So, word count goals.
I wrote about this topic previously on Twitter.
Let me preface by saying I think writing is such an individual and unique craft, which like any other art form, each person has to do their own way in order for it to truly work for them. There is no one correct method.
That being said, for myself I find the prospect of a ‘goal word count’ to be…daunting at best. I don’t write with those in mind – at least, not anything even remotely strict. Maybe my goal word count for a novel is somewhere between 55k and 150k words but that’s so broad I feel like it hardly counts.
If I were to set a more specific word count I guess I’d worry that a) I’d wind up putting a bunch of pointless filler, which does not a good novel make; or b) I could wind up cutting some stuff that really should be in the book/story/whatever.
Do any of you like to work with a more specific goal word count? Why or why not? What works for you and what doesn’t?
99% Dark 
The daily wordcount, as in to keep track of what I’m writing towards my novels? Nope. It’s a recipe for guilt and failure as far as I’m concerned. But I do keep track of my wordcount anyway – so that I can keep track of how much I write towards my teaching job vs my blog vs my books. And it has helped me to streamline my teaching course notes and cut down my workload.
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That is fantastic! And I really agree with your point about that being a recipe for guilt and failure – that really resonated with me!
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Yes… fallen into that bear pit and scrambled back out again:)
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