Using a 500-Word Diet to Complete Your First Draft

By Terri Bowen

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There are a lot of fun aspects to being a writer: creating imaginary worlds, bringing fascinating characters to life, feeling like a rockstar when someone says they dig your work, and conducting weird research that would look downright creepy under normal circumstances, to name a few. On the other end of that are the not-so-fun parts: writer’s block, wrestling with self-doubt, carving out time to write, or discovering a major plot hole halfway through. Still, if you’re anything like me, you’ve been daydreaming about seeing your book in print since you were a kid. With the gusto of a caffeinated jackrabbit, you decide it’s time to crank out that first novel. You’ve done all the meticulous outlining of a plotter, complete with storyboards and music playlists. Or maybe you’re a rebel, a pantser, prepared to fly by the seat of your, well, pants, occasionally utilizing barely legible notes scribbled on grocery receipts. Either way, you’re ready to dive in. Splash!

Things go along swimmingly at first. Then one day, your regular job gets a little too hectic, leaving you too tired to write. The next day, you have too many errands to run, leaving you with no time to crank out a few pages. Another day, you’ve managed to catch the latest bug circulating in your house, and you can barely breathe through one nostril, let alone work on your book. And so on. Suddenly, two weeks have gone by, and your characters are left feeling abandoned while you berate your lack of discipline and time management. When you finally pick back up where you left off, your momentum is gone, and everything you write sounds more mind numbing than tax return instructions. Then you end up marinating in a vat of imposter syndrome while glumly scrolling through social media to watch the latest viral cat videos.

Sound familiar? If so, you’re probably beyond frustrated and wondering how to get back on track. (And if not, then carry on, you shining star!) I’ve had a lot of writing ups and downs in my day, and the biggest reason for the latter is this: life happens. As Scottish poet Robert Burns once said, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” And since I can function—more or less—without writing, my goal of authoring a book amidst the chaos ends up at the bottom of my to-do list. It starts to feel like a distant, arduous task at best, and a frivolous, ridiculous pipedream at worst. 

As I pondered this predicament a few months ago, I wondered, what if I treat writing as a necessity, as something I require in my life to be the best, most authentic version of me? What realistic, sustainable steps could I take to make that a reality? Would a drastic change in my perspective set things back in motion and keep them there? Bearing in mind my desire to finish my first draft by December 31st, I did the math to see how much I need to write daily to achieve that goal. This led to the creation of the 500-Word Diet. Allow me to explain.

As I recently wrote in an Instagram post, I’m now treating my writing journey like a health regimen. For me, 500 literary calories a day will keep me on a solid path to a finished draft by year’s end. It has become a reasonable daily word count that feels manageable and satisfactory. Instead of adhering to a specific amount of time, I’ve found that I can crank out 500 words even on my busiest, most exhausting days. It frequently ends up being more than that, but even when it’s the minimum, I feel good about my progress.

Like any dietary wellness plan worth its salt, there needs to be some flexibility, cheat days included. If I know I have a day coming up when it will be nearly impossible to accomplish my minimum daily word count, I make a point to cover it in the days beforehand. If I truly need a break, I take one knowing that I need to double my word count the next day. So far, the most I’ve accumulated is 1500 words due to missing two days. In those scenarios, I reminded myself how discouraged and depleted I would feel if I let it snowball any further. To keep myself happy and mentally nourished, I fed my brain—er, worked on my book—and caught back up. And if I’m feeling stuck, I throw in a placeholder note and push forward like I’m plowing my way through a plate of kale. I might not enjoy that particular “meal,” but I know it’s good for me, and I’m not sabotaging my regimen. Put in the work, get it down, and edit later. 

I’m happy to say that this approach has truly changed things for me, not just in terms of productivity, but also my mindset. Each word-count milestone I meet gives me a boost of confidence. I’m doing what I’ve always dreamed of, and it feels pretty good. 

I should also acknowledge that writing a first draft in bite-size pieces isn't particularly new or revolutionary. However, adjusting your perspective and categorizing your writing project as a need—especially if you have a full-time day job, are a parent, or have regular obligations that take up large portions of your schedule—gives you permission to make writing a priority, instead of something to be continuously shuffled until it gets lost in a creative black hole. We have all heard the importance of self-care, and how it enables us to be our best selves, and it's important to remember that dreams and goals are part of that self-care.

Now go tackle that first draft with the attention it deserves—even if it's 500 words at a time.

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Terri Bowen is a writer in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has authored countless poems, short stories, essays, press releases, human interest & financial articles, personal blogs, and screenplays and has nearly completed the first draft of her first novel, a suspense thriller. She is chronicling her writing journey on Instagram (@terribowenauthor).

The Art of Writing Fast (Part II)

By Chrissy Hicks

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In Part I of The Art of Writing Fast series, I discussed the benefits of Fast Writing (both what it is and why it’s awesome sauce!) Now, I’d like to share the “how” behind this technique…

The “How” of Fast Writing

1) You need a plan

Yes—YOU! You need one. Period. Whether you’re a pantser, planner, or plantser, one of the most effective ways to write fast is to have an outline. And before you throw a fit about outlines…ultimately, whatever process works best for you is what you should stick with. Can you speed through a 50,000+ word first draft with no outline and only an idea in your brain? Absolutely. Just because I don’t, or some people find that difficult, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t if you can. However, it does make it a lot easier to provide direction and can help avoid writer’s block if you get stuck somewhere along the way. But it’s not impossible. So yes, this method can work for everyone. However, I still suggest creating an outline. It does NOT need to comprise an elaborate blue print with character worksheets and maps and a play-by-play of every action. But it should at least include a basic 3-act structure. What happens in the beginning? How do things get harder in the middle—what’s the big setback/challenge? And how does it end? You can do this at the beginning, before writing, or you can do it during your writing. Just keep a notebook or other document open on your screen and note what happens in each chapter as you go. This way, when you get to the end, you can review it and see if the structure still makes sense. Or, if you get stuck somewhere along the way, you can review the outline and see if it still makes sense, if you should take a different turn somewhere, or if you notice a pattern or theme emerge that will help you decide what happens next. Whatever the case, a guideline of some sort will only help, not hinder, your progress as you sprint toward “The End.”

