Writing Time
Estimate the clock time to draft and edit a piece of writing.
About Writing Time
Drafting time comes from words over typing speed, then each planned edit pass adds about half of that again. Quoting a realistic total for drafting plus editing prevents deadlines from slipping and fees from being undercharged.
Formula
Writing Time
Draft = words / wpm; total = draft x (1 + 0.5 x edits)
- edits
- Each editing pass adds roughly 50% of the draft time
Worked example
With the default values below, Writing Time returns First Draft of 25. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Words to writeminimum 1
- 1,000
- Typing speedaccepts 10–120 wpm
- 40 wpm
- Editing passesaccepts 0–5
- 2
Results
- First Draft
- 25 min
- With Edits
- 50 min
- Total Hours
- 0.8 h
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2Writing Time
- 3First Draft= 25 min
- 4With Edits= 50 min
- 5Total Hours= 0.8 h
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 1 decimal place, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Writing Time calculated?
Draft = words / wpm; total = draft x (1 + 0.5 x edits) Drafting time comes from words over typing speed, then each planned edit pass adds about half of that again.
Why does Writing Time matter?
Quoting a realistic total for drafting plus editing prevents deadlines from slipping and fees from being undercharged.
What values do I need to enter?
This calculator takes 3 inputs: Words to write, Typing speed, Editing passes. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.