Word counts and progress report ¶ By Dusk Peterson

Progress report. The current status of works in progress.

The rest of this page summarizes my monthly and yearly wordage, as well as linking to my stories from each year. Note that not all composed stories have yet been published, so they will not all appear on the linked pages. Parental supervision is strongly suggested for stories in the High Bookshelf.

I prepared this information for my own reference, to help me keep track of how well I was progressing in my writing, and to allow me to analyze which activities helped or hindered my work productivity. I'm sharing the information here because I thought it might be of interest to other writers, and perhaps to readers as well.

Charts

All charts on one page (700 KB).

Words per month.
Words per month, 2006 to present.
Words per year.
Average words per day.
Words per hour.
Days per month.
Days per year.
Number of stories published and reprinted.

Wordage summaries

1995

[I began writing fiction in 1971, at age eight. The manuscripts before 1995 (the first year in which I began writing publishable fiction) were handwritten; therefore, their word count cannot be easily calculated, though I estimated as a teen that I'd written 162,500 words of fiction in 1979.]

July 1995: 45,232 words written (average 3769/day). Wrote 12 days.
August 1995: 71,530 words written (average 3406/day). Wrote 21 days.
September 1995: 88,250 words written (average 4202/day). Wrote 21 days.
October 1995: 88,030 words written (average 4001/day). Wrote 22 days.
November 1995: 66,281 words written (average 3156/day). Wrote 21 days.
December 1995: 48,220 words written (average 3444/day). Wrote 14 days.

Total for 1995: 407,543 words written.  Wrote on 111 days.

Total average for 1995: 67,924/month, 3672/day. Wrote an average of 18.5 days per month on 6 months. (Started writing fiction on July 20.)

Daily word counts for this year | Links to stories from this year.

1996

January 1996: 67,870 words written (average 3085/day). Wrote 22 days.
February 1996: 37,910 words written (average 3791/day). Wrote 10 days.
March 1996: 41,490 words written (average 2766/day). Wrote 15 days.
April 1996: 24,890 words written (average 1779/day). Wrote 14 days.
May 1996: 47,480 words written (average 2967/day). Wrote  16 days.
June 1996: 30,850 words written (average 1928/day). Wrote 16 days.
July 1996: 19,500 words written (average 1625/day). Wrote 12 days.
August 1996: 23,640 words written (average 2364/day). Wrote 10 days.
September 1996: 21,400 words written (average 1529/day). Wrote 14 days.
October 1996: 20,050 words written (average 2005/day). Wrote 10 days.
November 1996: 7440 words written (average 1488/day). Wrote 5 days.
December 1996: 5340 words written (average 445/day). Wrote 12 days.

Total for 1996: 347,860 words written.  Wrote on 146 days.

Total average for 1996: 28,988/month, 2383/day. Wrote an average of 12 days per month on 12 months.

Daily word counts for this year | Links to stories from this year.

1997

[The low word counts in February and the previous December are due to the fact that I was working on a translation of The Divine Comedy. My Internet addiction, which had begun in a small way in May 1995, intensified in April 1997, when I began using the Internet frequently to research news articles. Though I poured out a good many articles, posts, and Web directories over the next decade, the intensified Internet addiction had an immediate, disastrous effect on my fiction wordage.]

January 1997: 32,710 words written (average 1924/day). Wrote 17 days.
February 1997: 6010 words written (average 430/day). Wrote 14 days.
April 1997: 1930 words written. Wrote 1 day.
December 1997: 1680 words written. Wrote 1 day.

Total for 1997: 42,320 words written. Wrote on 33 days.

Total average for 1997: 10,580/month, 1282/day. Wrote an average of 8 days per month on 4 months.

Daily word counts for this year | Links to stories from this year.

1998

January 1998: 260 words written. Wrote 1 day.
April 1998: 8950 words written (average 1790/day). Wrote 5 days.
May 1998: 1950 words written. Wrote 1 day.
June 1998: 260 words written. Wrote 1 day.
September 1998: 3290 words written (average 1097/day). Wrote 3 days.
October 1998: 1240 words written. Wrote 1 day.
November 1998: 2270 words written. Wrote 1 day.

Total for 1998: 18,220 words written. Wrote on 13 days.

Total average for 1998: 2603/month, 1402/day. Wrote an average of 2 days per month on 7 months.

Daily word counts for this year | Links to stories from this year.

