From Edie: Discover how writing sprints can help writers boost productivity, silence perfectionism, and add more words to their work in less time.
Writing Sprints Explained: How Writers Can Write More Words in Less Time
by Tammy Karasek @TickledPinkTam
Alone or in a group, there is great value in a writing word sprint. There are many variations on how you can do a sprint. I’ve participated in word sprints with a group in person as well as online. Online you can meet-up on Zoom, Facebook group, Discord, and more. I prefer the in-person sprint, but it’s not always easy to get together if you’re spread out around the country.
The most important part of a word sprint is you are not allowed to stop and edit. You must free write without thought about your spelling or incorrect sentences. As soon as the leader says go—you start typing until the leader says stop. The first time I did one, I had a hard time not pausing, reading what I’d just wrote and editing. I’ll be honest, when I heard we could not backspace or correct spelling, it made this perfectionist sweat a bit. So I cheated and did a little editing. Just a little. Then the person beside me told on me—rude! But the leader said I had missed the point of free writing and the freedom to let your mind get into the story, not the mechanics of writing. I did the next sprint and did as instructed. I realized how freeing it actually was. Awkward or not, the benefits are fantastic.
One of the in-person word sprints I participated in was a blast! Once we all arrived and set up our little writing spot, we each had to use the paper the leader passed out to write down the number of words we’d like to achieve in the first 30-minute sprint just for us to see. At the end of the 30-minute sprint, the leader yelled stop and made us raise our hands off the keyboard, look at our word count on our piece, then write that number beside the number we already wrote on our paper. Each person who hit or surpassed their goal had to stand up. Each of those folks received a full-size candy bar. Those that didn’t, received a mini candy bar for their effort. This group had other kinds of prizes at the end of each 30-minute sprint. Once we finished up for the day, we all received a writing sticker if we hit our goal at least four out of the six-word sprint sessions. Prizes or not, it’s your choice how you set one up.
The other fun part of the Word Sprint Write-In was at the end of each of those 30-minutes sprints we were given a chance to read out loud one sentence we wrote that we loved if we wanted to. This particular writing session was in a Zoom Word Sprint group.
When you decide to gather writers and do a word sprint, you can design it any way you’d like. Sprints can be for 15 minutes or 30. One sprint I did was an hour long. I wasn’t a fan of that one. But you could even split them up—do a couple short ones, then a longer one, and back to a couple short ones to finish up the time you’re together.
Word Sprints can be done in person or online. I’ve done both and had a great time doing them. In person was my favorite, but I still participate those online from time to time. Whether you have incentives or you just set the timer and go, make sure each writer understands what they are to do. Explain this is not a competition with each other, but rather a challenge to get your juices flowing. The competition is within yourself to push harder to meet your goal. Remember to be realistic, though. You might dream of writing 10,000 words in a 30-minute sprint, but you’ll be let down when you see you didn’t make that goal.
How about you? Have you participated in a Word Sprint with your writing buddies? If so, share with us how you set up your session? If you haven’t done a Word Sprint, won’t you consider finding a couple of your writing buddies willing to meet up and do one together? I know you’ll have fun and you’ll come away with words added to your current work in progress.
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Her work was also published in a Divine Moments Compilation Book—Cool-inary Moments. She’s also the Social Media Manager for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, Founding President and current Vice-President of ACFW Upstate SC, and Founding President of Word Weavers Upstate SC. She’s a writing team member for The Write Conversation Blog, Novel Academy, MBT Monday Devotions, The Write Editing and more. Connect with Tammy at HTTPS://WWW.TAMMYKARASEK.COM.
A young writer friend and I write together on Wednesdays as often as we can, which hasn't been often enough lately, but we try for at least an hour or two.
ReplyDeleteOur sprints come from the ones I discovered through NaNoWriMo, even though I never signed up tp do those intense months. The idea was to pick something unique to create each sprint: the # of words in your favorite book's title multiplied by 25; the # of books you have in your favorite series times 50; the letters in a pet's name multiplied by 75.
The idea delighted the part of me that thrives on making writing fun, especially for young writers, while still getting words written. We sometimes used dice rolls or a bingo board. The options abound.
And like you, we shared short pieces from what we wrote. We chatted and laughed, shared our lives, often critiqued or brainstormed for a few minutes. And we prayed for each other.
That young writer attended her first writers conference with me this summer and had a publisher interested in her work -- a novel she worked on through those sprints, having fun, enjoying the process.
That sounds like you two had a lot of fun and it was productive for you both! Thanks for sharing your experience with us, it just might encourage someone else to reach out and mentor a new writer!
DeleteWhat an excellent idea! I often wish I could encourage others to mentor young writers. This past summer, the writers conference I attend each year, Montrose Christian Writers Conference, had over 15 young writers (teens and YAs)!! I love working with and encouraging them, and I've taught the teen/YA track a few times.
DeleteBut this could maybe be created into an excellent workshop to help other more advanced writers see how fun it could be to mentor one themselves. Thanks for the message from His Spirit through yours to mine. I love when He does that!
In fact, I just remembered that a few years back, I was asked to cowrite a curriculum to help special needs schoolchildren with the writing sessions I'd used with young people, sessions that used fiction techniques to eventually draw personal thoughts, goals, conflicts from otherwise reticent youth. The other person, a teacher, ended up getting a new position, so the idea was disbanded at that time.But I believe there's something here that God wants to use for His Kingdom. My task is to pull it together, waiting upon His wisdom for each step. Blessings!
Cathy, I think you're on to something and you didn't realize it! Pray about creating a Mentorship Program for Teens! Write the book about it and what you'd like new Teen writers to know! You've got some praying and thinking to do my friend!!
DeleteCathy, I think you're on to something and you might not have even thought about it! Pray about it. But I think you might want to think about creating a Mentorship Program for Teen Writers! And, write a book teaching them what they need to know to forge the path as a writer! I can't wait to hear where you take this!
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