It's FREE
How Long Will It Take to Write Your Book?
Find out with the FREE StoryMetric™ Writing Goals Calculator!
Whether you’re writing your first novella or planning a 100,000-word novel, this interactive Excel calculator helps you create a realistic writing schedule.
Simply choose your book type, select your daily or weekly writing goal, and discover how long it could take to finish your first draft.
With this FREE writing tool, you can:
- Calculate how many weeks, months, or years it will take to write your book.
- Choose from eight daily and weekly writing goals.
- Enter your own custom weekly word count.
- Compare different writing schedules.
- Plan a novella, category novel, full-length novel, or epic novel.
- Estimate your first-draft completion date.
You don’t have to write fast. You just have to keep writing.
FREE DOWNLOAD — Interactive Excel Workbook
Microsoft Excel recommended. No physical product will be shipped.
Description
FREE Writing Goals Calculator: Plan Your Novel and Finish Your First Draft
Set Your Goal. Find Your Pace. Finish Your Book. How Many Words Should You Write a Day to Finish a Book? Use the Writing Goals Calculator to find the right pace.
If you’ve ever wondered how long it takes to write a novel, you’re not alone. Maybe you have an idea for a book but aren’t sure where to start. Perhaps you’ve already begun writing, but you’re struggling to find a consistent writing schedule. Or maybe you’re juggling a full-time job, family responsibilities, and everything else life demands while trying to finish your manuscript.
The good news? You don’t have to write thousands of words every day to finish a book.
You need a realistic writing goal and a plan for reaching it. That’s why I created the FREE StoryMetric™ Writing Goals Calculator. This interactive Excel workbook helps writers calculate their daily and weekly writing goals, compare writing schedules, and estimate how long it will take to finish a first draft. No complicated math. No unrealistic writing challenges. Just a practical tool to help you make progress.
What Is the StoryMetric™ Writing Goals Calculator?
The StoryMetric™ Writing Goals Calculator is a free Excel writing planner designed to help fiction writers turn a manuscript word-count goal into an achievable writing schedule. Instead of guessing how long your book might take, you can calculate your estimated completion time based on how many words you plan to write each week.
Choose your book length. Choose your writing pace. See your estimated finish date. It’s that simple.
How Does the Writing Goals Calculator Work?
STEP 1: Choose Your Book Type
Select the type of book you’re planning to write. The calculator includes four manuscript categories:
|
Book Type |
Typical Word Count Range |
Default Planning Goal |
|---|---|---|
|
Novella |
17,500–40,000 |
30,000 |
|
Category Novel |
50,000–75,000 |
65,000 |
|
Full-Length Novel |
75,000–100,000 |
90,000 |
|
Epic Novel |
100,000–150,000+ |
125,000 |
The calculator automatically displays the default word-count target for your selected book type. Word-count ranges are general planning guidelines. Publishing expectations vary by genre and publisher.
STEP 2: Choose Your Daily or Weekly Writing Goal
How many words can you realistically write? The calculator includes eight preset writing rates:
- 50 words per day
- 100 words per day
- 250 words per day
- 500 words per day
- 1,000 words per day
- 1,000 words per week
- 2,500 words per week
- 5,000 words per week
Daily writing goals assume six writing days per week, giving you one day off. Prefer to set your own goal? Enter a custom number of words per week instead.
STEP 3: Calculate How Long It Will Take to Write Your Book
The calculator automatically estimates:
- Your weekly word count: How many words you plan to write each week.
- Weeks to first draft: The estimated number of weeks required to reach your manuscript goal.
- Months to first draft: Your estimated writing timeline in months.
- Years to first draft: Your estimated writing timeline in years.
- Estimated finish date: A projected first-draft completion date based on your writing pace.
- Change your writing goal to explore how a different pace affects your timeline.
Compare Writing Schedules Before You Commit
Not sure what writing goal is right for you? The second worksheet lets you compare eight writing rates side by side.
For example, if your goal is to write a 65,000-word novel:
|
Writing Goal |
Approximate Time to Finish |
|---|---|
|
100 words per day, 6 days a week |
2.1 years |
|
250 words per day, 6 days a week |
10 months |
|
500 words per day, 6 days a week |
5 months |
|
1,000 words per week |
15 months |
|
2,500 words per week |
6 months |
|
5,000 words per week |
3 months |
These estimates assume consistent writing and do not include revisions. The best writing schedule isn’t necessarily the fastest. It’s the one you can sustain.
How Many Words a Day Should You Write?
There’s no single correct answer. Some writers produce thousands of words in a sitting. Others make steady progress by writing a few paragraphs each day. Consider what happens when you write six days per week:
|
Daily Writing Goal |
Words in One Year |
|---|---|
|
50 words |
15,600 |
|
100 words |
31,200 |
|
250 words |
78,000 |
|
500 words |
156,000 |
|
1,000 words |
312,000 |
Writing 250 words a day can produce enough words for a full-length novel in one year.
