My Number One Writing Tool I Can’t Write Without

No, it’s not coffee. Although, yes, coffee is on the Top 5 list.

This is a true tool in my digital tool belt that helps me have successful (whatever that means) writing sessions every single time I sit down to write.

I won’t bury the lead too much.

My number one writing tool I can’t write without is a Google Chrome plugin called Marinara: Pomodoro Assistant.

Marinara for short.

Marinara is a simple little plugin you can install into your Google Chrome browser here.

Once installed, it helps the user employ the Pomodoro Technique.

What’s the Pomodoro Technique?

It’s “a method for staying focused and mentally fresh,” as explained at todoist.com. “The Pomodoro Technique was developed in the late 1980s by then university student Francesco Cirillo. Cirillo was struggling to focus on his studies and complete assignments. Feeling overwhelmed, he asked himself to commit to just 10 minutes of focused study time. Encouraged by the challenge, he found a tomato (pomodoro in Italian) shaped kitchen timer, and the Pomodoro technique was born.” (todoist.com)

Now, the official Pomodoro Technique looks like this:

1. Pick a task you’d like to focus on. (In my case, it’s usually writing or editing.)
2. Set a timer for 25 minutes. (Where Marinara comes in.)
3. Focus on that single task until your timer dings, marking the end of your 25-minute focus session.
4. Set a timer for 5 minutes. (Marinara does this automatically for you.)
5. Rest, stretch, take a break for 5 minutes. (In my case, it’s usually stretching, grabbing coffee, using the bathroom, and/or staring out my window.)

You’ll repeat the 25 on – 5 off sequence three times and then you’ll do one final 25-minute focus session before getting a “long break” of 15 minutes.

When I say I use the Pomodoro Technique (via Marinara) every single time I write, I’m not exaggerating. It’s crucial for me.

Especially when drafting my first novel, it helped me be less scared of the blinking cursor. I knew that even if I got stuck somewhere as I was drafting, I wouldn’t be stuck forever—just for the rest of the 25-minute cycle. That didn’t seem so bad.

Sometimes I did get stuck. I’d check how much time was left on my Marinara timer—7 minutes?! I’d check how many words I’d written so far—only 478?! *gnashing of teeth*

But then a little calculation would spring up in my head and I’d race myself to the end of the timer to see if I could get another 150 words in before it dinged.

Who cared if the words were crap? I didn’t. I just wanted to see if I could break 150 in 7 minutes.

Without that timer, I might’ve just packed it in for the day. Eh, 478. It’s close to 500. Whatever. But I didn’t.

Now that I’m done with my first draft and moving onto the first big edit, I’m still using Marinara to focus on other tasks like research and playing with some of my character development notes.

Again, it helps me know I won’t ever get stuck for too long. I don’t know if every writer is scared of getting stuck, but I know I am. Marinara keeps me from being paralyzed by that fear.

Another great thing Marinara has helped me with is word count estimation. By always setting a timer, I’ve discovered that my natural drafting speed is about 500-600 words per 25-minute focus session. If my goal is to write 1,000 words a day, I can be pretty sure that’ll require approximately one hour.

If I get into a timed session and I see I’m averaging less than 500 words per 25-minute focus session, I know I’m thinking too hard. I need to sit back, breathe, and open up my channel again. Let the words flow. Stop trying to control every little thing, Bette.

And if I get into a timed session where I’m averaging more than 500 words per 25-minute focus session, hey, happy dance! I might get out a little early today!

How to Try the Pomodoro Technique Yourself

To try the Pomodoro Method out yourself, my best advice is to install Marinara: Pomodoro Assistant onto your Google Chrome browser.

It’s already programmed to run a traditional Pomodoro cycle as soon as you hit “Start” and that’s as easy as it gets. Hit Start and see what a simple little 25-minute timer can do for your writing, editing, or whatever-task-you’re-doing.

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Have you tried the Pomodoro Technique? What was your experience like? Tell me in the comments.