My 3 Resources for Writing 4k Words/Day

Photo: Annie Spratt

First, let me preface this by reminding everyone it’s not about size, at all. You can write 500 words a day, and still have it be a creative feat of strength, for which I applaud you. This isn’t about how much you write in a day. It’s about being a consistent writer.

Me, I always loved writing, but up until I was 17–18, I lacked focus. I’d churn out a decent short story, then let my creative drive lie dormant for months.

Like many, I believed

You should only write when you feel inspired.

Sadly, that’s not as often as one needs to actually qualify as a full-time writer.

Freewrites — a way of freewheeling the cr@p out of my head

For me, freewriting has been a godsend. As a word-hungry 18-year-old, I joined a freewriting group that offered daily prompts.

It worked because it only asked its contributors to spend 5–15 minutes writing every day. And anyone can find 5 minutes in their day. A lot of what came out was crap, but that was precisely the point. In writing daily, I got to explore and “write out” some of the more obsessive/persistent ideas that were blocking my creative pipes. And clear way for the good shit.

The stuff that wasn’t crap eventually became an indie collection of short stories I published to see what that was like.

But by far the more important lesson I got in writing 5-minute stories every day was that I could put down words every single day, and not deplete my creative drive. On the contrary, the more consistent I became, the easier the stories came.

And the more I wrote, the better my writing got.

So, resource #1: consistency. You need to write every day. Even if it’s just 5 minutes. Even if it’s crap. Especially if it is.

The first rule of writing is you don’t think about writing.

I’m sorry, I had to.

Photo: Olya P

It’s tempting to think the key to writing is immersion. But that’s actually counterproductive. See, if you’re thinking about your story every damn minute of the day, you’re exhausting the subject pretty quickly. So that, when you actually sit down to write, you’re sick of your MC.

For me, a very important aspect of writing consists of total disengagement from the story when I’m not at my keyboard. That means actively shutting down any and every story-related thought when I’m not writing.

Observe yourself. And whenever your mind wanders to the story, snap that thought, and store it for later.

It was in that room too that I learned not to think about anything that I was writing from the time I stopped writing until I started again the next day. That way my subconscious would be working on it and at the same time I would be listening to other people and noticing everything. (E. Hemingway)

Resource #2: Sanity.

Craft your dream space.

Much as we’d like to think so, artists aren’t machines. You can’t “do” art wherever and whenever. That’s why you need a space. This doesn’t have to be an imposing mahogany desk with an awe-inspiring bookcase behind it, mind.

It’s just gotta be a place where you feel comfortable. One that’s got really good coffee easily within reach. And snacks. And a plant, so you can wilt away together.

For me, a writing space has got lots of coffee in my favorite mug.

It’s got fresh air and big windows, because I write worse when I’m slowly suffocating.

It’s got quiet, but also speakers for when I need to crank up the music loud.

It’s got a door that I lock, when I need to forget about the outside world.

And it’s got a plant to remind me of it.

Resource #3: Space to be yourself in.

Photo: Ella Jardim

Just make sure you’ve got these three things. (+snacks and coffee!), and you’ll be alright.

So, how to write 4k words a day…

Without further ado —

1. Coffee. Eat something, ’cause otherwise you’ll waste valuable time and energy thinking about sweet bread and cinnamon rolls.
2. Get 2k out. Even if it’s crap. Even if I edit it all out in later drafts. Just write, and don’t get up until you’ve hit your mark.
3. Take a breather. Put your story aside.
4. Hydrate.
5. Look up crazy sh!t, and delve down a bizarre rabbithole for an hour.
6. More coffee.
7. Sit back down to write.
8. Get back up to make more coffee.
9. Stare into space for a while.
10. Try again.
11. More coffee.
12. Again.
13. Scream at plants for a while.
14. Maybe just calm down. No dinner until you get another 2k words.
15. There, you’re done.

In all fairness, there is no bulletproof recipe for writing 4k words a day. Or 6k (which is my current goal). Or even 100 measly words.

But as long as you’re doing it every day, have the benefit of space, and are managing to maintain a modicum of sanity, you’re gonna be alright.

Writing Tip: Break it down into multiple writing sessions. My daily goal used to be 2k. But then I realized, if I missed a day, I had a nice, flat 0 for that day. Now, I break my day into sessions. Morning, afternoon, and night, if I’ve got it in me. 2k/each. That way, if I miss one, I’ve still got 2k or even 4k done that day. My lazy days feel a lot more productive, I’ll tell you.

Good luck.

Thank you for reading. Guess what. I am actually publishing my first novel this fall. Wild, I know. Meanwhile, I’m gonna be documenting my process/journey/slow descent into madness on here, while also dropping the occasional opinion piece.

So if you’re someone who enjoys that kinda writing, well, why not subscribe? It’s free. And I’m desperate. So there, honesty.