ONE WEEK LEFT
before the PRIZE GIVEAWAY!
You may have noticed that I've joined an obscene number of reading challenges for 2009. In my searching, though, I haven't found any manageable writing challenges. I don't mean contests, per se, but ongoing challenges to keep the words flowing, even if the words are "watermelon watermelon watermelon."
It's easy to fall behind in writing to the point you get out of practice all together. My idea, then, like Julia Cameron's "Morning Pages," is to keep us all writing.
I am hosting a challenge akin to some of the reading challenges, ongoing and designed to foster inspiration and community. It's very easy - 1000 words a month. At the end of the year, you'll have a total of 12,000 words, which is not even half a NaNo entry. See how simple? I hope you'll spread the word!
Rules
1. Declare your intentions to join the challenge by putting up a post on your blog with this information. (You can just copy the code, if you want.) Use it as the permalink with which you sign up in Mr. Linky (below). If you don't have a blog, just put your name in Mr. Linky and either put your email address in the comments or send it to me at AerinBlogs AT aol DOT com.
2. Write a minimum of 1000 words of fiction or creative non-fiction per month, from January through December of 2009.
3. Post an update about your fiction on your blog, or on the Challenge blog (coming soon.) So, you can publish your writing if you want feedback, or you can just put up a post about the 1000 words you've written in the past month. (Moderator has the right to sniff out impostors, but mostly she trusts the honor system.)
4. Your 1000 words per month can be in any form, but they must be created for this challenge. So, you could write two new non-sequential 500 word snippets for your previously begun WIP, or several hundred haikus, or a variety of short stories. You can use writing prompts. Fan-fic counts. Revisions count only if the original words were written as part of this challenge (so it doesn't count to revise your 2008 NaNo entry.) Creative non-fiction absolutely counts. Facebook missives and email correspondence do not count.
5. Rules may be further explained, at any time, and entries are at Moderator's discretion. All works remain your own copyright, but you grant me first electronic publishing rights.
Prizes
I will randomly give away one Bylines for every 20 people who join the challenge by January 31, 2009. (Extra entries if you post about this challenge on your blog, then comment back here that you did so.)
At the end of the year, we'll have open voting for Favorite Bit, Most Improved, Best Updates, etc, and I'll give away cool writer-y prizes. I may also throw some in during the year for giggles and to see who's still with me.
BONUS: If you sign up for this challenge by January 14, your entry to the Ascension Clarity of Night contest counts as all 1000 of your words for January!
Contact me if you have questions, concerns....comments, recipes, advice.....horoscopes, jewelry, chocolate.......
UPDATES
1. If you don't have a blog, just put your name in Mr. Linky and either put your email address in the comments or send it to me at AerinBlogs AT aol DOT com.
2. You're not required to post your actual writing if you don't want feedback, but you do have to do something (post on your blog, post on my blog, email me) to update me once a month.
3. Creative non-fiction absolutely counts. Facebook missives and email correspondence do not count.
58 comments:
sounds good, aerin... i'll ponder on it a bit, just cuz i can :O lol
Aerin,
This sounds awesome and I will definitely follow the progress... I can even promise to write 1,000 words a month, but I won't post them on an open forum.
Sorry. I know that probably disqualifies me, but I still can't wait to see the progress and I think it's a great idea.
For me, I don't like to post my fiction (except small excerpts I'm working on or for the occasional blog contest or whatnot), and there's no way I can do 1,000 besides the fiction I'm working on for (hopeful) publication.
Still a great idea. Don't hate me cuz I'm persnickety.
I think I'm in, but I need to sleep on it to be sure.
Does creative nonfiction count? I.e., the equivalent of a juiced-up childhood memoir snippet? If it does, I would be very much "in".
Joined (through Laughingwolf) and pimped in my blog. :)
Angie
I'll give it a shot but I do hate publishing my own fiction on my blog so I'll post it on your new one. I need something to get me writing again as I've all but stopped since NaNo murdered my enjoyment of it. I will do the blog post telling the world (and by that I mean my 10 readers) about it either tonight or tomorrow.
