THE MAGIC TIMER—As a Writing Device, a Creativity Protector, a Social Media Inhibitor
The simplest thing that can transform your creative and writerly existence.
Over the course of the fall during my bi-weekly meetings for the 90 Day Novel/Memoir program, we ended up talking a lot about THE TIMER and its uses for getting writing done and helping yourself get unblocked if you are, as well as for keeping yourself offline while you work. As in, some kind of timer-device—it could be an old-school, plastic kitchen timer, or some sort of digital timer on your phone or laptop. Even an hourglass!
I mean, anybody can do anything for 5 minutes.
10 minutes?
20 minutes anyone?
I’d brought this up early during our zoom meetings because I’ve found that using a timer helps me to:
A) Convince myself to write for whatever duration I’ve set the timer for.
B) Convince myself to stay off email, etc., again for the duration of the timer setting.
C) Psychologically, the timer gives me a beginning and end to how long I’m going to attempt to write and,
D) It also gives me a sense of closure after the time period ends—like afterwards I’m allowed to stop trying to work. I can go out for a walk, or make more coffee, or eat breakfast.
I discovered my affinity for the timer because of the Freedom App I started using a number of years ago to block the internet on my laptop while I write. The Freedom App is basically a timer. You set it for however many minutes you want the internet blocked, then click “start,” and it keeps time until the period you set is over. But when I first downloaded the app, I didn’t realize how transformative the timer aspect would be for my writing. (I use it when I’m working with writing client’s manuscripts as well).
I found myself using it more and more each day, to convince myself to just write forward a few more minutes each time. I’d coach myself through in small bits—Okay just 10 minutes! 10 more minutes! Then I’d set the timer for 10 minutes, which feels totally doable, and then, voila, I wrote for 10 more minutes! I know this might sound overly simple—but that’s the beauty of it. It *is* simple. And so effective!
So, for those of you struggling with sitting down to make yourself write, and/or keeping off social media/email/etc while you do, setting a timer—this age-old simple device we normally use for cooking—works magic. It gives us a fixed time period in which we promise ourselves to focus, to work, to get words on the page, and to stay offline. We can see exactly when we get to stop on the clock, so we know the end is near—that this is not forever that we’re working, just maybe 5, or 10, or 25 minutes. Then afterwards we can get up from wherever we are working, walking around, get a snack, check whatever we need to check if need be, then, rinse and repeat.
In my own writing life, my use of the timer is constant. I use one every single day to write and stay offline. (I’ve started using them for other things too, like sorting the mail, cleaning the house, etc. They really help convince myself to get something done.) I honestly don’t know what I’d do without a timer at this point in my writing life. Maybe most importantly, using the timer helps me with that constant battle against scrolling the internet, which is also the biggest creativity-killer in my life. (And probably yours too.)