Tag: Writing Process

Using a timer for writing? I’m not sure if it will boost productivity, but at least you can use it to track yourself and measure your progress.

With the introduction of a $10 countdown timer that one can purchase in any housewares department, we can create our own artificial deadlines that create that sense of urgency for us. By setting the timer for 15 minutes to allow us to complete a task, it seems easy to focus and weed out the unimportant. When I use this technique, I get much more work done and I hear myself telling others, “Call me back in 30 minutes. I’m in the middle of something!” Productivity soars.

Read more at: Open Loops: Boosting Productivity With a Timer

Looking at submission guidelines from a variety of CBA publishers at the Faith, Hope & Love website, it looks like 90,000 words is a good all-around target for a novel length. But you have to write more than 90k words to get 90k words.

I like Steven King’s axiom for 1st draft versus 2nd draft word counts:

2nd Draft = 1st Draft – 10%

So, to target 90,000 final draft words, write 100,000 words!