1999

January 1999: 2580 words written (average 1290/day). Wrote 2 days.
March 1999: 1380 words written. Wrote 1 day.
April 1999: 8290 words written (average 1382/day). Wrote 6 days.
May 1999: 370 words written. Wrote 1 day.
August 1999: 19,880 words written (average 2209/day). Wrote 9 days.
September 1999: 1720 words written (average 855/day). Wrote 2 days.
October 1999: 11,060 words written (average 1580/day). Wrote 7 days.
November 1999: 30,630 words written (average 2188/day). Wrote 14 days.
December 1999: 9550 words written (average 3183/day). Wrote 3 days.

Total for 1999: 85,460 words written. Wrote on 45 days.

Total average for 1999: 9496/month, 1899/day. Wrote an average of 5 days per month on 9 months.

Daily word counts for this year | Links to stories from this year.

2000

January 2000: 730 words written. Wrote 1 day.
March 2000: 16,250 words written (average 3250/day). Wrote 5 days.
May 2000: 2430 words written (average 1215/day). Wrote 2 days.
August 2000: 28,270 words written (average 3141/day). Wrote 9 days.
September 2000: 30 words written. Wrote 1 day.

Total for 2000: 47,710 words written. Wrote on 18 days.

Total average for 2000: 9542/month, 2651/day. Wrote an average of 3.5 days per month on 5 months.

Daily word counts for this year | Links to stories from this year.

2001

[In January 2001, I lost the ability to read print. From mid-January onwards, I was seeking ways to continue writing in face of my declining eyesight. All stories from February to April were written without my being able to see what I had written. After that point, I regained access to the Internet, first through assistive technology, and then through medical improvements to my eyes.]

January 2001: 37,110 words written (average 3374/day). Wrote 11 days.
February 2001: 50,700 words written (average 4225/day). Wrote 12 days.
March 2001: 51,690 words written (average 3692/day). Wrote 14 days.
April 2001: 65,830 words written (average 4389/day). Wrote 15 days.
November 2001: 5730 words written (average 2865/day). Wrote 2 days.
December 2001: 20,240 words written (average 2891/day). Wrote 7 days.

Total for 2001: 231,300 words written. Wrote on 61 days.

Total average for 2001: 38,550/month, 3792/day. Wrote an average of 10 days per month on 6 months.

Daily word counts for this year | Links to stories from this year.

2002

[In January 2002, desperate for electronic texts to read, I began reading slash fan fiction that I found online. Within a short time, I began to pour out gay fiction of my own, mainly stories that I'd been weaving in my head for years.]

January 2002: 25,380 words written (average 2538/day). Wrote 10 days. 1 story published.
February 2002: 21,015 words written (average 4203/day). Wrote 5 days.
March 2002: 90,430 words written (average 4110/day). Wrote 22 days.
April 2002: 3870 words written (average 1290/day). Wrote 3 days. 4 stories published.
May 2002: 21,955 words written (average 1996/day). Wrote 11 days. 2 stories published.
June 2002: 50,445 words written (average 2655/day). Wrote 19 days. 3 stories published.
July 2002: 7920 words written (average 990/day). Wrote 8 days.
August 2002: 34,240 words written (average 1902/day). Wrote 18 days.
September 2002: 18,450 words written (average 1419/day). Wrote 13 days. 1 story published.
October 2002: 13,870 words written (average 1541/day). Wrote 9 days. 1 story published.
November 2002: 6660 words written (average 2220/day). Wrote 3 days. 2 stories published.
December 2002: 42,810 words written (average 3293/day). Wrote 13 days.

Total for 2002: 337,045 words written. Wrote on 134 days. 14 stories published.

Total average for 2002: 28,087/month, 2515/day. Wrote an average of 11 days per month on 12 months.

Daily word counts for this year | Links to stories from this year.

2003

January 2003: 37,780 words written (average 2361/day). Wrote 16 days. 3 stories published.
February 2003: 34,245 words written (average 3805/day). Wrote 9 days. 1 story published.
March 2003: 9380 words written (average 1563/day). Wrote 6 days.
April 2003: 5720 words written. Wrote 1 day. 3 stories published.
May 2003: 29,200 words written (average 2086/day). Wrote 14 days.
June 2003: 33,000 words written (average 4125/day). Wrote 8 days. 1 story reprinted.
July 2003: 37,900 words written (average 3790/day). Wrote 10 days. 1 story published.
August 2003: 11,750 words written (average 2350/day). Wrote 5 days. 2 stories published.
September 2003: 850 words written. Wrote 1 day. 1 story reprinted.
October 2003: 27,830 words written (average 2783/day). Wrote 10 days. 1 story published. 1 story reprinted.
November 2003: 35,790 words written (average 2753/day). Wrote 13 days.
December 2003: 12,730 words written (average 3182/day). Wrote 4 days. 1 story published. 1 story reprinted.

