What is #BAMFWordBattle?

#BAMFWordBattle is something I started on Twitter (along with Sarah J. Maas) to help other writers get more productive. It started with #NaNoWriMoBattle back in November, but we wanted to keep doing it after the insanity that is NaNo…

So #BAMFWordBattle was born. Essentially, these epic battles are 30 minute writing sprints done on Twitter. If you click on this link, it brings you to a search in Twitter–basically all people using the hashtag #BAMFWordBattle. That hashtag is how I (and now others!) keep the battles organized.

So what are the battles specifically–like, what happens during one? Goood question, my friend, and the reason I’m writing this post is because people keep asking me on Twitter (and in case you weren’t aware, it’s hard to explain it in 140 characters). Now when people ask, I’ll just direct them to this post. 😉

Like I mentioned, #BAMFWordBattle is a 30 minute writing sprint. That means you work on your manuscript (or blog or school paper or revisions or WHATEVER) for 30 uninterrupted minutes–no intentional distractions allowed!

When I (or the other people who have taken to using the hashtag) say something like:

then it’s time for YOU to get your typing fingers ready! Or, if you can’t jam with us now, then just stay tuned for more sprints later on. As you can see, on Feb. 1, I hosted 8 sprints!

Once you see a tweet like this:

you start TYPING. Write as much as you can, then in 30 minutes, when you see a tweet like:

you stop writing! Then we all hang out for 15 minutes, exchanging word counts via Twitter and amping ourselves up for the next round.

It’s fun, and it’s productive.

Now a few questions I’ve gotten:

What do I win if I have the most words? Er, nothing. I’m sorry, but I don’t have the money to give away prizes for every #BAMFWordBattle I host. 😛 You win the satisfaction of having more words in your MS than you had before you started.

What if you aren’t hosting a #BAMFWordBattle when I can make it? Host your own! As you can see, people are kicking them off whenever they feel the itch to write, so please do the same! I made up the name of the #BAMFWordBattle, but I don’t own it! I want everyone to write and be productive whenever they can. 😀

Do these really work? Absolutely! I have increased my daily word counts exponentially! And I’m not the only one–check out this great post for a new #BAMFWordBattler whose word count almost quadrupled!

What if my word count sucks? There is no SUCK! For real, some people can dominate in 30 minute writing sessions (>1000 words every time…I’m lookin’ at you, Sarah J. Maas), but most of us get ~500 words. Sometimes we get less, sometimes more–it’s all about what YOU can do in 30 minutes and not about comparing word counts. We aren’t competing–we’re all cheering each other on! And remember: even 1 word is more than you had before the #BAMFWordBattle began. 😉

When’s the next one? Some time today (Feb. 4, 2013) for sure! And probably more days this week and the rest of February. But again, you don’t have to wait for me! Just start your own using the hashtag #BAMFWordBattle!

So there you have it. That is #BAMFWordBattle. It ain’t that complicated, but it IS super helpful for writing productivity. And, for all my fellow writers out there, I hope to see you at one so we can “duke it out” on the page. 😉

Got any questions? Comments?

Side note: I am going out of town to pet-sit and won’t be back for 2 weeks. I’ll have some internet–i.e. my phone–so I can still host #BAMFWordBattles (and I WILL!), but email response time will be slow (even slower than usual), and comments might not get answered until after I get back. ♥