Week 12 Storylab: Writer's Write

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5 Must-Try Time Management Methods For Writers

1. Beat The Clock

Set a timer for one hour

Write for a full hour and stop when the timer goes off

Push yourself to write 10% more next time

Aim to write 500 words an hour

Use this method if you like a challenge or compete with yourself


2. Bask In The Task

Try the Pomodoro technique (the Italian word for “tomato”, taken from a tomato-shaped timer and coined by Francesco Cirillo)

Type in 25 minute intervals with 5-10 minute breaks in between

After 4 cycles, take a long break

Use this method to break your day into smaller tasks


3. Make A Meal Of It
Just as we have set meals and snacks throughout the day, have set times for writing

Write 500 words at breakfast

Write 1000 words at lunch

Write 2000 words at dinner

Write 250 words during snack intervals

Use this method if you like routines or writing while you eat


4. Midnight To Morning

Set your alarm for midnight

Write between midnight to sunrise for 4-5 hours

Drink something nice and/or listen to music while you work

Use this method if you need solitude or if you’re a night owl

5. Squeeze The Day

Do an audit of your daily, weekly and monthly schedules

Use your free time to your writing advantage

Record your ideas, transcribe them later

Use this method if you’re super busy and struggle finding time


I personally have tried the Pomodoro technique before and enjoyed it, though I tend to drop this method halfway through the month. This time around I’d like to try the first and fourth methods. “Beat the Clock” is similar to what I’ve learned about writing in “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron, where I would write nonstop for three pages. “Midnight to Sunrise” sounds brutal, but I’m more of a night owl myself, and my best ideas usually come to me around bedtime. This method might work best over the weekend.