Urgency Unlocks Creativity
When you know you only have five or ten minutes, there's no time for perfectionism or second-guessing. That urgency accesses a different part of your creative mind.
Some of my most surprising ideas have emerged from timed sprints. Try it when you're stuck—sometimes the solution is to stop thinking and just write.
Race the Clock
Choose your sprint duration—five, ten, fifteen, or twenty minutes. The timer starts, and the countdown appears on screen.
Write as fast as you can. Your word count updates in real-time. Don't pause to think; keep your fingers moving.
When time runs out, your final word count is displayed along with your words-per-minute rate.
Related Exercises
Character Monologues
Write monologues for different character types and develop your ability to create distinct voices.
Morning Pages
Stream-of-consciousness writing with gentle nudges—clear your mind and access deeper creativity.
Hemingway Mode
Silence your inner editor—the backspace key is disabled, so you can only move forward.
Character Interview
Answer questions as your character—discover their voice, quirks, and hidden depths.
Blind Mode
Write without seeing your text—trust your instincts and discover what emerges when you can't self-edit.
Tighten Up
Practice the art of concise writing—learn to say more with fewer words.
Interval Training
Structured writing sprints with built-in breaks—perfect for building stamina without burning out.
Basic Practice
The simplest way to build your daily writing habit—just you, a timer, and words on the page.
First Line Continuation
Skip the blank page—start from a compelling opening line and see where it takes you.
Prompt Frenzy
Stay on your toes as random writing prompts appear mid-session, challenging you to adapt on the fly.
Word Avalanche
Can you keep up? Word targets increase throughout your session, pushing your endurance to the limit.
POV Swap
Write the same scene from three different perspectives and discover how point of view transforms a story.