11 Tips to Increase Your Word Count

I've never participated in NaNoWriMo, but I admire those who do. I've visited numerous blogs lately where my friends are debating if they should participate this year or not. Those who are participating are doing some preparation in anticipation of their efforts to write a novel in the month of November. It's a challenging task where many will fail and many will succeed. There is a lot of advice out there to help writers reach their goal. But that advice is solid for all year long not just during NaNoWriMo. Not all these tips may work for you and most of the ideas are oft repeated.

11 Tips To Increase Word Count

1. Prepare an outline, plot points and character profiles before you start writing.

2. Have a routine such as a particular time of day or place to write.

3. Design your writing space for comfort but free of distractions. Cat or dog at feet allowed.

4. Be superstitious and use those rituals. If you're always productive when you drink green tea then have green tea. Need your comfy slippers on, then slips those puppies on.

5. Put some music on that helps you write. Perhaps a play list that fits the story or something without words that calms your muse.

6. Don't discuss your WIP while you're writing it. Keep it to yourself until you have that first draft done.

7. Spew out that imperfect first draft. Quiet your inner editor and keeping pounding the keyboard.

8. Along with that tip, don't delete or throw away anything. That scene that you've decided you hate may not seem so bad when the entire project is complete. You can fix or dump it in the second draft.

9. Stop each writing session in the middle of a scene or sentence where you know what comes next. It gets the next day's writing off to a quick start.

10. Remember to eat right, sleep enough and exercise. Take care of yourself.

11. Reward yourself as you reach your goals. Made the halfway point? Celebrate and move onto the next one.

Few of these ideas are new to experienced writers. I challenge you to add a tip to the list. What works for you to keep your word count high all year long and not just in November? Are any of the above suggestions part of your routine? Any of them that just don't work for you? Are you participating in NaNoWriMo? Any interesting rituals or superstitions you use to maintain your writing pace?

Are Your Dreams Getting in the Way of Your Writing Goals?

By Anne R. Allen


What’s the difference between a dream and a goal?

Short answer: reality.

A dream is a creature of the imagination, full of sparkles and rainbows. It’s our magic castle where we live our fantasy lives. We all need them. But we also need to recognize them for what they are.

A goal is something doable. Like getting a college degree, saving money to go to a writers' conference, or finishing that novel.

"I want to be a rich and famous writer" is a dream.

"I want to write a novel and get it published" is a goal.

Here are some common writers' dreams that can stand in the way of writing success.

1) The Travel-Adventure Dream

You know the one—most writers have it at some point. We're going to travel around the country in a camper/sports car/motorcycle—writing our own version of On the Road.

Or we're going to go live in Paris and become the next Hemingway.

I plead guilty to this one. When I was a kid, I always pictured myself traveling the world, having adventures and turning them into lovely novels.

Thing is, I got the traveling and adventures part right, but until I was nearly forty, I’d never actually produced one of those novels.

I didn't realize writers don't need adventures. We need imaginations.

2) The Award-Winner Dream

When you were twelve, you probably rehearsed your Oscar acceptance speech in front of your mirror and thanked your hairbrush for the great honor you knew you deserved. A lot of us have been there.

But that dream can hold us back. Whether it’s winning an Oscar, Tony, Pulitzer, or making it to the top of the NYT bestseller list—picturing that kind of rare occurrence as your sole image of success can freeze you at square one.

Real success comes in baby steps.

You need to consider yourself a success when you finish your first novel, send your first query, self-publish your first book, write your first blogpost, get your first royalty check, etc.

Otherwise, you’re going to be overwhelmed by the huge gap between where you are now to where you want to be and you'll be defeated before you start.

3) The Literary Kudos Dream

This was one of mine, too. In my dream I made a lovely income from my books (somebody had to pay those Paris cafe bills.)

But I didn’t have a clue how to write stuff that could make money.

I mostly read literary fiction, so I wrote Alice Munro-wannabe stories and poems.

Yes, I loved reading romantic suspense and mysteries, but I didn’t want to be a genre writer. Oh, no: I wanted to be reviewed in the New Yorker!

