Shut Up & Write

Join GSA for regular Shut Up & Write-a-Thons 

What is Shut Up & Write?

Join our weekly Shut Up & Write sessions—designed to keep you focused, beat procrastination, and connect with fellow graduate students.

We use the Pomodoro Technique (25-minute writing sprints with 5-minute breaks) to make sessions as productive as possible. You can work on anything, as long as you’re writing!

Sessions are held online via Zoom and in-person in the 1888 Building.

Please note: These sessions are NOT  “How to write” workshops or information sessions. You will need to have your own research, data, essay or assignment to work on. These sessions are similar to a group study session.

I have been grateful to attend the Shut Up and Write sessions with GSA. It can be challenging to stay motivated while undertaking a self-directed PhD. I found these sessions to be most helpful in allowing me to plan my week ahead and reach my writing targets.
Emelia S
Graduate Student
What is the Pomodoro Technique? 

A full Pomodoro cycle lasts for about 2 hours, comprising four sets of sprints and breaks. Using the Pomodoro Technique you will almost always find you make much more progress, even though it’s the same amount of time. 

An Italian – Francesco Cirillo – came up with the idea in the late 80s and needed to keep track of his 25-minute sprints. The nearest thing to hand was a kitchen timer shaped like a tomato (pomodoro in Italian). Now the word is synonymous with 25-minute productivity bursts. 

Prepare for Shut Up & Write 

Shut Up & Write sessions are not about creating the perfect final version of your work; they’re intended to get the words out onto the page, which you can edit and polish later. 

Trust that you know enough about your topic, and try not to get caught up in finding the ideal phrase or sentence. 

Katherine Firth, the Head of Academic Programs at Trinity College, has more tips on generative writing and first drafts:

Five steps to writing 

  1. Decide what you want to work on during the session 
  2. Make some notes (or dot points) to help guide you. Having a plan, however rough, can keep you on track. 
  3. Get organised: Organise your notes! The Cornell Method is a great way to do this, but any system is fine as long as it works for you. 
  4. Have your references and data analysis results ready, but don’t worry if you don’t have every detail: you can go back and finalise things in a later draft. 
  5. Write! 

Upcoming sessions 

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