I’m a data girl. I love to have all the facts and figures. As a long-distance runner, I’m in consistent training, and I’m constantly comparing all the running stats from this run, that run, and the next one. Resting heart rate is higher than normal? Time to scour my entire life for the culprit. Running faster all of a sudden? Must discover exactly what it was that triggered the improvement so I can keep doing it. I’m that annoying one staring at her watch way too often on a run.
It’s amazing to have all the data points that I do. It certainly informs my training, and some of it is just pertinent to know, like how long I was on my feet or how many miles I covered in my long run.
But there comes a point when enough is enough. We will never be able to know all the variables, let alone control them, and that doesn’t have to be a terrifying thing. I feel a particular sort of joy when I go on a “naked” run (no smart watch) and just run. There’s no way to know my pace, heart rate, or mileage, so there’s no point in worrying about it. I just go.
You already know what I’m about to tell you about your writing.
Whether you’re obsessed with plotting and outlining, feel like you need to be obsessed with it, or spend thirty hours a week researching your market, we all have those administrative and data-driven aspects that we can get too hung up on. For some of us, it can be word count. Making schedules and having goals isn’t bad for you, but if you become obsessed with hitting the magical word count every day, and you solely judge your success based on that number, writing can quickly begin to feel like a burden. Your self-esteem will take a hit if you “fail” enough times, and all that does is drain your motivation for future sessions.
The data points don’t tell the whole story. Writing one super tough emotional scene that may only be 200 words is probably more difficult than writing 800 words of world-building. But by data standards, one of those is ‘easy’ and the other is ‘successful.’
You and your work are more than the numbers. You are more than hours logged at your desk, words and pages written, or books published. Don’t take the heart and joy out of writing in favor of statistics.
If you haven’t before, try a “naked write.” Use pen and paper or adjust the settings on your computer screen so you have no way of knowing word count or page count. Don’t set any time goals. Tell yourself you’re going to write until you want to stop, and then do just that.
