Goodbye #TNightSprints; Hello #TuesAMSprints!

Hey there, word sprinters!

It’s with half regret, half pleasure that we’re here to inform you that we will no longer be hosting #TNightSprints on our Twitter account and will be replacing it with another weekly sprinting event. It’s been almost a year since we started running #TNightSprints, and while we are no longer able to host it, we thank you for joining us in our many productive Tuesday and Thursday night sessions!

Cristina’s schedule has changed, leaving her with more writing time in the morning than at night. So without further ado, we’re introducing #TNightSprints’s replacement: #TuesAMSprints!

Cristina will be hosting sprints from @TheSprintShack every Tuesday morning from 6:30 am EST to 7:30 am EST to give you fellow morning writers an extra boost (especially helpful if your motivation is usually lacking on Mondays)! For those of you who are voraciously productive in the mornings, these sprints directly follow those hosted by the @5amWritersClub and finish with only a half hour to go before @Novel_Adventure‘s morning sprints… this way, you can knock out ALL THE WORDS between 5 am and 10 am EST! (That’s 5 hours of writing. If you have that much time on a weekday to write, we salute and envy you).

We hope to see you out there for some early writing! If you can’t make #TuesAMSprints, remember to check out our Sprinting Schedules page to find sprints that work for your routine.

Happy sprinting!

How to Host Word Sprints

After only a few months of hosting word sprints on the Sprint Shack’s Twitter account, I’ve had the pleasure of sprinting alongside a huge number of awesome writers. I just love seeing all the participation and the support we give one another! And I know my co-founders feel the same way about hosting sprints. We wish we could sprint around the clock, but we often have to sign off to take care of real-world obligations (like walking the dog, work, or…you know…eating).

However, just because we are done sprinting for the day doesn’t mean you have to be. What if you want more sprinting? Or maybe our sprinting never matches up with your availability to write. Or maybe you want to be the one calling the shots and deciding when a sprint will start and how long it’ll go for. Well, that’s the great thing about word sprints! Anybody can host them.

For those who have never hosted a word sprint, here’s a crash course in hosting so that you can start up your own word sprint whenever you like!

Word Sprint Hosting Basics
It’s really not hard to host word sprints, I promise. If you find yourself with a chunk of writing time and crave the company of other writers, all you have to do is send out a tweet. There are a few basic things you’ll want to include in the tweet:

– Start time and length of the sprint
– #wordsprint hashtag (or whichever sprinting hashtag you prefer – or even a couple of them!)

Here’s an example tweet I’d send out announcing a word sprint:

“Anyone up for a #wordsprint? Let’s go for 20 minutes starting at :30! #writingsprint”

It’s a good idea to send out this initial tweet 10 or so minutes before the start of your sprint time in order to give others a chance to get ready to write.

It also doesn’t hurt to send out another tweet re-stating the start time and length of the sprint (and always include a sprinting hashtag!) a few minutes before the sprint starts. I like to do a five minute warning.

When the sprint starts, send out a tweet telling people to start writing. Let them know when to come back (the sprint end time). Here’s another example:

“GO! #wordsprint until :50!”

Some people like to issue a #writingdare or writing prompt for the sprint session. Whether or not you give one when you start the sprint is up to you!

Now, this next part is very important – probably the most important part of hosting a word sprint: Write.

Yeah, I know it should go without saying, but the whole point of sprinting is to write. When hosting a sprint, I find myself more easily distracted than if I were just participating in a sprint hosted by someone else. This is because, often times, people tweet you saying that they’re jumping in late or leaving early – or some people are asking if you’ll be hosting more. And they should send these tweets! That’s part of the sprinting experience. But it’s on you to convince yourself to shut out all those distractions and write until your word sprint ends. You’re hosting a sprint to get some writing done, after all! Save the socializing for after.

At the end of your sprint, send out a tweet letting people know that the sprint is over and it’s time to report their word counts. Whether you choose to do anything with these numbers is up to you – if you’re hosting a #wordscrim or #wordwar, you’ll want to announce a winner after people have reported their word counts. Otherwise, congratulate yourself and your fellow sprinters on a job well done.

