Co-Writing for Academics

The problem was never that you can’t write. It’s that nothing in your week protects the writing.

Virtual sessions, several times a week, one to three hours long. You show up, say what you’re going to do, do it alongside other academics — then show what you actually got done.

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THE PROBLEM

Why academics can’t protect their writing time

Wednesday morning was for the paper. Then a meeting moved. Then teaching prep ran long.
Then forty minutes were left — not enough to start, so you cleared your inbox instead.

This isn’t a discipline problem. Writing is the only task in an academic week nobody’s waiting on.

Teaching has a room full of students. Reviews have deadlines. Your manuscript has nobody until it has a submission deadline, and then it has everybody.

  • You reread the same paragraph eleven times.
  • You book three hours, produce two sentences.
  • The draft that was 70% done in March is still 70% done.
  • You get more written on a train to a conference than in a week at your desk.

None of that means you’re bad at writing. It means the hardest part of your job happens completely unwitnessed, unstructured, and last in the queue.

WHAT THIS IS

What is academic co-writing?

A scheduled block where academics get on a call and write.
Nobody teaches. Nobody reads your draft. What the room gives you:

Someone expects you

At a specific time — writing moves from “if the day allows” to “at 09:00, like everything else.”

You’re not alone while you work

Cameras on, mics off. Checking email becomes a decision, not a reflex.

You say the goal out loud

“Work on the paper” becomes “draft the methods section up to sampling” the moment someone’s listening.

You report back the result

Not the plan — the result. Ten minutes of accountability changes the two hours before it.

HOW A SESSION RUNS

How a virtual co-writing session works

Different lengths and times across the week, so you can find one that fits a real schedule. The structure never changes — you shouldn’t have to think about the container, only the work.

1

Check-In

Everyone name what they’re working on and what “done” looks like.

2

The work

Silence, together. Longer sessions get a short break and mid-point check-in.

3

Check-out

Everyone says what they actually produced. No performance, no apologizing.

The check-ins are often the real value: you find out a professor two countries away also can’t start on Mondays — that what felt like a personal failing is a structural feature of the job.

A very old mechanism

Why co-writing works for academics

Working alongside others who are working changes behavior. It’s one of the most robust findings in social psychology, long before anyone put it on a video call.

The virtual format just makes it available at 07:00 on a Tuesday, without leaving home.

Did you know?

This practice — sometimes called body doubling — was shaped by and for neurodivergent people. If starting is the expensive part of writing for you, this format was built around exactly that. No diagnosis or disclosure needed.

12M+

Virtual coworking sessions logged, on platforms built around this idea

150+

Countries represented among the people who rely on the platform weekly.

~85%

of neurodivergent survey respondents said it helped them start avoided tasks.

THE WHO THIS IS FOR

Come if. Don’t come if.

Come if.

  • You have writing matters and no reliable time for it.
  • You work better with people around, worse alone.
  • You want structure without a course or homework.
  • Starting costs you more than the writing itself.
  • You’re between things — post-defence, sabbatical, parental leave — and your week lost its shape.

Don’t come if.

  • You need feedback on the text itself — that’s Paper Club.
  • You want someone to tell you what to write — that’s coaching.
  • You can’t keep your mic off. It sounds trivial, it isn’t.

Ready to protect your writing time?

Upcoming Co-Writing Sessions

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to turn my camera on?

Yes, during work blocks — that’s the mechanism. You don’t need to look presentable. Nobody’s watching you; they’re working.

Can I use the time for something other than writing?

Yes — data analysis, grading, that email you’ve drafted four times. Just needs to be focused work you’d otherwise put off.

What if I get nothing done?

Say so at check-out, come back next time. No score kept.

Do I have to come every week?

No. Regulars tend to get more out of it, but there’s no attendance requirement.

How many people per session?

Small enough that check-ins stay short and everyone gets heard.

English or German?

Check-ins run in English by default. Write in whatever language your paper is in — no one sees your screen.

Does anyone see my work?

No, screens are never shared. “Chapter three” is a complete answer.

How is this different from Focusmate?

Same group of academics, week after week, run by a coach — not a random stranger for 50 minutes. The check-ins turn into a peer network.

What does it cost?

Included in the Academic Freedom Lab membership.