Writing Sprints

Writing sprints are very useful things to do as a writer but when you don't know what they are you can get quite confused on how to do them so I am here to help.

First, let's talk about what a writing sprint is.

A writing sprint or a word sprint is when you have to sit down for a length of time and write as much as you can in that time without stopping. you then take a five-minute break and do it again. the sprints can be for any length of time but most writers pick somewhere between five minutes and half an hour.

The benefit of writing sprints varies from increasing how many words you can write, getting your story done faster and more.

you can do word sprints on anything. there are websites like mywriteclub where you can do your sprints with friends or by yourself that will time you or you can set up a timer on your phone. during NaNoWriMo and Camp NaNoWriMo you can do writing sprints on twitter. 

if you search up @NaNoWordSprints they hold word sprints every April, July and November. AuthorTubers also randomly hold live streams where word sprints are done so just do some research and you'll find the best way for you after some experimenting.

Four Things That I Wish I Knew About Writing

There is a lot I wish I knew before I started writing so I have compiled some of them to help you.

One of the major things I wish I knew is that your first draft will never be perfect and just because it sucks doesn't mean it can't be great. this was something that took me forever to understand because for the longest time I would think my writing was amazing and then I would come back and read it and it is garbage so I would throw it out instead of editing and trying to make it better.

Talking about it is so much easier. I have spent hours and hours talking to my family and even friends about the amazing book I am writing or thought of and even discuss every little detail but the minute I went to write I couldn't find the right words, how to write it the way I pictured it in my head. which brings me onto the new thing I wish I knew

Perfection isn't key, now obviously if your book doesn't have spelling mistakes it would be so much easier in the long run to edit but the first draft is just you telling yourself the story, you can edit it the way you want the book to be once you have written the book so it is better to write half pie ideas and plots then not writing at all because you want it to be perfect from the start.

Not everyone will like your work and that's okay. when you are a writer rejection is a big part of it from agents, publishing houses, friends, family and readers alike. your book won't be for everyone and there will always be at least one hater who will try and destroy your confidence but no matter what you do there will be haters and as long as you love your book don't worry what others think.

What is something that you wish you knew?

My Writing Routine

I think there comes a point in every writer's life that they decide they need a writing schedule. it can be very handy to make sure you have all the time you need to do other things as well as get as many words down as possible.

I myself have been the victim many times to overworking and hitting the block and it wasn't until recently i decided to make a Writing Routine and this is it.

Before i start i want to point out that i have two writing routines, one for wattpad and one for my book writing. i will be splitting this post into two so you can see both my schedules.

My Book Routine

Since dropping out of school i normally wake up at around 11am to 1pm depending on what time i go to bed, i never set an alarm unless i have an early start for travelling or appointments so i wake up when either my animals wake me or my body does.

Once awake i make coffee to wake myself up and i just plot around until 2pm, this is when i start writing. i like to write around three pages of words a day which for me is normally 1,500 words. i work on multiple projects at one time so it maybe 300 words on one project and 800 words on another project and 400 on another or it may be the full 1,500 words on one project. i also sometimes write more than three pages it just depends on how much i am in the mood to write and how the words are flowing because sometimes that's a half an hour job and other times its a three-hour job it just depends. 

Now i know a lot of writers give themselves a day break but i don't i write every single day of the year. After i have written i log into Wattpad four days a week but i spend Wednesday and Saturday editing a book that has just come out of what i call the stand-down period which is where my books, once they are finished, go into for three months before i start to edit them.

My Wattpad Routine

Once i have finished with my three pages with my normal writing i log into my Wattpad and start writing, i am always writing across two books on wattpad every Wednesday and Saturday a new part goes up.

Now i do just want to point out i only spend four days writing on wattpad and i write four parts across two days. so every Monday and Tuesday i write for Wednesday uploads and every Thursday and Friday i write for Saturdays upload. i do it this way so that i know i always have parts and so i know i can upload when i am meant to and it also gives me time to build up parts before a new book is started.

On Sundays i edit one of my older books on wattpad, normally only one part a week but if its two shorter chapters i will do two.

