How to Join a Sprint
In the subject line of a new message, declare your intent to join an upcoming "official" or "mini" sprint with the word "Join" and the scheduled sprint time. All times are according to WdC Time (New York City time) Please use military/international time (24-hour clock). ▶︎
12:00 AM = 00:00 12:00 PM = 12:00
01:00 AM = 01:00 01:00 PM = 13:00
02:00 AM = 02:00 02:00 PM = 14:00
03:00 AM = 03:00 03:00 PM = 15:00
04:00 AM = 04:00 04:00 PM = 16:00
05:00 AM = 05:00 05:00 PM = 17:00
06:00 AM = 06:00 06:00 PM = 18:00
07:00 AM = 07:00 07:00 PM = 19:00
08:00 AM = 08:00 08:00 PM = 20:00
09:00 AM = 09:00 09:00 PM = 21:00
10:00 AM = 10:00 10:00 PM = 22:00
11:00 AM = 11:00 11:00 PM = 23:00
(example: "Join 10:00 Official" or "Join 14:15 Mini")
How to Sprint Set up your writing space. You may write in any application you choose. If adding to a novel or other longer work, clearly delineate the current sprint. Set a timer and make sure the volume is adequate. To use the Google timer: ▶︎
- Using a separate device or window, open Google in a browser.
- Type "Timer 30 minutes" (or "Timer 15 minutes" for a mini-sprint.)
- Press or tap Enter to start the timer.
- Launch the Clock app.
- At the bottom of the screen, select "Timer" (all the way to the right).
- Set to 00:30:00 (or 00:15:00 for a mini-sprint).
- Tap "Start" to start the timer.
Write your words. (They must be your words, so no AI!) The following methods* of composing are permitted: keyboard typing (analog or digital) glide typing convert handwriting to text dictation When the timer alarm goes off, stop writing. Copy/paste your words into any Writing.com editor or https://wordcounter.net. Report your final word count in the forum (year-round) or the Entry Form (during the November "Fingers on Fire" Competition.) Year-round, the highest word count wins the sprint. During "Fingers on Fire", all sprinters earn cumulative Score Points for participating in a sprint, plus extra points for winning.
*Some of these methods are significantly faster than others, and therefore will give a competitive sprinting advantage. We recommend you learn to use the faster methods
Ask for help in the forum!
if you're in it to win it. If you just need us for the motivation, by all means, go at your own pace.
Mini-Sprints (available year-round) Impromptu 15-minute sprints Sprinters may propose in the forum at any time on the quarter-hour (:00, :15, :30, :45) During the annual, month-long "Fingers on Fire" competition, at least two Sprinters are required for Score Points to be awarded to the Mini-Sprinters. However, if you log words for a solo ("invalid") mini-sprint during "Fingers on Fire", those logged words do contribute to your November word count total.
Official Sprints (only during "Fingers on Fire") Regularly scheduled 30-minute sprints Proceed regardless of participation (solo participants win the sprint by default) Scheduled daily in November as follows (WDC times): 02:00 (2:00 am) 06:00 (6:00 am) 10:00 (10:00 am) 14:00 (2:00 pm) 18:00 (6:00 pm) 22:00 (10:00 pm)
November "Fingers on Fire" Competition
Signups Open Oct. 1st
What is "Fingers on Fire"? Each year in November, during National Novel Writing Month, the Sprint Writers Forum hosts a month-long "Fingers on Fire" sprinting competition. Read more about the "Fingers on Fire" Competition ▶︎
November "Fingers on Fire" Competition Rules You must sign up to participate. Sign-ups close after Nov. 6. Signed-up authors who have not sprinted by Nov. 7 will be eliminated. If your name is not yet on the Entry Form's "Author" list at the time of sprinting, post your word count in the forum so a scorekeeper can add it for you. Please be patient. Adding your Author name is a manual process. Sprinting for the annual November competition starts with the 2:00am Official Sprint the morning of Nov. 1 (WDC time).
--- The tabs across the bottom offer more detailed data.
How to Accumulate Score Points During November
Points awarded as follows: 5 pts for participating in an Official Writing Sprint 3 add'l pts to the 1st place winner of the Official Sprint (total 8 pts) 2 add'l pts to the 2nd place winner of the Official Sprint (total 7 pts) 1 add'l pt to the 3rd place winner of the Official Sprint (total 6 pts) 2 pts for participating in a valid Mini-Sprint (minimum of 2 sprinters) 1 add'l pt to the first place winner of the Mini-Sprint (total 3 pts) Meet Your Scorekeepers Storm Machine Brandiwyn🎶
How You Can Be Eliminated in November All Sprinters start the month with a 5-day grace period. After the grace period, Sprinters must maintain a cumulative score of 4 points per day or risk competition elimination. For example: On 11/6 you must have 4 points. On 11/7 you must have 8 points. On 11/8 you must have 12 points. ...etc. Sprinters who fall below the required daily cumulative competition score are eliminated (you will be removed from the scoresheet and ineligible to compete for the remainder of the "Fingers on Fire" competition.) Keep track of your cumulative points on the Sprint Writers Scoresheet. Note: One Official Sprint per day starting on Nov. 6 will keep you comfortably in the running, even if you don't place (5 points for participating).
Prizes
The top-scoring Sprinters at the end of November earn prizes of some kind or another. Yes, we realize that's vague. We're trying to write our novels, here, people. Shut up and sprint, already, and for goodness sake, don't get eliminated. That would be A Very Bad Thing.
But if you're dying to know, the prizes have generally been portfolio "Fingers-on-Fire" Awardicons.
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