This is a great idea. Aren't you the cool one for doing it!?
I must admit that the scope and number of contests on your sidebar boggle the mind. This one looks like fun.I'm in.
i signed up as the first one yesterday, but see my name is no longer there :(
I don't want to commit to something I know I'll be a total lazy shit about. But I shall watch with great interest! Can I be in the cheering section?
Ooh! Good challenge. I will think on this a bit. Consider yourself bookmarked, though.
PS I looooooove you header and blog theme.
Paul
ok, now it sez i'm #4, and i know that's wrong, since there were 4 when i signed in this time :(
I might be in too; was a bit bothered by the open forum thing - it might have disqualified some short story markets, but I see you've relaxed that.
crazy! now i see me first again....
You'll, like, remind us, right? LOL! I mean, just in passing, once a month, in a blog post? Otherwise, I'm in!
And how did you get your really cool website? I love your sidebar. I'm DROOLING over your sidebar. I want your sidebar so bad I can't even tell you.
(Well, I guess I just did.) Do tell, please! And are you pointing blogger to your domain, or hosting blogger on your own?
(Is it really rude that I'm asking you all these questions?)
I would love to participate but I'm having a hard enough time focusing on two rewrites, blogging etc - no shortage of words here, just not enough time and nonetheless a startling ability to procrastinate. Actually, I've also promised myself to write more articles and actually earn some moolah!
i posted my flash fiction for jason's contest on my page... need to give it a word count yet, all i recall is it's under 250 :)
Not like I need another iron in the fire...but I do need accountability.
I don't promise brilliant, writing, however. Some days, you might rather read, "Watermelon, watermelon, watermelon."
We're planning to have a writing night once or twice a month so we can work on our creative projects... This might be just the thing to keep me honest.
Thanks, Aerin!
What a great idea! I can't participate at the moment because I'm in the middle of revisions--I'm deleting more words than I'm writing, at this point! How would I keep track of that?
Great idea. I'll be writing at least 1000 a month along with you. Not sure if I'll make it official though. That would mean one more thing to keep track of and I don't think I'm up for that at the moment. Soon, maybe. But not today.
Thanks for the goad and inspiration.
Hope you stop by soon. I have an update re: the Write a Book Challenge, posted on my blog. I do hope you will be able to join us!
Hugs, G
www.mypoeticpath.wordpress.com
OOPS! I didn't really do Mr. Linky twice. I noticed I linked a blog post, not the actual blog as when I went to the contest blog you had a link to that post and I was hoping it would be my blog.
Sorry for the confusion. Dang, look at the time. No wonder! It's after midnight so my mind turned into a pumpkin, which explains my ineptness. I swear, I'm usually much more lucid. LOL
I have actually posted the piece I sent to Jason for The Clarity of Night Short Fiction contest. Not sure if you need me to send you that link, just let me know.
I can be reached at cappsmontgomery AT hotmail DOT com.
Hey, I'll play along; sounds like fun to do.
I followed JC over here, btw. =)
I'll play, I need to get more NF done and this will be the perfect thing to get me motivated again..dang ole winter doldrums got me :)
Thanks for the challenge. I posted on my blog about it.
well might as well join up since I wrote something for Jason's!
All right. I guess I'm in. You twisted my arm enough :)
I love your blog! And I'm so glad I stumbled on a fellow writer! Excuse me, I'm going to go rummage through your archives!
I'm back. Could the 1000 words apply to a continuing story? I often write stories on my blog in a "serial" format, you know, chunk by chunk. Do those chunks count?
And what do you mean by first electronic publishing rights? Are you going to copy what we do here or create a anthology?
I'm up for this! I'm a daily poster anyway, out of habit; plus, I really like the whole idea of a writing challenge!
