How to Write 10,000 Words in a Day
Ever wondered how those super prolific writers do it? You know the ones. The authors who churn out a book every week or write dozens of articles a month. You can’t turn out multiple books in a month without being able to write more than a few hundred words a day! The good news is that just about anyone can write 10,000 words a day, if they know how.
I regularly write this many and while I don’t like to do it every single day, it’s very useful when there’s a deadline looming. So, how do you write 10k in a day? Here are my tips for getting it done.
Know What to Write
It’s very hard to write 10k in a day if you don’t know what you’re writing about. I personally find it easier to write fiction fast than nonfiction, but either way, you’ll write far more in less time if you have it all planned out. That’s right, pantsers, you’ll need an outline for this one!
An outline doesn’t have to be detailed, but you should know where each section or chapter is going. It will keep your brain on track and you’ll know what to write without having to stop and think about it, which can lose time.
Build Up to It
You can’t expect to sit down today and write 10,000 words in one day if you’ve never written more than 500 in 24 hours. This is like a marathon. You don’t jump in, you train for it.
Look at how many words you write in a day now and then increase that by 1/2. It’s a stretch, but once that’s comfortable for you, you can stretch it again. And again, until you have reached your goal.
Use the Pomodoro Method
Everything changed for me when I discovered the Pomodoro Method. It’s an amazingly effective technique for concentrating on your work completely. So, if you’re like me and get distracted every five seconds, you should consider trying it.
Essentially, this method has you focus on your work for 25 minutes (times differ, depending on preference and timer), then take a break for 5 minutes, then work another 25 minute session. Every four sessions, you take a longer break, around 15 minutes.
There are many Pomodoro timers on the internet and available as apps, so pick the one you like. This is the one I prefer, because it has a ticking sound (which can be turned off) that keeps me on track. You can also keep track of which projects you’re working on.
Track Your Words
Finally, you need to keep track of your words. Set up an Excel sheet or a Google spreadsheet and track how many words you write every single session. This will give you an average words per hour number, which you can try to beat each day. If you’re competitive, it’s a great way to really push yourself.
Tracking will also let you know what time of day you are more prolific in your writing. I write fast in the morning and at night, but in the afternoon, my word count drops drastically. It’s best to take a break when you are in non-peak hours, to build up strength and energy for the other times you’re working.
Learn to Write Faster
Isn’t that the point of this article, you ask? Well, yes, but I’m specifically talking about typing here. If your method of typing is search and tap, hunt and peck, you’re never going to work as fast as if you can touch type. So it’s a good idea to learn to touch type. Again, there are plenty of online options to help you learn this.
Alternatively, you can try speech to text apps and just talk your books out. They can then be edited later.
Now It’s Your Turn
How many words do you currently write in a day? What’s your record? I’m interested in finding out and would love to hear from you.