Writing Session and Streak Log

Who this is for

A line for each day you sit down to write. Record when you started and stopped, how many minutes it came to and what you worked on, and tick whether the day counts as written. The streak column adds up the unbroken run for you.

Writers building a regular habit, whether that means daily pages, a set number of sessions a week or simply turning up more often than last month.

What this helps you track

• When each session started and ended and how long it lasted
• What you worked on in each session
• Which days were written on and which were missed
• Your streak on each line and the longest run this month
• Total and average time at the desk

How to use it

1. Write the month, the project and your own session goal at the top, in whatever terms suit you.
2. Fill a line at the end of each session: date, start and end times, minutes and what you worked on.
3. Tick the written column on days that meet your own definition of a writing day.
4. The streak column is worked out in the browser and the workbook, adding one for each ticked day and resetting after a gap; on paper, count it yourself.
5. At the month's end, read the summary and carry anything useful into next month's goal.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

What counts as a written day?

Whatever you decide at the start of the month: any time at the desk, a set number of minutes, or finishing a scene. Write the rule in the goal field so the ticks mean the same thing all month.

Why log minutes rather than words?

Some sessions are planning, research or editing, where word count means little. Minutes show the time given. If words matter more to you, the daily word count tracker is built around that.

How does the streak handle a day with two sessions?

Give each session its own line but tick written on only one of them, or combine them into one line. The streak counts ticked lines in order, so a second tick on the same day would add an extra day.

Do I need a line for days I did not write?

Yes, if you want the streak to reset. Add the date with the written box left empty, and the streak goes back to nothing on that line.