For a long time, I was an advocate of word count goals. Perhaps advocate is not the best word, but I would most certainly use them myself. I saw achieving minimum word counts as part of my daily practice, and used them to motivate me.
The longer I write and think about what helps scholars and writers succeed, the less I am excited about using word counts for structure or motivation. Instead, I prefer to make sure that each writing session, based upon a sustainable amount of time, is as optimal designed and executed as possible. By continuously improving how we go about writing, we are more likely to increase our actual needed word count.
Word counts are great for people who like to compete with themselves, as I sometimes am known to do. However, they may be less useful for those suffering from anxiety, at least until they learn to deal with the anxiety related cognition that can interfere with their writing.
The longer I write and think about what helps scholars and writers succeed, the less I am excited about using word counts for structure or motivation. Instead, I prefer to make sure that each writing session, based upon a sustainable amount of time, is as optimal designed and executed as possible. By continuously improving how we go about writing, we are more likely to increase our actual needed word count.
Word counts are great for people who like to compete with themselves, as I sometimes am known to do. However, they may be less useful for those suffering from anxiety, at least until they learn to deal with the anxiety related cognition that can interfere with their writing.
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