Wednesday 14 August 2013

Writing Challenges

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%
3AAlbert_Anker_Schreibunterricht_1865.jpg


Albert Anker [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Writing challenges are always popular. The trick is to find and join one that matches your needs. Do you want to improve your writing skills? Do you want to swap procrastination for action? Do you finally want to  see that book published to Kindle?

Every month of the year sees the return of an established challenge or the creation of a new one.

There are no winners or losers.  Whatever happens you will extend your abilities that little bit more, increase your networking acquaintances and make yourself more viable as a writer.

Taking Up the Challenge

Between pressure of work and procrastination, I lost my way this Spring and flip-flopped between possible projects and ideas so fast they all floundered. My poor blog lost its way.

Then Marg McAlister of Writing4Success appeared in my email inbox. Her 7 week Writing challenge sounded perfect. Set your own goals. Fit writing into the ten-minute slots of the day you're apt to waste.

She is fitting her writing life into her holiday travel schedule and like everything she does, she is doing it brilliantly.

But to my amazement, with her  helpful insights on my comments, so am I.

In less than two weeks, I have cleared my backlog of term papers, my editing pile and am now on my fun DIFM (Do-It-For-Me) projects starting with planning my blogs. And I still have five weeks to go...Start now and you'll be surprised at how much you accomplish in those small blocks of time.

Yesterday I started work again on my editing blog and changed Slow and Steady Writers to a more dynamic template. Let me know if you love it or hate it.

Where to Find Writing Challenges

Use a search engine. Add a specific time limit--one day, 7 day, 30 day. A month is good if you are using it to develop a particular writing habit.

Wikiwrimo.org has a month by month list including the three day novel writing contest over Labor Day weekend (Aug 31-Sept. 2). 


Set your own goals first than find a challenge to 
match. Or adapt an idea from another artistic 
discipline.

The Ted talk by Cesar Kuriyama on creating a one second video for every day of your life is inspirational. Adapt it by writing one perfect sentence every day of your life encapsulating the greatest memory or moment of that day.