Tracking your writing?

I see them mentioned in searches frequently. For instance, today I googled "writing romance plots" (and a dozen of related searches) and writing trackers pop up in most writing how-to searches. So, you might just want to start there. See if there's one you like.

I don't track my words or my time spent writing, so I don't have any to recommend. I rely solely on the "word count" on Word.

 

Yeah, if you use Google Docs, just set up a spreadsheet and track there.

I don't track my counts any more. I find that loading the app, logging the numbers, taking a moment to admire or despair, tends to get me, er, side tracked.

With so many alternate drafts, notes, outlines, revisions, the whole word count thing just sort of crumbled into nonsense for me. If I could write in a linear fashion, like some can (curse them all), then it would make more sense to me, especially in dealing with agents and publishing houses.

 

I think that's a great idea! Good for you, finding a tool that will help you create a pattern so that you can make the progress you want. (I always assumed the goal of a word tracker is to keep a tally of words and to see what is considered a productive day and what's a lazy day, or whatever, and I've never had a use for that, because if I'm writing, I'm trying to do my best, and I don't necessarily equate "words added" to "best work".)

I'm an everyday writer...except when I'm not, HA! And honestly, I just took four months off, so whatever. I think it's important for us to know ourselves, determine what we need, and then make adjustments so that we can get the results from ourselves that we want.

If the spreadsheet doesn't work, you might just try a pen and sticky notes. Or a calendar, where you can just post a word count in ink every day and then circle all the days you didn't write in red. If it's less about tallying word count progress and more about accountability, there are low-tech options...which usually end up being my first choices because I'm sort of a pen and paper person at heart.

Best wishes!

 

Yeah, I totally get it now. I guess the reason I always sort of scratched my head about this kind of tracking, is that I'm editing. I have been for years. Sometimes I cut whole chapters from a work and need to make whole new chapters, and those words get rewritten four times before they're "done" enough to go to the crit group. But, it wouldn't make sense for me to keep daily tallies. I just have to put in the time, take time off, and generally keep myself mentally where I need to be so that I gan get actual work done, rather than being so braindead and burned out that I stare blankly at my screen and can't figure out what i'm even trying to do anymore because I've lost my goal.

HA! Yep. Took four months off when I had a health thing and just didn't rush right back into writing. Of course, I told you guys about the health thing...I lost my ability to comprehend words...so I literally couldn't write. But still...I didn't race back into it even when I was partially recovered.

Yeah, I can see how we all need to develop whatever we need to keep ourselves motivated and making progress. I'm at my most productive when I'm just exploratory writing. Unfortunately...most of that isn't quality.