As we hurtle toward November, which is now well-known as being NaNoWriMo -- National Novel Writing Month -- I thought I'd reprint and update my resource list of similar but very different writing challenges, originally published for one of my daily posts during our own
WeSeWriMo back in August.
Writers love goals. Some of us (especially hobbyists) find it difficult to schedule ourselves and allow time for writing. Marathons like these force us to quantify our goals and stick to a schedule; joining a group of other likeminded writers in a community will provide both support and competitive spirit -- when all else fails, sometimes peer pressure can be enough to spur us past the finish line!
So for those who love these "writing month" marathons (and keeping in mind that there are many more types of writing than just novel-writing), I've compiled this list of marathons you might find interesting and worth your while.
1.
Interactive Fiction Writing Month - ah, close to my heart. As the blog says: "an attempt to lure beginners into learning Inform through a series of easy tasks with concrete deadlines, and to promote discourse on game design in general." Very nice idea, a combination marathon and extended tutorial! Learn more about IF
at the FAQ. Runs Feb 15 - Mar 15.
2.
Script Frenzy - Almost as well-known as NaNoWriMo (and run by the same folks), here the object is to write 100 pages of original scripted material in April. "Screenplays, stage plays, TV shows, short films, and graphic novels are all welcome."
3.
National Travel Writing Month - travel writers, can you write 30 pitches in April's thirty days?
4.
National Poetry Writing Month - No "official" site, but it's sponsored by a few different entities, including
Read Write Poem,
Poetry Free-For-All, and
the Academy of American Poets. Basically: write a poem a day in April, in celebration of National Poetry Month in the U.S.
5.
National Picture Book Writing Week - A shorter marathon seems appropriate for this picture book-oriented project. Can you write seven picture books in seven days? This may be a one-off event -- the May 2009 NaPiBoWriWee (I didn't make that up!) was the first of its kind. Here's hoping more will follow!
6.
Julnowrimo - for those who can't wait until November, there's July's version of Novel Writing Month. 50,000 words in the 31 days of July. (At least here you get an extra day!)
7.
50 Songs in 90 Days - sponsored by
February Album Writing Month, this is an extended challenge for songwriters that's fairly self-explanatory in the title. Runs from July - October.
8.
Web Series Writing Month. Hosted right here at the EpiGuide. From webfiction/weblit to websoaps to online novels to webcomics to video/audio webseries to ... well, anything with writing that's published in serialized form online. You can pick your own measure of achievement, from a straightforward wordcount to script pages to chapters to installments to scenes. Flexible enough to adapt to any medium -- like the EpiGuide, it was created to celebrate the diversity and variety of forms that web-based entertainment can take -- WeSeWriMo gives you all of August's thirty-one days to create and attain your own goal. Join us next summer!
9.
National Sketch Writing Month - comedy writers are challenged to write 30 sketches in 30 days. They just completed the second annual marathon and it seems to have been a big success.
10.
3-Day Novel Contest - Pfft, what's a month-long challenge when you can cram a novel-writing marathon into
three days? Prize -- other than the glow of pride and calluses on your fingertips (not to mention your
tuchas) -- is $500 and publication, if your submission is judged by their panel to be the pick of the crop. This contest has been around since 1977, and takes place each year on Labor Day weekend (usually the first weekend in September).
11.
24 Hour Comics Day - Annual challenge for cartoonists to produce a 24-page comic book written, drawn, and completed in 24 consecutive hours. Work in private or at several hosted events at local libraries/public spaces. In 2010, the date is Saturday, October 3.
12.
NaNoWriMo - obviously. The granddaddy of them all, our inspiration! Write a novel of 50,000 words in November. Everyone knows about this one so I'll not go into details. But time's running out, so hurry and register so you can start planning your month.
13.
National Blog Posting Month - A bit of a misnomer, as there's no single "month" for this one -- you can do this
every month! The idea is: challenge yourself to post once a day, every day, for a month. Non-fiction, fiction, poetry, those annoying Quizilla dealies... it's all good.
Did we miss any? Let me know and I'll add 'em to the calendar. And if you've participated in any of these marathons, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
-- Kira (Editor, EpiGuide.com)
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10-15-2009, 09:13 AM
#2
(19 rep pts.)
Thanks babe.
