Pamela’s Prompts: Writing in Sprints – A Favorite Holiday Memory

For today’s writing prompt, let’s take a look at writing in sprints.

Writing in sprints means setting a timer (I use my oven timer that looks like a rooster) for, say, five minutes or 10 minutes or whatever works for you. Then, when the time starts, you simply write without self-editing. Ignore your inner critic. Let the words flow. Even if you’re not writing in complete sentences, you are getting words down! Then, when the timer buzzes, stop writing.

I find that when I’m having difficulty getting motivated to write, writing in sprints kick-starts me. There’s just something about a timer counting down the minutes and seconds that gets me going. (Maybe it has something to do with being a former newspaper reporter and working under tight deadlines.)

After you complete your first sprint, count the number of words you produced. If you’re using a Word doc, there’s an easy way to find out the number of words. Simply highlight what you’ve written and look in the lower, left-hand part of your screen. You should see your word total. Then, do another sprint. And another, and still another and soon you will see that you may have accomplished your daily or weekly writing goals.

Pamela’s Prompt: Writing in Sprints – A Favorite Holiday Memory

For this exercise, you may want to experiment until you find your sweet spot – that glorious chunk of time that allows you to write the most words. For me, my ideal sprint is 20 minutes.

Remember, during sprint writing you are simply writing, not editing. Resist the urge to proofread or edit as you go.

So, are you ready to give sprint writing a try? Here’s your topic: Write about a favorite holiday memory.

Choose a time, set your timer, and go!

• Start with a five-minute sprint. Record the number of words.
• Next, do a 10-minute sprint. Record the number of words.
• Lastly, try a sprint writing for 20 minutes. Record the number of words.

Which sprint seemed to feel right to you? Were you struggling to come up with anything to write in the shorter sprint? How about the longer sprints? Did you find your sweet spot?

The more you write in sprints, the more I think you will find it useful in your life as a writer.

Happy writing!