Writing Sessions
A group session (or sprint) is a competitive writing event with other participants from a channel, where you each aim to write as much as you can in a given time period!
All writing sessions are logged to your active project. If you aren't using the main bot, you don't need to worry about this! If you are using the main bot, you can set your active project using the /setproject command, or by using the /project set active command on the main bot. You can also switch to writing without a project using the /noproject command, or the /project no_active command on the main bot.
Starting a Group Session
A group session can be started using the /group command! There are several options to fill out, and not choosing any will result in the default values for the server being used.
WriterStats Server Moderators can set server defaults for group sessions using the bot! You can see more on how to do this on the server settings page! This process requires you to have the main bot on your server.
The various options for the command are shown below:
session_length: Optional. How long you want the session to be, in minutes. Defaults to 15 minutes. If you want more detailed control, you can use the hours/minutes/seconds format. All 3 fields must be provided.random_length: Optional. Let WriterStats pick a random length for your session, based on your criteria! Pick from the options provided.start_delay: Optional. How long before the session starts, in minutes. Defaults to 1 minute. Must be less than 60 minutes.end_delay: Optional. How long participants will have to submit their final count, in minutes. Defaults to 2 minutes, which can be overriden in server settings. Must be less than 30 minutes.join_type: Optional. Whether you wish to join as a paricipant or a spectator. This is participant, by default.starting_count: Optional. The number of words you are starting with. This overrides your project wordcount when calculating your net change at the end, but does not directly change it.
You cannot fill out both the session_length and random_length fields!
Joining a Group Session
The creator of a group session is automatically added to the session! Other server members can join a group session using the /join command!
The command has one option, detailed below:
starting_count: Optional. The number of words you are starting with. This overrides your project wordcount when calculating your net change at the end, but does not directly change it.
Spectating a Group Session
If you wish to join a group session for a non-writing task or to accompany those taking part in the session, you can use the /spectate command! This lets you join the session as a spectator, and be mentioned for all of the session's events.
Leaving a Group Session
You can leave a group session using the /leave command.
Cancelling a Group Session
The owner of a group session can cancel a group session using the /cancel command.
WriterStats Server Moderators have the ability to cancel any group session, including ones they haven't created.
Viewing Information for a Group Session
You can view information for the currently running group session using the /info command, which displays information such as when the session starts, finishes and the number of members in the session.
The /info command can be used to see how much longer you have in a session!
Completing a Group Session
A session can be completed using the /complete command!
The various options for the command are shown below:
final: Your final wordcount. Specify either this or change.change: Your net wordcount change in this session. Specify either this or final.edited: Optional. The words you've written/edited, if different from your net change. This is useful if you're editing or rewriting parts of your work and know how much words you've written, even if it doesn't match the change in your project's wordcount.join_next: Optional. Whether or not you wish to automatically join the next session in the chain.
The join_next option is only used during chain sessions. Using it to complete another session will result in no extra effects.
You cannot fill out both the final and change fields!
What's Next?
You have now learned how to run group sessions in your servers! Move on to the next page to learn how to subscribe to notifications with WriterStats Lite to be notified whenever a session is scheduled in a channel!