When a Daily Word Count Matters Most
An essential component of my summer writing routine.
Longtime readers will recall that on writing days I aim to write at least 1000 words. The daily word count is the primary technique that has made me consistently productive as a writer.
Daily word counts really matter during the summer. I have many days during the summer when I really don’t have much to do professionally other than to write. To some professors and administrators, this sounds like bliss! And it is, in many ways - summers are generally when I get the most writing done.
However, that very flexibility during the summer can be a trap. During the semester, I feel more urgency about maximizing the hours I have to make writing progress. Most of that pressure is gone during the summer.
Summer is my worst season for procrastination. I have a good home office, but something about being at home on summer days turns me into a squirrelly bundle of distractions. All of a sudden, anything but writing can seem like the most compelling thing: YouTube videos, mowing the yard, cleaning the toilets, anything at all!
A word count answers the most pressing question on a given writing day. What do I need to get done today? “Work on my book” is not a satisfactory answer, because I could fiddle with many things related to my book but still make little writing progress. “Write 1000 words” is far more tangible.
I always struggle to get going on writing, but with the word count in mind, I know that I simply need to start writing. No excuses. Sometimes merely beginning to write will ignite enough momentum that I might write 1000 words by 10 or 11 am. Sometimes it is a slog the whole day, and I go well into the afternoon before I am done with the count.
I am always happy when I hit the goal, because I know whatever else happens that day, I have completed what I need to do. In the lazy stretches of summer, having that specific goal provides much-needed structure for a writer.
It’s a busy time for the Kidd writing pipeline. The second edition of my American History textbook releases on July 15. This edition is significantly revised and updated, and now includes a workbook for teachers and students who use one.
Next up is The Death of Religion? Nones, Others, and the Flourishing with Faith, co-authored with Byron Johnson and due out on September 15. If you want to support my work, it would be a huge help if you could go ahead and pre-order the book now (algorithms, you know).
I have other things in the pipeline, too, but finally I’ll just mention that I am reviewing the page proofs for my book on the Second Great Awakening, due out with Yale Press in 2027. Thanks for reading my books!