10K Writing Challenge: How to Write 10,000 Words in One Week
Writing can be a struggle. You have days where you just don’t feel like it, or the words just don’t come. Distractions happen. Other important things on your to-do list come up, right? Does this sound familiar? This doesn’t have to be the case. Writing is a skill you can practice and improve on, and believe it or not, you don’t have to write every day. This article offers tips and tricks for writing more, and also a challenge for you to write up to 10K words this week. Does 10,000 words sound daunting? It doesn’t have to be. All you need is strategy. As you discover your unique writing pattern, you’ll be able to break down any word count. Regardless if it’s 100,000 or 20,000 words, your writing rhythm can help you get here.
So how do we tackle 10,000 words in one week? Let’s break it down!
Challenge Yourself
Sometimes writers don’t create large goals for fear of missing it. What if they don’t make the goal? What if they can’t write that much in one week? I’m here to encourage you to push yourself. Yes, know your limits, but don’t hold back because you fear failing. See how far you can go! You may surprise yourself and gain new author confidence. This will encourage you to keep going, so set the goal for 10,000 words, if that’s what you want. The only limit is you, so don’t let self-doubt stop you.
Determine Your Monthly Goal
If you give or take an extra week, there are four weeks in the month. For the sake of this example, let’s use four weeks. We know 10,000 words a week will add up to 40,000 words in one month. Not quite novel length, but it is progress. Is this your goal? Is your number higher? Lower? Using this method helps determine the bigger picture. You see what’s ahead without it being too overwhelming. Now, we can backtrack.
Determine Your Weekly Goal
Since we know our goal is 10,000 words, this step is easy. All you need to do is take your monthly goal and divide it by four weeks. So, we already know 10,000 words weekly make 40,000 for the month. However, what if we wanted to write 12,000 or 15,000 words in a week? With this adjusted goal, we’ll get 48,000 or 60,000 words for the month. This is basic math. There’s no guesswork involved. You know what you have to write. Now let’s determine what you need to write daily.
Determine Your Daily Goal
Divide 10,000 words by seven days, if you plan to write every day. This gives you 1,429 words you need to write daily. Don’t want to write every day? What if you only write five days out of the week? You can divide 10,000 by five and get 2,000 words for the day. Once again, basic math that takes the complications out of writing. You’re no longer asking, “How many words should I write?” You’ve already done the calculations and you’re ready to get to work!
In Case You Don’t Make it
There is the possibility that you won’t make your goal and that’s okay. As mentioned earlier, life happens. Perhaps there’s a family emergency. Or again, you don’t feel like writing. Maybe you get overwhelmed and decide to take a break. There’s a difference between being lazy and showing yourself compassion.
Don’t feel you need to force this to happen for you. Even if you don’t make 10,000 words in a week, I can guarantee you’ll write at least 5,000. How far ahead would that get you to finishing your draft? Let’s say you write 7,000. Is that wrong? No, that’s progress because one word is better than zero words. Give yourself credit because you’re doing great by making the attempt.
In closing, we know writing is hard. It takes time, effort, consistency, and even courage. You’re putting your heart into your book, not knowing who will love or hate it. Yet, it’s out of your hands and if you did your best, that’s all you can do. I hope you’re encouraged by these tips and know that you can break down any word count goal you have. It doesn’t have to intimidate you. All you need is strategy and perseverance when it gets tough.
Did the thought of writing 1,429 words in one day make you cringe? Maybe you’re brand new and are thinking, “I can’t write that much in one day.” Or perhaps you’re wondering, “I can barely write 300 words. How can I write over 1,000?” I hear you, which is why I created my online course, No Time Writer. Not only will you write more in less time, but I teach how to discover your writer average, so whether you write 300 words or more in a day, you can determine what you need to finish your goal. Go from zero words to a first draft while decreasing author overwhelm. Learn more at WIM Plus 2.0 or dariawhite.com.
Daria White is a fictional author (sweet romance, cozy mysteries, and Christian fiction) based in Texas, a writer course creator, and host of the Writer in the Making podcast. When not writing or reading, she’s watching classic Hollywood movies (1930s-1960s) or listening to her eclectic playlist ranging from Gospel music to country.
You can find her on her website or follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
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