As a lot of folks dump NaNoWriMo because of their stance on using generative AI, I decided I’m going to start my own challenges. And in October, I am aiming to write 100,000 words. For some, that might sound like a lot.
In reality, 100,000 words in October breaks down to 3,226 words per day. In the grand scheme of things, that’s not outside of my capabilities.
Before I was an editor and YouTuber, I used to hit 6,000 to 8,000 on a regular basis. That’s back when I was writing full-time using Textbroker, WriterAccess, and Fiverr. Given everything I have to do nowadays, 3,226 words is quite a bit for the time I have available.
Why 100,000 Words in October?
The biggest reason why I want to aim for 100k in October is because my record word count is 95,393 back in December of 2022. I’ve come close a couple of times, but I really want to set the bar higher for myself.
I want to prove to myself that I can still handle the workload despite the chaos and other projects I have during the day.
When all is said and done, all I would have to do is write two blog posts per day. And since I have so many at my disposal, I’m not without ideas. There is always something to write somewhere.
The trick, however, is to maneuver the challenge around client work, YouTube, and my personal life.
What Content is Counted During This Challenge?
The premise behind NaNoWriMo is to hit 50,000 words writing your first or next book. However, I know several people who used it to inspire blogging.
I’m going to take it a step further than that.
For me to hit 100,000 words in October, I’m going to include:
- Writing my next book.
- New and updated blog posts for the many sites I own.
- Video scripts for the YouTube channel.
- Community tab posts.
- Articles that I write for my clients.
Thanks to the many projects I’m involved with creating, there is no shortage of content. As I said earlier, there is always something that needs to be written.
If all goes well, this will give me a kickstart to some of the plans I have for 2025. All of it hinges on my ability to stay on task throughout the day, though.
Usually, I don’t include the community posts on YouTube. However, I figure since they work toward engaging my audience and perhaps gaining a few new subscribers, they could be considered as trackable content.
How I Intend to Complete the October Challenge
All I need is 3,226 words per day. That is around four hours of writing time for me, whether it’s working on a blog post or writing my next book. In the past, I’ve been able to write twice that amount for paying customers.
Remember, though, my life is more chaotic today than it was back in 2014. Not to mention that I have more on my plate that doesn’t require a lot of writing.
So, how am I going to make October my best month yet for word count?
Researching Topics and Book Planning
For this challenge, I am primarily working on four blogs. To avoid sitting here with my thumb up my CD Rom, I am going to research topics ahead of time. That way, I can get started writing immediately.
Since all of the blogs are things that interest me, coming up with topics is relatively simple. Now, whether they’ll perform well in a Google search is another story.
As I am close to finishing Fury, I want to get started working on my next book while the beta readers have a chance to read it. In this case, I am finishing up VII on Wattpad.
Scheduling the Blocks of Time
I use Asana to manage my day and all of the projects I wish to tackle. It’s a time management app that has a free version, which works perfectly for everything I’m trying to accomplish.
Anyway, the plan for October is to schedule enough writing time so that I can hit the daily word count. In my case, it’s four hours’ worth of time that can be used in any of the above projects I’ve mentioned. And if I actually adhere to my daily schedule, it’ll be quite easy to hit the numbers I need.
If I get back into the live writing sprints on YouTube, that almost guarantees I’ll get 2,000 words in that 2-hour show. That’s more than half of what I need just from the daily sprints.
Asana is one of the most used apps on my computer. It’s been one of the biggest influences on my success as a freelancer. But if you want to follow along, there are plenty of project management apps to choose from that may better fit your needs.
Working On Time Management
Perhaps the most difficult to master, especially on ultra-chaotic days, is time management. No matter how well you plan your day, life tends to happen and can derail your efforts rather quickly.
While I am getting better at managing my time, there are still quite a few areas in which I need to work. No one is perfect, but I’ll have to keep my head in the game if I want to hit 100,000 words in October.
For the most part, I get distracted from the important things in my personal life. There are quite a few extenuating circumstances going on that I need to address. And family is more important than anything.
But there are times when I sidetrack myself a bit playing around on YouTube or Threads. I need to remember that all of those things that I enjoy watching will be there after my “workday” is complete.
Setting Up Goals in the Spreadsheet
To keep track of the challenge, I’m setting up goals in my time-tracking spreadsheet. That way, I can see where I am on any given day and how much more I have to write before I can take a break.
Because I use my spreadsheet to “clock in” and “clock out” throughout the day, it’s something that is regularly accessed. Having that bold reminder in front of me will help keep me motivated.
That’s the trick to accomplishing any challenge, really. Motivation is often the most difficult to maintain for a length of time. But finding something that lights a fire under you will help get you to where you want to be in life.
Anyway, you don’t necessarily need to keep track of your progress in a spreadsheet. Nonetheless, it’s beneficial if you find a way to remind yourself of your goals and what you want to accomplish that is out in the open and constantly visible.
How Do You Challenge Yourself as a Writer?
I am relatively confident that I can hit 100,000 words in October. Between the many projects I manage and the speed at which I write, it’s virtually in the bag. Yet, there is always a chance that I’ll wind up getting sidetracked by something.
Challenges are great for kickstarting yourself to accomplish some great things. When it comes to writing, there are a number of ways you can challenge yourself throughout any given month. Decide on something you’d like to accomplish and run with it.
It’s all about becoming the best version of yourself. Don’t compare what you can do to that of someone else. Instead, focus on self-improvement and continue to grow. At the end of the day, that’s all that really matters.
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