How To Write 5,000 Words a Day, Everyday
Flexible Routine, Smart Breaks, and Kill Two Birds with One Stone.
![Screenshot of nanowrimo website for november 2023 bar for word count above expectation](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8e58b99b-653d-44e8-b625-dc8bf80ab8ad_589x720.png)
I started Nanowrimo on 1 November and have been largely keeping up with the word count (screenshot taken as of 22nd November 2023). Although I have to admit that I don’t update it every day, I missed out on a few streaks. I write, on average, 1,985 words of my novel a day, but that’s just part of what I write. Plus the other novelette I am working on and blog posts like this, I manage around 5,000 words a day.
I count it as part of the 5,000 words as long as it’s creative (i.e. not emails).
How do I do it, you might ask. Here are my tricks (and doable even if you have a full-time job).
Tip 1: Write only when you’re inspired
Most writers stare at the blank screen, and nothing comes out. It is normal. However, You don’t necessarily have to hunch over your laptop all the time. Finding ways to get inspired is part of the writing process.
My first tip to write 5,000 a day, every day, is to create a lot of moments of inspiration. Avoid watching TV or doom-scrolling social media by getting yourself out for a walk, visiting exhibitions, or people-watching in a cafe. Many great characters and scenes come from observing mundane people’s lives.
Make sure you bring a notebook and a pen, so you can write down your ideas. It's even better if you grab your laptop on the go and write on the spot when you’re inspired.
Tip 2: Flexible routine - not timed
We tend to underestimate how much we can accomplish in those ‘spare moments’ in our everyday lives: when queuing for coffee, commuting, or waiting for a friend. These spare moments are the times to get writing, especially if you have a full-time job that’s not writing.
Count those sessions as a writing session - think of it like a boot camp.
Then, track that word count as well. I do enjoy using Nanowrimo as a word count calculator; you can sign up for free, and you can have multiple projects running at the same time. So every time you finish writing, even if it’s only 100 words, log it.
I have talked about not having a fixed and timed routine before. Because let’s be realistic, it’s a privilege not to be disturbed halfway through a thing in this day and age. Especially if you have kids, what kind of morning routine do you REALLY have? And your work email?
Think sessions, log progress, not fixed and timed calendar blocks.
Tip 3: Put your phone away
When you have a moment to write undisturbed, create an environment in which you are truly alone with your work. If that means sneaking to the library, turning your phone off, or hiding in a cave, do it.
I like to have a timer with me - the timer is not for timing how much time I spend on writing but to remind myself not to get distracted and walk away from the task at hand.
It takes me around 40 minutes to write about 2,000 words. To be absolutely clear, this is very fast. But if you follow tip 1, then when you write, you already know what you are writing, and you are inspired. Train your writing muscle (see our tutorial here) from the ground up, and you will be much more attuned to writing.
I managed to stay very focused during those 40 minutes because 1. I am inspired, 2. I lock my phone under my bed, and 3. I use a timer. If you want to see how I do it, then follow the video below with a minute-by-minute (!) of how I get to 5,900 words during a day. You can write along with me in this video as it has timers too.
Tip 4: Smart breaks
There are no true breaks as a writer. I think about my stories around the clock - when I am in the shower or when I am napping, and definitely when I am moving my eyes away from the screen.
As I mentioned in Tip 1 - I break to get inspired. I am always walking during my break, and I kill two birds with one stone by adding to my walk one of these three things:
I walk, and I listen to a Podcast: I only listen to two Podcasts: The New Yorker: Fiction and Planet Money. Quality is a must when you are taking smart breaks.
I walk, and I listen to an audiobook: Leave me alone if you don’t think of listening to an audiobook as reading. A good narrator brings out the flavour of a great book. I am lucky to have come across a few. In particular, Yiyun Li’s Book of Goose, narrated by Caroline Hewitt, was fascinating. This book begins my audiobook journey, and I can’t recommend this enough.
I walk, and I eavesdrop: One of my favourite things to do is go to an exhibition and eavesdrop on people’s conversations. You can do it anywhere, but I like exhibitions cause of the stuff people make up as they look at a painting(!). It’s a trick I learned from short-story writer Vanessa Onwuemezi. There is no better dialogue research than real meaningless dialogues like those in an exhibition to show off one’s character. So many subtexts.
So what are you waiting for? You don’t need to write 5,000 words a day. The purpose of this is to help you see the opportunities you might have missed that would keep your writing mind engaged throughout the day and get that story in your head onto paper.
Good luck with writing.
For more writing tips, subscribe to this Substack or my Youtube channel. They aren’t the same. They complement each other.