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Writing on a blank page can be scary on some days, which is why I’ve discovered a new trick. I write a few lines, any kind of lines, just before I go to bed, and in the morning all I have to do is find that page and write. Takes the struggle away from filling the blankness, removes the huge block that faces each creative effort.

I thought I’d also take stock. Exactly how well have I done on my word-count resolution?

I’ve come a long way from writing nothing for days on end, to writing 13000 words from 6th Jan to 2nd Feb. Horrible by any self-respecting fiction writer’s standards. 13000 in 28 days? That is 464 words a day, much below the 1000 words I had resolved.

But I’m looking at it this way: I have not really written an average of 464 words a day (excluding blogs, re-writing, editing, and work writing) ever in my life. So, that’s progress. What I have to do is push the figure towards 1000 this month.

Thanks to Sarah for pushing me, I could not have done it without you!  I promise to do better this month!

Damyanti Biswas

Damyanti Biswas is the author of You Beneath Your Skin and numerous short stories that have been published in magazines and anthologies in the US, the UK, and Asia. She has been shortlisted for Best Small Fictions and Bath Novel Awards and is co-editor of the Forge Literary Magazine. Her literary crime thriller series, the Blue Mumbai, is represented by Lucienne Diver from The Knight Agency. Both The Blue Bar and The Blue Monsoon were published in 2023.

I appreciate comments, and I always visit back. If you're having trouble commenting, let me know via the contact form, or tweet me up @damyantig !

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  • Mental Mist says:

    Personally, I hate the numbers, and I love them too. During the Nanowrimo, I remember this encouraging note written by Jonathan Stroud, who is one of my favorite writers of all time.

    He said, I paraphrase :(, at the end of the day you have a few pages of writing you conjured out of thin air, and that is the most satisfying thing ever. That it wasn’t there before and now it is, and you did it!

  • dayya says:

    Don’t beat yourself up over it too much. Relax, and let the writing take you toward your goal, word by word. d:)

  • Ditto.

  • DarcKnyt says:

    Stick with it, you can do it!! 🙂

  • legendoftheprotectors says:

    We all need to take stock, but also remember life comes first. that’s why the new goals.
    And you’re doing great!
    <3 ya!