THE 24 HOUR WRITEATHON // 17,000 words!

[@quantwhodratherbewritingak8698]

This video was everything that I hoped it would be! LOL. NICE word count, Kate!! It also inspired me to suggest that the next loooooong writing experiment be structured into continuous Pomodoros. As in "25 on / 5 off / 25 on / 5 off / 25 on /5 off / 25 on / 5 off / 25 off" and then repeat continuously for the duration of the experiment. I wonder if the greater structure would help or hinder your productivity? and how it would impact your. creative process?

[@alannafitzgerald1956]

I almost always write in word sprints. I find that I can write almost as much in 15 minutes or so that I can in 30 minutes to an hour. I usually do 15 on 15 off.

[@grapefry]

when you turned the light off I literally said "ooh she's playing a dangerous game, she gonna end up in the bed" then you said "i'm moving to the bed. it's a dangerous game, but someone's gotta play it." I laughed so hard.

[@princessoftheworld1107]

Lmao

[@HellsMirror]

I only once tried to write 8 hours fairly concentrated, with an hour in the middle for lunch (so as if it were a work day) and I got more than 11k done, but it sent me into a week-long writing hangover so... respect to you, Kate, for trying stuff like this over and over again

[@littlestpineapple2898]

Part of me is like I can't believe you did this again. And then part of me is like I should try this.

[@KateCavanaugh]

That is exactly the problem! That little voice that's like "do it, do it, do it."

[@KateCavanaugh]

But also....you should do it. ;)

[@TheLukeskywalker2]

If I were to ever try it, it would be some sort of combo between the 24 in 36 and 18 hour marathon ideas. I just cannot do 24 straight.

[@littlestpineapple2898]

@@TheLukeskywalker2 Yeah I'm thinking that's where I might be at too. Pretty sure 24 would not be good for me. I'm really close to doing 12 next weekend though, so maybe I'll work up to it.

[@Toriahna]

I will probably try it... AAAAAND there will probably be a lot of shots of me starting to fall asleep. 🤣

[@alipie02]

Exactly 3 years from now... "So I'm doing another 24 hour write-a-thon."

[@anonymousbub3410]

She is now prepping for another one!! Kind of

[@BestsellingAuthorLisaDaily]

Whaaaa? I can't even stay UP for 24 hours, let alone write for that long. You're a badass, I'm cheering for you.👏👏👏👏

[@KateCavanaugh]

I definitely regretted staying up so late. The recovery was surprisingly not bad though! I slept like 3 hours from 6:30 to 9:30ish and then went to bed at 8:00pm and got a full 12 hours the next day bahah.

[@BestsellingAuthorLisaDaily]

@@KateCavanaugh That's a pretty speedy recovery! If it were me, I'm pretty sure I'd need naps every day for like a month. :-)

[@MysticalAmberMC]

@@BestsellingAuthorLisaDaily won't take that long.

[@meganc2639]

So since we're all stuck at home in a quarantine you should try just doing a super long stream that's a collab of like 12 hours of sprints

[@quantwhodratherbewritingak8698]

Megan Coleman THAT would be AMAZING. I loved @ByTheBrooke ‘s 5 hour write-a-thon a few weeks back.

[@ferbthecow5324]

@@quantwhodratherbewritingak8698 it helped me write soo many words and i am just 20 mins in so I love it

[@TheHexedLibrary]

First off, I DID tell you not to do it :P But also, because I'm an enabler and I love you, have you considered the timing being the worst part? Like instead of a 6-6 what if you did like midnight to midnight or 10pm-10pm. Because think about it this way, you could just get up early the day before, go to bed early, 4 -6 hours before you start, and then your middle of the night hours when your body is used to being asleep, you'll be the most awake. This meaning, you won't be combatting your body in its normal sleep period along with being exhausted. So theoretically, it might be easier to get through 24 hours in this manner. Lastly, this video was great. All of my favorite things. Your face, your panic, your dad, your pupper. ALL GOOD THINGS.

