Firlefanz
Lady of the Land
Registered: 05-2003
Location: Germany
Posts: 6984
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The Timer Exercise
I just learned about this in another class. (Although I bet I read about it severeal times!) And I tried it out. It works for me.
So what is it? Basically, you decide what you want to write, pull up the piece or start a new file, set the timer - and do nothing but write until that timer goes off. No Facebook, no twitter, not even Wikipedia. All that can surely take a back seat to writing for half an hour. (Half an hour is a good amount of time to start with. You'll be surprised how quickly it passes.)
And when that timer goes off, and you jump because it jolted you out of your concentration - congratulate yourself. Go ahead and feel accomplished, because you just managed to write.
When I did this today, I got 800+ words out of it. For that "Disillusioned Mage" tale I've been wanting to write for the last four or six weeks, even.
If you're aiming for more words per day, increase the timer time gradually, until you reach the amount of time that lets you get that number of words. And then do it EVERY single day (well, maybe not Sundays). You'll be surprised at the amount of writing you'll get done this way.
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6/7/2012, 3:16 pm
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QS2
Shepherd
Registered: 03-2006
Posts: 2138
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Re: The Timer Exercise
Hmm, it's an interesting method if you indeed have problems not looking at other things for awhile
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6/8/2012, 11:33 pm
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Firlefanz
Lady of the Land
Registered: 05-2003
Location: Germany
Posts: 6984
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Re: The Timer Exercise
For me, it goes beyond just not looking at other things. It gets me into a different frame of mine, focused on my task, rather than thinking "oh, I'll do that sometime today".
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6/9/2012, 4:33 pm
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Blitzen
Squire
Registered: 12-2004
Location: falkirk
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Re: The Timer Exercise
Take it a little further with this...
http://writeordie.com/
I've heard of versions where it will delete work if you get distracted I think I'd hate that.
Made the link clickable.
Last edited by Firlefanz, 6/11/2012, 12:24 pm
--- My Amazon Author Page
[url=]http://dun-scaith.blogspot.com/[My Blog[/url]
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6/10/2012, 4:29 pm
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Firlefanz
Lady of the Land
Registered: 05-2003
Location: Germany
Posts: 6984
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Re: The Timer Exercise
Yeah, kamakaze mode will delete what you wrote when you stop writing. I suppose that would drive me nuts.
I'm too picky when I write to just keep writing, despite mistakes and typos. I need to go back and correct them - that's why I need half an hour for 800 words, rather than 1000 words or so. Writing isn't just bashing out words, after all.
Still, it might be a fun thing to try out just to stay focused on writing for a given amount of time.
Intresting app, Blitzen, thanks for sharing!
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6/11/2012, 12:27 pm
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Flasheart2006
Grand Master
Registered: 04-2004
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Re: The Timer Exercise
Half an hour for 800 words? It's just taken me two hours to write 300!
Last edited by Flasheart2006, 6/12/2012, 10:17 am
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6/12/2012, 9:54 am
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Firlefanz
Lady of the Land
Registered: 05-2003
Location: Germany
Posts: 6984
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Re: The Timer Exercise
But you wrote!
Well, I was pretty sure about what I wanted to write. Now I'm a little stuck, which calls for the next timer activity. It really helps me get unstuck, when I hear that ticking, ticking, ticking.
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6/12/2012, 3:50 pm
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Pastor Rick
The Reeve
Registered: 07-2005
Location: Texas
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Re: The Timer Exercise
I don't have a timer!
But I found this on the net which I might try to see if it helps...
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6/14/2012, 4:49 am
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QS2
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Registered: 03-2006
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Re: The Timer Exercise
Hope it helps.
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6/14/2012, 3:20 pm
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Pastor Rick
The Reeve
Registered: 07-2005
Location: Texas
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Re: The Timer Exercise
I am going to try it on chapter 2 of my Survey story this Saturday...
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6/14/2012, 3:27 pm
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Firlefanz
Lady of the Land
Registered: 05-2003
Location: Germany
Posts: 6984
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Re: The Timer Exercise
Rick, that's very nice.
I'm using a plain old kitchen timer.
My timer
I'm actually growing rather attached to its ticking. It tells me I'm supposed to work on whatever I set out to do.
Yesterday, I wrote up more than 30 tweets for my EFT account in a mere 20 minutes in a spreadsheet. That'll keep me posting nice setup statements for two weeks (they are in German and English). Made me very happy, because I dread little more than coming up with a tweet every day.
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6/16/2012, 7:10 am
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