Getting words on the screen

Last fall during NANOWRIMO, I discovered an amazing tool that helps me to push past hiccups in my writing.  I can't take credit for the idea, because it wasn't mine, nor can I give credit where it's due; I don't know who came up with it.  But IT WORKS!  I find on a good day, I can write up to 500 words in my novel in 15 minutes.

To some, that may not be impressive, but at times when you're struggling to get the words to flow, 500 words in 15 minutes is HUGE!

So, here it is, my secret to getting words on my screen:

Word Wars and Word Sprints

You may be shaking your head and thinking, yeah whatever.  But maybe that's only because you don't know what they are.  Relax and be rest assured, I will explain.

First of all, word wars (ww's) and word sprits (ws's) are pretty much the same thing, but some people use one over the other for whatever reason.  And that is okay - you can too!  Here is what they are:

You and 1 or more writerly friends (because it only works if you have a little friendly competition -- not that writing is a competition, because it's not -- neither are ww's or ws's -- it's just for fun and word count, people -- jeez!)  Okay, back to the subject at hand.  You and 1 or more writers meet online - or in person if you have a writers group - and you set a timer for X amount of minutes.

I like 15 minutes because it goes fast and I find myself racing...myself at times.

While the timer is counting down you write.  Write hard and write fast.  Get those keys clicking and fingers moving.  At the end of your set time period, everyone posts how many words they were able to write, knowing some will write 53 and others will write 867.  And that's okay -- I promise!

Whether you write 53 or 867 words, it doesn't matter, it's not about the number.  It's about getting the words on the screen and making progress.  You'll never write a novel if you don't write the words.  Trust me, it's true.

So, if you're looking for friends to do some ww'ing or ws'ing, post on Twitter or Facebook or any other social media outlets you're a part of and start filling your screen with the words.  All the words.