Doomsday Countdowns

I enjoy writing.  I'm a writer, so I hope that statement seems obvious.  When I write, I try to get in at least 1000 words a day, and I shoot for 2000.  If I devote a whole day to writing, and I have an outline ready, I can do 5000 words in a day.  However, that doesn't mean I'm always in the mood to write, and that can lead to a trap for writers.

Writing should flow.  Writing flows best when you enjoy it.  However, we all get tired and sometimes don't feel like writing.  If I set a daily goal of 1500-2000 words, and I find myself counting down the words until I get there, meaning I'm tired and just want to be done, then I stop writing because I know the quality of what I'm writing will suck.  It also means that I'll probably have to go back and rewrite it anyway since I wasn't as into writing at that time as I should've been, so the writing will be bad if I get through it at all.

When you find yourself hoping the end will come, it's already there, so just acknowledge it and end when you should.  Otherwise your writing will suffer, and if you stick with it, the audience will notice.