Writing and The Pomodoro Technique

The COVID-19 crisis and subsequent Delta Variant means fewer personal interactions and increased social media usage. According to Statistica, “U.S. users spent on social media in 2020: 65 minutes daily, compared to 54 minutes and 56 minutes the years before.” Twitter usage increased a whopping 85.3% in 2020.

So what does this mean for writers? More distraction, more fracturing of time, and more focus on writing posts instead of writing creative work.

One of the best antidotes to distraction is The Pomodoro Technique. Developed by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s, the name comes from a timer shaped like a tomato (pomodoro in Italian). The entire idea is framed around working on one item for 25 minutes and then taking a five-minute break. Learn more about the overall method at https://francescocirillo.com/pages/pomodoro-technique.

Here is how it can work for writers:

1. Decide what you want to work on. This can include freewriting, new pages, or revisions.

2. Review what you have so far in no more than five minutes. Too much time will result in procrastination.

3. Once you have your project in mind, set your timer for 25 minutes. It must have a sound to note the end of time.

4. Work without distraction on that project for that time.

5. When the timer goes off, take that five-minute break.

6. Start again.

7. This can work well from one to four sessions a day, though some use the method up to six times a day.

While no one method works for everyone, this is one of the best for our time of COVID. Writers have been surprised at the quality and quantity they accomplish in this time. It reminds us of how we might work incrementally and gain large results over time. Most people have heard of this technique, but few use it on a regular basis. If you try it, email and let us know if it works for you.