Whether you've only got five minutes before you need to move to the next task on your to-do list, or you've only got five minutes' worth of energy, these tasks should all be a great fit.
I've included a mix of fiction,
non-fiction, and general ideas. If something doesn't apply to the type of writing you do, just skip it.
#1: Look Up a Few Links
When I'm drafting articles, I often highlight bits where I want to go back and put in links (e.g. to other posts on Aliventures). It only
takes a few minutes to pop through and add those links. You could also do this for other kinds of writing: spend a few minutes listing useful research links.
#2: Draft the Introductory Paragraph
Lots of writers get stuck staring at a blank page. That's why it
actually works so well to write your first paragraph in a short window of time: you won't get something perfect in 5 minutes, but whatever you do write will then be ready to edit!
#3: Write a Bullet Point Outline for Your Next Scene
Make the most of your
longer writing sessions by outlining ahead of time. Five minutes is long enough to jot down a few bullet points about what's going to happen in your next scene. Think about characters present, location, conflict, and key moments or lines of dialogue.
#4: Write in a Journal
I keep a journal for each of my kids with a couple of sentences each day about what we've been doing. I usually spend 3-5 minutes on each journal, each day. I also spend 2-3 minutes writing down "good things" from my day in my planner each night.
#5: Run a Short Piece Through Grammarly
Grammarly is a great tool for double-checking your work: it'll spot not just spelling mistakes but also places where you've omitted a word, punctuated something weirdly, or got the wrong word for the context.
#6: Use a Writing Prompt to Write for Five Minutes
There are plenty of quick prompts out there for all kinds of writing. Try:
#7: Jot Down Some Words or Phrases
Get a blank notebook or document and write down any words or phrases that come to mind. Perhaps you're thinking about a poem and your words are all to do with emotions and imagery, or maybe you've got a quote from someone else you want to explore.
#8: Come Up With a Handful of Ideas
Short gaps of time can be great for coming up with ideas: for stories, blog posts, articles, or anything else you might want to write. List as many as you can in 5 minutes (don't worry about quality). You might uncover something that really sparks your urge to
write.
#9: Write Dialogue Only
Dialogue can be surprisingly fast to write ... so ditch the surrounding action or narrative and just jot down the dialogue itself. You can go back and fill in the rest later, when you've got more time.
#10: Flesh Out a Character
Perhaps you're at the pre-writing stage of a novel, with a cast list of characters but not much more. You could spend five minutes picturing one of your characters. What do they look like ... and what are they like as a person? What interesting secrets might they have?
What past events have shaped them?
Bonus: Tidy Your Writing Space
I've adopted the idea of the "5 Minute Pick-Up" from Dana K. White to help keep the chaos that is our living room/kitchen area under control. Every time I do it, it surprises me how much difference 5 minutes makes! The same applies to your desk (or kitchen table, corner of the sofa, bed, or wherever you write).
