You set a goal: 2,000 words every day. You read that Stephen King writes 2,000 words daily, so you should too. Week one goes great—you hit your target most days, feel accomplished, tell people you're writing a novel. Week two is harder. You miss a few days because of work deadlines. Week three you're behind on your monthly goal, feeling guilty every time you sit down to write. Week four you haven't written at all. You feel like a failure. Maybe you're just not cut out to be a writer.
Or maybe your goals are completely unrealistic for your actual life, writing speed, and energy levels. Maybe you set aspirational targets based on what you wish you could do, not what you can actually sustain. Maybe you're comparing yourself to full-time authors when you work full-time elsewhere and parent two kids. The goal isn't the problem—the calibration is.
Here's what productive writers understand: Sustainable goals calibrated to YOUR actual writing speed and available time will get you further than ambitious goals you can't maintain. 300 words every day for a year = 109,500 words = finished novel. 2,000 words once a week when motivation strikes = 104,000 words IF you never miss. But consistency beats intensity. Small sustainable goals win over large sporadic ones. The key is honest assessment of your baseline speed, available time, energy patterns, and building goals around your reality—not someone else's.
This guide will teach you: why typical goal-setting fails, how to measure your actual baseline writing speed, accounting for life constraints and energy, calculating sustainable daily and weekly goals, adjusting for different life scenarios, building habits, when to adjust goals, and dealing with setbacks without guilt.
Why Typical Goal-Setting Fails
The Aspirational Goal Trap
Most writers set goals based on what they WISH they could do, not what they can ACTUALLY do sustainably.
Common unrealistic goals:
"I'll write 2,000 words every single day!" (based on hearing Stephen King does this)
"I'll finish my novel in 3 months!" (based on NaNoWriMo's 50K in 30 days challenge)
What Actually Happens
Week 1: Hit goals! Feel amazing! Tell everyone!
Week 2: Miss a few days. Feel slightly guilty.
Week 3: Now behind on your monthly target. Feel like failure.
Week 4: Give up entirely. Spiral into self-criticism.
The Problem
Goals set too high for your reality. Based on ideal conditions that don't exist. Not calibrated to YOUR actual speed, time, or energy. The guilt cycle begins: Unrealistic goal → Can't hit it consistently → Feel guilty → Burn out → Quit writing → Feel worse → Eventually set new unrealistic goal → Repeat.
The Comparison Trap
"Other authors write 5,000 words per day! I should be able to do that too!"
But you don't know:
- They write full-time (you have day job)
- They write fast rough drafts (you revise as you go)
- They have no kids (you have three)
- They might be exaggerating (people lie about productivity)
- They might mean sprint days, not sustainable daily average
The Solution
Goals calibrated to YOUR actual speed, YOUR available time, YOUR energy, YOUR life constraints. Sustainable beats aspirational. Consistency beats intensity. Progress beats perfection.
Want realistic writing goals?
River's AI helps you measure your actual writing speed, calibrate sustainable goals, account for life constraints, and build habits that lead to consistent progress without burnout.
Calculate My GoalsMeasuring Your Actual Baseline Speed
Step 1: Track for One Week
Don't guess your writing speed. Actually measure it. For one full week, track every writing session: time spent actively writing and words written. Don't try to write faster than normal—capture your real baseline.
Calculate: Total words written ÷ Total hours spent = Your words per hour
Example: Week total of 3,500 words in 7 hours = 500 words/hour baseline
Step 2: Identify Variation Patterns
Your speed varies by:
- Time of day (morning vs. evening)
- Day of week (weekday vs. weekend)
- What you're writing (drafting vs. revising)
- Scene type (action vs. dialogue vs. description)
- Energy level and distractions
Example patterns:
Morning sessions: 600 words/hour
Evening sessions: 300 words/hour
Weekends: 700 words/hour
Weekdays: 400 words/hour
Note these patterns. Use averages but understand your ranges.
Step 3: Account for Interruptions
Real productive writing time ≠ Scheduled writing time
If you block 2 hours:
- 15 min getting settled, reviewing previous work
- 90 min actual new writing
- 15 min wrapping up, making notes
Actual productive time: 90 minutes. Account for this reality in your planning.
Step 4: Separate Drafting from Revision
Drafting speed is often 2-3x faster than revision speed. Measure them separately:
Drafting: X words/hour
Revising: Y words/hour (or pages reviewed/hour—different metric)
Set different goals for each stage of your process.
Accounting for Your Real Life
Calculate Honest Available Time
Not: "I could write 8 hours/day if I really committed."
But: "I realistically have 1 hour/day after work before exhaustion hits."
Example weekday breakdown:
Work + commute: 9 hours
Sleep: 7-8 hours
Meals and hygiene: 2 hours
Family time: 2 hours
Chores and errands: 1 hour
Remaining: 2-3 hours
But you're exhausted. Realistically available energy for creative work: 1 hour.
Weekends might offer: 3-4 hours when less constrained by work schedule.
