So What Words Count?
This is probably the hardest question to answer because there's always some other option you may feel like you need to ask about. This page is meant to give you an idea of what we intend for you to count and what not to count, so that you can make your best decision when trying to decide if a project counts.
If you have a project that doesn't fit into anything mentioned here, you may ask for an official ruling, but we do trust you to make a good decision based on the guidelines provided here.
Fiction
Obviously, all fiction counts, both original and fanfic, no matter the length. If you can call it a scene or a character sketch, a short story or novella, a novel or epic trilogy: IT COUNTS. Scripts (for screen or stage or comic/graphic novel), poetry of all types, and song lyrics all count as well. If you plan to publish it, post it around LJ, or just tuck it into your personal notebook, it all counts.
Nonfiction
Nonfiction will generally count if there is an intent to publish. This applies to literary nonfiction such as personal essays and memoirs, and journalistic nonfiction such as reviews or newspaper and magazine articles. This also includes articles for blogs—but that doesn't mean that your LJ posts griping about work today count! Use your best judgement if you're not sure if what you're writing will count.
Another sticky point of nonfiction is the question of school work. Generally speaking, school work will NOT count; the exceptions are thesis work and works produced for a creative writing class. Professional job-related writings also, in general, will not count; if you work for a magazine or blog professionally you may be an exception, but that handbook on widgets your boss gave you three days to write doesn't count. Why do we put these restrictions? Because we want you to count things you want to write, not things you have to write to pass a class/stay employed. You would do those anyway, and that's not what we're trying to shake loose from your brain.
Roleplaying
A number of you roleplay, and that's another instance of splitting the decision. In this case the big question is: what is the RP method? If you play in narrative prose in a comm or forum (usually 3rd person but not always), then whatever you write for your character will count. If you play in a 1st person dialogue/*action* format in a comm/forum/IM, then that does NOT count. Any fics you write to fill in gaps or expand your character's background can count. If you're not sure if it counts, ask yourself if, in its current format, could it be posted like a fanfic? If so, count it! If not, then don't.
For tabletop gaming or dungeon crawls, if you are writing a scenario or a battle report, those can be counted. If what you're writing can be called a scene, character study, story, or literary essay, count those words.
Language
The language in which you're writing doesn't matter. Words are words, and if you feel more comfortable writing in your native tongue—or if you want to give yourself practice in a foreign language—then that's great and we encourage that. (However, if you need to translate it after, do not count the translation and any edits you make to clear up syntax!)
Revising and Editing
If you're revising something you wrote before 2012 or editing something you've already counted for this year, then you'll need to be careful about how you count the new words. Whether you're doing a few line edits or rewriting an entire scene, you may count any new words. Just be sure not to recount words you've already counted towards your goal. We recommend using Track Changes to help you keep track while editing, or using other methods of striking out or cutting and pasting your new words into a separate document.