L.S. Engler

Write a Novel in 750 Words a Day.

L.S. Engler

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As per one of my goals now that I’m a “full-time writer,” I’ve picked up 750 Words again. Now, for me, especially since I’m a fast typer, it usually only takes me about 15 minutes to write up 750 words. I have a bazillion ideas in my head at any given time, so the words flow pretty easily once I get started, I just got distracted in the past year and never took those fifteen minutes to just churn out some words, and that’s a shame. It’s a great exercise, a fantastic habit, and some really great stuff can come out of what you write there. My retelling of Goldilocks, “Just Right,” was composed in about a week of 750 words. It’s also a great tool for NaNoWriMo.

This morning, I tried to recreate something I’ve already written, which felt a little bit like cheating, and wasn’t very effective, anyway, since I like the original better. I blame watching The 100 with my parents last night; it got me in a certain mood, and that mood involved digging up a space cowboy plot I have in the back of my head. But then I got to thinking that perhaps I need to just focus on a “750 Words Novel.” Not something I’ve scribbled on paper before, but something that will hop up out of the process much like “Just Right” did. I like the idea, and today will be about thinking of a plot to go along with it.

Not only that, but I’ve decided to restrict myself to only 750 words. Naturally, you can go over. In fact, I usually do, because I always want my average to be higher than the average of overall users, which requires about 1000 words per day. But I think it would be interesting to see how restricting myself to only 750 words would be like. I mean 750 ONLY, too. Cut off in the middle of the sentence, have to pick up on it the next day. I always seem to work most effectively when I give myself weird little restrictions, so I’m eager to see how this pans out.

Anyone else out there use 750 Words? Do you use it more as a diary or journal, or do you use it to brainstorm or write up whole stories? What’s some of the best things to come out of your 750 Words experience? And, if you’re not currently a part of 750 Words, why not?

Happy writing!

3 responses to “Write a Novel in 750 Words a Day.”

  1. Lauralynn Elliott Avatar
    Lauralynn Elliott

    I can’t do the 750 word thing (which would take me about 30 minutes, I think). Because some days I might feel like writing 2000 words and other days, none at all. That’s how I roll. LOL. And I could never cut off in the middle of a sentence. If I’m on a roll and the words are flowing, I might never get that thought back. I can’t take that chance.

    I think everyone has to decide what works best for them. We need to have some sort of control over our writing, but each person knows what works and what doesn’t, at least after they have experimented and figured it out. Good luck! I hope it works well for you and you get those words churned out. Now that you’re full time, publishing should be within reach. Are you looking for a publisher, or are you going to self-publish everything? Or both?

    Reply
    1. L.S. Engler Avatar
      L.S. Engler

      The 750 words will just be for one project; you know me, I have to have a gazillion, so there will be many more words in other things, too. I could never restrict myself to JUST 750. I’d go crazy.

      And, as far as the publishing, I’m hoping to do both. Some things, like Soulless, I intend to get up and running myself, for time’s sake, but others, like Serpent in a Cage or something else I might whip up, I’d like to fling out into the market and see if anyone would be interested. I definitely want to get a few more titles up by my own hand, though, and then I can take the time to try a more traditional route, too.

      Reply
  2. My Creative Cup Overflowth. | L.S. Engler

    […] at me, telling me to finish it, but the go-get-it attitude is lacking inside me. Meanwhile, on my 750 Words front, I’m restricting myself to ONLY the 750 words a day on a book that is turning out to […]

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