Focus Sprints Calm, distraction-free focus sessions for writers

25:00

Sprint

Group Sprints Write together on one timer

Community sprint

Every hour, on the hour: three 15-minute sprints with 5-minute breaks. Anyone can join, no account needed.

Your rooms

Open rooms

Start a room

Join with a code

How group writing sprints work

Pick a room. Join the community sprint that starts every hour, open a room someone shared with you, or start your own and send the link.
Write together. Everyone gets the same five-second countdown and the same timer, with breaks between rounds.
Share how it went. When the alarm rings, log what you wrote and a one-line update. The room sees each person's count and the total you wrote together.

Group Sprints FAQ

What is a group writing sprint?

A group writing sprint is a timed writing session that several people run on the same timer. Everyone starts together, writes until the alarm, then logs what they wrote and shares a one-line update with the room. A room can run several rounds with breaks in between.

Do I need an account to join a group sprint?

No. Open a room's link or type its code, choose a name for the room and press Join. Your sprints are kept in your browser's journal. Hosting a room needs a free Pacemaker account.

When do the community sprints start?

Every hour, on the hour: three 15-minute sprints with 5-minute breaks. The lobby shows the next one in your own time zone, and anyone can join.

How many people can sprint in one room?

Up to 100. The host sets the sprint length, the breaks and the number of rounds, and can list the room in the lobby or share it only by link.

Do group sprints count toward my writing plan?

Yes, if you are logged in. Choose the plan you are sprinting on and every round you save is added to that plan as a writing session. If you joined as a guest, create an account from the room afterwards and save those sprints to a plan.

Is there a leaderboard?

No. Each round lists what everyone wrote and the total the room wrote together, without ranking anyone.

Prefer to write alone? Run a solo focus sprint.

How to run a focus sprint

Pick a preset or set your own sprint, short break and long break lengths in Settings.

Decide what this sprint is for, choose an alarm sound and press Start, or the space bar.

Write until the alarm. No email, no editing, no research rabbit holes.

When the break starts, your Journal opens. Jot down what you got done and how many words you wrote, or your new total, then press Save sprint.

Writing toward a Pacemaker plan? Log in and pick it under Sprinting on before you start; the plan’s goal for today shows beneath it. Each saved sprint becomes one session in that plan.

After four sprints, take the long break. Your journal stays saved in this browser for next time.

Why writers use focus sprints

They get you past the blank page. Committing to 25 minutes is far easier than committing to "write chapter 12".

They keep drafting and editing apart. Use sprints to draft only and save line edits for a later sprint.

They show your real pace. Logging words per sprint tells you how many sessions a chapter, an article or a thesis actually takes, which makes deadlines easier to plan.

They make you rest. Stepping away from the page during breaks means you come back with fresh eyes instead of grinding through fatigue.

Distraction-free writing sessions

One goal per sprint. "Finish the argument in section 2" beats "work on the thesis".

One window. Close email and chat, and use your editor's full-screen or focus mode.

Full screen. On a computer, the button in the top corner (or the F key) puts the timer full screen with no browser around it; Esc brings it back.

Phone out of reach. Silence it and put it in another room; the timer rings here.

Park ideas, don't chase them. Jot a note in the draft and keep writing; look things up in the break.

Log it. A line in the journal after each sprint builds momentum you can see.

Focus session lengths for different kinds of writing

Kind of work

Sprint / break

Why it works

First drafts and word sprints

15 / 3 min

Short sprints outrun your inner editor. Popular for NaNoWriMo-style challenges.

Novels and long-form drafting

25 / 5 min

The classic rhythm, easy to repeat across a whole writing day.

Revision, thesis and academic writing

50 / 10 min

Enough time to hold a complex argument or structure in your head.

Translation, editing and proofreading

25 / 5 min

Regular breaks keep your eye for detail sharp.

Studying and exam prep

25 / 5 min, 20 min long break

Frequent breaks help you review and remember material.

Focus Sprints FAQ

What is a focus sprint?

A focus sprint is a short, timed writing session, 25 minutes by default, followed by a 5-minute break. After four sprints you take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes. Sprints turn a big writing goal into small sessions you can actually start.

How long should a focus session be?

Start with 25 minutes. If you are only just warming up when the alarm rings, try 50-minute sessions with 10-minute breaks for deep drafting or revision. For fast first drafts and word sprints, 15-minute sessions with 3-minute breaks keep the pressure on. You can change every length in Settings.

How do I make my writing sessions distraction-free?

Decide what the sprint is for before you press Start, close every tab except your draft, put your phone in another room and turn on your editor's full-screen mode. Save research and edits for later sprints, and use the break to note what you wrote.

Will the alarm ring if I switch to another tab?

Yes. When a sprint or break starts, the alarm is scheduled with your browser's audio engine, so it rings on time while you write in another tab or app, as long as a Focus Sprints tab stays open. Turn on desktop notifications for a visible alert as well. On phones and tablets, keep the page open and turn on Keep screen awake, because mobile browsers pause pages when the screen locks.

Where are my session notes saved?

Only in this browser, in local storage on your device. A sprint is sent to Pacemaker only if you are logged in and save it to one of your plans. Clearing your browser data deletes your journal, so use Download CSV to keep a copy.

Is Focus Sprints free?

Yes. It is free to use, with no account, sign-up or download.

Can I track my word count across a whole project?

Yes. Pacemaker, the word count planner behind Focus Sprints, turns a word count goal and a deadline into a daily writing schedule and tracks your progress as you go. It is free to start.

Can I do writing sprints with other people?

Yes. Group Sprints puts everyone on one shared timer: join a room with its link or code, or drop into the community sprint that starts every hour on the hour. Joining needs no account.

Plan the whole project, not just the next sprint

Pacemaker turns your word count goal and deadline into a daily writing schedule that adjusts when life gets in the way. Free for writers, editors, translators and students.

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