later . . . Hope things get better for you soon!


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

Edward Lake said:


> This has become my favorite thread.
> 
> When I write, I try to do at least 1500 to 2000 words. As for editing and rewrites, I just go until I can't do it anymore. I find that revising a project is far more exhausting than writing the rough draft. So I take my time with it and let the inspiration come naturally.


Revision is harder because that's how we polish our prose. I find that my manuscripts tend to grow during revisions, too. By the time I've finished my first draft, I know the characters a lot better so they flesh out even more.


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## MindyWilde (Oct 2, 2013)

I write from 5am to 7am and then take the kid to school.  I get back around 8am and write until approximately 4 or 5 depending on after school activities.  After dinner I am often able to write for an additional 2 or 3 hours because my spouse has a pretty intense job that requires them to work in the evenings.  We both set up our laptops at the kitchen table work together.

I would say I get about 8-10 hours a day most days and am able to produce, edit, and publish a new short 5k to 10k word title every day or two.  I currently aim for at least 3 new releases a week.  Sometimes I am able to do more and other times it's less.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

MindyWilde said:


> I write from 5am to 7am and then take the kid to school. I get back around 8am and write until approximately 4 or 5 depending on after school activities. After dinner I am often able to write for an additional 2 or 3 hours because my spouse has a pretty intense job that requires them to work in the evenings. We both set up our laptops at the kitchen table work together.
> 
> I would say I get about 8-10 hours a day most days and am able to produce, edit, and publish a new short 5k to 10k word title every day or two. I currently aim for at least 3 new releases a week. Sometimes I am able to do more and other times it's less.


That's a great schedule.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

rjspears said:


> I work a full-time job, so getting in writing time is a challenge. I write an hour to start off the day, then write over the lunch hour. That usually ends up being 2 to 2 1/2 hours. My goal is 1,000 words a day. I break past 1,000 on most days.
> 
> That's on days when I'm producing new material. It seems lately that I've been editing for days. I just turned a novel over to my publisher and I'm in the editing phase there. I have a very long novella out to my proofread and am making edits on that piece. I'm also doing a major revision on an old novel. Today, I spent 2 and 1/2 hours editing. I'd much rather be generating new material, but editing is about finishing the work, so it is necessary.
> 
> ...


My schedule to write changes each quarter, but I'm learning to be more flexible.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

Verbena said:


> About three hours a day


That's a good solid block. Since I now work full time at a college, I fight to find free time. But as my mentor told me, "If you're a writer, you'll make the time to write." That statement is so true.


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## Lia Cooper (Jan 28, 2014)

You guys are all putting me to shame. I know I need to devote more time to writing and less time to tumblr/twitter/email >.> make that my 2014 resolution.

I usually do 3 high volume months in the year (2 during nanowrimo and campnanowrimo and third usually in the spring) where I set a "high" goal of 50k and spend anywhere between 4-8hr a day, 6-7days a week meeting that goal. The rest of the year it's more like 500 words every 4 days. Suffice is to say my overall word count is pretty lousy.

And I rarely mix editing days with writing days. For me those two activities take two separate parts of my brain that I want to _keep_ separate.


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## ElHawk (Aug 13, 2012)

Right now I have about two hours a day to write.  I typically get around 2000 words done in that time.  I can't wait until I have more time in the day to dedicate to writing.  Uuugh.  114 more days to go.


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

These days I write for about two hours per day. My only rule is that I can't stop until I hit a minimum of 500 words. I usually wind up with around 1,500 in two hours. I'm slow because I revise as I go, which means most of what I write is keepable and won't require heavy revisions during the second pass. I make up for my slow first drafts with speedy second rounds.


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

LeonardDHilleyII said:


> On average, I get approximately 3-5 hours per day to write. My writing goal each day is 5-8 pages.
> 
> How about you? Do you aim for hours or for number of pages?


