Daily Word Count Goal
Your daily word count goal is the single most important number in your writing life. Pick the right one and you will finish your book. Pick the wrong one and you will quit.
Recommended daily targets
- Just starting out: 200-300 words/day. Focus on building the habit first.
- Steady pace: 500 words/day. The sweet spot for most writers. About 30-45 minutes.
- Serious pace: 1,000 words/day. A novel in under 3 months. About 60-90 minutes.
- Sprint pace: 1,667+ words/day. NaNoWriMo speed. 2-3 hours.
How to find your number
Write for a week at a comfortable pace. Do not push. Check your average. That is your baseline. Set your goal slightly above it — enough to stretch, not enough to burn out.
The most important rule: your daily target should be the number you can hit on your worst day. Not your best day. If you set 1,000 words and regularly miss it, lower it until you hit it every day.
Time to finish at each target
For an 80,000-word novel:
- 250 words/day: 320 days (about 10.5 months)
- 500 words/day: 160 days (about 5.5 months)
- 1,000 words/day: 80 days (about 2.5 months)
- 2,000 words/day: 40 days (about 6 weeks)
Even 250 words a day gets you a finished novel in under a year. Consistency always beats intensity.
Track your daily output
Whatever number you pick, track it. BookBeast lets you set your daily and weekly goals, log your words, and see how you are doing. Over time, you will find your natural rhythm.