Writing is a momentum activity and group-based writing sprints can help you build that momentum.
On the 18th August and 15th September, I joined an online session run by JANZSSA (the Journal of the Australian and New Zealand Student Services Association). These sessions are designed for people in universities who want to write more, perhaps to share the story of an initiative at their uni, but who might be feeling a bit stuck. I quickly realised that the format might work really well for students tackling theses or assignments.
Here is what happened.
I joined because, whilst I have been fine developing written content for blog posts, lectures and workshops, I have been struggling taking some of our bigger projects to publication. This is particularly frustrating to me, as in my life prior to this role, preparing papers for publication was what I did and I was OK at it (not great, but OK).
JANZSSA’s invitation described it as “a supportive environment with structured exercises, a safe space to learn and share, and a community to help you actually get words on the page.”
Boom! sign me up!!
Being familiar with the Shut Up and Write format (a short check-in, a block of silent writing, then a wrap-up), I was expecting similar but instead, this session used 3 × 5-minute writing sprints guided by specific prompts. We were each asked to bring a piece of writing to mind that we wanted to make progress on.
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The first sprint was just free writing – write about whatever we wanted to write about
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The second was about brainstorming titles, keywords, and explanations – for the piece of writing we wanted to progress
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The third was writing about the context for the piece of writing we wanted to progress
The prompts were projected onto the screen, and the facilitator kept us moving and managed the timing and sharing of it all.
I was surprised. In 15 minutes, I probably wrote more than I would have in half an hour of self-paced/self-guided writing.
It was something about the prompts and the short time blocks (5 minutes) that really lowered the barrier to getting words down. And the facilitator’s role (keeping time, celebrating progress) made it feel structured and encouraging.
It got me thinking: what if you as students could use this same approach in your own study groups?
1️⃣ First, you will need a study group.
2️⃣ Second, you will need a place to meet that is quiet enough for writing but also OK for you to have a conversation. Book a space, maybe in the library or FUSA or do it online.
3️⃣ Third, each member of that group will need some piece of writing that they are working on. I reckon this format would work well for post-grads where you all have a thesis or papers to write.
4️⃣ Fourth, you need someone who can lead it. They come up with the writing prompts and manage the timing and the solicitation of feedback after each sprint. This role could be rotated over time. I don’t think it really matters what the prompts for the sprints actually are, as long as they give each person a focal point on which to write for 5 minutes, that is likely to help with the piece they are working on. The goal is more about getting people unstuck in the writing process than getting any specific section done.
5️⃣ Fifth, after the sprints are done, each member of the group commits to what they will try to work on in the coming week.
6️⃣ Sixth, you meet again in a week’s time and repeat.
I don’t think this is something that needs to be repeated indefinitely. I found that even just after a couple of sessions, I was a little less fearful of writing and started timetabling my own writing sessions into my diary. And I think that is the value of these sessions. They are less about getting polished paragraphs done. It is more about momentum. These sessions lower the fear of the blank page and help you see progress in real time.
And worst-case scenario, even if your writing doesn’t get activated, you’ve got to spend some time with some peers, celebrating each other’s wins, troubleshooting challenges, and providing and receiving moral support. And you might be near the tav as well 🍺.
Let me know if you give it a go.