I am usually writing 3-4 pages a night, though I can't really say what the most I've written in a day is. My safe guess would be well over 25, but I never aim to write complete, well done editions my first time around. I'm big into editing, so my first go at a scene will read a lot like a bunch of mangled ideas and thoughts. The grammar and technique is not my focus, but more the keeping up with my own mind. I will sit down with an idea and let it run, which can easily lead to a dozen pages of raw text. And I'm not putting up numbers like this to brag, if you read my first drafts you'd probably think I was less of a writer and more of a head case! ~~SP
Never bothered to check so I'm not sure. I haven't written anything substantial for a few years, but last week I kind of back into the groove again and managed to pound out 4,000 words I am mostly satisfied with. I'm sure I've typed more than that in one day.
Ugh, lately... I'm lucky if I get in a sentence. Most I've done in a single day ever was around 2,000 words.
I believe the most I've done in a day is between 3000-4000 words. It was a bit of a struggle, but I think I could do more, as I'm easily distracted by other things and can't focus on writing for too long - an hour or two is my usual sit-down-and-write time...
I completed my forthcoming novella, Spiral Out, in 4 weeks. It's 25,000 words which makes that an average of only 893 words a day. Which doesn't seem a lot. But like I always say: the only words that count are the ones that matter. I've never bothered to keep tabs -- but I am sure I've written more than that per day on occasions. But it was a regular, every day effort until the book was finished.
i never keep track of how much i write in a day or an hour, as only quality counts, not quantity... when working on major projects [book/screenplay] i've worked 18-20 hours a day for days on end... can forget to eat, if no one puts food in front of me...
I average about 1200 words a day, plus some editing when I spend the time on it. Really, there is no right amount, as long as you make progress and turn out a solid story/product in the end.
fighting off writer's block a lot, but even at the worst i force myself to do at least 3/4 of a page. at the most when i was in a very good writing mood... more or less than 12,000 words.
I aim to write a chapter a night to every other night, just so I keep moving forward and don't feel like I'm lagging. If I'm hitting writer's block I'll force out at least a scene or two just so I don't feel like I'm not getting anywhere at all. All of my chapters average from 10 to 15 pages, depending on what I aim to achieve in that chapter. I try not to pay too much attention to word count since it distracts me some times. I only give word count any attention when I'm writing for NaNoWriMo.
I did two 12,000 word days (37 pages) on consecutive weekends but in one two day period, I once wrote 89 (8 1/2x11) pages. The story has to be great to get that much done though! If I am filling up the outline with bits that need to be in the story, but are not that fascinating...? Slooooow.
One day I had two written exams and a long essay for English due in and I must have written about 14 sides of A4 which (in my handwriting) is about 4500 words. Of my own volition, I can manage about 2000 - 3000 words before I can no longer go on without a struggle.
You can get up, watch a movie, mow the lawn, write some more, eat lunch, write, read, write... and pretty soon.... 5000 words!
The most I can write in a day and what I do actually write are two different things. I know I can at least write 10,000 as that's the most I've done before, but my average is 2,000 words. I don't focus on the amount I do, but on my overall progress with the story.
The most I have written in a single day is approx 50,000 words. That was over 18 (non-consecutive) hours on New Years Day 2012. I worked with a detailed outline so even though I feel the quality suffered for the pace, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. However, I've no intentions of ever doing it again. Of course I consider the above an exception, not the rule. On my more productive days I can produce 10-15k words. On my lazier days 1-3k is more the norm.
15K words this weekend. Only 5K today but I am mentally wiped out!!!! My brain is mush. Remember those news reports about 'pink slime'? That's what I am using for brains right now The last thing I wrote (which was not counted in the word count) was a decent Facebook post about my parents. It took forever to compose because of my fragile brain. It went as follows: My Mom says about my Dad... "No matter how mad I ever get I think 'I'd still marry him all over again'." My Dad has spent the last ten years declining and degrading from Parkinson's. When he knows who *she* is, he apologizes to her for her 'drawing the short straw' and getting stuck with him. He knows what's happening to him. He used to be a genius. And now, in his words, "I get dumber every day." Mom says that no matter what, she'd still marry him again if she had it to do all over. On the days he has no idea who *she* is, he flirts with Mom like crazy. Doesn't do that with any other caregivers. There is something that bonds them together that is greater than looks or personality.
Personally, I shoot for a 1000 daily but when I look back at my average over the last year it is 400 words or so daily. I think that the most I have ever done in one sitting is 4000-5000 words, especially for college papers. I am 21000 words deep in a novella and if you add up all of my published and unpublished works I am a little over 100,000. words total. A fraction of many others I know!
Usually, when my writing is going well, I can do about 1,000 to 1,500 words per day. Sometimes - not very often - I can hit 2,000 or more. I don't think I've ever hit 3,000 in my life. You people who claim you regularly hit 10,000 or more seem superhuman to me. And 50,000? That has GOT to be a typo!
Hi, I've just completed the first draft of Doorways a couple of days ago, and I was mostly exclusive on it - though I did wander off into a couple of other books at times. I started it on the 14th of July, first draft completed on the 2nd of August and it's 90k. So 18 days and 90k averages to 5k a day. Of course now I'm editing and that's much slower. Cheers, Greg.
these threads always make me picture schoolboys lined up with their 'equipment' in hand, competing in a pissing contest... why do so many neophyte writers seem to think they have to know who can write the most words in one day, when the 'winners' may be churning out dreck that no one would pay to read, while some 'losers' may be laying down gems of literary genius in far lesser numbers per diem?... have any of you ever heard of any successful authors who compared the number of words they could spew onto paper/screen in 24 hours? what useful purpose can the countless threads like this possibly serve?