Weekly realistic total:
5 weekdays × 1 hour = 5 hours
2 weekend days × 3 hours = 6 hours
Total: 11 hours/week available for writing
Account for Energy Patterns
Not all hours are equal in productivity. A fresh 7 AM hour ≠ An exhausted 10 PM hour.
Productivity by energy level:
High energy time: 600 words/hour
Medium energy time: 400 words/hour
Low energy time: 200 words/hour
Schedule writing during higher energy periods when possible. Recognize that late-night writing after draining day will be slower.
Build Buffer for Life Variations
Some weeks are different:
- Sick days
- Work crunch periods
- Family emergencies
- Holidays and travel
- Kids' school breaks
Build buffer into your goals. Don't plan for perfect weeks every week. Reality intervenes.
Calculating Sustainable Goals
Daily Goal Formula
Baseline words/hour × Available hours/day = Calculated daily potential
Example:
500 words/hour × 1 hour/day = 500 words/day potential
But some days you'll miss entirely. Apply the 70% rule: Set goal at 70% of calculated maximum for sustainability.
Realistic sustained daily goal: 350 words/day you can actually maintain long-term
Weekly Goal Calculation
Daily goal × Days per week you'll realistically write = Weekly goal
Example:
350 words/day × 5 days/week = 1,750 words/week
Or use varied approach:
500 words × 3 weekdays = 1,500
1,000 words × 2 weekend days = 2,000
Weekly total: 3,500 words
Annual Projection
Weekly goal × 48 weeks (accounting for 4 weeks off/year for holidays, illness, life) = Annual output
Example:
1,750 words/week × 48 weeks = 84,000 words/year
That's a complete novel at a completely sustainable pace!
Project Timeline
Target word count ÷ Weekly goal = Weeks needed
Example:
90,000-word novel ÷ 1,750 words/week = 51 weeks
About one year to draft. Not three months. But actually achievable without burnout.
Adjusting for Different Life Scenarios
Scenario 1: Full-Time Job
Available: 1 hour weekdays, 3 hours weekends
Realistic goal: 300-500 words/day weekdays, 1,000 words weekend days
Weekly: 1,500-2,500 words
Novel timeline: 40-60 weeks to complete 90K draft
Scenario 2: Parent of Young Children
Available: Naptime (1 hour) or after bedtime (1 hour but exhausted)
Realistic goal: 200-400 words/day
Weekly: 1,000-2,000 words
Novel timeline: 45-90 weeks
Lower output but sustainable. Finish the book while raising kids = major achievement.
Scenario 3: Full-Time Writer
Available: 6-8 hours/day potential
But not all productive. Realistic: 4-5 hours actual focused writing
Goal: 2,000-3,000 words/day
Weekly: 10,000-15,000 words
Novel timeline: 6-9 weeks
But remember: Includes time for revision, business tasks, marketing. Not just pure drafting.
Scenario 4: Chronic Illness/Health Issues
Available: Varies wildly day to day
Realistic: Very flexible goals based on good vs. bad days
Good week: 1,000 words
Bad week: 200 words
Focus: Consistency over quantity, celebrating any progress
Scenario 5: Seasonal Work or Teaching
Available: Dramatically different by season
Busy season (Sept-May for teachers): 500-1,000 words/week
Free season (Summer): 5,000-10,000 words/week
Strategy: Front-load writing during free periods, maintain minimal momentum during busy periods
Annual output: ~52,000-130,000 words depending on summer productivity. Planning around your natural calendar makes sustainable writing possible instead of fighting against unchangeable constraints.
Scenario 6: Variable Schedule Freelancers
Available: Changes week to week based on client work
Busy client weeks: 200-500 words
Light client weeks: 2,000-4,000 words
Strategy: Track weekly totals, not daily. Build flexible buffer. Accept high variation as normal for your situation.
Building Sustainable Habits
Small Daily Goals Beat Large Sporadic Ones
300 words every day = 2,100 words/week = 109,200 words/year
2,000 words every Sunday only = 2,000 words/week = 104,000 words/year
Daily wins because: builds habit, maintains momentum, keeps story fresh in mind, creates less pressure per session. But flexible weekly goals work too if that fits your life better.
The Minimum Viable Goal
Set two goals each day:
Target goal: 500 words
Minimum goal: 100 words
Bad days: Hit minimum. Still counts. Still progress. Still maintains habit. Prevents all-or-nothing thinking that leads to quitting.
Progress Tracking Motivates
Visual tracking sustains motivation. Use:
- Calendar with X marks for writing days
- Spreadsheet tracking daily word counts
- Writing app statistics and graphs
- Progress bar toward novel completion goal
Seeing accumulated progress builds momentum and confidence.
The Power of Writing Streaks
Many writers find motivation in maintaining consecutive writing days—a "streak" that they don't want to break. When you've written 50 days in a row, you'll be motivated to make it 51. When you're at 100 days, breaking the streak feels costly.
Apps like Scrivener, Novlr, and Atticus track streaks automatically. Or use simple calendar with X marks. Jerry Seinfeld's "don't break the chain" method applies perfectly to writing.
