That is funny, Sarah!

I write because making up stories is fun. And because I think it’s one of the good things God has prepared for me to do.

I have always written on and off throughout my life. I was quite a shy child and not didn't excel at school so I writing was something that teacher spotted me doing and encouraged me to develop. That gave me confidence. As I grew older I realise it could be used to explore issues about life or simply an 'emotional bolthole' to bunker down into when life got tough. Now, I write because I want people to read my work and think about things in it. All a bit egotistic really.

I don't subscribe to the set number of words per day/week/month. It just doesn't work for me. What I tend to do is have a timescale in mind for a chunk of the WIP I am working on. I do try to write or edit most days though. It's like a muscle - if you don't use regularly it get weak or stiff to use. Once the 1st draft is done - then I tighten up my objectives.

As @suspensewriter says, his 5,000 Words Per Hour and Write to Market books are great. I think 5,000 WPH is actually free on his website. You'll have to sign up for his mailing list to get it, but his newsletter is great. I have his whole series of books for writers and have learned so much from them. He's got a great and humble attitude. About the reader profile, I go about mine differently. Instead of thinking in terms of demographics, I picture the kinds of stories my ideal reader wants to read, and what they want to get out of reading them. My ideal reader is looking for realistic romance with relatable characters that deal with issues that resonate. My reader wants to be entertained with a good story while having their faith encouraged and their spirits edified. They want stories that show God's grace and provision work out even in a flawed world with flawed humans. My reader description cuts across typical demographics of age, profession, hobbies, etc and instead tries to get at what they're looking for in a story. Thanks for sharing, @suspensewriter!

I'm like anyone who has a talent and enjoys expressing it, as God would desire. That said, I can't give you a logical explanation as to why I love to write, or why I enjoy writing in my chosen genre(s). Why do I love the Beatles song "Here Comes the Sun," and am not very fond of "Hey Jude." HUH? How can I like a song that didn't crack their top-50 better than their biggest, number one hit? Maybe it’s just the way God made me.

He does have a few on marketing and such.

They actually sold tickets. It wasn't quite as thrilling as the reviews said it was. 😄

This is so clever. If you can't read it (from let to right), make your screen view a little bigger...

Happy birthday, Wes! Hope you have a great day. Blessings to you!

Marketing you books is largely a mystery to most authors. Writer Chris Fox give this interesting tidbit: "My target reader is a 40 year old male who is likely proficient at IT, and likely works in some technical field... (Chris writes space operas) What movies does my 40 year old male see? What books did he read in 1995, 2015, and 2020? What movies did he like during those time periods? What hobbies did he have?" Chris goes into some depth when he is identifying his target market, and it's immensely helpful for him targeting readers. Do you put as much effort into it?

400 words a day is good, Shamrock! Congratulations.

Just work it out. Average words per day 400. I started writing Granny Annie at the beginning of lockdown 7wkd ago x20k = 400.

You know, I’d love to leave a review on Amazon, but I just realized I can’t. You have to have bought a certain amount of stuff from Amazon first. But I think I can leave a review on Goodreads, since I just joined. I’ll try to do that.

I believe God called m to write. That is why I spend quantity time with it.

Our son ordered me something online for Mother's Day. It was thought to be here on Friday, May 8. It came today, May 10. I kept telling him it would be nice whenever it came. It came this afternoon, May 12. But it was worth the wait. He ordered me the biggest box of Russell Stover Chocolates I have ever seen- 1 pound 7 ounces. Thing is, I don't know how long it will last. Hubby is a chocoholic.

Writing Fiction With a Powerful Christian Message Without Getting Preachy

Hard to say. I tend to set my target in scenes rather than words. Some can be 1500 other as little as 500.

Hey, I'm glad to pay for it! Trust me on that one.

I paid for mine and was happy to do it! And I'll still leave a good review!

She must be feeding Borrowers

The only good thing about the pandemic is the stimulus check allowed me to buy ammo. At $20+ a box and $15 a half hour for range time I was down to once a year shooting. With the check I went online for the bulk pricing of $16 a box for 1000 rounds.

Finding the majority will review and post those for free if you give them a free copy and it has a minimum of 3 to 5 reviews already. Pretty tough when that's the goal in the first place to get reviews.

I think my sister lies somewhere between Lynn's answer and Thomas' - I really admire her writing.

The one about Write 5,000 words per hour is pretty good, also Write to Market!

Welcome Aboard Sam! You'll find a great group of wonderful people here at all levels of writing.

Does her goal include editing and revision?

I’ve never done this before...must remedy!

I've got the thousand words most days, but I'm lacking in the note area...

And jobs where there was a lot of reading and writing involved. I'm pretty content with five-hundred words a day at this stage.

It is a challenge for those of us who are social media shy to get a good handle on a target audience. I know the struggle well! This Chris Fox guy sounds interesting. I’ll have to look him up.

I’ve fallen way below that... A great challenge! Thanks for posting, @suspensewriter!

A promotion anyone can get into, even me. From Friday, May 15, 2020 thru Monday, May 18, 2020 the ebook is FREE for four days. Well, almost. The only thing I ask is a review, good bad or otherwise. So get your copy while you can at no cost, there's no reason not to.

LOL Thanks, Alley! And I forgot to post this...

Thanks Ragamuffin_John! This is special. Simple and wholesome and quaint. You give us a gift each time.

My mother was taken from me a few years ago. I miss her, somedays more than others. 😔Happy mother's day mom.

Coming late to the party, but here's my penny's worth. I get chunks of a story come to me fully formed and other parts I have to chase around like one does a rabbit. ( and they are hard to catch.) I have just written the last chapter of part 1 of my WIP and it has taken two weeks and several rewrites to nail the ending scene. The 1st chapter and the end-of-the-book chapter came quickly and more or less got written as I imagined them. It is the same for characters - some easy, some hard to develop fully.

I'd say "no." I think that's for the perpetually organized. I find that, even when I'm writing code, I'm working with what I'm writing like a sculptor does clay or stone. Sometimes the end product is already there, but you need to work with it until you get what you want in the end.

Welcome aboard!!

I think that what Chris Fox means is the difference between writing for no one and just hoping your book sells and giving some to who you might be writing it to first.

I'd say I'm a plantser, but only because so many stories went down rabbit trails that I couldn't write my way out of. I write a first scene and a last scene, then I start mapping out the steps I need to get from one to the other in that lovely curve called a three-act structure.

I sometimes plot a few scenes ahead of where I'm writing. Other times, I just write

That's me. I have to sit down at the computer and just start typing. The words come to me.