[@Jordan-iq8pu]

I attempted a 24 Hour Writeathon last November. I actually used it to kickstart my 50k Weekend attempt because I figured that 24 hours straight would give me my best chance at writing 50k words in three days. I wrote just under 15k words during my 24 Hour Writeathon and a little over 25k during the 50k Weekend Attempt. & I'm 100% willing and wanting to try another 24 Hour Writeathon because I'm clearly insane lol :)

[@leahnpatton]

My doggie is also getting old and having accidents. Arthritis is in her back legs so they slip out from under her when she walks on hardwood. I understand an aging puppy. So sad but they’re still so young at heart and cute

[@werelemur1138]

On the one hand, fake hardwood makes it a lot easier to clean up accidents, on the other hand it's a lot easier to slip on. (I have a 15 year old Catahoula.)

[@alannafitzgerald1956]

I love the idea of taking one day a month and writing whatever you want. I think that can help with the "shiny new idea" syndrome. I don't think I would want to write for 24 hours straight once a month for health and more importantly sanity's sake, but a day dedicated to that idea. It takes dedication to stay focused as a writer and commit to the deadlines. This can be one way to combat this. I always enjoy watching your videos. I feel like you are the voice in my head!

[@whitebear224]

new to this channel. i think imma start binge watching with this video 👀

[@KateCavanaugh]

Bahaha it's definitely a crazy one to start with! :)

[@alainahershey8148]

the first 24 hour writathon was my first video

[@moab9587]

I realize that this is really extreme and probably not possible, but it would be really cool if you did a 24 hour writeathon LIVESTREAM so we could write along with you.... yeah, definetley not possible 😂😂 would be cool though

[@hopethroughrain7774]

Omg I want to do that so bad

[@ferbthecow5324]

I always miss it cause in in England

[@marenm8787]

My first thought when I heard you were doing 24 hours was: 'But you told yourself NOT to do this again...' But then again… I don't listen to myself either with stuff like that. And it sure was great, joining you. :D Also: Still hoping for some 'it's fine'-merch… ;) Lots of love for Duke!

[@annamiller2057]

My favorite short stories: "The Husband Stitch" by Carmen Maria Machado, "Sonny's Blues" by James Baldwin, and "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson. As a warning these short stories highlight shortcomings in society (more or less) so they might be dispiriting. I appreciate your dedication Kate!

[@taylorb4507]

your little tracker sheet is so cute 🥺

[@KateCavanaugh]

Aww thanks! :)

[@Castlelover100]

LOL loved revisiting the 19:84 time again haha. But I'm super proud of you for surpassing your last 24-hour writeathon's 15k!! I definitely think 18 hours sounds much more manageable!

[@taylorb4507]

I’m excited to say I was part of the live for this video 😁!

[@KateCavanaugh]

YAY! :)

[@jillianholderfield1295]

Yeah. I was in the bot live write in but it was still awesome!

[@xShortyxJordyx]

When I saw you were going to do the 24 hour writeathon, i was like "But... Kate... didn't you say you'd never do one again??" and here we are... Your word count is most admirable. I may or may not attempt a 12 hour writeathon early next week with the project I've re-outlined b/c I'm off work until April 19th!

[@jeffblimisinahurry]

I’m going to do Camp NaNoWriMo this April and if I have a free weekend, I am DEFINITELY doing this.

[@valsbookvoyages3344]

just a note: i have been binging ur channel and saw u make cheese bread a lot and i started craving it so i found a recipe and just spent 2 hours waiting for yeast to rise and i honestly feel this bread is my child at this point but it just came out and it's amazing ❤

[@SarahCahillWrites]

Future you clearly doesn’t listen to past you. You did great though, and regular 18hr days would only serve to help, right? I’ve done a 12hr write a thon (18k maybe?) but wouldn’t be able to manage a 24 hour one. (Kids. Ugh.)