2) Figure out how long it will take

Like with any goal, this will require dedicated time, energy, and discipline. Try this exercise to see how long it might take you to complete a novel:

• Set aside an hour where you know you will not be interrupted (turn off your phone/TV, etc…). Lock yourself in a room and ensure you have everything you need (water, coffee, etc.)

• Prep your computer (or notebook/pen) and set yourself up however you prefer to write

• Have a timer ready and set to go off at one (1) hour

• Start the timer and write for an hour. You can write about anything you want, but preferably in the genre you enjoy most (or are most comfortable writing in). You can use a prompt book or prompt generator to get you started. Here are a couple of good ones: 

• Reedsy: https://blog.reedsy.com/writing-exercises/ 

• The Nudge: https://thorncraftpublishing.com/nudge#305d26da-b9cd-4d7d-859d-48335e22ff02

• The 3AM Epiphany: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/263288.The_3_A_M_Epiphany

• The only rule is DO NOT STOP! If you must (such as, all that coffee you chugged before starting just hit your bladder something fierce), pause the timer and restart as soon as possible. But overall, focus on getting as many words on paper as possible 

• At the hour mark, check your word count. Most programs will have a word count built in, but if doing this by hand, you’ll need to physically count the words

If you’re able to do this 3 times, whether the same day or on 3 separate days, you should have a good average number for your “hourly word count average.” Doing so on 3 separate days will provide a more accurate number, mainly because, if you have one superb day with 3 hours to spare, the words you knock out might not reflect your average word count…thus, spreading out your days will give you a more accurate picture.

My average word count in one hour, without too many breaks, is about 1500-2000 words. Some days are better than others, but that’s about what I’ve been able to achieve. I’m not throwing this out there as a comparison—if you can do much more, that’s awesome! If you came up with much less—no worries! If it’s your goal to achieve a higher word count average in an hour, there’s no better time to practice than now while writing your next book. ( ;

3) Schedule your writing time

Once you’ve got an idea of how many words you can achieve in an hour (give or take), divide that by the word count goal for your book. 

Example: 80,000 / 1500 (avg hrly words) = 53.3 hours. 

For the sake of keeping this simple, let’s say it takes 54 hours for you to write an 80,000-word rough draft. Now all you need to do is look at your schedule and find 54 hours. Easy peasy. 

Okay, so it’s not that peasy. For some people who are currently adulting (i.e., work full-time and have kids and responsibilities, like moi), 54 hours can seem overwhelming. But I guarantee you, it’s not as bad as you think. I’ll bet you can find time to squeeze it in amidst the daily grind. Do you commute to work by train or bus? You could write during that time. Maybe during lunch break? How about after the kids are tucked in? As you study your daily habits and the average day-to-day schedule, you’ll likely find places where you could substitute an activity for writing. If you binge-watch Netflix shows for 4 hours on a Saturday night, cut that to 2 hours and spend the other 2 on writing.

4) Use all the tools (or none of them)

Consider doing word count sprints. Or using a Pomodoro timer while you write. Bribe yourself with treats when you hit word count goals! Example: Once I make it to 30,000 words, I’m getting an hour-long massage. / For every 5,000 words I hit, I’m eating a chocolate chip cookie.

5) Support

Having others support you and your goals is always important. And I hope you have those people in your life. Tell your close friends, your spouse, your kids, etc., that you’re working to accomplish this goal of finishing a rough draft. Doing so will give you accountability, but also (hopefully) show those around you that you’re not ignoring them when you turn down a lunch date or night out. Rather, you’re working hard to complete a project that has a lot of meaning to you. This doesn’t mean you should isolate yourself from everyone and neglect your family (and if you’re Googling things like “At what age can children be left alone before DCS intervenes?” Then you might need to rethink some priorities…). But overall, you’ll likely turn down invites you wouldn’t normally, or be less available during the time you’re focused on speeding through a first draft. It’s good for those who care about you to know what you’re up to. After all, they may be your greatest cheerleaders along the way.

Self-care is another important focus here. It’s easy to lose sight of everything else when you’re hyper-focused on something. But don’t forget to get up, stretch, go for a walk, hit the gym, and take breaks as needed! Your body will thank you for it. If you’re writing the entire draft by hand (bless you), you’ll want to do regular wrist-stretching exercises to avoid writer’s cramp. (In fact, you may want to do these for long periods of typing too…). If you need to schedule in these breaks, then by all means, do so!

If you’ve stuck around for this long, you might be thinking “Hey! Maybe I can do this!” And yes, the answer is absolutely 100% you can. You’ve got the what, the why, and the how. Up next: WHEN and WHERE to Fast Write (in Part III of the Art of Writing Fast series).