Overcome procrastination and writers’ block! In a new “timed writing” video, writer Walt Jaschek prompts you to join him as he writes uninterrupted for 22 minutes. (It works!)
Is there something you need to write? Are you in avoidance mode? Would a timed, 22-minute deep dive move something along? And would watching Walt write at the same time help you sit still and just do it? You’ve come to the write place.
Gather your notes, gather your research, put down your phone, click this new YouTube video, and sit quietly and write with me. As you’ll see, I’ll ask Alexa to start a timer for 22 minutes, and off we will go.
The idea is to come out the other side of these 22 minutes with a draft of about 600 words, which is what I typically crank out in that amount of time. A first draft, mind you – pure words on the page. Polished edits can come later. First: sentences. Paragraphs. Fingers hitting the keys.
What can you accomplish?
In 22 minutes, I say, you can crank out a solid draft of:
• A blog post
• A cover letter
• A graphic novel or comic book page (of about 6 panels)
• A solid character description
• A short chapter of a novel
• A good list of headlines
• A good chunk of a non-fiction article, or at least a strong lede
• A great chunk of a brochure or collateral material
• A plan of action
• The outline of an essay
• A really terrific shopping list
Why 22 minutes, and not say, 20 minutes? Well, I love double digits, and though 20-minute writing sprints are common among authors, I’ve always felt those extra two minutes allowed for some breathing room.
Bonus tip: if you need more time than 22 minutes, just rewind the video and start back at the beginning. Watch it early and often. The point is not just to start something, of course. It’s to finish something.
So let’s begin, shall we? Ready, get set…
Write!
Let me know what you accomplished in the comments!