Writing is often a solitary business. You have your writing area, usually away from people or things that might distract—such as cute cat videos or a good book to read. When you are on your own, it’s often easy to be distracted from the task at hand and losing track of what you should be doing.

If you think about it, most jobs come with a workplace, coworkers, and a boss, all who expect you to carry your share of the workload for the hours you are at your job. Just being in their presence gives you incentive to not only work harder but to do a better job.

There are some jobs, such as writing, where we don’t have those same incentives. Writing a book and seeing it in print nudges us to keep working, but deadlines are often months in the future. When that happens, it can be so easy to drag your feet when you need to be working.

Just recently, I’ve discovered writing sprints set up through Zoom. The ones I’ve joined have anywhere from a few authors to twenty or more all ready to work. The host of the Zoom meeting asks people what they are working on today. Then the host sets a timer for 25 minutes and everyone gets to work. 

At the end of the 25 minutes, the timer goes off and everyone comes back on screen. We take a few minutes to share what we’re accomplished with plenty of encouragements to go around. Then the timer starts for another 25 minutes and we’re off again. We usually do this in sets of three, sometimes four.

It is amazing how much work you can get done in a focused 25 minute sprint. Being with other authors who are also working, hearing their goals, and seeing the difference community makes is an encouragement to keep going. 

I am reminded of Hebrews 10: 24-25.

^“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another…”

I’ve always heard this verse used in context of making sure we attend church regularly or meet for Bible study. But what if it can also mean working together, or meeting for coffee, or having dinner with friends? As long as we “stir up” one another in our faith as we come together, then this scripture can apply. 

Maybe we need to consider how each of us can apply this verse in our lives. Even when meeting together is inconvenient, putting out the effort is worth that slight disturbance to our normal schedule. 

I loved writing sprints so much that I started my own sprints in the afternoons. I invited others to join me and the group is slowly growing. To be honest, I almost quit. For the first two weeks, I was the only one attending the sprints. Slowly others have joined in and now there is someone writing with me almost every day.

Encouraging one another is a gift from God. Consider who you can encourage and how you can do so. You might just find that you are the one most uplifted as God blesses you.