I’ve decided to set up writing sprints on the YouTube channel after a few people have expressed interest. And although it is quite self-serving, especially since I am so close to monetizing the channel and can use the watch time, I’m looking forward to them for other reasons.
Normally, I set aside a 2-hour block of time to work on my book Mondays through Fridays. So, in a way, I’ve always been doing writing sprints in some form. These are chunks of time where I shut my door and ignore everything going on to focus on my writing. It doesn’t always happen as I have a house full of kids and chaos. However, a few viewers showed interest in joining me during the process and I thought I would run with it.
Though, it’s not going to be just a silent video of watching me type away at my keyboard. I’m adding a few elements that make it more aligned with how I write, such as using light background sound effects of rainstorms, ocean waves, or rainforest sounds. I don’t often play music, but background sound usually offers a great ambiance for my writing.
So, why am I putting these writing sprints together outside of being suggested by a few viewers on YouTube?
Boosting the Sense of Urgency
One of the biggest problems most work-at-home writers have is accountability. When you work for yourself, there is no boss standing over your shoulder to make sure you’re doing your work. It can be quite easy to slack as you scroll through social media or binge-watch a few shows on Hulu or Netflix. Adding a sense of urgency to your projects can help you get them done in a timely manner.
Usually, I can handle things pretty well while working from home. But there are days when it gets a bit tougher to maintain a good workflow, especially when you have to deal with children of various ages. Or, perhaps you spend an hour or two working on the van because your friend blew its tire outside of Boulder.
In any case, setting the writing sprints up as I do with the Monday night live streams gives the block of time a bit more of a sense of urgency. It solidifies that the chunk of time between 10:30 am and 12:30 pm is an absolute for writing. In this instance, it’s not just me that is going to focus on the block of time, but my audience as well. There’s a bit more accountability when you have others waiting for the block of time to begin.
Motivating Viewers to Keep Writing
One of the biggest reasons why I’ve built WriterSanctuary is to help others find their paths as writers. Whether it’s blogging or publishing that first novel, I share all of my experiences and try to be as motivating as possible. I am helpful by nature, and I thrive on comments from others regarding how I’ve assisted in some way.
I’m hoping that setting up the writing sprints can offer some of that motivation for those who have time available in the mornings. Now, I’m not Tony Robbins, but if I can help get just one person on track for their own writing career, then the time for me is well worth the investment.
The best part is that a writing sprint doesn’t have to merely focus on books. In fact, I know one blogger who is eagerly waiting to join me during the sprints. It doesn’t matter what you’re writing as long as you’re writing.
Give Insights Into My Process as an Author
Every author is different. We all have processes that work best for our individual needs. For instance, some people are pantsers while others are plotters. Some need absolute silence to write, while others will jam out to AC/DC. There are no right or wrong answers as long as the process works for you.
In this case, I’d like to share my thoughts and insights as being an author. That means that I’m open to questions and look forward to sharing everything I’ve learned over the years during the breaks between writing sessions.
By learning how other authors write their stories, you can begin to formulate your own workflow. You might find yourself picking and choosing different elements from many to create your own solid strategy for getting that book out of your head.
Plus, I know a fan or two of my books and stories who would love to know how I come up with a few things, such as characters and dialogue.
Demonstrating Productivity
One of the things I am sharing in the writing sprints is the word counter from Reedsy. That way, viewers can see just how productive I can be within a 20-minute chunk of time. It’s not to boast but more of a demonstration of what a writer can do when they’re not thinking about making edits or changes. The point is to just get the story out. You can edit once you’re done writing.
I’ve been called a “machine” by Megan Grant, a successful freelance writer (and friend). It’s not that I am a machine, but more of the fact that when I start writing, I am hyper-focused on what I want to convey. Not to mention the fact that I can type around 70+ words per minute when uninterrupted.
The way I lay everything out, such as outlines for blog posts or even the outline of a book, keeps me writing at a good pace. I hope to help others find what works best for them to be more productive in their writing projects.
Interacting with My Viewers More
One of the highlights of my week is the live show on Mondays. Although it often goes off the rails, I have a dedicated handful of viewers who make my week that much more bearable. I love interacting with them and they play a huge part in why I do what I do.
Since I really don’t have a social life in the real world (which I am trying to change), interacting with others during the live streams fulfills a bit of that need. Granted, it’s not the same as real-world interaction, but I still very much enjoy the company of my viewers. I’ve even met a few in real life when they traveled to Denver. I consider a lot of them as friends, even though they live states away.
The bottom line is that I would much rather do a live show and interact with people directly than through the comments on a regular video. Sure, I respond to as many comments as I can, but I find the live interaction just has more to it than a simple text on a screen.
Of Course, the Watch Time
As I said in the beginning, I am razor close to having the channel monetized by YouTube. Even if I have just a single viewer for the two hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays, that would significantly cut down on when I can submit my application to the YouTube Partner Program. At that point, I’ll probably make about $10 per month in ad revenue.
I know it doesn’t sound like a lot. But that $10 per month would help me afford the payments to Affirm to get the new camera I want for the YouTube videos. It’s an investment that should significantly boost the visual quality. Plus, I would love to do some skits or parodies on another channel. My acting isn’t the best, but they’d still be fun to make.
I’ll still work on getting three videos up per week, but the live watch time from the writing sprints should cut about a month off of when I can monetize the channel.
As of this post, I should have enough watch time to qualify by the middle of December. Writing channels just don’t perform very well on YouTube…at least not to the extent that entertainment performs.
Nonetheless, having the live author interviews this year has made a difference. I’m looking forward to streaming more of those.
Still Working to Publish Three Books This Year!
The goal at the beginning of the year was to publish three books. I know that might sound pretty ambitious, but keep in mind that I have three books that are halfway written already. Once Shadows is done, I move on to Fury. Once Fury is done, I’ll move on to VII. If I keep up the current pace, all three will be finished and published before the end of 2024.
The writing sprints on the YouTube channel are just a way for me to share in those accomplishments. I’m going to write the books whether anyone watches or not. After all, that chunk of time is already set aside in my day. I just thought it would be fun and informative to help others along in their writing.
In any case, it’s going to be an interesting year.