My parts vary from 500 to 2,500 words per part so i don't set a goal other then i have to write eight parts in total in the week.

Starting A New Book: What You Need To Know

I am no stranger to starting new books and while I am no expert in writing and all of that I would say I know a fair bit about the drafting process and getting those first 500 words on the page.

starting a new book for me depends on two key factors, is it a solo book or a series? I will be getting into how I do both.

solo book: 

now solo books are the easiest for me because I have less preparation to do. typically I start out with my idea and do the quickest brainstorm ever literally all I have for a new book is this
project name
blurb
main characters
key info

an actual example from one of my plans

and then I just start writing.

series:

Now for me when it comes to series I have to be on the ball with it. I typically start with a
book idea,
then I make a book bible,
write out a small book plan,
project name
do what I do for solo books
then I start writing. 

things to know before starting a new book are:

• what you want the book to be about
• who your main characters are and there relationships to one another
• a ballpoint of how many words you want it to be  
• what the genre is 

that's really all there is to it, everyone has there own way of writing and that's okay you just have to find out how you do it and you'll be set

offline ways to get inspired to write

I live in an area that is prone to power outs which when you want to get inspired to write to either work or pass the time can be hard, so I have compiled a list of ways I get inspired to write when there is no internet or when you want a break from being online all the time.

I pay for Spotify premium so that I can download podcast episodes and music to get inspired while being offline. My favourite music that inspires me is rock and my favourite podcast to get in the mood is I Should Be Writing by Mur Lafferty.

Outside of Spotify, I read another writers work which gets my mind flowing with different words then the hardest bit is putting those words onto paper (of a word document)

Or I will go out into nature if weather permits and stare at the woods and imagine in my book what my characters would be doing if they were in the real world.

How do you get inspiration?

What I do when I am not writing

I talk a lot about my writing (the whole point of this blog) but some people forget that no matter what you do for work from the police to teachers that we are all people and we do have lives outside of work, and while I don't have an eventful life out of writing I decided to dedicate this blog post to things I do outside of writing.

the main thing I do when I am not writing is my other jobs like my youtube, my business making dreamcatchers and modelling. I also spend a lot of time sleeping.

outside of work though you will find me watching movies or tv-shows, listening to podcasts or music. researching different things (i love to research) you will catch me at doctors appointments or in my back garden taking photos of the sky, flowers and animals. I am also a very big gamer.

as I said nothing eventful but it works for me. 

what do you do in your spare time?

Things to know about your characters

Having started a Pinterest board filled with pins around writing. I have slowly begun to realize while I am a good writer (maybe biased, but I have faith in myself and my abilities) I could have more planning done to make my job that bit easier. 

I have been a panster for as long as I can remember which is why I love book bibles because I can pants my way through the book but remember vital information that I may forget in the long run like the colours of the characters eyes, birthdays and more.

However, because I am starting more series of books, I need to plan ahead in a sense which I find planning some things to be useful, and they could also be helpful in my solo books like full character outlines.

So I have made an extensive list of things both big and small I have found very useful to know from the start, and while your characters will change and grow throughout your the story, it can be a good idea to start with an outline and change it as you go.

characters full name:

reason or meaning of name: 

characters nickname:

reason for the nickname:

gender:

birthday:

age:

mothers name:

fathers name:

siblings:

friends:

how old does he/she look:

height:

body build:

eye colour:

skin tone:

distinguishing features or marks (scars, glasses, tattoos etc.):

hair colour:

type of hair:

hairstyle:

does your character have any disabilities or disorders and what:

family situation:

friend situation:

home town:

type of childhood:

pets:

dream job:

actual job:

education:

religion:

finances:

current location:

currently living with:

bad experiences in life:

good experiences in life:

good traits:

bad traits:

mood character is often in:

sense of humour:

characters greatest joy in life:

characters fear:

nervous tics:

flaws:

hobbies:

does your character smoke:

drink:

do any drugs:

favourite colour:

least favourite colour:

logical or emotional:

daredevil or cautious:

introvert or extrovert:

there you have it my list of things I find useful to know about my characters. let me know what you find useful in the comments if it isn't already on the list