I'm in! Thanks! I love writing!
I've sent off my 240 words to Jason for the Clarity of Night contest, but I'll still be trying to finish off the other 760 words by the end of the month. I'm in. Now I'm off to post about your glorious challenge on Corner Kick.
I am a first time visitor. This year I have a goal to get out of my comfort zone and let myself out and so I want to give this challenge a try. I really don't consider myself a writer but I thought it could be fun to try and maybe get your help with ideas. I'll pass on your blog to my family member that is a writer.
This challenge sounds great. I guess I'm nervous at the 1000 words a month. I do try and write everyday. Poems mostly. Send your chocolate martini my way.
Keep blogging.
Quick Question: Does the stuff I write on my blog count? Or guest posts at other sites? I post every day, and some of my stuff is quite "literary," if I do say so myself!
Well, I'm a couple of day's late joining in... so I guess I need to write a 1000 words more right? Well, since I was planning on doing so already... you gave added incentive! :-D Glad to see old friends from "Acension" out here! I can feel the excitement already! :-D
I'm in. At least I'll try - I've got a student teacher who is flying without me. That's worth a novel right there, isn't it?
I'm in...this seems fun :) :)
ok... i call mine Mini I... combining galen's flash 55 challenge with yours, to exceed both requirements ;)
next label will be Mini II... etc.
@5 per week
likely to surpass it all, if i post other writings in between those posts....
Sounds tempting - except for the publishing of the 1000 monthly words....
Anyway, a great idea, Aerin!:-)
well durn, I forgot how to let you know updates? Anyway, didn't mean to but ended up starting a short story so, I'm 2000 in plus Jasons..you gave me quite the kick in the butt that I needed, for that! Thanks gobs :)
Hi... i joined.... err, i think I did!
Working on my 1000 words... :)
k, posted Mini III today ;)
Given my missing muse, I should probably join in, shouldn't I...in the hope that just writing will lure her out - of the pool or from the other side of the galaxy!
v posted friday, vi is up monday...
including my 1000 free words, current count = 1518
OK... I've added links to both SLS blogs (since one is supposed to disappear soon), so I'm OFFICIALLY in.
I won't post my work, but I will keep you updated, either here or on Facebook.
Thank you!
Hey Aerin, I just passed 1,000 words for January if you include my Clarity of Night entry, my Haiku Wednesday, my Rabbit Hole Day post, and my two sorties on my WIP.
My question: I love your graphic on this post. Can you provide one that is sized for the right column of blogger so I can put a link to the challenge up there through all of 2009?
Hi Aerin,
I just wrote a piece titled "Bite Me" on my blog for this contest. Its 750 words. So that plus my "Acsension" entry will account for my 1000 words for Jan right? Do let me know if I need to do anythin else...
Hey Aerin,
Am I too late to sign up? In my part of the US it is already feb 1st, but I can have my January words up by tomorrow...?
Dutchie (from NYCmmm)
Hey, I managed to write 1,139 words into another short story (got to keep practising) and it's before 12.00 am Western time. Can I count that as my january entry? I will post the new story on my blogspot when it's done (and I am satisfied with it).
as of today, including the 1,000-word bonus you gave me, my word count is just over 8,000
at the rate i'm going, the 178 minis [55ers] alone i'll be posting by year's end, will take the total up another 9790 words, not counting the 12s and 6s in the mini-minis i post daily
looks like i'm still ahead of the curve for the 1,000 words per month challenge :)
my wordcount as of 01 june '09 is: 9495 [likely missed some, but it matters not]
there is a poetry challenge i'm contemplating...
wordcount as of 31 july: 13,200 [more not counted]
puts me well beyond the 12,000 required for the end of the year, as per your rules... shall i continue?
wordcount as of 25 september:15,050
wordcount as of 03 november: 17,862
almost forgot the update:
as of o8 dec '09, wordcount: 24,673
[i've added quite a few entries in my blog]
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