The 47-12 Sway Method

I can hear the sounds of violins

Long before it begins

Make me thrill as only you know how

Sway me smooth, sway me now — From Sway, by Normal Gimbel, Lyricist

Writing is such a mischievous craft.  Some days it’s a seamless sequence of movement- a melody swaying to a perfect beat (insert your favorite musical ensemble here) - and other days it’s rock climbing the Grand Canyon midsummer without a harness (insert dumpster fire, floating down river, saying it’s fine). Whenever I step into the writing space, it’s very easy for my brain to get distracted and derailed. I find myself leaning more into my dance technique to provide some structure, and in the writing space, a little structure goes a long way for me. I’m a fan of working smarter to play harder, so I started doing something different at the start of the new year to try and be a little more focused and intentional when I write: The 47-12 Sway

A sway is a friendly side-to-side step, or a movement or shift between two places.  The 47-12 Sway is a way of balancing the minutes in an hour to celebrate both the focus time and the down time. I am a procrastinator, so any kind of magic trick (such as this sway) that keeps me from actually succumbing to procrastination is the best kind of magic. The Sway adds a very loose structure to the pressure of:  Now sit down and write. Write for a whole hour- just do it.”

All it is: Start with 47 minutes of writing, and then shift to a 12-minute break, which yields a strong and productive 59 minutes of quality time with your writer self. 

 So… why not just call it “Write for 47 minutes” then?  It’s important to acknowledge that writing actively happens all the time if you’re a writer. It doesn’t only happen when we sit at a desk with a pen in hand or laptop open. It happens passively, with almost every waking moment. Those tabs in our minds never close. When we’re at the store, or on a call, at the drive-thru, while we’re working; something- anything- reminds us of a character or an interaction in a scene we’re revising or a poem/essay we’re drafting. Writers are always on! So it’s not silly at all to set a timer to give our best focus in the next 47 minutes, and then take a break. This break is as mindful and intentional as the writing time is.  It’s not a reward. It’s part of the routine. Taking a break is a mandatory part of writing. 

I’ve tried writing this way (this sway) since the new year, and I feel more focused and recharged, and more appreciative of my work and efforts. If you decide to try this, I recommend these two important things before you begin:

Arrive prepared

In the dance space, when the lesson starts at 5pm, we aren’t stretching and starting to focus right at 5pm, we’re there fifteen minutes before class starts, to be ready to work right at 5pm.  I appreciate this space because prep time fosters my focus. It makes me aware of my form and posture, and it wakes up my brain after a long day of meetings I didn’t need to be a part of (that could’ve been an email thread instead). That nudge to take fifteen minutes before class to stretch, roll my shoulders and neck, etc. It’s a valuable reset. It helps me bring my best self into the creative space because frustration isn’t part of my form or my posture. 

Writers, we can do the same! Show up ready.

How to show up ready:

It can be an outline, specific areas that you want to work on, or prompts from your notebook or journal. Come in with a clear objective, even if it’s only “write for 47 minutes,” that intentional prep time will make you sharper. If you’re preparing a hot (or cold) cup of coffee, it’s still allowing your brain a little room to breath. Allow yourself to breathe before sitting down to write. 

Break means break - do something for yourself. Not anyone else. 

I don’t want to overthink what a break means or over-define it for anyone else. I do however want to share what has worked effectively for me. A break for me, for example, doesn’t mean that I can now scroll on social media for 12 minutes. (I do that when I’m procrastinating!) A break after writing means stepping away from that focused space, and relaxing. It could mean listening to music, even playing music (I play the piano); it could mean taking a walk, or finding a snack, or even laying on the couch, or stretching. It’s not looking over what you just wrote, and it’s not making a list of what to do next or even tomorrow, or what else needs work. Your brain just delivered 47 minutes of writing, and it’s very challenging to try and turn the brain off, but it’s extremely recharging if you can pause and just breathe and feel your own gravity while the world spins for 12 minutes. 

The sway is subtle, but also powerful. Who’s ready to sway?