One of the many things I enjoy most about being a writer is shutting myself away from the world when I write. But perhaps that’s because there’s nobody to watch the false starts and the long periods when my expectant fingers hover over the keys waiting for their instructions from my brain.
The thought of live-streaming this private moment of creation fills me with abject horror, but not everyone thinks like this. Author Abbie Emmons runs a regular Write With Me live-streaming session on her YouTube channel (@AbbieEmmons) for her 556,000 followers.
And she’s not the only one. Danita Jones (danitajones.com) is a television writer, creative producer, and writing coach, and in Spring 2026 she’s tutoring the Writing for Television and Film course at California’s Chapman University.
Every morning, Danita, who has written for iconic shows like Fraiser and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, sits down at her computer, logs onto her YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/@TheDanitaJones/) switches on her camera and invites other writers to join her for an hour of writing. So why does she do this?
Accountable Airwaves
‘I needed my own accountability,’ she explains. ‘For years, I’ve been doing research for my historical fiction novel series, but I kept getting stuck on the 500+ pages of congressional hearing transcripts from the 1800s. I needed to push through this material so I could get to writing the actual series. That’s when I created a thirty-day challenge to write and research every day at 5am.’
‘Choosing to do a “Write With Me” live-stream became a way to hold myself publicly accountable while also encouraging other writers to get their own words on the page. I realized that making the commitment public would help me keep it — and might help others keep theirs too.’
Typically, by drawing on the popular pomorodo technique, Danita breaks the one-hour session down into two 25-minute writing sprints, with a ten-minute writing chat in the middle.
‘I saw someone else’s live-stream and liked their approach,’ says Danita, ‘but I knew I could realistically commit only to an hour, especially once I returned to a television production schedule. So, I began with a simple thirty-day challenge at 5am. After the thirty days, I realised how much I enjoyed it. Even on the days no one showed up, I was still at my computer doing work I cared about. It felt like taking care of myself before the rest of the day swept me away.’
Ultimately, as any writer knows, the only way of having any sort of writing business is to sit down and write. We need to produce content. And if sharing our writing time with others online helps us to achieve this, then it’s a win-win for us and our writing business.
Reliable Ritual
And for Danita, it’s the regularity and accountability that turn this into a win for her.
‘The biggest thing I get is consistency. That’s the hardest part for most writers—showing up to the page. The blank page can feel intimidating, but writing every day creates momentum. These sessions give me a reliable ritual. And I genuinely enjoy seeing other people present, doing their work alongside me. There’s something grounding about knowing that—even across screens—we’re all in it together.’
However, because she’s sharing her writing time with others, Danita also enjoys the feedback she gets from her online writing community.
‘Writers often tell me the sessions give them a sense of routine and encouragement they’ve struggled to create on their own. Watching people take real action—whether they’re writing a novella, outlining a novel, or simply getting their ideas down—is incredibly rewarding. What I love most is the community that has formed. People greet each other from different parts of the world, check in on what they’re working on, and celebrate each other’s progress.’
Long-form Live-stream
Between 1st and 7th September 2025, psychological thriller author Kathryn Croft (https://www.kathryncroft.com/) wrote the first draft of her twentieth novel while sitting in her local bookshop. Not only that, but she live-streamed the entire event.
It obviously worked, because the currently untitled book will be published in Summer 2027. In the meantime, Headline will publish Kathryn’s latest novel, I Know What I Saw, this coming July.
So where did she get this idea?
‘For some time, I’d had an overwhelming urge to do something different as an author–something that’s never been done before,’ Kathryn begins. ‘The idea for The Writer in the Window event came to me when I recalled an old episode of the 90s TV show Sex and the City. In the episode, which was based on Marina Abramovic’s The House with the Ocean View, a performance artist sits on a stage for twelve days, not eating or speaking. People would visit and watch her, and I found the whole concept fascinating. It stuck with me, and years later, it gave me the idea for writing the first draft of my next book live in a bookshop window.’
‘It ended up being upstairs in Paper Moon Bookshop, as the logistics of me being in the window wouldn’t have worked in the space available. Having the event live-streamed was important as I wanted to lift the veil on the writing process, as well as make the event available to anyone who couldn’t make it to the bookshop in person. I wanted it to be a worldwide event, as well as something for my local community.’
Like Danita, Kathryn’s own writing benefitted from the whole experience. The accountability of telling the world what she was up to, helped her to focus and get the job done.
‘It certainly added pressure, knowing that the camera was on me for the whole eight hours, for seven consecutive days. Thankfully, I tend to thrive under pressure, and it definitely helped with my focus. Knowing that I wasn’t just doing this solely for myself, or even Paper Moon Bookshop, but also for everyone who gave up their time to check in and watch for a few moments, spurred me on. The live stream enabled me to get in the writing zone and avoid distractions. It also made me more determined to complete the challenge, so that I didn’t let down all the people who were supporting me.’
Positive Perspective
Not only that, but this project also helped Kathryn put her normal daily writing obstacles into perspective.
‘The challenge of the event being captured live also showed me that I can push myself to my limits as a writer. After having to write 8,000–10,000 words a day during that week, I now find my usual daily word count of 2,000 a lot easier, and less of a mountain to climb.’
She’s also realistic about the whole project.
‘It was such a positive experience for me, and I’m so pleased that I got to challenge myself, and do something that’s never been done before. However, there’s no denying that it was extremely tough. Writing under those conditions, with no time for thinking, was mentally exhausting, so although I don’t think I’d do the same thing again, I would definitely take on a different type of writing event or challenge.’
Socially Stimulating
Although the cliché image of a writer scribbling away in their garret may suit many, the concept of live-streaming our writing sessions can help us connect with other writers and readers.
Kathryn found the social element of the project helped her to keep going too. ‘There was such a positive response from people online. Everyone who contacted me was hugely supportive, and the event was even covered in Poland. This encouragement helped me to keep going in those moments I wondered if I could do it, and believe me–there were a few of those!’
Danita recalls one comment she received from a first-time visitor to her live-stream.
‘One participant, who had never written before, shared during a live-stream, “This is my first go at writing something… and the feedback and support here are really helping me get started.” That kind of comment reminds me why I show up.’
Kathryn agrees that the live-streaming was a great way to connect and to be further inspired.
‘Writing can be such a solitary life, where we’re just stuck in our heads, so doing something that makes it more of a social interaction is a fantastic way to get inspired and do something different.’
The writing process is just one part of our writing business, and live-streaming can work well for other aspects, too. Some authors live-stream a reading from their new book, offer readers a question-and-answer session, and even live-stream their launch parties.
But the benefit of live-streaming a writing session is that the accountability and the regularity of the event help us create the content that our readers ultimately want.
So the next time the words dry up, why not join another writer’s live-stream writing session to see if that helps you? Who knows, going live to the world with your own writing sessions might transform your writing business too!
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Danita Jones’ Top Tip: ‘Be patient. It takes time to grow an audience, but your people will find you. Even if only two people show up, that’s still a room you’ve created—and that can change someone’s writing life. Be consistent. Your viewers feel comfort knowing you’ll be there, and that consistency helps them be accountable too.’
Kathryn Croft’s Top Tip: ‘The first thing I would say is definitely go for it. We never know what we’re capable of until we push ourselves outside our comfort zones. It helps to fully plan and prepare; I think that was the most important factor in being able to achieve this goal. This also ensures you don’t lose valuable time having to brainstorm as you go along.’
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