Wondering how to write your first 10,000 words and build momentum that will carry you through completing your book?
Years ago I was chosen with a select group of writers to beta test a New York Times bestselling author’s new writing course. Grateful for the opportunity, I eagerly dove in…only to realize that to test the course I needed to write a full manuscript—on a deadline.
Many years have passed since I stared at my blinking cursor and knew I had to fill the pages with 10,000 words ten times over. While there were ups and downs in the writing process, there is good news and more good news. Which would you like first?
Well, the first good news is I learned how to do so. I’m here to teach you how to write your first 10,000 words too. The second good news is that we’ve taught over 8,000 authors how to write, publish, and market their books over the last 10 years.
This means we’ve guided our students through how to write tens of thousands of words, and become self-publishing success stories. This could be you, too, so just keep reading!
How to write your first 10,000 words (and build momentum):
- How long should it take to write 10,000 words?
- How do you write 10,000 words?
- How to use momentum to succeed?
How long should it take to write 10,000 words?
Before diving into how to write your first 10,000 words it’s crucial to know that you are not under any time constraints to do so. Some people are naturally fast typers.
Some people choose to use a specific book writing software to do so. Other people use speech-to-text software due to physical limitations or simply an aversion to typing 10,000 words by hand.
The point isn’t just how fast you can write, but how to write your first 10,000 words and build momentum that will carry you through the highs and lows of writing.
Stephen King is known to write 2,500 words a day, while some writers aim to write one good page (roughly 250 words). It’s really what works for you and your life circumstances. Regardless, if you want to make it as a writer, the important aspect is that you write.
How do you write 10,000 words?
You write 10,000 words by sitting down and writing one word, then two, then a sentence, until you’re 10,000 words in. “If only it was that easy, Sarah,” you may say. To which I reply, “If only it wasn’t this hard!”
Hemingway famously said, “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” Here are some tips to help you learn how to write your first 10,000 words.
1. Set working hours
If you want to make money publishing books you must treat your current writing as the future job you want it to become.
You have to get words on the page. Just as you would choose to go to work to clock your hours, choose to go to your office or whatever space you have to write in, to clock those hours.
I mentioned before that in college I wrote from 10pm-midnight. Those were my working hours for writing. It definitely wasn’t always easy, but it developed my mental toughness and helped me get those tens of thousands of words written.
Choose an hour or two every day, every other day, on weekends, whatever you have to offer, and stick to it. If you’re serious about publishing a book or self-publishing on Amazon, prove your commitment by creating these writing working hours.
Remember, in just about every single career path out there, commitment is required:
- Nurses go to nursing school
- Plumbers go to trade school
- Entrepreneurs teach themselves business
- Bakers perfect their recipes
- Dancers practice daily
Even Formula 1 racers exercise in ways to improve their ability to race well. (One racer even engages in neck exercises to strengthen those muscles so he doesn’t fight exhaustion when racing!)
To complete this list: Writers write.
2. Create a routine
Learning how to write your first 10,000 words in a way that is efficient and doesn’t drag on for months or years means building a routine. We all have routines of some sort.
James Clear recommends “habit stacking,” which is tying a new habit you want to form to one you currently have.
For example, let’s say every morning you wake up and make a cup of pourover coffee. Consider writing for one hour right after you make your coffee.
This “stacks habits” and will help you create a routine you stick with. In college, my routine was to make sure I had all of my homework done by 10pm so I could go straight into writing until midnight.
3. Lock in a self-imposed deadline
My writing mentor teaches to create a self-imposed deadline and treat it as sacred. The publishing industry is a highly date-driven world.
Particularly for traditional publishing, there is a long list of people whose own jobs and timelines are built around your manuscript’s completion date.
For self-publishing, you want to treat yourself with the same respect you would a traditional publisher because you are your publisher.
Set a deadline, and don’t deviate. This is how to write your first 10,000 words and build momentum to finish.
If it helps, think of it this way: Marathoners prep for specific race days. Writing a book is your chosen marathon. Set your day up to complete your writing miles, and then commit to those writing sprints to help get you there!
4. Consider your daily word count
Next up, choose a daily word count you can shoot to hit every single writing session. Whether you want to learn how to write a thriller or how to write a cozy mystery, doing so entails writing every day.
It’s tremendously helpful to choose a word count to attain every day. When I first started, I believe I aimed to write 1500 or 2000 words, but shoot for whatever word count feels doable for you and allows you to still meet your deadline.
One tip: Try to set a word count that feels attainable but also pushes you just a bit. If you think you can write 300 words a day, consider aiming for 350 or 400.
How to use momentum to succeed?
You can use structured momentum as a springboard to push you forward on your way to finishing your word count.
Learning how to write your first 10,000 words in a timely manner means you may want to rely on your previous momentum to help you jump forward.
I’ve found there are great ways to do so, but these three are particularly helpful (one of these tips is from a New York Times bestselling author).
5. Use editing as momentum
My writing mentor recommends editing yesterday’s work before writing today’s word count. This tip is gold, as it orients me to where I am in the story and what should happen next.
Plus, since I’ve sat on the scene for 24 hours, it’s easy to come at today’s writing with a fresh mindset and perhaps even a new angle.
While you don’t have to edit while drafting, a quick rewrite before your next session can help you craft compelling characters and write rich themes in nonfiction.
6. Stop writing mid-sentence
I know writers often want everything to be perfect, but this tip allows you to know what you need to write from the very second you sit down to the—
Computer. See what I did there? Whether you mentally said “desk” or something similar, the point is you finished the sentence naturally. Deciding how to write your first 10,000 words in a way that works for you often means coming up with little tricks like this to help.
7. Take a walk
Over tea with a New York Times bestselling author, she told me to workout, then write (without taking time to shower) because it would get my brain going and inspire my creativity.
Her tip is well-founded. A report from Stanford says that, “Walking boosts creative ideation in real time and shortly after.” If you can’t get your word count in, just go for a walk!
How many words does J.K. Rowling write per day?
This may surprise you, but there is not set number of words Rowling writes each day. In fact, The Creative Echo quotes her as saying:
“Sometimes I spend an entire day staring at a piece of paper and come away with three lines of writing. Other days I can write 2,000 words, 3,000 words and be happy with most of it.”
So if you’re having a bad day and just need to stare at the screen or page for a moment, even the world’s first billion-dollar author has those days too.
Now that you know how to write your first 10,000 words…
Now that you know the important tips to follow to help you get your first 10,000 words written, use your free Book Outline Generator to jump start your writing routine!
You can edit the outline as is best for your book, then sit down to the keyboard and start drafting. You’ll have your first 10,000 words in no time. We can’t wait to see your finished book!
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