Daily Multi-Mile Trek Insights: Gleanings from Consistently Writing Over 500 Words Each Day

Let's Get This Bounty Hunting Show on the Road!

Two weeks ago, I set my sights on a "Twenty Mile March" goal — a commitment to pen down about 500 or more words every day, napping Sundays. I swore to keep the internet updated with my word count each day to hold myself accountable.

This badass mindset sprang from a yarn spun by Jim Collins and weaved by writer Jeff Wheeler, based on the race of two explorers trying to reach the South Pole. The first bloke stuck to marching twenty miles everyday, rain or shine, while the second only traversed when the weather was prime. The diligent one made it to the South Pole first thanks to his consistent effort. I figured we could apply this "twenty miles per day" attitude to writing and see what damn magic might be brewed.

Fast-forward to now, and I'm proud as punch to report that I nailed my goal!

Over the past two Slimer-green weeks, I:

Pumped out a whopping 7,551 words, for which I estimate that's about two chapters total
Drove my main character smack dab into the thick of her climax build-up
Averaged a cool 686 words/day
Wrestled my writerly self to the 500-word finish line on 11 out of 12 days

Writing's Not Just a Game, it's a Muscle Memory

In my Turbo-Charged Twenty Mile March blog post, I shared that according to Jeff Wheeler, consistency in writing strengthens your brain like a bulkin' bodybuilder, so when you're low on inspiration or bogged down with a roadblock, your muscle memory kicks in and helps you push out the required daily content.

Well hot damn, I felt the exact same way!

With every punishing day I forced myself to hit the 500-word mark, it became easier and easier. At first, I was grappling for every single word, but as days passed, I found myself churnin' out those 500 words in about 45 minutes flat. I straight-up leveled up my word-slinging skills!

Taking Care of Business Before Firing Up the Writin' Machine

I suddenly came to an epiphany: my writing was an incoherent mess! If I didn't take a moment to plot my moves before I'd start typing, I was destined to miss out on my daily word count. So, I grabbed my plotting notepad and chiseled through some mental roadblocks. This saw me binning nearly two days' work and starting a scene from scratch, but the gain was worth the pain. Once I started to rewrite, I finally found my flow and hit that precious 500-word mark faster than a jackrabbit on 'roids.

I Ain't Waitin' 'til November to Light My Writing Fuse

I've struggled my entire writing career to keep up high word counts after NaNoWriMo. The excitement would fade, and I'd slip into the mindset of "I'm 'san earnin' a break," sabotagin' myself every single time. I never could get myself to be all in with a set word count outside of November.

Well, suck my tiny pinky, but I'm over that hill!

With my newly adopted Twenty Mile March spirit, and the added accountability via social media publickshaming, I somehow rode roughshot over the mental block that prohibited me from stayin' committed to set word counts. I took down the barrier and found myself champing at the bit to keep on makin' those progress markers.

Being upfront and honest about my daily word count on social media taught me somethin' priceless: people were inspired to join me on my Twenty Mile March! One of my writerly buddies reached out to me, and we commiserated about our daily word tallies. It was the coolest thing to check in on each other's progress!

On the flip side, feelin' like I was under the gun to post my word count every single day weighed on me like a millstone around my neck. I tried delaying it until the end of the day, but that felt excruciatin' 'cause I had the goddamn pressure of public scrutiny pressuring me all day long.

Keep It movin' and shakin', Baby!

I am, without doubt, going to continue bangin' out 500 words minimum every day, minus Sundays. I might even up the ante and challenge myself to write 500 words minimum each time I settle at my writing den in order to nudge my way towards my ultimate goal of writin' 2,000 words per day. Damn, that'll take some hard work, but I'm tellin' you I can make it happen!

Plot Twist: Thinkin' Ahead, not Just Writin'

One of these days, I found myself suddenly workin' through plot and scene puzzles in my spare time. One moment I was tuckin' into lunch and the next, I was itching to untangle my character motivations or choreograph the next dust-up. It made those writing sessions so much smoother for me, and I'm gonna start intentionally doin' that from now on.

Time to Up My Accountability Game

All in all, I dug the heck out of shoutin' my progress from the rooftops. But moving forward, I reckon I'll be a mite more discerning with what I'm accountable for. Instead of the daily word count, which ended up bein' a pain in the neck, I'll probably post updates when I finish a new chapter, or somethin' along those lines. That way I'm still lettin' the world know about my milestones, but I ain't burdenin' myself with stress or feelin' like a right royal pain in the ass.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, fellow estimonials! Drop me a line in the comments below and tell me about the lessons you've learned from goals you've set in the past. Which ones did you find funny? Which ones motivated you? Let's trade stories and learn from one another's mistakes!

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Related Stuff:

The Twenty Mile March: https://www.saraharnoldhall.com/the-twenty-mile-march/
Mental Game of Writing Your First Book: https://www.saraharnoldhall.com/the-mental-game-of-writing-your-first-book/
March Madness (for Writers): https://www.saraharnoldhall.com/march-madness-for-writers/

Enrichment Data:

Consistency and Discipline: The Twenty Mile March mindset emphasizes the importance of consistency and discipline in achieving long-term goals like writing by setting and maintaining a steady pace to overcome challenges and build momentum.
Avoiding Burnout and Overworking: Consistency in writing helps avoid burnout that can occur from intense, unsustainable stretches of writing.
Setting Goals and Sticking to Them: Consistently working towards daily writing goals helps build a writing habit, foster creativity, and lead to the achievement of long-term writing goals.
Flexibility and Adaptability: The Twenty Mile March mindset reinforces the importance of being flexible and adaptable in the face of challenges and unexpected obstacles in reaching long-term writing goals.
Leveraging Peer Support and Accountability: Sharing writing goals and progress with peers and holding oneself accountable can enhance motivation, foster creativity, and encourage ongoing progress in writing.
Balancing Short-term and Long-term Goals: By establishing a consistent daily writing routine, one can build muscle memory and sharpen writing skills, making progress towards long-term writing goals more manageable.
Anticipating and Planning Ahead: Plotting and planning ahead helps prevent writer's block, streamline writing sessions, and manage time more efficiently to make progress towards daily and long-term writing goals.
Reflecting on Progress and Achievements: Periodically reviewing writing goals, progress, and accomplishments can help reinforce success, identify areas for improvement, and provide motivation to continue putting in the hard work to reach one's long-term writing dreams.
Adopting a Growth Mindset: The Twenty Mile March mindset promotes persistence and perseverance in the face of challenges, suggesting that improvement and growth can be achieved through consistent effort over time.
Staying Focused and Managing Distractions: Establishing a consistent writing routine helps manage distractions and keep the focus on daily writing goals, increasing the likelihood of achieving long-term writing goals.
Embracing the Writing Journey: The Twenty Mile March mindset emphasizes the importance of consistent effort, progress, and reflection in the journey of writing, understanding that the process may be long and arduous but worthwhile in the end.

Novel writing is an aspect of education-and-self-development that encourages personal-growth through the development of productivity skills. By adopting the Twenty Mile March mindset, one can strengthen the brain and enhance writing skills, fostering productivity and accelerating personal growth.

This newfound discipline in writing has also sparked interest among peers, inspiring them to join in on the journey. Sharing daily progress and motivating others through accountability fosters a sense of community, enhancing overall productivity and personal development.

Daily Multi-Mile Trek Insights: Gleanings from Consistently Writing Over 500 Words Each Day