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Log Today is greyed out Log Today needs at least one active project. Create a project with + New Project, or reopen one under Completed. Create Project is greyed out Hover over the button to see why. Common reasons: - Pick a book first: choose a Book. - Target Word Count must be greater than 0. - Pick a target date: you chose Target date under Plan by but didn't set one. - Daily Word Goal must be greater than 0: you chose Daily word goal but left it empty. A project is missing from the Project list when logging Completed projects can't be logged against, so they aren't in the list. Click Reopen on the project under Completed first. All the buttons are greyed out Your role on this account can view Word Counter but not change it. Ask the account owner to give your role edit permission for Writing Progress in Collaboration. Deleting projects and sessions needs delete permission too. If you see No Access, your role doesn't include this tool at all. My total looks wrong - Check Word Count History for a session logged against the wrong project or date. Edit it to fix it, and later totals are recalculated. - A project's running total never goes below 0. If you logged a large negative session early on, it's counted as reaching 0, not below. - If you use Cumulative total, include your Starting Word Count in the number you enter. My daily goal keeps changing When a project has a target date, its daily goal is worked out from the words you still need divided by the days left, including today. It goes up if you fall behind and down when you get ahead. When it differs from your original goal, the card shows what it was. See the FAQ on how Word Counter works for more on this. My streak reset Your streak counts days in a row with at least one logged session. Missing a whole day resets it. Logging a past session with Date set to the missed day restores the streak. Edit and delete don't work on the example project When you take the page tour, Word Counter shows an example project. It's only for the tour and can't be changed. Create your own project with + New Project.

✍️ Word Counter

How do I mark a book as finished in Word Counter?

Mark a project complete 1. In Word Counter, find the project's card. 2. Click the tick icon (Mark complete). 3. Click Mark Complete to confirm. The project moves to the Completed section, and its card is dimmed. You can still see its progress, chart and history, but you can't log words against it or edit it. It no longer counts toward Active Projects. Reopen a project If you need to keep writing, for example for a revision pass: 1. Find the project under Completed. 2. Click Reopen. The project goes back to your active projects, with all its sessions intact. Delete a project 1. On an active project's card, click the trash icon (Delete project). 2. Click Delete to confirm. This deletes the project and every session logged for it, and removes those words from your stats. If you change your mind straight away, click undo in the message that appears. To delete a completed project, reopen it first.

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What do the Word Counter chart and stats mean?

Overview cards The cards at the top of Word Counter cover all your projects: - Total Words Written: every word you've logged, across all projects. Words cut with negative sessions are subtracted. - Today's Words: words logged with today's date. - Current Streak: how many days in a row you've logged a session. If you haven't logged anything today yet, your streak still counts until the day is over. - Active Projects: projects that aren't marked complete. - Most Active Day, Most Active Month and Most Active Year: your best day, month and year by words logged, with the date underneath. Starting Word Count isn't included in any of these. To choose which cards you see, click Customize cards. Cumulative Word Count chart The chart shows your running word total over time, with a point for each day you logged a session. - Choose All Projects to see the combined total of every project. - Choose a single project to compare your progress against your plan. A dashed Goal pace line shows where you'd be if you'd written your daily goal every day since the Start Date. If your solid Actual line is above the dashed line, you're ahead of schedule. If it's below, you're behind. A few things to know: - The chart appears once you've logged a session, and draws a line once you have sessions on at least two different days. Until then you'll see "Log at least two sessions to see a trend." - The Goal pace line only appears for a project with a daily goal. Otherwise you'll see "Set a daily goal on this project to see the planned pace line." - The chart shows words logged in Word Counter. It leaves out your Starting Word Count, and the goal line is reduced to match. - With more than 14 points, scroll the chart sideways to see your full history.

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How do I track a book I have already started writing?

