In fact, if word counts are all we measure a writing session by, then it can be easy to feel down on days when the count isn’t so high.
Consider also reflecting on a writing session in other ways.
How were you feeling before you started writing? (A bad mood can spoil creativity while a good mood can fuel it.) How did you feel while writing? After? Did you enjoy the scene(s) or character interactions? Why or why not?
When I finish a project for a client, I do record the numbers: words in the manuscript, feedback, comments, etc. But those aren’t my only markers of success. I also record how I felt about the project. Did I enjoy communicating with the client? Were they easy to work with? Did I enjoy the story? Was the work “right” for me? Why or why not? And then at the end of the year I use that to look over what projects I want to do more of in the coming year/what I’d prefer to do fewer of, etc.
We all have bad days and we’ll all have sessions at some point that maybe don’t feel so hot. We also all have amazing days where the words seem to flow effortlessly onto the page.
Little reflections like these can help us see patterns and consider WHY. They can also allow us to be kinder to ourselves on days when writing is a little harder.
You may find, “Oh, I brought that negative mood to my session because of ABC,” or “Wow, when I write in this space, I seem to be more focused.” Similarly, maybe if we experience several days in a row where we’re not feeling great about a scene, that’s a signal the scene isn’t working for us. Or for several days in a row we really enjoy the work, love our scenes, etc.—even if the word count is low—and we know that we’re really on to something.
Word counts are important. But there are other ways to measure the success of the day.