I want to address the issue of quality versus quantity (word count) in first drafts today.
I see SOOO many people on social media obsessing over word count, or on meeting daily word count goals.
If you’re a full time writer with contract deadlines, maybe that makes sense. But I’m guessing that’s not the case. So, assuming like the vast majority of us writers, you have a day job of some kind, or through some kind of arrangement your writing isn’t paying all the bills . . .
Why the obsession over daily word counts?
Is it better to shoot for quantity or quantity?
I think it depends on what is more likely to frustrate and discourage you–slow progress or lots of swill that will need to be cut or rewritten.
Maybe the way your process works, you NEED that swill to come first in order to bring out the good stuff. Maybe spilling out 10,000 words over 2 or 3 days only to end up cutting 95% of it doesn’t frustrate you or at all.
On the other hand, maybe the thought of cutting that much makes you want to rethink ever setting your fingers on the keyboard! You may be fine with slower progress, if what you are producing is of quality and won’t need major revisions (apart from copy editing, perhaps, just to tighten it up).
I have always said the best process is what works for you and makes you ENJOY writing.
I guess I worry because I see so many people writing melodramatic updates about how they wrote so much so quickly and all of it is trash. Sometimes they seem GENUINELY upset.
I don’t know if they think there’s no other way to write? If they’re new to writing and don’t realize if you write that quickly, especially without a tight outline to guide you, you’re pretty much guaranteed to produce trash? If no one’s ever told them that it’s ok to take your time if that is what it takes to feel comfortable and not overwhelmed by a WIP?
It seems to me a lot of people force themselves to write more quickly than maybe they should, more quickly than is ideal for them.
Then again, I’m notoriously slow, and I’m absolutely fine with that, so maybe I’m projecting my experience with NaNoWriMo in the past onto others.
What are your thoughts about daily or weekly word count goals?
Creative Writing with the Crimson League 
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