by Lisa Jordan, @lisajordan
My friend and work colleague, Tari Faris is the special projects manager for My Book Therapy. As I’m the content manager for Novel Academy, MBT’s writing school, we work together on different types of projects, including perks we can offer our subscription-based membership.
Needing to get her own stories written, Tari had the brilliant idea of creating writing sprints within our private Novel Academy Facebook group. Monday through Thursday, we meet for four hourly segments and encourage the participants who join us to meet their writing goals for the day.
By the end of January, I had completed the rough draft of my current novel—44,000 words in three weeks, simply by participating in two one-hour writing sprints. I couldn’t believe it. Of course, the story needs a good polish, but the words are on the page. As I celebrated with my morning sprint crew, I thought about making those writing sprints successful.
- Just show up. Depending on the time zone, some of our writing friends had just woken up and showed up in pajamas. We are on camera, but we see from the neck up. And honestly, no one cares. With steaming mugs of coffee or tea or another favorite beverage, we greeted each other, some muffling yawns. Others rearranged their daily schedules to be there. We’d take ten minutes and discuss our goals for that hour. Then, we’d close in prayer and depart for our writing time.
- Do the work. Some of us were writing different types of projects—stories, short stories, blog posts. Others were editing. Some brainstorm characters and outline plot. One morning, a friend had to take care of some marketing work. It’s all a part of the writing process. Close out your email and your web browser. Turn off notifications except those who may need you in case of an emergency. Commit to a goal and do the work.
- Be accountable. Those fifty minutes used for writing go by quickly. However, when we came back together at the top of the next hour, we surprised ourselves with our word counts or the writing projects we completed. It’s all about moving forward with our goals. Also, we were honest if we didn’t do well. Some did get lured in by email or Facebook. Others had to tend to family matters. I had a few phone calls during my sprints. But we wouldn’t let those moments get us down. We simply vowed to do better during the next hour.
- Build community. One of the things I love most about the sprints is the building of community. We have the opportunity to see each other via video and put faces to names. We share tiny snippets about our lives. We celebrate each other’s successes and encourage when discouragement hits.
Writing sprints may not be for everyone. However, I decided to give them a try, and I was excited to see the fruit of that focused writing time. If you’d like to do your own sprint, gather a group of writing friends and set a few basic guidelines. Then, start the clock and watch the words fly out of your fingertips. You may surprise yourself with your output…and you’ll have more than you did the day before.
What about you? Do you participate in writing sprints? What benefits have they brought to your writing?
A veteran in need of a fresh start will get more than he bargained for…
Veteran Micah Holland’s scars go deeper than anyone knows. An inheritance from his mentor could be a new beginning—if he shares the inherited goat farm with fiercely independent Paige Watson. Now the only way they can keep the farm is to work together. But first Micah must prove he’s a changed man to keep his dream and the woman he’s falling for.
Heart, home, and faith have always been important to Lisa Jordan, so writing stories with those elements come naturally. Represented by Cynthia Ruchti of Books & Such Literary Management, Lisa is an award-winning author for Love Inspired, writing contemporary Christian romances that promise hope and happily ever after. Her latest book, His Road to Redemption, releases in January 2022. She is the content manager for Novel Academy, powered by My Book Therapy. Happily married to her own real-life hero for over thirty years, Lisa and her husband have two grown sons. When she isn’t writing, Lisa enjoys quality family time and being creative with words, photos, fibers, and papers. Learn more about her at lisajordanbooks.com.