Issue 005
Total Immersion
On August 1, 2021, I set a writing goal to draft at least 500 words every single day for as long as possible. No matter what, I had to hit that word count. This is not a new goal for me. I attempted the same scenario twice before: 2017 and 2019. The consecutive days record to beat (from 2019) stands at 124 straight days. I wrote at least 500 words every single day. No breaks. No exceptions. My plan is to beat that number this year.
What does it take to commit to this lofty ideal? First, the boatload of first draft words means I make significant progress on my novels. That alone is motivation for the effort. For instance, the 2019 streak allowed me to finish the second half of an immense novel started more than a year earlier. Additionally, (during NaNoWriMo), I drafted an entirely other novel, and then wrote a novella after that. Total output in 124 consecutive days topped 150,000 words (far more than 500 words a day would generate because I often wrote far more than the minimum).
So far this year, I've completed a first draft of a new novel and then began to draft its sequel soon after. To date, the work totals over 71,000 words. And they keep flowing. And that's a key point.
Diving deeply into your work allows you to make real progress far beyond what occasional, intermittent writing can achieve. Even if you only manage a hundred words a day, the benefit of your staying close to your story adds to your success. This immersion in the novel’s world is what makes the writing come alive and the word count accumulate. Making even a tiny progress each day keeps the story, the characters, the setting, and more fresh in your mind. It’s the daily immersion that counts. You are always thinking about the work and then—most importantly—you are writing everything down.
NaNoWriMo is another example of immersion. For 30 days your nascent novel consumes you. And you consume it. The deep focus, the total devotion to the novel's world, is what allows you to meet your writing goals (50k for NaNo). So, go ahead, set a daily word count goal and get writing. And keep writing every single day to reap the most rewards.
4000 Weeks
The average human lifespan comprises 4,000 weeks. That’s it. Or in the words of author Oliver Burkeman, our lives are “absurdly, insultingly brief.” In his fascinating and accessible book, Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, Burkeman eschews the typical ‘get more done’ ethos in favor of a more sane, slower, and philosophical approach to achieving the best we can from our limited time on Earth.
Free of nonsensical ‘life hacks,’ the book presents a cogent counter argument against squeezing every last drop of time from our daily allotment and instead urges you to embrace life’s finitude and find real meaning in those tasks and experiences you choose to do.
Particularly refreshing is Burkeman’s take on the FOMO concept (Fear of Missing Out) by stating the obvious (yet mostly overlooked) core thought that no matter what, “missing out is basically guaranteed.” No single person can do everything and therefore why try? Instead choose those paths that bring you the most satisfaction and let the rest go. Tough advice, but presented in its light-hearted and compelling manner makes this book a joy to read as you apply its ideas to carve out your finer way to live. Order a copy today (see Required Reading below).
Required Reading
Explore my carefully-curated collection of Art+Life books including fiction and nonfiction.
Featured Book
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals introduces readers to tools for constructing a meaningful life by embracing finitude, showing how many of the unhelpful ways we've come to think about time aren't inescapable, unchanging truths, but choices we've made as individuals and as a society - and that we could do things differently. Highly recommended.
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