1000 Words A Day Challenge For Writers
The goal of the 1000 Words A Day Challenge is simple: to inspire writers to write. (If you’d rather aim for fewer words, please visit the 500 Words A Day Challenge or 250 Words A Day Challenge.)
Too often, I find that writers start motivational challenges like NaNoWrimo with enthusiasm and good intentions, but give up when they start missing their daily targets for more than a few days in a row…undermining their confidence and defeating the purpose of the original challenge.
I also wanted a challenge that lasted the whole year rather than just a month.
Hence, the 1000 Words A Day Challenge.
What are the rules?
Try to write 1000 words a day, at least six days a week.
As long as you are sincerely and consistently TRYING to write 1000 words a day, then you can post the badge on your blog or website. If life occasionally gets in the way, that’s ok — as long as you promise yourself to get back on the wagon as soon as you can. If you sometimes don’t reach 1000 words, that’s also ok — but try again the next day.
The badge has to link back to the 1000 Words A Day Challenge page (the page you’re reading right now).
Where can I get the badges?
You can choose from a selection of badges.
If you know how to scoop/store images and modify the code, using an image stored on your own server would be great (as long as it links back to Inkygirl), but I also don’t mind if you just use the embed code give on the page above.
What’s to stop someone from posting the badge just for show?
Nothing. But since there are no prizes other than personal, the writer is only cheating herself.
Be honest with yourself. If many days pass without you giving full effort to meeting your daily wordcount goal, then take the badge off your site. If you’re going on a long vacation and you know you’re unlikely to be doing any writing, then you should take the badge off your site. For the Challenge to work for you, the badge has to mean something.
You might also considering switching to the 500 Words A Day Challenge.
Do I have to report or post on my progress?
Not unless you want to. I do find that being held accountable somehow helps with motivation, though, so I encourage you to post about your progress on your own blogs, or on Inkygirl when I do my weekly Word Challenge Check-In.
What if I can only write 500 words a day instead of 1000?
Visit the 500 Words A Day Challenge instead.
Feel free to suggest other wordcounts. If there is enough demand, I’ll make more badges.
What type of writing counts toward the challenge?
Again, this is up to you to decide. Some writers may just want to count words written for a first draft of a novel. Others may want to include how many words they’ve revised. Still others may count ANY words they’ve written, including blogs, Twitter, non-fiction, outlining, poetry and other writing. As Chris Brogan says, writing begets writing.
SOME TIPS:
If you don’t reach 1000 words one day, don’t try to make up for it by writing extra words the next day — that increases your chance for repeated failure, which increases discouragement and the tendency to give up on your 1000 words a day goal. DON’T GIVE UP.
RELATED ONLINE COMMUNITIES
I Wrote A Thousand Words Today Club: for those who write for young people.
SOME USEFUL TOOLS:
Simple word counters
Writertopia Wordcount Script: just paste in your text, hit SUBMIT and you’ll get back the number of words.
Enso Words: Enso is free and runs on Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista. Spellcheck, wordcount, other features.
General wordcount trackers
Curious Device: another little progress meter: straightforward word counter.
Writertopia progress meter: provides two graphical progress meters that can be embedded in your web page or blog.
Yahoo widget wordcount: written for NaNoWriMo, but looks like it could be used for a general wordcount.
Wordcount tools for Wordpress
ProgPress: A progress meter plugin for Wordpress by Jason Penney. This is the one I’m using (see right-hand navigation bar) because I can track multiple projects within one widget. Jason writes:
Thanks for mentioning ProgPress. If anyone tries it out and has any feedback/suggestions, I’m always glad to hear them. Good luck to everyone participating. I know you can do it!
Scribometer Progress meter by David Anaxagoras. David writes:
Hi Debbie! The 1,000 words a day challenge is a great idea. I’ve updated my Scribometer progress meter WordPress widget to track any unit the user wants to measure, so now it can be used for words as well as script pages or cups of coffee consumed.
Murray’s Wordcount Wordpress Plugin: wordcount for a post
{ 38 comments… read them below or add one }
Woo-hoo! LOVE this.
We are definitely cut from the same cloth!
Hi Debbie! The 1,000 words a day challenge is a great idea. I’ve updated my Scribometer progress meter WordPress widget to track any unit the user wants to measure, so now it can be used for words as well as script pages or cups of coffee consumed.
My widget is ideal for those who don’t feel comfortable fiddling with code. The progress meter parameters are handled through the widget control panel.
I mostly write screenplays these days, or I’d join in the challenge.
Hi there I’ve been following your blog for quite some time and first time commenting, I love this challenge, I’ll definitely be having a go. Time to rise the profile on my blog at the same time.
I’m in! This is perfect timing – I just set that exact goal and promised myself I’d do it. The badge and progress meter makes it more fun.
One suggestion: How about a weekly winner badge? If you meet your goals for the week you can post the winner badge. (It’s self-policing, but like you said – you’re only cheating yourself)
I did NaNoWriMo one year, and I was really happy to be able to post a winner badge.
And of course, we’re doing a long vacation this summer . . .
I’ll have to bookmark this and come back in August.
This is a great idea. I’m in the middle of editing a novel but as soon as that’s done I’ll take the challenge.
To add to your list, there’s another word count tool and text editor combined from novelist and programmer Simon Haynes -yedit.
