Fast Drafting Goal Calculator

Chapter 12 of my book Page One to Done to all about defining realistic goals for completing your first draft and using them to track your progress and stay in flow.

If you’re following the exercise on page 160 to define your goals, you can use this handy calculator to do all the math for you!

Step 1: Estimate your total word count

Select your genre to see the industry-standard word count range, then use the slider to adjust your goal. Err on the higher side to build in a buffer.

Genre

Estimated total word count

Step 2: Estimate your daily word-count goal

Use the number of words written in your fast drafting practice round to calculate your daily word-count goal. (Don't have this number yet? Complete the practice round on page 42 of Page One to Done or do a 15-minute word sprint and record how many words you wrote.)

Words written in 15 minutes (from your fast drafting practice round):

× 4 = You write 0 words per hour

How many hours per day will you write?

2 hrs

Your Daily Word-Count Goal

Step 3: Calculate your estimated completion timeframe

How many days per week will you write?

Step 4: Choose your start date to calculate your target end date

Check your calendar for a stretch of time where you'll have few planned interruptions (like big events, vacations, projects, etc.). Don't forget to account for any groundwork and research you need to complete before drafting.

Track Your Progress in the FREE Page One to Done app!

Track your daily word count, watch your progress build over time, and stay accountable to your goals—from page one to done!

April 2nd, 2026