After reading a few threads here, I have come across one or two folks who have mentioned a word count goal for their story, be it a novel or what have you.

I had just sort of figured I'd stop when the story is done, be it 50,000 or 100,000 or 250,000 words.


I can see a pro and a con to this.

Pro - I set goals for myself in just about everything else I do. Otherwise, I'd never finish anything I start. A length goal on my novel would keep me from going on forever and never finishing it and give me an end-point to shoot for. Something to get myself motivated. Then, if I go over the limit, then I would just have to pare it down until it fits. Might help with the editing process afterwards, too. Keep it from getting bloated iwth exposition, for instance.

Con - By setting an artificial limit, I feel like I am placing my focus where it does not belong, on something other than story or character. My goal isn't to put together a couple hundred pages of words just to say I finished a novel. I would like to produce something worth reading. As cheesy as it sounds to say this, it feel like setting a length goal sort of cheapens the art.

I am torn, I do want to break my pattern of not finishing a novel, but I still want to produce a quality work. Are these two goals mutually exclusive for an ADHDer?

I welcome any feedback. Thanks.

I am beginning to understand that this forum isn't for support like the rest of the messageboard. It's more of an outlet for our creativity. Which is perfectly fine with me. I'm not bitter. I'm just disappointed. But I'll get over it. Maybe I'll feel comfortable enough to post a little something of my prose here at a later date.

Okay, so I just read my last post. I sound kinda whiny, huh? Just wanted to make sure that it's clear that I wasn't complaining or being sarcastic. Just misunderstood the forum at first, that's all.