My Word Count Is Killing Me
I thought I was close to done, then I looked at my word count. Apparently I thought wrong. There it is. Sitting at the top of your screen like a judgmental little gremlin, quietly deciding whether your writing day was “good enough.”
And if you’re anything like me, you’ve probably had this exact thought:
“My word count is killing me.”
Not because you’re not writing… but because it never feels like enough. You hit 500 words. Should’ve been 1,000.
You hit 1,000 words. Why isn’t the book done yet? You check it again. And again. And again. At some point, the number stops being helpful… and starts being heavy.
The Obsession with Word Count
Word count is supposed to be a tool. Somewhere along the way, it turned into a scoreboard. We measure progress by it. We compare ourselves by it. We quietly judge our writing days by it.
And listen… I see this every day in the classroom too.
“How long does it have to be?”
Not “Is it good?”
Not “Does it make sense?”
Just… how many words will make it acceptable?
Writers do the exact same thing to themselves. We have been conditioned to focus on word count as a measure of success, but many craft experts, including those at Writer’s Digest, emphasize that strong storytelling and consistent writing habits matter far more than hitting a specific number.
Why Word Count Feels So Heavy
Because it’s visible. It’s measurable. It feels like proof. If the number is high, we feel productive. If the number is low, we feel like we failed.
But here’s the problem with that:
Word count doesn’t measure story.
It doesn’t measure emotion. It doesn’t measure pacing. It doesn’t measure whether your characters are actually coming to life. It just… counts.
The Problem Isn’t the Number
There is no magic word count where your book suddenly becomes “real.” Some stories need space. Some stories need restraint. And when you start chasing a number instead of telling a story, things get weird fast.
You rush scenes just to move forward. You drag scenes just to add words. You start writing for the count instead of the reader. And that’s where the joy starts to disappear.
I’m working so hard on not looking at how much I write, but celebrating the fact that I am writing. It’s a small mind shift, but it helps a lot.
What Actually Matters More Than Word Count
Instead of asking “How many words did I write today?” try asking:
- Did something meaningful happen in the story?
- Did my characters move, change, or react?
- Did I create a moment that someone might actually feel?
Because here’s the truth:
A tight 60K that moves is better than a bloated 100K that wanders.
Every single time.
If this is something you’re working through, you might also like my collection of free writing resources to help you stay focused without getting stuck in the numbers.
A Healthier Way to Use Word Count
I’m not saying ignore your word count completely. It can be helpful. It can show progress. It can keep you consistent.
But it should never be the thing that decides whether your writing is “good” or “bad.”
Try this instead:
- Use word count as a guide, not a goal
- Track progress loosely instead of obsessively
- Focus on showing up, not measuring up
Because consistency will always beat chasing a perfect number.
The Honest Truth (Tea in Hand)
At some point, it’s not your word count. It’s whether you’re sitting down and writing.
Not scrolling.
Not planning.
Not thinking about writing.
Actually writing.
And yeah… sometimes that’s 200 words. Sometimes it’s 1,000. Sometimes it’s messy and weird and you’re not even sure it’s good.
It still counts.
Let’s Be Real for a Second
Your word count isn’t killing you. The pressure you’ve attached to it is. The comparison. The expectations. The constant 
feeling that you should be further along than you are. That’s the weight. Not the number. And I really want people to remember something, and it’s something that I remind myself every time I get sucked up in the “I have how many words,” mindset. You are miles ahead of every single solitary person who has an idea, but hasn’t put the proverbial pen to paper.
Final Thought
Your book doesn’t get written one number at a time. It gets written one scene at a time. One paragraph at a time.
One “okay this might be terrible but I’m writing it anyway” moment at a time. So maybe… stop checking the number for a bit. And just write the next sentence.