I plan for three 30-minute writing sessions a day. If I manage to fit more than that in (I generally can get in a couple more depending on my FT job and life), I consider it a bonus and that much farther along on my WIP. During those 30 minute sessions, I write new content only, as fast as I can get it into the Neo. I've been hitting about 1200 words a session on the current WIP.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

ElHawk said:


> Right now I have about two hours a day to write. I typically get around 2000 words done in that time. I can't wait until I have more time in the day to dedicate to writing. Uuugh. 114 more days to go.


Once mid-quarter classes begin, I will be teaching between two campuses. The only thing I dread is how much this will eat into my writing time.


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

To me, scheduling means forcing. I don't schedule when I write. I just write when the urge strikes me.


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## Aderyn Wood (Feb 2, 2013)

Wayne Stinnett said:


> To me, scheduling means forcing. I don't schedule when I write. I just write when the urge strikes me.


I force myself to write everyday even when I really don't feel like it. That way I get the book written and surprisingly, some of those hard days are when I write best.

I have two goals to meet for every day. Write at least 2000 words AND write for at least two hours. I also read at least 2000 words every day.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

Wayne Stinnett said:


> To me, scheduling means forcing. I don't schedule when I write. I just write when the urge strikes me.


I know what you mean. I tried the NaNoWriMo this past year, just to see if I could do it, and the odd thing is, I actually found that I look forward to writing at least 1000 words per day. Some days, it is difficult, especially if I'm very tired, but that desire has remained. Forced writing never really works for me, at least not for quality writing.


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## Lia Cooper (Jan 28, 2014)

I'm very bad at sitting down and writing for a solid hour. So, during my "heavy writing" months I may schedule between 6-8 hrs/day to write (I look at it as a full time job) but I may only spend 15 minutes out of every hour writing and 45 minutes running errands, reading, responding to social media or wandering around the house/starbucks to clear my head. It's definitely not an efficient strategy but it helps keep me sane.


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

Wayne Stinnett said:


> To me, scheduling means forcing. I don't schedule when I write. I just write when the urge strikes me.


I personally wouldn't have a career if I tried that.


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## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

I don't schedule, I write at every free moment I have. That means thinking about the book on my hour+ commute to work, writing during lunch (or, reciprocating beta and critiques at lunch like I'm doing now), an hour of thinking about the book on the hour + commute home, and then writing about a half hour to an hour after the dogs have been walked, dinner is prepared, the dogs are walked again, the wife get's her day out of her system, etc..On weekends, I get three or four uninterrupted hours on Sunday morning. Saturdays are usually full of errands, and stuff to fix around the house, dog doo to pick up in the yard, that sort of thing.


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## Calvin Locke (Mar 6, 2012)

Aimee Laine said:


> 1 hour. Depending on my muse, I can crank out 1000-2000 words in that timeframe.  Sometimes more. (I'm told that implies I type at a ridiculous rate of speed and that's true.)
> Aimee


I type at about the same pace. I don't consider it that fast. When I have taken typing tests, I usually clock in at about 50WPM. If that actually translated into words, darn, I'd be at what, 3k an hour? Then again, it is backspacing and editing and formatting and such at the same time.

I am REALLY curious about the people who say they write for 8 hours a day. First, is that all writing? Some window staring? Muse finding? How many hours of 'work' do you think you do? I mean, at a 9-5 there are lunch breaks and phone calls and water cooler meetings and general slacking off. Some of that is actually deemed necessary. The mind can't work that hard for that long every day.

Also, if you're punching out 5 pages in eight hours, it seems the productivity is down from others. Mind you, I said seems. Not trying to needle anyone. But perhaps, an examination of work productivity for all of us is a good idea. I highly recommend any writer use typing instruction software to get the speed up. Imagine if you could double your typing. I know I dilly-dally sometimes and could easily get 3000 words every day but instead hover around 1200 on average.


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## DashaGLogan (Jan 30, 2014)

I write in creative rushes - I am self-employed so I can say when I work and when I won't - when I'm writing a book I write about 10 hours a day and I edit for another 3-4 hours. Last book took me about 4 weeks total. Now I won't write for 6 weeks, then I go back to my next birthing process, but since I will have more other work then, I'm scheduling it to take me about 7 weeks to write it, hence I'm hoping to publish in 12 weeks from now.


