Does this sound like you: You think about your novel constantly. It’s all you ever seem to think about, but the emotions it brings to mind aren’t the excited ones you started with. Instead, you feel run-down, worn out, overwhelmed by the thought of having to actually write your book. You want to make writing fun again!
Maybe you’ve got a day job, and while you’re at work, all you do is daydream about the future where your novel is done, published, and readers are raving about it all over Goodreads.
But, when you get home from work, or get the kids to bed, or your errands done… you stare at a computer screen and nothing happens. You’re exhausted. You’re procrastinating. Somewhere along the way, you’ve even lost your creativity. You’re stuck.
And you’re probably asking yourself WHY and HOW because it used to be such an amazing heart-wish to write your novel. It used to make you giddy with excitement. It used to not make you feel like such a failure who can’t help but procrastinate.
- Why can’t you get any writing done?
- How could something you love so much, think about so often, be so freaking impossible?
Why doesn’t writing your novel feel fun anymore?
Because it’s isolating.
Writing is, by nature, a solitary activity. It can be incredibly isolating and lonely, especially if all you see of other writers is how many words they got done this week or how many people watch their author Instagram stories. It’s hard to have fun when you’re the only one at the party.
Even introverts—most writers!—benefit from the occasional social interaction. Even better if they can have that interaction from the familiarity of their own home. Maybe you’re thinking, Nah, being alone when I write is my me-time. I like it this way. Great! The solution isn’t to go sit in a crowded cafe and write while your latte goes cold.
The solution is a lot more fun, and it makes writing fun again, too!
Video writing sprints can make writing fun again!
How can you stay in your pajamas + have (not-too-much) social interaction + make writing fun again? Jump on a video sprint with 1 or more of your favorite writing buddies!
What are video writing sprints?
Imagine taking the excitement of a regular writing sprint (where you set a timer for, say, 25 minutes, and then do nothing but write until the timer goes off) and add in the accountability and social interaction of a video chat. That’s what video sprints are. You grab a couple of your favorite writing friends, hop on a video call, and sprint together.
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Video writing sprints help make writing fun again in 3 ways. They:
- Keep you accountable because you can’t screw around without someone else seeing it
- Make writing feel less isolating because there are several of you all working hard at the same time
- Give you social interaction and an emotional boost during breaks, when you all get to share what you got done last sprint and what you’re working on
PS: Want to make more writing friends? Join me on Instagram. Every Friday, I host a friending party for fiction writers under the tag #fictionfriends. Come meet other fiction writers and let’s raise this community up!
How do you start doing video writing sprints?
Video writing sprints are super easy to get started. You just need a friend, a time, and video chat software.
Video chat software options
There are tons of options for you, but here are some of the most common:
- Facetime — Everyone must be an Apple user, but it works on desktop/laptop, phone, and iPad. They now have group calls available in the iOS 12.1 update.
- Google Hangouts — Free for group chats. The host needs a Gmail or G-Suite account, but I don’t think anyone else does. You need to install a plugin on your browser. The quality is usually good.
- Skype — I hate Skype so I won’t even link it. I am constantly getting spam from people who want to sell me porn or steal my account + the call quality is always low. But it’s an option if you haven’t had the issues I do.
- Slack — I haven’t used Slack for video chats, but I know the text chats are popular. (I prefer Discord for text chats.)
- Zoom — This is what I use. The free plan lets you chat with up to 100 people for 40 minutes. Once those 40 minutes are up, you can just close it out and start a new room easy peasy. If there are just two of you (1-on-1 meeting) then there’s no time limit. $15/mo to upgrade to the paid plan.
Get some focus. Create your opus.
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Pick your favorite, grab a friend, and set a time to write!
I like having weekly standing video sprint dates with writing partners. It exponentially boosts wordcount output!
Will you add video writing sprints into your writing life?
Who would you LOVE to sprint with? Share this post with them so you can get started!