[@ChaosInSpace]

OMG it's meee!!!!! 😄Thanks for coming by my write in!! It was super fun to have all the lives while you were doing this!! 18 hours does sound a lot more achievable than 24 hours, I'm tempted to do one for camp nanowrimo. 19:84 BAHAHAHAHAHA I love that that made it into the vlog 😂that was such a fun stream!!

[@hunterdoss2609]

Hey Kate! 17k words is actually insane to me! I am absolutely excited for The Meridian Maps, and you said in the video that you were working on it. Can we have an update on The Meridian Maps? I'm sure I'm the only one who wants to know about how it's coming along, it's just so exciting for us watchers! Lol! You inspire me, Kate! I started writing stories myself, and I love watching your videos while writing!

[@Iowaspidermanparker30289]

It’s so cool you work on multiple projects at a time. When I write something I get so into it and obsessed I think about it all the time and when I’m working on it I can’t even imagine working on something else, nothing even feels appetizing. That’s the fun of it for me, complete immersion into characters and a story and pure obsession. Its interesting how writers are all so different.

[@alidewi8118]

I just want to take a moment to tell you how grateful I am for your videos. I have started writing way more often because of you and I’m trying a Nanowrimo this year. Thank you for inspiring me and so many others and please keep doing what your doing because it makes my day (and likely the days of many others)!💓

[@saltywriteralex]

Kate: 24 write-a-thon bad idea! Me after watching this: I must do one right now. 😆

[@Lillystar98]

you could try doing a 24 in 32 next time! you'll still have 24 hours of writing but with 8 hours (or however many you need) to sleep in between :)

[@myownstory4030]

Omgggg the 24 hour write-a-thon again!! I have been rewatching your write-a-thons forever and there’s a new one I can watch now...I love you kate Cavanaugh 🥺💕

[@moorejb1]

I love when you show the pupperoni. Duke melts my heart every time. And I am loving this tracker you’re using. Your videos give me several ideas on how to fine tune my own routine when I transition to full time writing

[@ainsleyzirkle2485]

The live writeathon was AMAZING!!!!!!!!! 😄😄😄😄😄❤️❤️❤️❤️😁😁😁😁😁

[@KateCavanaugh]

Yayay, I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)

[@ApricotStone]

I am dying at the fact that we have the exact same kind of oven- YES YOU PUT IN THE 19:84!!!! XD

[@blue_birdie]

Yesssss I've been waiting for this since the live stream!!!!!!!!!

[@ilkareads3493]

I love the idea of giving yourself one day a month to get new story ideas out. I imagine it's so hard to know you are not allowed any new stories all year, because isn't that the moment you suddenly get even more ideas for new stuff than usual? So I'm all for being flexible with your rules and giving yourself a cheat day. Also, great vlog! I could never do a 24-hour-writeathon though, I can't even stay awake for 24 hours straight, much less be productive for that much time.

[@katarakitten9088]

Hmm... I might try this. You're such an inspiration!

[@KateCavanaugh]

I'm sending you ALL THE LUCK for if you try!! :)

[@jaytinymoon9078]

you put yourself through all this torture and you're still so bubbly, we love this brand

[@rachelbybeetheharpist]

the speech thing on scrivener is meant to speak what you’ve written so far for you. if you click at the beginning of a page you’ve written it will read that page for you. that’s why it didn’t work, cause you had nothing written down (hope this helps!)

[@KateCavanaugh]

Yessss that helps a lot! And it would definitely be a useful feature now that I understand bahaha, just not what I needed it for then! THANK YOU.

[@SomniiLinn]

Your family is the cutest. THE CUTEST I TELL YOU!!!

[@pixireads]

I've tried 24 hour readathons, I can never stay up for the entire 24 hours. So in that regard, I must applaud you. You were also very productive for those 24 hours. I would agree though, your mood dropped towards the end so cutting it down next time would probably be a good idea.

