This is the fifth in a series of weekly tips regarding small changes you can make, one per week, to write better, write faster, and have more confidence about your writing.
Research has shown that keeping track of your efforts is motivational. That's true in weight-loss programs and it applies to writing as well.
When you are in the writing stage, set a goal of a number of words to write during each session. Make it somewhat challenging but not to the extent that you'll fail much of the time or feel pressured to write just for the sake of racking up the numbers.
There is no "correct" goal. Some writers write very slowly and deliberately, others speed along. Find the pace that works best for you.
For longer projects, like a novel or a screenplay, I suggest making a chart on which you can mark your progress every day. It could be like one of those thermometer charts that are used in fund-raising drives, with the temperature rising in increments as you write. Or you could make a calendar type chart with each of the squares representing 500 or 1000 words, for instance.
The format is not important; what IS important is that on days when you feel like you're not getting anywhere you can look at the chart and see how far you have come already. It will remind you that you'll get to the goal if you hang in there and take it day by day.
(Would you like to have Mark Twain as your writing coach? Or how about Anton Chekhov or Jane Austen? You'll find their advice about writing in my newest book, "Your Creative Writing Masterclass," published by Nicholas Brealey and available from Amazon or your other favorite book seller.)