Streak guidelines: Count any writing session, even 100 words, to prevent perfectionism paralysis. Forgive yourself for breaking streaks due to illness or emergency—restart without guilt. Use streaks as motivation tool, not judgment weapon. If streak creates anxiety instead of motivation, abandon the concept.
Accountability Systems
External accountability helps many writers stick to goals when internal motivation wanes.
Accountability options:
- Writing partner you check in with daily
- Writing group with shared goals
- Public commitment on social media
- Paid writing coach or group
- Apps like Stickk that charge money if you miss goals
- Partner/family member who checks your progress
Find what level of accountability helps without creating shame or pressure that backfires.
Reward Systems for Motivation
Positive reinforcement strengthens writing habits. Build rewards into your system.
Milestone rewards: Finish draft = nice dinner out. Hit 50,000 words = buy book you've wanted. Complete revision = weekend writing retreat or day off to celebrate. Publish book = meaningful reward that marks achievement.
Small frequent rewards: Hit weekly goal = favorite coffee drink. Write 7 days in a row = movie night guilt-free. Finish difficult chapter = take afternoon off without guilt.
Rewards should feel proportional to achievement and actually motivating to YOU specifically. Don't pick rewards you won't actually care about or won't actually give yourself.
When to Adjust Your Goals
Adjust UP When:
- Consistently exceeding goals for 3+ weeks
- Life situation improves (more time available)
- Speed increases with practice
- Hitting flow state more regularly
Increase by 20-30% maximum, not double. Gradual increases are sustainable.
Adjust DOWN When:
- Consistently missing goals for 3+ weeks
- Life situation changes (new job, new baby, health issues)
- Feeling burned out or dreading writing sessions
- Quality suffering from rushing
Decrease by 30-50%. Sustainability always trumps impressive numbers.
Temporary Adjustments
Busy work month: Lower goals temporarily
Writing retreat week: Higher sprint goals for that period
NaNoWriMo November: Challenge goals
December holidays: Much lower goals
Flexibility prevents guilt when life demands change.
Different Goals for Different Writing Stages
Your goals should adapt to what stage of the writing process you're in, not remain static regardless of task.
Drafting stage: Focus on forward momentum. Word count goals make sense here. Example: 500 words/day of new material.
Revision stage: Different metrics work better. Pages revised per session makes more sense than word count (you're cutting words, not adding). Example: Revise 10 pages/day or spend 90 minutes on revision work.
Editing stage: Line editing is slow, detailed work. Time-based goals often better than output goals. Example: 60 minutes of focused editing work.
Planning/outlining stage: Can't measure in words at all. Time-based or milestone-based: "Spend 30 minutes developing character arcs" or "Complete act two outline."
Between projects: Lower or suspend writing goals. Reading, research, brainstorming don't produce word count but are valid writing work.
Final Thoughts: Your Pace Is Valid
Your writing speed is your writing speed. Your available time is your available time. Your life constraints are real, not excuses. Comparing yourself to authors in completely different situations—full-time writers, empty-nesters, people without chronic pain, people who can afford full-time childcare—is pointless and destructive.
What matters: Consistent progress at YOUR sustainable pace. 200 words/day every day beats 2,000 words once when inspiration strikes. Small sustainable goals that you hit regularly build confidence, momentum, and finished manuscripts. Aspirational goals that you can't maintain lead to guilt, burnout, and abandonment.
The math is simple but powerful: 300 words/day × 365 days = 109,500 words = complete novel. That's achievable for almost anyone with even minimal available time. The key is consistency, not intensity. Sustainability, not heroic effort.
Set goals based on YOUR measured baseline speed and YOUR actual available time. Apply the 70% rule for buffer. Track your progress visually. Celebrate hitting your calibrated goals even if they seem "small" compared to writing advice you've read. Adjust when life changes. Forgive interruptions and restart without guilt.
Remember that writing is not a sprint—it's a marathon that lasts your entire creative life. Authors who sustain careers write consistently over decades, not in explosive bursts followed by years of nothing. The tortoise beats the hare in the long run. Slow, steady, sustainable progress compounds over time into body of work, growing skill, and finished books that readers love.
Some final perspective on realistic goals: If you write just 200 words per day (15-30 minutes for most people), in five years you'll have written over 365,000 words. That's three to four full novels. Four novels in five years while working full-time job and living full life = successful author career by anyone's definition. But it requires the discipline of sustainability—showing up regularly at achievable pace—not heroic effort you can't maintain.
The compound effect of small, consistent actions is more powerful than most writers realize. Every 200-word session feels insignificant in the moment. But 200 words daily for one year = 73,000 words = finished novel. For two years = two novels. For five years = four novels and established author platform. The writers who succeed long-term aren't necessarily the fastest or most talented—they're the most consistent. They show up. They hit sustainable goals. They don't burn out and disappear.
Your realistic, sustainable, achievable goals will get you further than anyone else's ambitious targets that don't fit your life. Write at your pace. Hit your goals. Finish your books. That's what actually matters—not impressive daily word counts that lead nowhere because they can't be maintained. Build the habit. Trust the process. The words accumulate. The books get written. Your pace is valid. Your progress is real. Keep going.