And there you have it! That’s all it takes to host a word sprint. Pretty simple. Now go out there and word sprint 24/7!

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We’re always happy to have you sprint alongside us at @TheSprintShack, but don’t be afraid to host your own sprints if we’re not online or if you want to be in control of your sprinting experience! Got any questions about hosting word sprints? Or just about word sprints in general? Leave us a comment below!

NaNoWriMo: Tips on How to Finish Strong

Just a few days left now! Oh, my dear WriMos! We are SO. CLOSE.  This wonderfully masochistic month of noveling is coming to an end. Now, I know these last days are valuable – every minute counts when it comes to reaching that goal of 50,000 words – so I’ll keep this post short. (You didn’t think I’d let you use this post to procrastinate for too long, did you?)

For many of you, there are only a handful of words standing between you and the sweet taste of a 2013 NaNoWriMo victory. In the same vein as Faye’s recent post on How to Stay Motivated During NaNoWriMo, I’ve compiled a list of common end-of-November demoralizers and solutions to them. Techniques and tips to help breathe new life into your story and renew your motivation – to help you finish strong.

Hit a wall in your story?/Not sure what to do next?
– Make the most of the NaNo message boards and take a writing dare from other WriMos
– Switch something up in your writing (kill a character off, switch narrators, bring a previously suspected dead character back, etc.)

Getting distracted easily?
– Participate in a #wordsprint on Twitter
– Go somewhere new to write – somewhere out of the house!

Can’t turn your inner editor off?/Keep revising or deleting as you write?
– Try kamakazi mode in Write or Die
– Participate in a #wordwar or #wordscrim on Twitter (whoever writes the most words in a set amount of time WINS!)

Just don’t care anymore?
– Only winners get shirts
– Think how good it’ll feel to have completed a whole 50k words in just thirty days!
– Make a #NaNoWager with another WriMo
– Just check out all the goodies on the NaNoWriMo site – some seriously sweet incentives to win!

I’m just too far behind!
– Stop whining and make an EPIC come back!
– Again, only winners get shirts.
– #WORDSPRINT
Come on guys! You’re nearly there! You can see the end. You’re closing in on it. And we’re here, cheering you along! Go forth and finish that novel!

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How close are you to the 50k mark? Let us know in the comments below!
Join us on Twitter at @TheSprintShack for sprints and more NaNoWriMo madness!

Find Your Perfect Word Sprint

Sometimes it seems as though there are as many types of word sprint and hashtag out there as there are word sprinters. #WritingSprint. #WriteClub. #WordScrim. #1k1hr. It’s easy to become overwhelmed, whether you’ve just started sprinting or have the battle-hardened fingers of a word war veteran.

What draws people towards specific types of word sprint? What do all these hashtags mean? And what’s the perfect word sprint and its hashtag for you? Just read on to find out…

The ‘Lightning’ Sprint

If you’re easily distracted or find that you write lots in short bursts, but flag when writing continuously for longer periods, then lightning word sprints are probably your thing. They’re fast, they’re frantic and they’re frequent.

What constitutes a ‘short’ or ‘lightning’ sprint varies from person to person, but, generally speaking, they fall between 5 and 20 minutes, with 10 and 15 minute word sprints being the most common.

There’s no specific hashtag for sprints of this length, but the following are usually used when short bursts of sprinting are called for:

• #WordSprint
• #WritingSprint
• #WordWar
• #SprintDaily

The ‘Mid-Length’ Sprint

Because lightning sprints are so short, they’re also held frequently. You might find, however, that stopping to report your word counts every 10-20 minutes is distracting, stops you getting into ‘The Zone’ or tosses you out of it most unceremoniously when you finally achieve that mystical state. If that’s the case, mid-length sprints may be more to your tastes.

A mid-length word sprint is around 30 minutes long. Many pre-planned, formal word sprints, such as Write Club, are this length, but spontaneous 30 minute sprints are still common.

(What are planned and spontaneous sprints and what makes each awesome? Find out in Taylor Eaton’s post.)

