Writing sprints: how to draft your book in short, timed bursts
A writing sprint is a short, timed block of pure drafting: set a timer, write without stopping, count your words, take a short break. It is the simplest way to start when you do not feel like starting, and to keep a first draft moving. Here is how to run one, how long to make it, and a plan for a full writing session.
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How to run a sprint
- Decide what you will write before the timer starts. One section, one story or one point from your outline. Sprints fail when the first five minutes go to deciding.
- Remove the exits. Close email and messages, put your phone in another room, and keep your notes open in one place only.
- Note your starting word count. Or start the section in a fresh document, so the count is easy.
- Start the timer and draft without stopping. No rereading, no fixing typos, no checking a fact. If you need something you do not have, type a marker like [CHECK] and keep going.
- When the timer ends, stop and count. Log the words. The number is not a grade; it tells you your pace, which helps you plan.
- Take a short break. Stand up, get water, look out a window. Then decide: another sprint, or done for the day.
How long to sprint
| Sprint length | Good for |
|---|---|
| 10 to 15 minutes | Days when starting is the hard part; restarting after a break; squeezing a session into a busy day |
| 20 to 25 minutes | Most drafting sessions; long enough to get into a section, short enough to stay focused |
| 30 to 45 minutes | Writers whose habit is already steady and who lose momentum when they stop often |
Scribe Media's guidance. There is no correct length; try two and keep the one you finish more often.
The Scribe Method recommends writing at least an hour a day, or 30 minutes if an hour is not possible. Two or three sprints with short breaks between them is an easy way to fill that time without facing a blank hour.
A sample session plan
For a one-hour session on a nonfiction chapter:
| Time | What you do |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | Read your chapter outline and the last paragraph you wrote. Pick the section for sprint one. |
| 20 minutes | Sprint one. Draft the section without stopping. |
| 5 minutes | Break. Log your words. Pick the next section. |
| 20 minutes | Sprint two. |
| 10 minutes | Log your words. Write one line on where to start tomorrow, so the next session starts fast. |
The last step matters most. A note like "next: the story about the first client who left" means tomorrow's first sprint starts in seconds instead of minutes.
Sprinting with other writers
Sprinting with others adds a fixed start time, which is the hardest thing to give yourself. Some ways to do it:
- A writing friend. Agree on a time, start a video call or a message thread, say "go," and report word counts at the end.
- A local or online write-in. Libraries, writing groups and online communities often run timed sessions.
- Your own calendar invite. If you sprint alone, put the sprint times in your calendar like a meeting you cannot move.
Keep the comparison friendly. Your words count against your goal, not against anyone else's.
Common mistakes
- Editing during the sprint. The fastest way to turn a 20-minute sprint into 300 words of the same paragraph. Revision is a separate session.
- Researching during the sprint. Mark the gap and keep drafting. Fill it in later.
- Skipping the break. Back-to-back sprints with no break wear out fast. Five minutes is enough.
- Judging a day by one sprint. Some sprints produce 200 words and some 900. Look at the week, not the block.
Pair sprints with a daily word count goal and a daily writing routine. If you cannot get started at all, see what to do when you are stuck, and if you need something to sprint on, pick from the nonfiction writing prompts.
Start here: pick one section from your outline, set a timer for 20 minutes, and write until it rings.
Common questions
What is a writing sprint?
A short, timed block in which you only draft: no editing, no research, no email. When the timer ends you count your words and take a short break. Sprints work because a fixed end makes it easier to start and harder to stop for small things.
How long should a writing sprint be?
Most writers use 15 to 30 minutes. Start with 15 if starting is the hard part, and move to 25 or 30 once you can keep going for the whole block. Sessions of two or three sprints with short breaks add up to the hour a day The Scribe Method recommends.
What is a sprint group or write-in?
Writers who agree on a start time, sprint at the same time in person or online, and then share word counts. The shared start time is the point: it is harder to put off a session when others are starting with you.
Are writing sprints the same as the Pomodoro Technique?
They are close relatives. The Pomodoro Technique, which Francesco Cirillo began developing in the 1980s, also breaks work into timed blocks with breaks. A writing sprint applies the same idea to drafting, usually with a word count at the end of each block.
Do sprints produce worse writing?
They produce rougher first drafts, which is the point. A sprint is for getting words down. Revision comes later, in separate sessions where you are not racing a timer.
Sources: The Scribe Method, chapter 13, How to Create Your Book Writing Plan (at least an hour a day, or 30 minutes), read October 29, 2026; Francesco Cirillo Company, The Pomodoro Technique (began developing it in the 1980s), read October 29, 2026. The sprint method, session plan and other guidance were written by Scribe Media. Published by Scribe Media.