Total for 2003: 276,175 words written. Wrote on 97 days. 12 stories published. 4 stories reprinted.

Total average for 2003: 23,015/month, 2847/day. Wrote an average of 8 days per month on 12 months.

Daily word counts for this year | Links to stories from this year.

2004

February 2004: 27,350 words written (average 2279/day). Wrote 12 days.
March 2004: 25,020 words written (average 2275/day). Wrote 11 days.
April 2004: 14,820 words written (average 2964/day). Wrote 5 days. 1 story published. 1 story reprinted.
May 2004: 63,720 words written (average 2770/day). Wrote 23 days.
June 2004: 39,180 words written (average 3014/day). Wrote 13 days.
July 2004: 17,780 words written (average 1616/day). Wrote 11 days.
August 2004: 9,830 words written (average 3277/day). Wrote 3 days. 4 stories published.
September 2004: 2 stories published. 2 stories reprinted.
October 2004: 3160 words written (average 1580/day). Wrote 2 days.
November 2004: 8000 words written (average 2000/day). Wrote 4 days.
December 2004: 2650 words written (average 1325/day). Wrote 2 days.

Total for 2004: 211,510 words written. Wrote on 86 days. 7 stories published. 3 stories reprinted.

Total average for 2004: 21,151/month, 2459/day. Wrote an average of 8.5 days per month on 10 months.

Daily word counts for this year | Links to stories from this year.

2005

April 2005: 5,980 words written (average 1495/day). Wrote 4 days. 2 stories published.
May 2005: 22,580 words written (average 2258/day). Wrote 10 days.
July 2005: 3,620 words written (average 1810/day). Wrote 2 days.
November 2005: 650 words written. Wrote 1 day.
December: 29,360 (average 2447/day). Wrote 12 days.

Total for 2005: 62,190 words written. Wrote on 29 days. 2 stories published.

Total average for 2005: 12,438/month, 2144/day. Wrote an average of 6 days per month on 5 months.

Daily word counts for this year | Links to stories from this year.

2006

January 2006: 18,800 words written (average 1880/day). Wrote 10 days.
February 2006: 23,460 words written (average 1805/day). Wrote 13 days.
March 2006: 2350 words written (average 1775/day). Wrote 2 days.
April 2006: 23,040 words written (average 2304/day). Wrote 10 days. 1 story published.
May 2006: 17,590 words written (average 2513/day). Wrote 7 days. 1 story reprinted.
June 2006: 1490 words written (average 745/day). Wrote 2 days. 1 story published. 1 story reprinted.
July 2006: 8730 words written (average 1247/day). Wrote 7 days.
August 2006: 6650 words written (average 1330/day).
Wrote 5 days.
September 2006: 2320 words written (average 580/day). Wrote 4 days.
October 2006: 3270 words written (average 1090/day). Wrote 3 days. 1 story reprinted.
November 2006: 6140 words written (average 1535/day). Wrote 4 days. 1 story published. 1 story reprinted.
December 2006: 1 story published.

Total for 2006: 113,840 words written. Wrote on 67 days. 5 stories published. 4 stories reprinted.

Total average for 2006: 10,349/month, 2144/day. Wrote an average of 6 days per month on 11 months.

Daily word counts for this year | Links to stories from this year.

2007

[In December 2007, after nearly eleven years of struggling against my Internet addiction, I began making radical changes in my life, which included a renewed effort to establish a regular writing schedule.]

January 2007: 1500 words written (average 750/day). Wrote 2 days.
February 2007: 10,250 words written (average 1708/day). Wrote 6 days.
March 2007: 10,950 words written (average 1564/day). Wrote 7 days.
April 2007: 13,470 words written (average 1497/day). Wrote 9 days.
May 2007: 6530 words written (average 1632/day). Wrote 4 days. 1 novel published.
July 2007: 20,780 words written (average 1732/day). Wrote 12 days.
August 2007: 3870 words written (average 1935/day). Wrote 2 days.
September 2007: 4480 words written(average 1493/day). Wrote 3 days.
October 2007: 2080 words written (average 1040/day). Wrote 2 days. 1 story reprinted.
December 2007: 21,790 words written (average 1556/day). Wrote 14 days.

Total for 2007: 95,700 words written. Wrote on 61 days. 1 novel published. 1 story reprinted.

Total average for 2007: 9570/month, 1569/day. Wrote an average of 6 days per month on 10 months.

Daily word counts for this year | Links to stories from this year.

