The Daily Word Count: The Ultimate Dilemma of Content Writers

“Writing the perfect paper is a lot like a military operation. It takes discipline, foresight, research, strategy, and, if done right, ends in total victory.”- Ryan Holiday

Most content writers face this dilemma of how many words they should write in a day at some point during the course of their careers. If you are also facing the same situation then don’t feel alone because there are many other content writers who are facing the same confusion.

To alleviate this long-standing confusion, let us go back to the ones who inspired us to start writing.

It is impossible to forget the works like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and Life on the Mississippi, of Mark Twain. His take on the daily word count was a bit bizarre. However, it makes sense if you look at it from a creative perspective. His average daily word count varied as per the location. Here is one of his quotes where he explains the entire scenario vividly:

“In 1897, when we were living in Tedworth Square, London, and I was writing the book called “Following the Equator” my average was eighteen hundred words a day; here in Florence, (1904), my average seems to be fourteen hundred words per sitting of four or five hours.”

• Average Daily Word Count: 1400 to 1800

As a British novelist and playwright, William Somerset Maugham has surely created an indelible impact on English literature. His works such as Of Human Bondage is among the gems of English literature. One fact that will astonish you that he was the highest-paid writer of his generation. He had a famous quote where he was answering his formula of writing novels:

“There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.”

• Average Daily Word Count: 1000

When it comes to the popular writers the present times, you cannot ignore the name of Nicholas Sparks. This American novelist has marvelled the entire world with his romantic creations such as The Notebook, The Choice, and A Walk to Remember, which are mesmerising to read. He takes about 5 months to complete a novel. While opening up about his daily goals, he said that he takes around 5 to 6 hours to write around 2000 words every day. He admits:

“See, it’s not an unbelievable pace.”

• Average Daily Word Count: 2000

We have all heard the name of Sherlock Holmes and we all revere the persona he possessed, due to the sheer artistry of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He is one such legendary English novelist who is still revered this very day because of his spellbinding works based on the character of Sherlock Holmes. He loved writing and he once said:

“Anything is better than stagnation.”

• Average Daily Word Count: 3000

When we talk about American novelists, there has to be a mention of Ernest Hemingway. His works The Old Man and the Sea, The Garden of Eden, Men Without Women, are absolutely breath-taking to read. You will be astonished to know that his cap of daily writing was a mere 500 words. He once said:

“When I am working on a book or a story I write every morning as soon after first light as possible. You have started at six in the morning, say, and may go on until noon or be through before that,”

• Average Daily Word Count: 500

Look, the writers mentioned above have achieved legendary feats. All of them had a different cap on the daily word count. So, it is a fact that there cannot be a universal word count cap when it comes to writing quality content. You just have to know how much you can manage without affecting your creativity. For a writer, satisfaction can only come when you leave your imprint on the work. Just focus on the work and keep on writing until your mind and heart tell you that something is not coming out. You will hear people saying, never ever compromise on the quality. However, I would suggest you focus on creativity, the quality will increase automatically. Remember, as writers, we are artists.