Published September 8, 2025
You set a goal to write 2,000 words a day. By day three, you're behind. By day seven, you've given up. The problem isn't your discipline. The problem is the goal was wrong from the start.
Writers set goals based on what sounds impressive, not what they can actually sustain. We look at someone else's pace and think "I should be able to do that too." Or we pick a nice round number like 1,000 or 2,000 words because it feels official.
Then reality hits. You have a full-time job. Kids. Obligations. Some days you're tired. Some days the words come slow. The ambitious goal that sounded motivating on day one becomes the reason you quit on day ten.
A realistic goal isn't about being lazy. It's about understanding what you can actually maintain over months. Because finishing a novel takes months, and months require sustainable paces.
Before setting any goal, spend one week writing without a target. Just write like you normally would, and track your word count each day. No pressure, no judgment. Just data.
At the end of the week, calculate your average. Let's say it looks like this:
That's 3,800 words across 5 writing days. Your average on days you actually wrote is 760 words. Your true average including rest days is 542 words per day.
This is your baseline. Not aspirational. Not what you think you should be able to do. What you actually do when no one is watching.
Once you know your baseline, set a goal that's 10-20% higher. If your baseline is 542 words per day, a realistic stretch goal might be 600 words per day.
That doesn't sound impressive. It doesn't sound like the kind of goal you'd announce in a writing forum. But here's the thing: 600 words per day for 6 months is 109,500 words. That's a finished novel.
2,000 words per day sounds more impressive. But if you burn out after 2 weeks and quit, you'll have 28,000 words and no book. The goal that gets you to the end is always better than the goal that sounds good but doesn't stick.
Don't set a goal that requires you to write every single day. Life happens. You get sick. Work gets busy. Your kid has a school event. If your goal assumes perfect conditions, it's going to fail.
Instead, build in flexibility:
There are two ways to measure writing goals: time or word count. Both work, but they work differently.
How it works: You commit to writing a specific number of words each session. Maybe that's 500 words, maybe 1,000.
Pros: Clear, measurable, and satisfying. You know exactly when you're done. Word count goals work well if you have a deadline and need to track progress toward a specific total.
Cons: Some days the words come slow. Hitting 500 words might take 30 minutes or 2 hours depending on the scene. If you're stuck, the goal can feel punishing.
How it works: You commit to writing for a specific amount of time. Maybe that's 30 minutes, maybe an hour. Whatever you produce in that time counts as success.
Pros: Removes pressure. You can't control how fast the words come, but you can control showing up. Time-based goals reduce the shame of "slow" days.
Cons: Harder to track overall progress. If you need to finish 80,000 words by June, time-based goals don't tell you if you're on track.
Which should you use? If you have a deadline, use word count goals. If you struggle with consistency, start with time-based goals to build the habit, then switch to word count once writing daily feels automatic.
Your first goal is a guess. Even if you based it on your baseline, you won't know if it's sustainable until you try. After two weeks, check in:
Goals should evolve as you learn what works. The pace that works in January might not work in April when work gets busy. That's fine. Adjust and keep going.
Here are examples of realistic, sustainable writing goals:
"I'll write 500 words per day, 5 days a week."
This gives you 130,000 words in a year with built-in rest days.
"I'll write for 30 minutes every morning before work."
Time-based, specific, and doesn't depend on perfect conditions.
"I'll finish 3,000 words per week, however I split it up."
Flexible daily pacing with a clear weekly target.
"I'll write 80,000 words in 6 months at my own pace, tracking daily."
Long-term goal with accountability through tracking.
"I'll write 2,000 words every single day no matter what."
Unrealistic daily commitment with no flexibility.
"I'll finish my novel by the end of the month."
Vague deadline with no plan for how to get there.
"I'll write whenever I feel inspired."
No structure, no accountability, no way to measure progress.
"I'll write as much as [successful author] does."
Someone else's pace isn't your pace. This is a recipe for burnout.
Setting a goal is step one. Sticking to it is step two. And sticking to it requires visibility. You need to see your progress, know if you're on track, and feel the momentum building.
This is where tracking tools matter. When you log your word count every day, you get:
Authorlytica does all of this automatically. You set your goal, log your words, and the charts and projections update in real time. No spreadsheets, no manual calculations. Just clear visibility into whether your goal is working.
A good writing goal is one you can actually hit. Not one that sounds impressive. Not one that matches someone else's pace. One that works for your life, your energy, and your schedule.
Start with your baseline. Add 10-20%. Build in rest days. Track your progress. Adjust when needed. That's it. That's the system.
The writers who finish aren't the ones with the most ambitious goals. They're the ones who set goals they can sustain and then stick with them long enough to reach the end.
Then it's low. That's fine. Starting with 200 words per day is better than setting a goal of 1,000, hitting it twice, and quitting. Build consistency first. Speed comes later.
Yes. Drafting and editing require different metrics. Drafting is measured in new words. Editing might be measured in pages revised or hours spent. Don't try to track them with the same goal.
Check your deadline. If your goal is 500 words per day but your deadline requires 800, the goal is wrong. Either raise the daily target or extend the deadline. The math has to work.
Check in every 2-4 weeks. If the goal consistently feels too hard or too easy, adjust it. But don't change it every day based on your mood. Give it time to see if it's actually sustainable.