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

vrabinec said:


> I don't schedule, I write at every free moment I have. That means thinking about the book on my hour+ commute to work, writing during lunch (or, reciprocating beta and critiques at lunch like I'm doing now), an hour of thinking about the book on the hour + commute home, and then writing about a half hour to an hour after the dogs have been walked, dinner is prepared, the dogs are walked again, the wife get's her day out of her system, etc..On weekends, I get three or four uninterrupted hours on Sunday morning. Saturdays are usually full of errands, and stuff to fix around the house, dog doo to pick up in the yard, that sort of thing.


As an over the road truck driver, I have a bit of a commute, also. I write Caribbean action/adventure, so I'll listen to either the reggae channel or Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville channel on XM while I'm driving and when an idea pops into my head, I pick up my digital voice recorder. By the end of the day, I might have an hour or two of short voice notes.


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## Writerly Writer (Jul 19, 2012)

When I'm in the writing zone. Don't roll your eyes now, sometimes I need a zone to write lots. 

Well my zone usually means about 6 - 10 hours a day. My non-zone can mean days without writing. If I were to write 6 - 10 hours a day I think I'd burn out, though. On those productive days I can write 5 -15k at a time.


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## Calvin Locke (Mar 6, 2012)

KJCOLT said:


> When I'm in the writing zone. Don't roll your eyes now, sometimes I need a zone to write lots.
> 
> Well my zone usually means about 6 - 10 hours a day. My non-zone can mean days without writing. If I were to write 6 - 10 hours a day I think I'd burn out, though. On those productive days I can write 5 -15k at a time.


Yeah, that makes sense to me. I think some people consider it a job, and it is, but understand, no one should work seven days a week for too long. I think a day off or two should be almost mandatory, at least from one writing project. I do find some writing more fun than others, for instance my video game reviews or blog posts on teaching writing, but to work at crafting a novel--which I do love-- is just too much work without a creative break.


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## Not Here (May 23, 2011)

Usually start writing around 9:00 am, lunch around noon, then writing until 2:30. Kids come home and nothing gets done in that time. 8:30 they got to bed and I write until I can't keep my eyes open anymore (usually 12 or 1am). So about 9-10 hours a day. Sometimes I take a break to clean the house or something like that and weekends I can only get in about 4 hours but I'm really pushing myself this year. Next year I hope to have it down to a 6-7 hour day 5x a week and 2 hours a day on the weekend. Just depends on how the money is at that point.


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## GearPress Steve (Feb 4, 2012)

I schedule zero minutes a day for writing. I write when I feel like it and when I don't, I don't. Of course I sleep when I feel like it and wake up when I feel like it and don't even set an alarm clock.

It's a writer's life for me!


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

GearPress Steve said:


> I schedule zero minutes a day for writing. I write when I feel like it and when I don't, I don't. Of course I sleep when I feel like it and wake up when I feel like it and don't even set an alarm clock.
> 
> It's a writer's life for me!


Awesome! My problem is that I want to write MOST of the time but cannot due to work restraints and other obligations.


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## pwtucker (Feb 12, 2011)

These days I squeeze in an hour before bed, usually from about 9 to 10pm. I'm a pretty quick typist, so I usually manage to get about 3 to 4,000 words down in that time. 

Man, I'm jealous of all you guys with a full day to write. If I could write for four hours in the morning, and then another couple of hours in the evening - or more - I'd finally be able to make a dent on my project list!


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## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

I schedule all day every day to write. It's just that shit comes up.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

vrabinec said:


> I schedule all day every day to write. It's just that [crap] comes up.


Lol--That seems to happen to me all the time, too.


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## ricola (Mar 3, 2014)

I took several years off.  I'm back to 2,500 words a day minimum of new stuff, though, 5 days a week.  That means 2-4 hours of writing.  Then there's the editing.  Editing is USUALLY much faster....except when it isn't.  Like yesterday.  I thought I'd kill myself.

Last time I got the bit in my teeth, I wrote 99k in 5 weeks, and that's with kids.  Before kids, my record was 75 pages double spaced TNR in 12 hours.

