The 20k Word Reality Check
I went into July with the kind of confidence you get when you make a writing goal on a good summer day. You know the vibe, sun’s out, cafecito’s hitting, and you’re convinced you can conquer the world. My plan? Write 20,000 words for Book 2. Four weeks. Easy, right?
In my head, it was perfect: mornings for writing, afternoons for marketing When Darkness Falls, evenings for making TikToks and Instagram posts. I’d hit my word count, stay consistent online, and maybe even squeeze in a K-drama binge or two.
Reality check: By week two, I was done.
Being an indie author means you wear all the hats. Writer. Editor. Marketer. Social media manager. Website maintenance. Shipping department. Customer service rep. And if you’re me? You’re also the entire TikTok production crew, finding the right lighting, filming, and editing… all while trying to remember if you put your clothes in the dryer.
Every day, I’d sit down to write, but my brain was still in “content mode”, planning my next posts and checking analytics. Writing felt like trying to tell someone a story while music is blasting in the background. Like when you go to a Quincañera or a wedding, and you’re trying to have a conversation in the middle of the band playing.
Then came the pressure. The “You should be doing more” voice. The guilt of going days without writing. The fear that if I weren’t constantly online, my book would just… disappear. And honestly? It sucked the joy right out of writing.
But here’s what I learned:
Progress counts — even if it’s slower than you planned.
Rest is part of the process — it’s not “doing nothing.”
Marketing matters, but not at the cost of losing your love for the story.
I didn’t hit 20k words in July. But I did move the story forward. And for August? My goal is smaller, and I’m keeping myself accountable by sharing my daily writing updates on social media. Some days, I might not write at all, and I’m not going to feel guilty about it. Breaks are part of the process, and I need them too.
If you’ve ever burned yourself out chasing a goal, I hope this reminds you you’re not alone.
Now if you’ll excuse me, there’s a certain mysterious old lady in Book 2 who’s about to drop a truth bomb on my main character… and I finally know exactly what she’s going to say.
Ana G.
Follow me on Instagram and TikTok → @storiesbyanag
