Free writing tool
The Dangerous Writing Prompt App
Pick a goal. Start typing. If you stop for more than five seconds, every word you wrote disappears. It sounds cruel. It is also the fastest way to shut off your inner editor and finally get a draft on the page.
Goal: 5 min. Stop typing for five seconds and it all disappears.
How a writing sprint works: three rules. That is the whole game.
Set your goal
Pick a stretch of time or a word count. Add a prompt if the blank page scares you. Then hit start.
Keep the pen moving
Write without stopping. Do not scroll back. Do not fix the typo. The only rule is that your fingers never rest.
Beat the timer or lose it all
Pause for five seconds and the screen reddens, your words fade, then they are gone. Reach the goal and your draft is safe to keep.
Why writing dangerously works
Most first drafts do not stall because the writer is out of ideas. They stall because the writer keeps stopping to judge the last sentence. You write six words, decide they are wrong, delete four of them and the page never grows.
This tool takes the delete key away from that voice. When stopping means losing everything, your brain gives up on perfect and starts reaching for whatever comes next. That is where the honest, surprising lines live. You can always tidy them up later. You cannot tidy up a blank page.
Writers use a sprint like this to draft a scene they have been avoiding, to warm up before a longer session or simply to prove to themselves that the words are still in there. Run it once a day for a week and the blank page stops being frightening. If it is your first book, our guide on how to write your first novel covers what to do with the pages afterwards.
More free tools for writers
No account needed for the lists: writing prompts, plot ideas and a words per page calculator. See all free tools.
Questions writers ask
What is the dangerous writing prompt app?
It is a free freewriting tool with one harsh rule. You set a goal, you start typing and if you stop for more than five seconds your words are deleted. The pressure forces you past your inner editor so a rough draft actually gets written.
How long can I pause before my words are deleted?
Five seconds. The screen starts to redden and your text begins to fade at around three seconds as a warning, then everything is wiped at five. Type anything, even a single key and the timer resets.
Is my writing saved or sent anywhere?
No. The whole app runs inside your browser. Your words never touch a server and there is no account to make. When you finish a sprint you can copy or download the text yourself and nothing is stored once you close the tab.
Why would anyone write like this?
Most first drafts stall because the writer edits every sentence as it lands. Taking away the ability to stop and fix things quiets that voice. You end up with raw, honest pages you can shape later, which is far easier than staring at a blank screen.
What do I do with the words after the sprint?
They are yours. Copy them into your manuscript, download them as a text file or carry them into FeelyWrite. There, Rewrite and Expand help you turn raw pages into real chapters.
How long should a writing sprint be?
Ten to twenty minutes is enough for most people. Long enough to get past the first awkward paragraph, short enough that stopping for five seconds still feels like a real risk. Run two with a break between them rather than one long one.
How is this different from other dangerous writing apps?
The rules are the same, because the idea is not ours: keep typing or lose the words. This one runs in your browser with no signup and no account, and it leads into a full writing studio if you want to keep going with what you wrote.
Will it delete work I already had?
No. The sprint starts from an empty page and only the words written inside that sprint are at risk. Nothing in your manuscript is touched, because the sprint does not have access to it.
Is it really free?
Yes. The dangerous writing app is free to use with no signup and no limit on how many sprints you run. FeelyWrite, the full writing studio it leads into, gives you 15 free credits when you sign up, no card.
The sprint gets the words out. We help you finish the book.
FeelyWrite is a calm writing partner that remembers your whole story, so the raw pages from a sprint can grow into real chapters. Its story bible, Story DNA, keeps your characters straight while you revise. Start with 15 free credits. No credit card.
Start writing for free