If you're partway through a manuscript when you start using Word Counter, enter the words you already have as a Starting Word Count. You don't need to log them as a session. Add a starting word count 1. In Word Counter, click + New Project, or click the pencil icon (Edit project) on an existing project. 2. Enter the words you already have in Starting Word Count, for example 24500. 3. Click Create Project or Save Changes. How the starting count is used - It counts toward your total on the project card and your progress toward the Target Word Count. - It's included when your daily goal is recalculated from the words you still need to write. - It doesn't appear in Word Count History, in the Cumulative Word Count chart, or in stats such as Total Words Written and Today's Words. Those only show words you've logged in Word Counter. Logging a cumulative total When you log a session using Cumulative total, enter your manuscript's whole word count, including the starting words. Word Counter takes the starting count off before saving the session, so you don't count those words twice. Why not log the old words as a session? A single session of 24,500 words would show up as your Most Active Day and push up your Total Words Written. Using Starting Word Count keeps your stats about the writing you've actually tracked.

✍️ Word Counter

How do I log, edit or delete a writing session?

Log a session 1. In Word Counter, click Log Words on a project's card, or Log Today at the top of the page. 2. Check the Project and Date. The date defaults to today, and you can pick an earlier date to log a past session. 3. Choose how to enter your count: - Words written: the words you wrote in this session, for example 1200. Use a negative number, such as -300, if you cut words. - Cumulative total: your manuscript's whole word count right now. Word Counter works out how many words that adds since your last entry. If you set a Starting Word Count on the project, include those words in the total. 4. Optionally, add Notes, such as the chapter you worked on. 5. Click Log Words. You can log more than one session on the same day. They're added together for the day. See past sessions Your sessions are listed under Word Count History, newest first. Use the list at the top right of that panel to choose the project. Each entry shows the words written, the running total after that session, the date and any notes. Use the page controls at the bottom to see older entries. Edit a session 1. In Word Count History, click the pencil icon (Edit entry) next to the session. 2. Change the date, the count or the notes. 3. Click Save Changes. The running totals for every later session in that project are recalculated for you. Move a session to another project If you logged words against the wrong book: 1. Click the pencil icon (Edit entry) next to the session. 2. Choose the correct book in Project. You'll see a note that both projects' running totals will be recalculated. 3. Click Save Changes. Delete a session 1. Click the trash icon (Delete entry) next to the session. 2. Click Delete to confirm. Later totals for the project are recalculated. If you deleted it by mistake, click undo in the message that appears.

✍️ Word Counter

Getting started with Word Counter

Word Counter tracks how many words you write for each book, how close you are to your target, and whether you're on pace for your deadline. Create a project 1. Click Word Counter in the left sidebar. 2. Click + New Project. 3. Choose the Book. Projects are linked to a book in your Book Library, and if it isn't there yet, choose + New Book… to add it. 4. Optionally, enter a Genre. 5. Enter your Target Word Count, for example 80000. 6. If you've already written part of the book, enter it in Starting Word Count. 7. Under Plan by, choose how you want to plan: - Daily word goal: enter how many words you'll write each day. Word Counter works out your Target date. - Target date: pick the date you want to finish. Word Counter works out your Daily goal. 8. Check the Start Date. It defaults to today. 9. Click Create Project. If Create Project stays greyed out, hover over it to see what's missing. Log your words 1. Click Log Words on the project's card, or Log Today at the top of the page. 2. Enter the number of words you wrote in Words Written. 3. Click Log Words. Log Today opens with your first active project selected. You can change it in the Project list. Read your project card Each project has a card showing: - A progress bar with your current words out of your target, for example "32,200 / 80,000 words", and the percentage. - Your daily goal, with a green tick once you've hit it today, or an amber warning if you haven't yet. - Time left until your target date, such as "45 days left", Due today or Overdue. When a project reaches its target word count for the first time, you'll see a confetti celebration. Use the buttons on the card - Log Words: record a session for this project. - Tick icon (Mark complete): move the project to Completed. - Pencil icon (Edit project): change the book, target, plan or notes. - Trash icon (Delete project): delete the project and every session logged for it. You can undo this from the message that appears.

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Popular articles

Why can't I create a project or log words?

How do I mark a book as finished in Word Counter?

What do the Word Counter chart and stats mean?

How do I track a book I have already started writing?

How do I log, edit or delete a writing session?

Getting started with Word Counter