What drives me crazy is that the faster I write, the better it is.  That means it's flowing freely.  If I could just maintain a flow state all the time, I could lay down 30 pages a day, every day, and it would require minimal editing.  But when I get out of sync, it turns to crap.  That's why I don't dare stop when it's flowing.  I'll pay for it later if I do.


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## Jason Halstead (Mar 18, 2011)

As much time as it takes or until I can't go anymore. I have to slip it in here and there when circumstances permit, but I try to crank out at least a chapter a day or 2,000 - 5,000 words.


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## PurpleandRedStar (Feb 15, 2014)

Whenever I come up with an idea.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

My schedule since mid-quarter classes have started has been squeezed tighter, but I still try to average 1000+ words per day, even when I'm too tired.

Thanks for sharing!


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

Jason Halstead said:


> As much time as it takes or until I can't go anymore. I have to slip it in here and there when circumstances permit, but I try to crank out at least a chapter a day or 2,000 - 5,000 words.


 Nice!


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## S. Elliot Brandis (Dec 9, 2013)

JA_Paul said:


> I write early in the morning for an hour, before everyone is awake and before work. I can usually write 600-1000 words in that time.


This is me, too. Alarm is set for 5:15.


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## tknite (Feb 18, 2014)

I write best late at night, but I don't have that option until I graduate in two weeks and get to spend 3 months on break...until my job starts in August (at which point it will again no longer be an option). So I write when I have the time. Usually it's in the afternoon after I've finished my classes. I suppose when I start work it'll be in the evenings. I'm not a morning person, so no early writing for me. I don't have a set period of time though. I write as much as I can get it out in that time. Sometimes, that's 3-4k, sometimes that's 1-2k. Depends on the day, my mood, the section of the story I'm on...lots of variables.


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## C Ryan Bymaster (Oct 4, 2013)

I do my most productive writing from Midnight til about 4 AM. Sometimes on the backyard patio in the cold (weather permitting).
The world is dead during those hours and I am the only person that exists.


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## LucyAslan (Apr 13, 2014)

I tend to look at how much time I have available, it can vary from nothing to all day, and set a wordcount goal based on that. Yesterday I didn't have a whole lot to write around, just a few errands, so my goal was 10,000 words. I managed 9980. More often than not, though, I don't have anywhere near that. Usually I'm lucky to steal half an hour for my writing, and that's with less sleep than I need.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

LucyAslan said:


> I tend to look at how much time I have available, it can vary from nothing to all day, and set a wordcount goal based on that. Yesterday I didn't have a whole lot to write around, just a few errands, so my goal was 10,000 words. I managed 9980. More often than not, though, I don't have anywhere near that. Usually I'm lucky to steal half an hour for my writing, and that's with less sleep than I need.


Impressive!


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

C Ryan Bymaster said:


> I do my most productive writing from Midnight til about 4 AM. Sometimes on the backyard patio in the cold (weather permitting).
> The world is dead during those hours and I am the only person that exists.


I used to write within that time frame and loved it. There's something about the noises in the night and the darkness that sets the mood for writing.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

vmblack said:


> I took several years off. I'm back to 2,500 words a day minimum of new stuff, though, 5 days a week. That means 2-4 hours of writing. Then there's the editing. Editing is USUALLY much faster....except when it isn't. Like yesterday. I thought I'd kill myself.
> 
> Last time I got the bit in my teeth, I wrote 99k in 5 weeks, and that's with kids. Before kids, my record was 75 pages double spaced TNR in 12 hours.
> 
> What drives me crazy is that the faster I write, the better it is. That means it's flowing freely. If I could just maintain a flow state all the time, I could lay down 30 pages a day, every day, and it would require minimal editing. But when I get out of sync, it turns to crap. That's why I don't dare stop when it's flowing. I'll pay for it later if I do.


Yes, once you find yourself in that writing zone where the words flow quickly, it's best not to stop. I love those days, but often they are rare. If I could tap into it daily, I'd be ecstatic.

"I'm not a very good writer, but I'm an excellent rewriter." ― James A. Michener


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

tknite said:


> Depends on the day, my mood, the section of the story I'm on...lots of variables.