Some of the hashtags you can use to join or host your own mid-length word sprints are:

• #WriteClub—these word sprints are held every Friday and run for at least 12 hours, starting from 7 p.m. GMT / 2 p.m. EST / 11 a.m. PST. They last for 30 minutes, followed by a 10 minute break. Rinse and repeat. (Find out more about Write Club here.)
• #WordScrim—held predominantly by Virtual Writers, Inc. and The Prompt Fairy, a #wordscrim follows the pattern of most word sprints (write as much as you can in the set time period), except that the person with the highest word count is declared the winner. Wordscrims usually last 30 minutes. (Find out more about WordScrims here.)
• #WordMongering—each word mongering session begins on the hour, every hour, and lasts for half an hour. So that means furious writing from :00 to :30, followed by a 30 minute break. Then the cycle starts again. (Find out more about Word Mongering here.)
• #SprintDaily

The ‘Long-Haul’ Sprint

What if you’re a person who revels in the continuous rush of words—someone who loves to lose themselves in a story for more than just 30 short minutes? If that’s you, then a long-haul sprint may be more your style.

These long sprints—so long I consider them ‘marathons’ instead—are generally an hour in length, but can go up to 90 minutes—or more. There tend to be fewer people who take part in these marathons, but those who do usually gravitate towards one particular hashtag: #1k1hr.

Short for ‘1000 words in 1 hour’, this challenge is for those who write consistently over long stretches. If you struggle to remain focused or keep up that pace for longer than a mid-length sprint, then this probably isn’t for you. If, however, you want to submerge yourself in the world of your imagination, but keep your pace and motivation high, then this hour long challenge could be perfect for you.

Some of the hashtags that you can find and host long sprints with are:

• #1k1hr
• #SprintDaily

If you don’t already know which word sprint is for you, try out a few sprints of different lengths. Which ones keep you writing and feel the most enjoyable? Which ones are most appropriate for the amount of time you have available? And which ones allow you to write the most?

So now that you know what types of word sprints there are, how long they last, and what kind of sprinter they’re best suited to, there’s just one question to ask: what’s your perfect word sprint?

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Interested in trying out a few word sprints? Pop over to the Sprinting Resources page and check out our list of the many writing and sprinting hashtags, events and websites. Then come join us on Twitter, where we host a variety of word sprints from @TheSprintShack, host your own sprint, or check out the Upcoming Sprints page to find out what wordy challenges are just around the corner.

Until then, happy writing!

Why I Sprint: Taylor Eaton

I love a good challenge. Tell me I can’t eat four donuts in a minute, and I’ll do my darndest to prove you wrong. The cinnamon challenge? Done it (failed it, but done it). Who can do the most push ups: me or a body builder? You know I’ll at least try.

So when it comes to my writing, it only makes sense that word sprints are an effective motivator. I only have 30 minutes to write as much as I can? I’ll write the most words anyone has ever seen! What? It’s a #wordwar – there’s a winner? I WILL BE VICTORIOUS.

But why I participate in word sprints goes deeper than my competitive nature. It comes down to the fact that I have a HUGE problem with procrastination. I mean, just sitting down to write this post took about three hours of preparation (read: Netflix and aimless tweeting). I finally had to start a word sprint to get the first sentence down. But once I set a time limit, I zoned in on the words.

When I sprint, I put on the metaphorical blinders and write like nothing else exists. And when procrastination does rear its ugly head (“I wonder if my friend texted me back” or “Oh, I should really organize all these paper clips…”), I can look at the clock. “Only eight more minutes until this sprint ends? I can do that. Eight more minutes of writing and then I can check my Facebook.” Having an end in sight helps me to postpone distractions. And often times, once I’ve focused my energies on my writing, I’ll lose the desire to goof off – all of a sudden the words are pouring in and I have to get them down! Then I keep going and soon enough the sound of my text notification fades into the ether.

That’s what it comes down to for me. I word sprint because it offers a low risk way for me to get into writing mode. “Just 25 minutes? I can do that. Bring it on.”

And it doesn’t hurt that I get to write alongside all you awesome word sprinters ;)

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What do you love about word sprinting? Tell me all about it in the comments below! And make sure to join me for sprints at @TheSprintShack or @tayloreaton.