How to plan an essay or dissertation word count
- Enter the word count you need, how many words you have written, and the deadline.
- Choose rest days and how many days to keep at the end for editing, proofreading and referencing.
- Add your writing speed to see how long each daily session will take. The table gives a day-by-day target and a running total.
Writing a little every day
Large writing tasks feel overwhelming because the total looks impossible. Breaking 3,000 or 10,000 words into a daily target, often a few hundred words, makes progress concrete and stops the last-minute panic that produces weak work. Research on academic writing consistently finds that short, regular sessions produce more and better writing than occasional marathons.
Plan editing time from the start. A first draft is rarely the final one: allow at least a couple of days to restructure, check the argument answers the question, tighten wording, fix references and proofread. If you fall behind, update the words written and the plan recalculates; if the daily target becomes unrealistic, talk to your tutor early about an extension rather than late. Typical drafting speeds are 250–500 words an hour, slower for research-heavy sections. Your plan is saved in this browser only.
How many words can I write in a day?
Most students can draft 500–1,000 words in a focused day. Leave extra time for reading and research.
How long should I spend editing?
For essays, at least one or two days; for dissertations, a week or more is common.
What if I miss a day?
Update the words written and the daily target is recalculated for the days left.