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Word sprint tool
A word sprint tool is a tool that times word sprints. In the general sense, anything that can keep track of time can be a word sprint tool: a phone alarm, a manual clock, a friend counting the seconds in the next room and yelling when the sprint ends.
On the NaNoWriMo website, a word sprint tool is an online timer that times sprints. There are two options for running sprints with the NaNo website's sprint tool: personal sprints and group sprints.
Personal Sprint Tool
The personal sprint tool provides an on-site timer for a Wrimo to run a sprint on their own. Options are available to select the length of the sprint, to start the sprint, and to mute the start and stop audio.
There is also a dare generator at the bottom of the personal sprint tool. Clicking "Dare Me" makes an optional prompt appear below the button.
If needed, you may pause or stop the sprint after starting it.
There is no history of personal sprints in the word sprint tool area, so keep your own records if you wish to preserve your totals.
Group Sprint Tool
The group sprint tool provides an easy way to sprint with friends and report their totals.
If there are any public sprints available (that is, active sprints that one of your writing buddies has created and chosen to make public), they will display on this page. Wrimos viewing the sprints page may choose to join any of those sprints or to create their own. If you are logged in while viewing this page, the group sprint page also shows past group sprints that you have participated in, with links to the results.
When joining an existing sprint, you can see the other sprinters' profiles, as well as their word count written during the sprint if they choose to share it afterward.
Creating a Group Sprint
Wrimos may create a group sprint by visiting the group sprint area and clicking "Start Group Sprint". Then they may enter options such as the time and date to start the sprint, the length of the sprint, an optional description or dare, and the option to make the sprint public to all your writing buddies. If this option is not selected, then the sprint is open only to people who receive the URL created for the sprint, which you must pass on to them directly.
After entering your sprint settings and clicking on "Create Group Sprint", the countdown to the sprint beginning shows, along a URL you can pass on to other participants. Anyone with this URL can join your sprint, writing buddy or not, so share it wisely.
Once you’ve created a group word sprint, you won’t be able to edit or delete it (but you can leave the sprint). Set your options carefully, particularly the option to make a sprint public for others to join.
After completing a group sprint, you may enter the total number of words you wrote during that sprint and compare your number to those of other sprinters. This page, along with the final results of other past group sprints, continues to be accessible in your main Group Sprints area.
