Can I Write 7,709 Words Today Before Heading to Utah?

At the beginning of the month, I set a goal to make July my most productive month in 2021 in terms of words written. Previously, this record was held in January, when I came out of the corner swinging. I’ve kind of petered out over the months but want to get back on track.

As of this morning, I am only 7,709 words away from this goal. The problem I am having, though, is that I’ll be traveling most of the day on Friday and spending time with family on Saturday.

This means that I probably won’t be able to get much writing in for the last two days of the month.

So, if I want to break my record for the best month in 2021, I need to do it today. For me, that’s an awful lot of writing, especially since I still have client work to finish.

Is 7,700 Words Realistic?

I keep track of every word I write and the time it takes in a spreadsheet. Yes, I’m a dork like that. But it gives me a lot of valuable insight into myself and what I’m capable of.

Not to mention it helps me set per-word and per-project pricing. I know on average how long it will take me to write a specific number of words.

Anyway, back in the day, my goal for writing with content mills ranged between 8,000 and 10,000 words per day. And these were high-research pieces that clients simply loved. So, yes, I’ve done something like this before.

However, it’s been a very long time since I’ve been able to sit down and write that much content.

For instance, I have to make sure I can get done everything I can for GreenGeeks before my flight tomorrow morning. That means double the workload today. Not to mention that I have a ton of applications to go through for hiring a writer.

Still, I definitely don’t have a shortage of things I want to write about in order to hit 7,700 words today. Between the blogs, Despair, VII, the eBook, Vocal Media, and other outlets, I can keep myself going damn near indefinitely.

The hardest part is maintaining motivation.

This morning, though, I found myself with the feeling of urgency as I really want to beat my record.

What I Need to Do to Hit 7700 Words in One Day

Given my past capabilities, writing this much content is not out of my reach. I’ve done it before quite often, actually. Though, back then I was getting paid to write.

Most of my content nowadays doesn’t really pay a whole lot. Take this blog, for example. I don’t even monetize it, but that’s by design.

However, even though I don’t get that immediate money for writing, I suppose it’s still working towards building up the different brands. I guess in a way, I am paid to write.

So, how do I intend to crank out several thousand words today?

Motivation to Write

This morning, after seeing how close I am to breaking my record, I am quite motivated to whip out all I can. Unfortunately, I’m not sure if I can maintain that level of motivation.

I have a habit of winding down sometime after noon. And if I want to make a massive dent in the number of words I write today, I can’t let that happen.

The downside is that most of this winding down is on a physical level. I get extremely tired and it gets much harder to focus. A lot of people really don’t consider just how mentally draining it is to be a freelance writer/blogger.

Ignoring Distractions

Another major issue I have, especially when the kids are staying with me, is avoiding distractions. Though, the girls are pretty good about leaving me alone while I work.

Then I have to avoid YouTube, Hulu, Season 24 of Diablo III, finding things to do other than writing…all of which tend to sap a bit of my time throughout the day.

I’m easily sidetracked, and these diversions could surely take away from my goals today.

Maintaining Determination to Succeed

This morning, I am determined to write all 7700 words. But, will I be able to maintain that determination throughout the day?

I often get into the mindset of “to hell with it, I’ll do it tomorrow.” But in this case, I really don’t have tomorrow to fall back on. I need to stay in the mindset that what ever I do today is it for July.

One thing I hope will come from today’s experience is helping me get back into some positive and productive habits. When I started writing, I was very driven and determined to succeed. I’ve become quite lax over the years.

What Do I Call “Productive” Writing?

When I record words I write, I’m only focusing on those that propel my career forward. This includes client articles, blogging, creative writing, creating tutorials, or writing the scripts I use for video content.

Anything that is essentially published, or going to be published in various mediums, is what I view as “prodcutive” writing.

This means I don’t count emails, social media interactions, and other smaller bits of text I write throughout the day.

And yes, I’m including this very blog post.

The only issue I truly have with hitting 7700 words in one day is time. A lot of what I do for clients nowadays doesn’t require a lot of writing. I mostly edit other writer’s work.

I’m also  trying to lose weight, which includes exercise case studies for CrossingColorado.com, so there goes another 45 minutes or so.

If I want to create a video for WriterSanctuary’s YouTube channel, there’s another two hours that I won’t be writing.

Although I could be incredibly productive throughout the day, bills still need to be paid and video planning needs done if I want to monetize YouTube before the end of 2021.

Will I Be Able to Write While On Vacation?

I might be able to do a bit of writing while sitting in the hotel this weekend. But, I’m fairly certain my family will want to spend time with me. This means that I probably won’t get a lot of opportunity to put into writing.

That is unless I stay up to work, which is a distinct possibility. But I’m really looking forward to sleeping in a nice bed for a change.

In reality, I could probably crank out a quick one or two thousand words while in Utah. It just really depends on what everyone wants to do and how late everyone is willing to stay up.

Then again, I should just enjoy my weekend off. I don’t get time away that often, and this is a weekend that I’m surely in dire need of taking.

I’m really hoping the pool and hot tub are open to the public nowadays.

At any rate, it’s completely plausible that I could get some writing done while in Utah. Though, I’m not really sure how much. It might be just a bit of writing after checking into the hotel Friday evening.

I’m really excited about where Despair is going and I’m working on a parody for Creative Sanctuary. And yes, both of these are incredibly fun for me to write.

Got a Long Way to Go, And in Short Time to Get There

There we have it…I suppose this is a personal challenge to myself to write as much as I can without the use of filler and fluff. Because I don’t want to sacrifice quality for quantity.

Rushing through articles is never a good thing. You wind up missing vital information or trying to inflate a piece with nonsensical jargon just to hit a specific number of words.

There is a reason why clients love the work I create. I just need to keep that in mind when writing my own pieces of content today.

Coincidentally, after this post, I now only have 6,374 words to go…

About:

Michael Brockbank

I’ve been a freelance writer since January 1, 2012. I’ve worked with a myriad of clients and currently the Content Marketing Team Lead for GreenGeeks web hosting. My fingers are also in a lot of different industries such as gaming and fitness.

See author's posts