That’s the power of consistent progress.
What’s Included in Your Free Download?
Your StoryMetric™ Writing Goals Calculator includes three Excel worksheets.
Worksheet 1: My Writing Plan
Create your personalized writing schedule using interactive dropdowns and a custom writing-rate field.
See your projected completion time and estimated finish date.
Worksheet 2: Compare Writing Rates
Compare eight different writing schedules to discover how your writing pace affects your manuscript timeline.
You can also enter a custom manuscript word-count target.
Worksheet 3: Book Types & Writing Rates
Reference the manuscript categories, typical word-count ranges, and weekly writing-rate conversions used by the calculator.
Who Is This Free Writing Calculator For?
This resource is designed for:
- Beginning Writers: Learn how to set achievable word-count goals for your first book.
- Aspiring Novelists: Discover how long it might take to write your novel.
- Busy Writers: Find a writing schedule that works around your job, family, and other responsibilities.
- Experienced Authors: Estimate drafting timelines for your next manuscript.
- Writing Groups: Compare individual writing goals and encourage accountability.
- Writers Returning to Their Manuscripts: Create a manageable plan for getting back into a writing routine.
- Whether you’re writing romance, mystery, historical fiction, fantasy, or another genre, this calculator can help you plan your first draft.
Do I Need Microsoft Excel?
The StoryMetric™ Writing Goals Calculator is an interactive Excel workbook (.xlsx).
Microsoft Excel is recommended for the best experience.
The workbook includes dropdown menus, automatic calculations, and protected formulas to help prevent accidental changes.
Other spreadsheet applications may open the file, but compatibility and functionality may vary.
This is a digital download, not a PDF or printed workbook.
Ready to Start Writing?
- Your book won’t write itself.
- But you don’t have to finish it tomorrow.
- You just have to begin—and keep making progress.
Download your FREE StoryMetric™ Writing Goals Calculator and discover what your writing goals can accomplish.
Set Your Goal. Find Your Pace. Finish Your Book.
StoryMetric™ — Writing Tools by Vanessa Riley
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
These questions also address common searches writers make when looking for writing tools.
Is the StoryMetric™ Writing Goals Calculator really free?
Yes! The StoryMetric™ Writing Goals Calculator is a free digital download. There is no charge for the Excel workbook.
How long does it take to write a novel?
That depends on your manuscript length and writing pace.
For example, writing 2,500 words per week produces approximately 65,000 words in six months.
The calculator helps you estimate your own timeline.
How many words should I write per day?
Choose a goal that fits your schedule and that you can maintain consistently.
Even 100 words per day, six days a week, adds up to more than 31,000 words in one year.
Can I use this calculator for a novella?
Yes. The calculator includes a 30,000-word novella planning target, along with three novel-length categories.
Can I set my own writing goal?
Yes. You can select a preset writing rate or enter a custom weekly word-count goal.
Can I calculate how long it will take to write a 100,000-word novel?
Yes. The Compare Writing Rates worksheet allows you to enter a custom manuscript word-count target.
Does the calculator tell me when I’ll finish my book?
Yes. The My Writing Plan worksheet estimates your first-draft completion date based on your selected writing rate.
Can I use it for multiple writing projects?
Yes. You can reuse the calculator or save separate copies for different manuscripts.
Does it track how many words I’ve already written?
No. The calculator is designed for planning writing goals and estimating drafting timelines. It is not a daily word-count tracking system.
Do I need Excel?
Microsoft Excel is recommended. Other spreadsheet programs may not fully support the workbook’s dropdowns, formulas, or protected cells.
PRODUCT LICENSE
Suggested Customer-Facing License
FREE PERSONAL USE DOWNLOAD
© 2026 Vanessa Riley. All rights reserved.
StoryMetric™ Writing Goals Calculator is provided free for individual, personal use.
You may download, save, print, and use the calculator for your personal writing projects.
You may not resell, redistribute, sublicense, or upload the workbook to other websites or file-sharing services.
You may not modify and redistribute the workbook as your own product.
For classroom, workshop, or group distribution, please direct participants to the official StoryMetric™ download page.
StoryMetric™ and associated materials remain the intellectual property of their respective owner.
You’ve Set Your Writing Goal. Now Develop Your Story.
A writing schedule tells you when you might finish your manuscript.
But what about the story itself?
Explore the StoryMetric™ Trope Workbooks, designed to help writers understand and develop the character relationships, conflicts, and storytelling patterns that shape their chosen tropes.
StoryMetric™ Trope Workbooks — $16.99 each
Plan your writing with the free calculator. Develop your story with StoryMetric™.
Link this section to your StoryMetric™ workbook category or relevant product pages.