I didn’t take into account that pretty much everybody who's published in the New Yorker has tons of academic credentials and teaches at a prestigious university.

I didn't want to teach. I wanted to write. So now I write mysteries.

4) The Rich Writer-of-Leisure Dream

Richard Castle has a lot to answer for.

Don’t get me wrong; I love the TV show Castle.

But do you ever see that guy writing books?

Movies and books are full of characters rolling in money they've earned from writing fiction. But the truth is, even successful, bestselling authors don’t make as much as the average lawyer, professor, doctor, or accountant (and they don't get benefits.)

The vast majority of writers have day jobs. Either we teach or edit or work at something entirely separate from writing. And we don't have much spare time to go solve crimes for the NYPD.

5) The “I Never Interfere with my Genius” Dream

There’s a quote sometimes attributed to Oscar Wilde: "I never rewrite. Who am I to interfere with genius?"

Some writers believe talent is all they need, so they never subject their tender feelings to the editor's red pencil.

But writing is like any other skill: you have to learn the rules and practice, practice, practice.

No matter how great your natural golf swing, you have to learn the rules of the game, or you won’t win any tournaments. Writing's the same.

But I often meet writers who refuse to edit or learn about POV, story arc, or pacing. Then they're devastated by rejections or dismal sales and scathing reviews.

Here's the thing: real genius is learning to rewrite well.

***

What are your writing goals? Can you clear your brain of the misty fantasies and figure out what you really want—and then map out a step-by-step path to reach it? Have you been snagged by any of these dreams the way I was?

***

Anne R. Allen is the author of seven comic mysteries and co-author of the bestselling How to be a Writer in the E-Age: a Self-Help Guide, written with Catherine Ryan Hyde. She blogs at Anne R. Allen's Blog…with Ruth Harris,, which Writer's Digest named to their Best 101 Websites for Writers in 2013. She has an article coming out in the November issue of Writer's Digest on the renaissance of the short story.

Target Audience, Benefits, and Filling a Need

You have an idea for a book. Now for the tough questions! Ask yourself:

• Who is my target audience?
• What are my book’s benefits?
• Does my book fill a need?

Let’s consider audience first. Create a reader profile sheet. This can guide you when writing the book, but the greatest benefit comes when you’re ready to begin promotions. Write down the following aspects as they relate to your target audience:

• Age
• Gender
• Income bracket
• Location
• What are their hobbies and interests?
• Where do they shop?
• Where do they frequent?
• What magazines, websites, and news sites do they read?
• What are their needs?
• Where do they hang out online?

Fill in as much information as possible. Refer back often to your reader profile and continue to add details. The more you know about your audience, the better you can tailor your book to appeal to them. (Still write the story you want to write but be aware of what your audience likes.) It will be that much easier to reach them when you’re ready to promote.

Now, what are your book’s benefits? How will it enrich your readers’ lives?

Are they reading for entertainment? Will your book amuse them? Will you help them to escape their everyday lives? Will they enjoy the experience?

Are they reading for enrichment? Will your book deliver meaningful and deep views? Will readers be moved by the experience?

Are they reading for information? Will your book expand their knowledge and understanding?

Are they reading to better their lives? Will your book help them save time or money? Will it provide healthier options? Can your book solve their problems?

This is where you really need to place yourself in your reader’s shoes. There are millions of books on the market. Why should they read yours? “They’ll enjoy it” is not enough. You must give people compelling reasons to read your book, appealing to their logic, their emotions, or both.

Finally, does your book fill a need? There are several aspects to consider.

Does your book provide information people are actively seeking? Is it new information or a unique take on a subject? Are changes in the world (technological, political, etc.) making this information necessary or beneficial?

Is your book tied to events, locations, or people? Is there a demand for this information? If other books already exist, will you provide new or more current details?

If a work of fiction, is it part of a new or growing trend? (Current trends will be on the slide by the time your book hits the market.) Is your story unique and fresh? Is there a demand for the storyline?

The more you can answer, and in as much detail as possible, the better equipped your book will be to succeed.


- Adapted from How to Publish and Promote Your Book Now by L. Diane Wolfe