I signed up for NaNoWriMo as well. I've never attempted anything like this so I've already accepted I'm going to write crap. Now my goal is to write 50,000 words of it.

How many words on a page?Cause I could picture pages more easily.

How many words on a page?Cause I could picture pages more easily.

Depends entirely on your font and whether you're doublespacing or singlespacing or something weird. Let's say anywhere from 250-800.... which is why people use word count.

Take an average-looking page of your writing, formatted the way you usually do, and run it through your word processor's word count -- that'll give you a good enough idea to use for estimating.

Wow, there is a lot of variation...just trying to get a clearer picture. I've decided I'm going to use "Perfect" to start from, which I should probably call "Imperfect" but, you know.

Wow, there is a lot of variation...just trying to get a clearer picture.

Yep. Courier, for instance, is a gigantic font -- at 12 point, doublespaced, you'll get about 250 words on a page. Times runs closer to 300-350. Using something smaller and prettier but still fairly "standard" like Garamond, you can easily hit 400. Foofy script fonts tend to be absolutely tiny. And some people like to write singlespaced stuff, or triplespaced, or masochistally enjoy reading 8-point type, and so on. So, page count really isn't an accurate measure of anything.

Yeah.

I mean, I know pretty well that with my settings (single-spaced trebuchet ms, 10pt), 6-7 pages = 3000 words, but it's variable.

I'm addicted to my word count button.

Note that 'professional' format is Courier font, double-spacing, one-inch margins on sides and bottom, 1.5 on top. This is what editors would like to get for submitted manuscripts, makes for easier markup and length estimation, also their eyes get used to reading that way. (The rule of thumb is "anything that makes the editor's job easier gives them less reason to reject you.") This reliably comes out to around 250 words (a word averaging six characters long) per page.

Note that Stephen King or Anne Rice could submit on old shopping bags in red crayon. Note also that no rule prevents you from writing in any font or format if it's easier on your eyes/saves paper/you think it's prettier.

Me, I've taken to always writing in professional format because a) it really is easier to mark up that way, especially because in my rewrite phase I often cross out whole sentences and phrases, and scrawl in something else, and b) then I don't have to reformat the whole mess if I submit it to a professional market.

What Theo Said.

On my machine, Word defaults to "manuscript submission" (no I do not mean porn) setting. I don't average 250 - more like 232, because I tend to user longer words.

Note that an editor will NOT read a single spaced printout in tiny pitch, and I don't blame them. My eyes go ballistic at the thought...

Note that an editor will NOT read a single spaced printout in tiny pitch, and I don't blame them.

Seriously. I can't bear teeny tiny type in LJs -- let alone something I'd be reading hundreds of pages of.

Reformatting takes me three minutes top.

Typing or reading in that format, however, is unpossible for me on the computer screen.

I suppose I could write a macro so I could buttonize the process.

"Manuize" or "Readble"

Actually, not a bad idea...