When I was in high school, it was required that we take a typing class. Mind you, back in those days typing was accomplished on manual typewriters with ribbon and often involved using brute strength if your keys got stuck. However, as current technology makes words effortlessly fly off the screen, everyone is a master of keystrokes.
The downside to this overabundance of writers is this art form no longer feels like a Hemingway style of work, but more like that of an Olympian. Today, it is write, write, write, and when you are finished, write some more. If you are a dedicated writer, you know this to be true. You have no doubt come across suggestions that you write as many words as physically possible every day. Well, I can tell you, I have attempted to burn through my keyboard a few times to only find myself exhausted and burned out, with no desire to write for at least the next week. So much for productivity.
Call me old-fashioned, but I believe whether my words come by a hunt-and-peck method or a bit more rapid pace, writing should be enjoyed regardless of the number of keystrokes or words cranked out per day. When I type at a slower tempo, I don’t stress over counting words. This freedom allows me to focus on the creative process and produce quality work. As Ernest is quoted:
So ask yourself, do you prefer to suffer from the heart with a character’s emotion or would you rather bleed from smacking the keyboard 5,000 too many times a day? I say be a rebel, put the word count guidelines behind you. Enjoy your writing journey, til next time.