[@cartoonyyaya7985]

You deserve way more attention, your great!

[@lalunarosa]

"I want there to be all of the books" I very much felt and agree with this statement

[@miabenari122]

My fav video of yours is your other 24 write-a-thon, so you don't how glad I am you came out with a new one!

[@IsabelleMarot]

I wouldn't do a 24hr writeathon but I definitely would be down for 18hrs!

[@neuroticnovelist]

You’re a beast, Kate!!! I don’t know how you do it. Congrats on so many words....you might have talked me into trying this...darn you 😂

[@VanessaMarieCreates]

I'm impressed that you were able to stay awake for 24 hours, let alone write for that amount of time! And honestly, that's more words than I write in an entire month, so way to go!

[@welcometomollysworld]

No, I think it's a good thing that you took one day to get out your story idea. That way you can focus on this one before you forget about it and then continue working on your current project. One day I will attempt a twenty four hour write-a-thon, but not any time soon at least.

[@mangaluver2010]

You're such a trooper Kate, and I'm proud of you!

[@sarahkendle7564]

I am a bit of a lurker but I really enjoy watching your videos and seeing your sweet, old pup. These videos really fire me up and motivate me to write too, so thank you very much for that, though I draw the line at doing a 24 hour writeathon!

[@AuthorZaraHoffman]

I might be dumb enough to try a 12-hour writeathon but I don't know if I'd ever try a 24-hour one. I mostly work on one project at a time but that's regarding novels. I do alternate novel work to freelance work (when I get it via Ko-fi) and my podcast (Write-Ish).

[@Eve.Daniels]

Yes! One day a month of 18 hour Write-a-thon. That seems totally doable and actually like a really good idea... for longer projects anyways. I'm a children's author so... yeah. An hour is pretty much all I've got.

[@outsiderfilms3437]

Hi Kate! Your channel is awesome. Could you have perhaps make a video for young aspiring writers?

[@paperbackbrookie6804]

I cannot believe that you wrote for 24 hours. That’s wild. Love these videos.

[@daynaharris5913]

This is super neat, I think I might try it soon, after I get some of my own outlining done and decide on a project. Props to you for having no new projects rule, I could never! I start a new one practically every day. Maybe this would help me knock out a few lol

[@breemlew]

Because of one of your other blogs, i finally purchased an Ubotie keyboard! I am so excited to write with it!

[@AzzaYCF]

Your dad seems cheery ☺️ And your dog is very sweet ❤️ I felt tired at the mere prospect of a 24hr writeathon! But it was really inspiring to watch - well done! Also, was that a Tim Hortons mug I saw?! Nice!! 😁

[@quintoncorwin5474]

You're an amazing writer and I love your vlogs so much :)

[@Laurapoet33]

Fantastic video as usual Kate! Thank you for putting yourself through crazy challenges for our entertainment and edification :P I’m AMAZED you made it through on only 4 cups of coffee! Also I just wanted to chime in and say that several hours after watching this video I got an ad for those lava cakes on my Instagram feed! Coincidence? I THINK NOT! 🧐

[@xiomysbooktales6279]

I admire you honestly I would not be able to handle a 24 hour write-a-thon it would be too much for me and 18 hr writing days sounds great work when you feel mostly motivated and then crash when your body needs it!

[@azriel9499]

I like the idea of a monthly 18 hour writeathon, I can never stick to one project so it's probably something I should try.

[@WeAreTheTwintails]

Well done, Kate. You made it. I'm proud of you. I wish I had the resolve to write for 24 hours. But I know I don't. At least not without some serious accountability.

[@lunadawn671]

I absolutely loved the "nailed it" after carrying everything in one trip. It's such a proud accomplishment lmao I also totally love your chaotic energy toward the end, it's so funny. And I'd love to try this, but I know there's no universe in which I could manage to keep up that creative energy and flow for that long. Maybe for 10 hours, if I was feeling super wiiild.

