Serious question. I’ve been tracking my daily word count for the last week. I’ve keeping a cumulative track in a spreadsheet as well as a daily count on a calendar. It’s new words, so I just add that day’s count to the total every day.
I’m almost done with the current WIP. I think the next thing will be a revision and expansion of something I didn’t get right the first time but think I know how to fix.
My question is how do I do word count when I’ll be editing and deleting as well as writing. Some scenes will be modified, cut, expanded, that sort of thing. Is there an easy way to keep track of what you’ve done that day?
I️ only worry about word count when I’m slamming out the first draft. After that it’s all refinement and the word count is usually axed by the edits.
Same here, I count original words done during the first draft. Anything after that is just sculpting.
Thanks, guys.
If I were just making minor edits and cleanup, that would be my attitude. What I’m referring to here is extensive additions revisions. The new scenes are obviously new words and easy to count. It’s the ones where I’m both adding and removing chunks I was wondering about.
I’m trying something new this year. I’ve got a one year wall calendar hanging next to my side of the bed (because there wasn’t enough open wall space in my office). It’s one of the first things I see in the morning and among the last at night. I’ve been writing the daily word count down as a motivational tool. Something about myself that I’ve always known but has been brought home to me while trying to learn Spanish on Duolingo is that once I get a streak going, I keep it going even after I have hit any goals and can justify quitting.
That’s what I’m wanting to do with the word count. Show myself the progress I’ve made to motivate myself to keep going. Hence the reason for the question. I think I may just not worry about it. It sounds like trying to determine word count when I’m making both additions and deletions is something that will get in the way of the writing.
On this phase, you might want to keep track of time instead of wordcount. Put in an hour a day (or whatever).
That’s an idea I hadn’t considered. Thanks.
That sounds like a good idea, too. Either that or record the wordcount but add “RW” for rewrite to differentiate from original words.
That may be the way to go.
I just write “EDIT” on my calendar on the days when I’m doing that and not writing.
As David said, I’m just using wordcount on a rough drafts – unless, I suppose, the rewrite ends up extensive.
Yeah, this could be an extensive rewrite.