Thank you. I’m living though a difficult time, with a serious health issue in the family and having to nurse someone around the clock, and I’m really struggling to write anything at all, so this is just what I need.
I have to be realistic, though: 1000 words a day is too ambitious for me and I’d be setting myself up for failure. If you add a 500-word option, I’m in.
I’d love to see a 500 word option. I can reach 1,000 words on my very best days but they don’t happen 6 times in one week. ::wry smile::
Ok, I’ll set up a 500 word option soon!
Thank you!
I may be able to handle this
Thanks for all of the great links.
Found you through Sharp Words and o my, this is JUST what I need! Am writing (and rewriting) a historical mystery novel and it is such slow going…really hard to stay motivated, but I feel terrible when I don’t work on it. SO I am going to make a super effort to write 1000/day – my first draft was last year’s NaNoWriMo…Thank you so so much for getting this going!
Lidian (I was EleanorS on NaNo BTW)
This is an awesome challenge. I’ve been in a bit of a slump lately, writing-wise. I started the challenge today and already making progress. Setting goals like this seem to be exactly what I needed.
Yup… this an awesome challenge… so i think to myself… (^o^)”
1,000 words might be my sweet spot! Thanks for starting this challenge! I will be putting my button up tonight! tiffanysilverberg.blogspot.com
Hi,
I started a similar project– to write 24 Twitter stories a day (or one an hour) for a year. So far I’m a few days behind, but for awhile last weekend it felt like I was writing 1000 words a day! Please check out my Twitter account and let me know what you think!
YRG
wwwwwwwwoooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwww so inspired!!! really really intersting, I’ll join but I write in spanish
I love this idea. I might keep me motivated. I wrote over 800 words yesterday. With this challenge, I can push for another 200 easily. So I say today .
I’ve made it my personal goal all summer to do at least 1000 words per day on my WIP and most of the time I’ve met it. I’m getting close to the end of the first draft, but I added your badge to my blog and I’ll continue to try to live up to the challenge!
I’ve been following you on Twitter and reading your blog for some time now. I love this new challenge that you’ve put out and I have proudly placed my badge on my site.
This is a great idea. I set up 100 index cards with a writing idea on each one. At first, I was writing everyday, then I missed a couple of days and haven’t been able to get back. I am going to try again, but with the badge. I have the motivation, I just need to remind myself why I am writing.
i won’t be joining you on this one, but i think it’s a good idea for those who find it hard to do something every day – and especially good for beginners (or not) who think writer’s block is an excuse to stop writing. It’s amazing what comes out when you make yourself write.
Exercises like these bring fluency and output
Hi there,
This challenge is just what I want right now. Have begun a 6am start to eek out some time before the minding (4) kids frenzy, starting new novel. And today I actually made 5am and then found this challenge. Better get to it.
Thanks!
Alison (the twitter girl with no eyes! behind the glasses)
I’ve kept up for two days now and know I can do this. I count editing or writing or working on queries/cover letters, synopses, anything to do with my writing career. This year before it’s 2010 I want at least one novel out in queries and next year I want to look back in December and know I kept it up all year.
I do count working on my articles or my oil pastels website as writing or my other nonfiction because that’s going to be part of my overall writing career, nonfiction does pay and I’ve found out this year what writing a lot of it did for my craft. It tightened my prose well and gave my fiction more of an easy reading feel.
Having a thousand word minimum means I’ll do something — a scene, an article, something. I can’t manage to write any project less than a thousand words, even a webpage, at least in its rough draft. So this is just right for me! Thank you for the badge!
Please revive the check-in though, it’s easier to keep on if there’s a place I have to report, even if it’s monthly reporting rather than weekly.
i do write poetry and wanted to say Hi!
Will be participating as well. It’s a perfect tie-in for my WriYe attempt as well; a thousand words a day is exactly my goal. Thank you~
where is the 5K word a day challange?
This is such a great idea. I’ve already made the 1000 word a day goal for the year, so maybe this will make me more accountable! Thanks!
I’m in.
Most definitely in. I cannot wait to start!
I love it! Here I goooo!
Oh wow – I like this idea and I think I want to try it. I failed miserably in December with keeping up my writing and I need a kick in the pants. I’m going to do this!!!!!!
Thank you! I need this desperately. I completed Nano this year, and then completely dropped the ball for the entire month of December. If I were a published author, living off my advances and royalties, that MIGHT be okay, but I’m NOT! So, thank you, I got a good, solid 1300 words in today… my deal with myself before I even got the badge to put on my blog!
Hi,
I love this challenge and I am trying to put it on my blog. Trouble is, I copied the code, but it doesn’t link back to your site. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Can you help me? Thank you, in advance.
Wordy
Word Designer
I got it to link. Thank you.
Wordy
Word Designer
I want to sign up for this but I’m not a word-generating mode for my novels at the moment – I’m in making-it-make-sense and making-it-work mode. I’ve noted that others are in similar editing states, too.
What I’m going to do is to sign up for the 1,000 words a day, but count every hour spent working on the book as 1,000 words. This makes sense because (a) NaNoEdMo has a goal of 50 hours of work in a month vs the 50k words of NaNoWriMo; and (b) I write at something in excess of 1,000 words an hour when I’m in flow.
Good challenge, though. Exactly the boot to the back side that I need to actually do something with my languishing trilogy this year.
Thank you!
I’m humbly switching out my 1000 words a day badge for the 250 words a day. Must. Be. Consistent.