[@elliwesishawkins4799]

I’m new to your channel and honestly I love that you take breaks and focus on water and exercise! Overall this was an awesome video, keep up the great work!

[@edunisanintrovert]

I love your videos! This one in particular inspired me to document my own writing process hour-by-hour. It’s nothing like a 24-hour writeathon (can’t imagine myself committing to such a challenge) but maybe I’ll do a 12-hour one who knows maybeeee

[@hiralsingum998]

I love to hear your thoughts and your system it gives a lot of inspiration to me!!

[@laynek7644]

This was heaps of fun - thanks for sharing! Makes me want to do a 24hr writing day....almost...maybe....😂🤣

[@jadeofmanytraits5565]

I am so excited to watch this viedo

[@jetteharris6818]

I'm writing an 8th/9th grade "serial killer" thriller novel for Camp NaNoWriMo!

[@arkhammass5935]

Currently doing my own 24 hour create-a-thon. It's been 17 hours. I have you to blame/thank for this. I'm tired but getting so much work done!

[@mills3653]

We read and analysed the monkeys paw in schooool😂😂😂. I actually liked that short story.

[@iWriteWithPride]

This is inspiring and awesome. Since I'm stuck indoors anyway until the 13th, I might as well try this out myself 😂

[@SamGaleFilms]

Please do more writing streams! I love them and love the writing sprints!

[@storytellingsnek5255]

My best wishes editing the text-to-speech portions... It was all I had when my keyboard broke... And then to transfer handwritten parts when my laptop died. I am now considering waiting until I have access to a working laptop to transfer my handwritten chapters bc I don't posses the metal or spiritual fortitude for such a herculean task.

[@sophiekristie7256]

Wow... How you manage to do one of these every so often, I have no clue. I've been trying to one of these for sooo sooo long, but with my other work and living with roommates, I think I might try a modified version. I can already tell I'm going to need a lot of spiritual motivation by way of tons of your challenge videos. Oh my god, does this mean I'm going to be doing this? Does it?? Does IT??? ahhhhh

[@valsbookvoyages3344]

i know you just did one but i'm so disappointed i missed the livestream! notifs are on for you now though :( excited for the next!

[@peyton3364]

I was so surprised to see you do another 24-hr challenge. Every time I see these I wanna do one, but I doubt I’d have the will power lol I’d maybe make it 3-4 hrs. Also, I told myself I wasn’t going to start any new stories this year either and then last week I found the beginning for a YA sci-fi book about a cyborg I wrote in high school and got so excited about it. Problem is, I’m in the middle of a 9 book fantasy series I’ve been writing. Not the time to start another story lol

[@rebekaalvie]

You're so awesome for getting through this. I think I might try like 12 hour thing. Or maybe 24 hours over a 48 hour period. But I couldn't do 24 all in one go. I'd have to have some sleep in there somewhere.

[@AbiofPellinor]

This video is so motivating! I'd love to try this idea for my own book as it'll help with writers block (once it's all planned out at least)

[@swymaj02]

U just inspired me to dedicate tomorrow (UK time) to writing. I'll vlog the ordeal. I'll give u some heads up afterwards, cos I want to. Also, a friend and I have entered a competition to hopefully get a publishing deal for our books, which are still in their 0/1st drafts (mine is more of a 0.5? draft, if u know what I mean), so I'll be pumped if I get a response from them (Penguin Books BTW).

[@ElleVervain]

'That I don't know anything about, my character does know everything about them...' Yeah. Know that feeling. XD

[@welcometorealiti1244]

Watching your video through the first 2/3 I had the bright idea of wanting to do it too, even though I have written, at most, for 2 consecutive hours... and then I watched the last 5 minutes and was like "nope, nope, nope, gotta go" lol

[@AriTheBerryFaerie]

I'm so proud of how long it took you to actually move to the bed. Your last 24-hour challenge I think you moved to the bed a lot sooner. And you laid down too. I knew at the time that that was probably detrimental to you. But this time you didn't! I'm proud!

