aaron_wilson17•20h agoMost Upvoted

Pro tip: using a timer for 10 minute freewrites changed my whole process

I kept staring at blank pages for 20 minutes before writing anything. So I tried setting a timer for 10 minutes and just typing whatever came to mind. No editing, no stopping, just garbage words. First day I got like 200 words of pure junk. But after a week, I started pulling actual ideas from those trash sessions. The trick is you cannot delete anything, even if it's dumb. I had one prompt about a haunted library that turned into a full short story after three freewrites. Has anyone else tried time limits to bust through writer's block? What time works best for you?

2 comments

2 Comments

fiona73714h ago

Nah, 10 minutes is perfect for me because it tricks my brain into not overthinking. @riverowens you're not wrong though, longer sessions work for different vibes.

riverowens15h ago

Maybe it's just me but 10 minutes feels super short, I like 15 or 20 so I've got time to actually get into a flow. Though I'm probably wrong since you pulled a whole story from those short bursts.