Writers write. That’s the bottom line.
At the start of last week, I struggled to get fired up in my writing. Fiction always comes easiest to me, so I jumped into a story I’ve been working on, but it seemed like I just couldn’t keep my eyes open on Sunday and Monday. Tuesday was a big day for churning out words–and I think a lot of them are high quality–and on Friday I really enjoyed writing my first Christianity Today piece of the year. I’m hoping to start stronger next week!
Words Per Day
Sunday, January 7: 754 words (fiction)
Monday, January 8: 200 words (blog)
Tuesday, January 9: 2,306 words (blog)
Wednesday, January 10: 783 words (blog)
Thursday, January 11: 629 words (blog)
Friday, January 12: 1,557 words (blog and journalism)
Saturday, January 13: 988 words (blog)
Week 2 (Jan. 7 – Jan. 13) Totals
Last week, I wrote 7,217 words and spent 5 hours writing, averaging 1,443 words per hour.
2018 Totals
Since the beginning of 2018, I’ve written 14,667 words and spent 8 hours and 45 minutes writing.
Published Writing From Last Week
It Was Time to Act Yesterday – Diving into a series about refugees and the Kingdom, this is a stepping stone into the issue, looking at how serious it is and how so much of our response has been inadequate.
Understanding the Protests in Iran: A Brief Reading List – With all of the historical and cultural baggage attached to the stereotypical American view of Iran, what are we to make of the current protests? For that, here is a concise, helpful guide to understand what is going on, where it may be going, and what the United States has to do with it.
Think Investments Over Goals – I’ve always been a goal-setter. But after seeing so many goals fall through, I’m approaching my forward-thinking from a different mindset, one that lines of investment ideals to target a larger, grander Dream.
Writing Tracker – Week 1 (Dec. 31 – Jan. 6) – Follow along as I track progress toward my writing goals. Here’s an update from the first week of the year.
Here’s What’s Coming Up
In the near future I have plans to write more about the genuine danger of viewing refugees as data points; a more thoughtful effort to be pro-life than is commonly offered, especially in light of the upcoming March for Life; and a look back at the Trump presidency and a year on from Obama’s final day in the Oval Office.
Why Sharing Your Goals Is Important
Accountability: Because my writing goals for 2018 are to 1) post at least twice per week on this blog and 2) publish a book online, I know that I need to hold myself accountable and be held accountable by others. Making my writing statistics is one way for me to do that. With my writing production out in the open, others can see if I’m keeping up and, if I’m not, give me the necessary encouragement/kick. Posting my stats also keeps me personally motivated, as I don’t want to be embarrassed by falling behind my goals in public.
Inspiration: Assuming I can maintain my writing production at a level I’m satisfied with, I hope it will be an inspiration to other writers. I work full-time and have a number of ongoing commitments, but because writing is important to me, I make the time. You can too. Even 15-minute writing sprints over the course of weeks and months really adds up.
Data Tracking: I love seeing trends in data almost as much as I love writing. Amateur data analysis is incredibly easy today, and I love to see my numbers crunched. It’s fun and fascinating, but it also helps me write. Tracking my writing means I know how much I can write per genre, per hours; I know my pace; I know how much time I’m actually dedicating to writing; and I can see how my writing accumulates and improves over time.
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