[@writingwithkim2320]

I have been watching these videos all week long just because I am very excited about Writing for NaNoWriMo. I just watched this video for the second time this week because I want to try my hand at writing for a whole day. Which is what I do on a regular basis. But I want to have a full video on my NaNoWriMo writing routine for 24 hours. This video is literally just a huge Inspiration for me and my channel. So I need to figure out what day or days I have available on my schedule to just write all day. Lol. Gotta pay the damb phone bill first.

[@monnetandrea8611]

I don't know why, but I think we will see the 24h writeaton v 3.0 muche earlier than 3 years 🤣

[@mpsensha]

I made Brazilian cheese bread for the first time today. And I will make these again, thanks to you! 😁

[@newnametocome386]

Have you read Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld? It is one where you read about a girl that has written a book and her journey for publishing and you read the story too. It was really good.

[@kimberlywhite7895]

Doing a 24 hour write-a-thon? Heck no. But now you know how much you can get done with voice writing! ^_^

[@thatsroughbuddy8816]

with the question about multiple projects, I have a notebook where I write all the ideas I have for books, then I continue with my project that I'm on. after I've finished that first project, I am looking for a new story while I wait a bit of time to do my revisions and draft 2.

[@JPWrites]

I have a very important question: Aren't your coffees cold by the time you get to them? Do you like cold coffee? I often forget my tea when I'm in the zone, and once it's cold I need to tip it out and make a new one 😂

[@lucygoodwriter]

Sadly, I would like to try this! I'm sorry that you had to go through with this! 😂

[@loxee4769]

I've only ever seriously worked on one book-length project and therefore it isn't really a problem for me to stay on track for it. I just can't bring myself to start anything new because I'm scared I might abandon my WIP and that would make me feel the worst. So, not really. A bigger problem is that I just don't continuously write, lol.

[@e_n_hand]

I'm the biggest idiot because I did this challenge every time I had a paper due in high school and college. Part of my problem was that on the papers I did finish in 24 hours, and turned in, I still got a better grade than half the other kids in the class. Consequently, I never learned that you should spend more than a day working on a project. Now I have a 24 hour attention and if it isn't finished by then it will never get finished.

[@briannajohnson5484]

So when I start writing in a story I try to outline. Then in the middle of outlining the next story is trying to take the front of my brain instead of the one I'm on.

[@therogueeducator8452]

Past 21 yo self with no responsibilities: Oh how fun! Sign me up. Actual 35 yo self with two kids: Exhausted just watching you lol

[@doodlehawk91]

I rewatched this andwhen I saw the little pupers I cried😭😭😭😭😭

[@x_misstwitch_x]

So I feel very underachieving by watching this but that's okay because we all work at our own pace! AND, I didn't know Kate lived in Texas in the San Antonio area! I'm up north in the Austin area!

[@billyalarie929]

hey Kate, can you explain a little about the difference (for you) between writing your prose on your laptop, and talking through it so that it's recorded? i missed something big as far as that goes, i think, and i would love if you could elaborate on that a little. love your channel! :)

[@glowllama]

As a future viewer, yes passed Kate. You are trying this again, exactly 3 years later.

[@ronjalarsen6247]

The problem with my writing is that come up with a story and only work on that. I may find others but once I am committed I dont stop. I've never tried having more then one story at time.

[@OnelineBand]

To answer some of your questions: I started a screenplayy and a Shakespeare adaptation - and this week's wordcount is 16,000+ I hope the Pupper is enjoying his new lair! On a different note: I have a minor in Musicology (music history) and play the violin.... if you have any music-related questions ;-) Happy writing!

[@flyonangelwings]

I did it!