2008

January 2008: 24,630 words written (average 1759/day). Wrote 14 days. 1 story published.
February 2008: 18,800 words written (average 1446/day). Wrote 13 days. 1 novel published.
March 2008: 26,855 words written (average 2685/day). Wrote 10 days. 1 story published. 1 story reprinted.
April 2008: 17,610 words written (average 1600/day). Wrote 11 days. 1 story reprinted.
May 2008: 5790 words written (average 1447/day). Wrote 4 days. 1 fiction collection published. 1 story reprinted.
June 2008: 1055 words written (average 527/day). Wrote 2 days. 2 stories published.
July 2008: 2190 words written. Wrote 1 day. 3 stories published.
September 2008: 3290 words written (average 1645/day). Wrote 2 days. 1 story published. 3 stories reprinted.
October 2008: 15,610 words written (average 5203/day). Wrote 3 days. 2 stories reprinted.
November 2008: 55,740 words written (average 3278/day). Wrote 17 days. 1 novel published. 1 story published.
December 2008: 23,240 words written (average 3320/day). Wrote 7 days.

Total for 2008: 194,810 words written. Wrote on 84 days.

Total average for 2008: 17,710/month, 2319/day. Wrote an average of 7.5 days per month on 11 months.

Daily word counts for this year | Links to stories from this year.

2009

January 2009: 37,670 words written (average 3139/day). Wrote 12 days. 1 story reprinted.
February 2009: 37,650 words written (average 3137/day). Wrote 12 days. 1 story reprinted.
March 2009: 8440 words written (average 1406/day). Wrote 6 days. 2 stories reprinted.
April 2009: 3700 words written (average 1850/day). Wrote 2 days. 1 fiction collection published.
May 2009: 3500 words written (average 875/day). Wrote 4 days. 1 novel and 4 stories reprinted.
June 2009: 1330 words written (average 665/day). Wrote 2 days. 1 story published. 2 stories reprinted.
July 2009: 0 words written . Wrote 0 days. 1 novel reprinted.
August 2009: 9330 words written (average 2332/day). Wrote 4 days. 1 story published.
September 2009: 0 words written. Wrote 0 days.
October 2009: 25,610 words written (average 3201/day). Wrote 8 days.
November 2009: 38,350 words written (average 2950/day). Wrote 13 days.
December 2009: 30,160 words written (average 2154/day). Wrote 14 days. 1 story published.

Total for 2009: 195,740 words written. Wrote on 77 days. 1 fiction collection published. 3 stories published. 2 novels reprinted. 10 stories reprinted.

Total average for 2009: 19,574/month, 2542/day. Wrote an average of 8 days per month on 10 months.

Daily word counts for this year | Links to stories from this year.

2010

[In November 2009, I acquired a new chronic illness, still undiagnosed, that affects my mobility. All my fiction writing is now done standing. Some of my editing is done while lying on my side in bed.]

January 2010: 24,960 words written (average 3565/day). Wrote 7 days.
February 2010: 17,010 words written (average 1701/day). Wrote 10 days.
March 2010: 5910 words written (average 1477/day). Wrote 4 days.
April 2010: 0 words written (average 0/day). Wrote 0 days.
May 2010: 2700 words written (average 900/day). Wrote 3 days.
June 2010: 16,070 words written (average 1335/day). Wrote 15 days.
July 2010: 3130 words written (average 1043/day). Wrote 3 days.
August 2010: 360 words written (average 360/day). Wrote 1 day.
September 2010: 1220 words written (average 407/day). Wrote 3 days.
October 2010: 0 words written (average 0/day). Wrote 0 days.
November 2010: 14,140 words written (average 1010/day). Wrote 14 days.
December 2010: 740 words written (average 740/day). Wrote 1 day.

Total for 2010: 86,240 words written. Wrote on 61 days. 3 novel omnibuses published (including 1-1/2 new novels and 1 new novella). 3 stories published. 1 omnibus reprinted. 2 novels reprinted. 2 stories reprinted.

Total average for 2010: 9582/month, 1414/day. Wrote an average of 7 days per month on 9 months.

Daily word counts for this year | Links to stories from this year.

2011

Links to stories from this year.

Creative Commons License: Some Rights ReservedThis text, or a variation on it, was originally published at duskpeterson.com. Copyright © 2010-2011 Dusk Peterson. Some rights reserved. The text is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0). You may freely print, post, e-mail, share, or otherwise distribute the text for noncommercial purposes, provided that you include this paragraph. The author's policies on derivative works and fan works are available online (duskpeterson.com/copyright.htm).