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If you've been considering writing a novel, crafting a play, beginning a journal, or simply documenting your experiences during this unusual pandemic year, committing to writing a few words daily could be the perfect starting point.
Perhaps aim for a thousand words.
Each and every day.
For a period of two weeks.
Jami Attenberg, the acclaimed author of seven novels such as The Middlesteins, All Grown Up, and the recently released All This Could Be Yours, is gearing up to introduce the third edition of the 1000 Words of Summer initiative. This project encourages writers of all skill levels to write 1,000 words daily for fourteen consecutive days.
Think of it as a sprint compared to the 50,000-word marathon of NaNoWriMo. The goal is far more achievable: only 14,000 words are required, and it doesn’t coincide with one of the year’s most hectic months.
This year, the 1000 Words of Summer challenge kicks off on Friday, May 29, and concludes on Thursday, June 11. Participants who subscribe to the 1000 Words of Summer newsletter will receive daily emails filled with motivation and tips from Attenberg and fellow writers, including past contributors like Lauren Groff, Andrew Sean Greer, and Celeste Ng.
In 2019, I participated in the 1000 Words of Summer project and added 14,013 words to the novel I was working on. While I didn’t always reach the 1,000-word daily target—some days I wrote less, others more—it was a rewarding experience. Writing 1,000 words of fiction typically took me around 90 minutes (totaling 21 hours over two weeks). I meticulously tracked my time, and it was a significant but worthwhile commitment.
The true goal of the 1000 Words of Summer project isn’t solely to produce 14,000 words in two weeks. It’s also about helping you build a consistent writing routine—often called a writing practice. Even if you can only dedicate 30 minutes daily to writing, that’s far better than not writing at all. If you manage 1,000 words daily for two weeks and maintain enough momentum to write 500 words every other day throughout the summer, you’ll have 34,000 words by Labor Day. And if you start 1000 Words of Summer, skip a few days, and still add 9,000 words to your novel, that’s still a victory, right?
If you’ve been contemplating writing more or wondering how to incorporate writing into your daily life, why not give 1000 Words of Summer a try? Even if you don’t have a novel or specific project in mind, begin by jotting down your thoughts and emotions. Commit to writing approximately 1,000 words daily, regardless of the topic, and observe the impact of developing a daily writing habit over two weeks.
With a bit of luck, you’ll continue writing long after 1000 Words of Summer concludes.
