DanDanikov said:
1. DVT is a result of being cramped and otherwise immobile for long periods of time, i.e. cheap window seats on a long flight. At home, you should be quite comfortable, able to flex and move your legs, as well as walk around when you want to. I'd suggest 5 minute breaks once an hour from a computer, though- get some fresh air, use the bathroom, arrange food, etc. It might also be a good idea to consider pen and paper, or a laptop if you're dead set on using a keyboard. It's good to be able to change environments while still being able to work. It's also good to focus on the writing and leave spelling and awkward grammar to revisions. Having Word constantly pointing out errors and misspellings can slow you down and even be demoralising.
2. Stephen King recommended 1000 words a day, but also said he aims for 2000. Some people simply write faster than others. Depending on how you work, how much you just write rather than rewriting and revising as you go along, your mileage may vary. Experiment, decide when you've had a good day and use that as a yardstick. You may find as you get more practice in and get better at writing and writing quickly, that may shift.
3. Making enough to live on as a novelist is unlikely and something that only the best-selling authors seem to manage, so don't abandon your source of regular income just yet. A typical advance would be in the $5,000 area for a first book; this will tend to be higher if you have an agent (or maybe you'll have a hard time getting/decide not to get an agent with a low advance).
Might I add good luck! Your first novel is probably the hardest. Expect a lot of criticism (although some of it will be constructive) and rejection, but if you can weather it all out just getting published is rewarding in itself.
I applaud your decision to join the path of heartache, stressful nights, and substance temptation: it's a fun one
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Going through the query letter --> outline --> etc. process myself, so I'm not officially published yet, but here are some tips.
1. DVT mainly occurs when someone is slaving over a pad/computer/etc. in a dim and cramped room. There's little reason why you should contract this, though (unless your work requires it). Why not write in a public library/coffeehouse/etc.? Just as public/private, better lighting, cheap/free, and even if you don't have a laptop/Alphasmart/etc. they still have computer access. + research is available.
2. Word counts is something that varies from person to person. I would recommend not being in a huge rush to meet a word count quota: it usually ends up cheapening the meaning of what you're trying to do. Instead, if you want to keep the same pressure, create deadlines. Instead of saying "I'm going to write X words a day", say "I'm going to get this section done today" or "I'll be finished with my first draft on XX/XX/XXXX (date)". It works better (at least for me), and it makes it so that you don't have to struggle to come up with random words to fill your quota.
3. If you want to live as a writer, you CANNOT just write novels (unless you're ridiculously lucky). Most full-time writers work as freelancers, meaning that they'll do many things (from tech writing to children's books to newspaper articles) to etch out a decent living. Journalism is another option, as well as many other fields (like tech writing). Most authors get a $5000-10000 advance (sometimes less, rarely more) for the first X amount of books (500, 1000, 2000, etc.)also known as the first edition. Once they start printing a second edition, you'll get a % of each book, so you can make some money on your older books for a long while.
Good luck! PM me if you have more questions