Lots of variables. Yes, I agree.


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## Amanda M. Lee (Jun 3, 2014)

I don't ever have a set amount. I'm on vacation this week, for example, and I finished editing and shipped it off to a proofer. I'm also cleaning up erotica titles that got pulled in the big purge last fall and hope to have all of them (roughly 15) ready to go back up before I return to work on Wednesday. I want to have my outline for the first book in my new series done then, too. I should get my proofed book back some time next week and publish it. Then, the following week, I will start my new book. I don't do word count goals but chapter goals. On my days off, my goal is five chapters each day. On work days, it is 2-3 chapters - usually after work (I work nights in sports). In general, I usually finish the main writing on a book in 2-3 weeks. Then I take a few days off and start editing (which takes me longer than writing).


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

Now that writing is my full time job, I write when the mood strikes me. My best writing is late at night and early in the morning, when everyone's still asleep. Throughout the day, I might squeeze in another hour or so, but spend a lot of the daylight hours working in the garden, doing yard work and catching up on 12 years of "honey do" lists.


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## briasbooks (Sep 11, 2013)

I go by word count instead of pages. I usually hit 2000+ words a day, sometimes more. I start early, but take numerous breaks. It's hard for me to sit still at the computer for more than 2 hours at a time, too many distractions. I usually keep my writing to weekdays and take the weekends off to do yard work, bicycling, etc. Sometimes I'll write on weekends but usually only around 1000 words.


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## C. Gockel (Jan 28, 2014)

Weekdays I might get two hours in. Weekends, I may get a solid fifteen minutes here, another fifteen minutes there. Hate it.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

C. Gockel said:


> Weekdays I might get two hours in. Weekends, I may get a solid fifteen minutes here, another fifteen minutes there. Hate it.


I know how that feels. Some quarters, depending upon the class load I teach, are harder than others to squeeze in the writing time. I take advantage of any opportunity to write though.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

Wayne Stinnett said:


> Now that writing is my full time job, I write when the mood strikes me. My best writing is late at night and early in the morning, when everyone's still asleep. Throughout the day, I might squeeze in another hour or so, but spend a lot of the daylight hours working in the garden, doing yard work and catching up on 12 years of "honey do" lists.


And this has definitely paid off for you!


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## 67499 (Feb 4, 2013)

I plan for 4hrs a day, usually do 8, but I quit my job to do this full time.  I stop writing when the sun warms the sand and surf and I can go to the beach.


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## storyteller (Feb 3, 2014)

I gave up trying to pick a time, it's impossible with littles.  I am focusing on sustaining regular wordcount, until I am used to writing 5-6 days a week.  Then I'll see if I can lock in a regular block of time.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

Steven Hardesty said:


> I plan for 4hrs a day, usually do 8, but I quit my job to do this full time. I stop writing when the sun warms the sand and surf and I can go to the beach.


Nice.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

storyteller said:


> I gave up trying to pick a time, it's impossible with littles. I am focusing on sustaining regular wordcount, until I am used to writing 5-6 days a week. Then I'll see if I can lock in a regular block of time.


 Great goal.


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## Jack.Hardin (Jun 20, 2017)

I'm fairly new at writing fiction but I aim for two thousand words a day. I don't really focus on pages, more the story. When my plot or the scene is not developed well in my mind the pace to hit my daily goal is a drag. But when I know where I'm headed with a scene and why I can usually get a good 2,000 words done in a couple hours at most. 
After that, I go back and edit what I've written.


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## Robert A Michael (Apr 30, 2012)

Wow! I saw this thread and I thought I'd read through. I saw Dalglish, Konkoly, and Sullivan commenting on the first page and I did a double-take. Then I saw this thread started in 2011! Cool to read. 

The thing that encourages me is that as a writer who is juggling 2 jobs and trying to wear all the hats (I do all my writing, my wife does developmental edits, my daughter does copy edits, I do marketing, anti-social media, covers, and administration), so many of you inspire me with your output and determination. 

