Respectability is subjective. Some dress up in fishnet stockings and feather boas for a night on the town. Others won't leave the house without a three-piece suit. The same holds true for a daily word count. What is a respectable amount?

It varies, writer to writer. Here are the goals of a few big names . . .


Anne Rice 3000
Ernest Hemingway 500
Jack London 1500
Mark Twain 1400
Maya Angelou 2500
Michael Crichton 10,000
Nicholas Sparks 2000
Stephen King 2000

As for me, I shoot for 600 a day. Sometimes I do less. Oftentimes I write more. I suppose if I had a deadline, I'd be writing like crazy go nuts. The point is that there isn't any particular goal that makes you a little champion. Write what works for you.

And if you need help keeping track of those words or like to see a visual of your progress, here are a few handy dandy sites that will do just that . . .

The Amazing Mechanical Word Count Tracker
Pacemaker
Honorless
WriteChain (app for an iPhone)