I try (and mostly fail) to produce 1,000 words in an hour each day of the week. When I get that hour--if at all--is entirely up to my schedule. I suppose I could get up earlier and write, but my mind tends to be mush until 7am and then I am off to my first job of the day. Someday, I will be able to concentrate entirely on writing and then the goal of 2,000-3,000 words per day will be easier. Or, at least that's what I tell myself.


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## Guest (Jul 7, 2017)

Between two and three hours after work. Wish I could do more.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

Lee Carlon said:


> I try to write when the kids are at school, but I get maybe five hours of that time. Lately, I've been spending a lot of that time on education (some might call it procrastination) and all the extra stuff. From next week I plan to push the extras to the evenings and weekends and spend the 'school days' writing.


Procrastination definitely kills the creative spirit, as I've experienced. Writing can sometimes be painfully hard being isolated and staring at a blank page/screen, which is why it's easier to focus attention elsewhere. At least, that's my experience. Thanks for sharing!


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## Jim Johnson (Jan 4, 2011)

Thanks for resurrecting this thread!  It's fun to look back and see all the posters' comments, esp from folks who've come and gone.



Jim Johnson said:


> I plan for three 30-minute writing sessions a day. If I manage to fit more than that in (I generally can get in a couple more depending on my FT job and life), I consider it a bonus and that much farther along on my WIP. During those 30 minute sessions, I write new content only, as fast as I can get it into the Neo. I've been hitting about 1200 words a session on the current WIP.


And a nice bit of history. I still plan 3 sprints a day, but my words per sprint is up to 1350 per sprint, so practice does help. And I didn't have a toddler when I posted that original comment.


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

Robert A Michael said:


> Wow! I saw this thread and I thought I'd read through. I saw Dalglish, Konkoly, and Sullivan commenting on the first page and I did a double-take. Then I saw this thread started in 2011! Cool to read.
> 
> The thing that encourages me is that as a writer who is juggling 2 jobs and trying to wear all the hats (I do all my writing, my wife does developmental edits, my daughter does copy edits, I do marketing, anti-social media, covers, and administration), so many of you inspire me with your output and determination.
> 
> I try (and mostly fail) to produce 1,000 words in an hour each day of the week. When I get that hour--if at all--is entirely up to my schedule. I suppose I could get up earlier and write, but my mind tends to be mush until 7am and then I am off to my first job of the day. Someday, I will be able to concentrate entirely on writing and then the goal of 2,000-3,000 words per day will be easier. Or, at least that's what I tell myself.


Yes, when you have a lot of outside obligations, it is difficult to push for the word goals. For me, I keep notebooks and jot down bits of description and dialogue whenever I'm unable to be seated at my computer. Inspiration often comes at unexpected times. Keep aiming for the target!


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## LeonardDHilleyII (May 23, 2011)

Jim Johnson said:


> Thanks for resurrecting this thread!  It's fun to look back and see all the posters' comments, esp from folks who've come and gone.
> 
> And a nice bit of history. I still plan 3 sprints a day, but my words per sprint is up to 1350 per sprint, so practice does help. And I didn't have a toddler when I posted that original comment.


Yes, I agree. Love your new covers!


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## toddhicks209 (Jul 12, 2017)

I don't have time to write everyday, especially because I have to make sure to get a lot of other stuff and online work done but when I can sneak time in at night, I spend around 10 minutes writing. I sometimes get a few hundred words done in one evening about once a week.


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## Rick Partlow (Sep 6, 2016)

I write 2000 words a day minimum, unless I'm on vacation.  Doesn't matter how long it takes or whether I have to stay up to 1AM to do it, it gets done.


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## Goulburn (May 21, 2014)

I don't know exactly, because I have frequent interruptions to my writing. The cat jumping in my lap, the phone, being nurse to... Grammarly tells me that I average 3,800 words a day, and I write slow, so I guess I'm writing several hours per day.


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## jsaxon (Jul 19, 2017)

Sometimes work can be hectic--might only get 500 words on these days...or maybe just a solitary good idea. On typical days I shoot for 2k-5k. Rarely ever get about 4k!


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