The 50K Challenge
I am writing.
Not that you can't do both. You can. (Well, not at the same time, probably... but with all the technology today, who knows? If you do, I'd like to hear about it, for sure!) But I'm not a runner.
The RWA PRO group has decided to set a spring challenge before we all meet for our PRO retreat at Nationals. Cyndi, one of our coordinators, set what she's calling the PRO Challenge. It's a way for all of us to keep our motivation through to Nationals in Nashville. It's a writing challenge.
We're keeping track of it on Twitter and on a message board Cyndi set up. And it's been going since the 1st of April. We have until the 26th of July to write 50,000 words. And we each get to decide if we're going to participate or not.
I decided to participate because it's a good way for me to get some accountability in my writing. This way, everytime I log on to Mozilla, the first tab I see if the RWA PRO Challenge. Staring me in the face. Before my email, or Twitter, or Facebook, I remember that I'm a writer.
Writers Write.
Of course, Christy's challenge that she set for herself at the same time has been very helpful to me, as well. I'm following hers and commenting and doing my own. It's been great. I've gotten a lot of work done.
What I'm realizing is that it helps me to know I'm not alone. The picture above, which I just love, is the epitome of marathons to me. Tons of people filling a street, all striving for something together. Writing feels so solitary for me most of the time, these writing challenges feel a little like all of us ganging up together on some giant superhighway and striving together. It's the encouragement that I need. I need to feel like I'm not alone.
As a result, I'm halfway done with the first draft of NN, I'm about a third of the way through the Roman & Barbarian novel, and I'm plugging away on ideas for the NN sequel novel. Just so glad for the encouragement of all these challenges. Writing is hard work. And it's good to have friends on the journey.
What about you? Are you taking part in any challenges lately? How is the accountability process for you? What is helpful or unhelpful about challenges, in your opinion?
4 comments:
Good for you, and I wish you the best of luck in meeting your goal.
I like challenges, too, mostly because they have deadlines and I find that I need those. Otherwise I tend to get a little (or a lot) distracted. Every November I participate in the NaNoWriMo challenge, and I have 7 completed novel drafts to show for it (and actually, of those, at least three are no longer drafts).
I think it's a great idea to challenge oneself. I find with the quantity-over-quality writing challenges in particular, they force me past my own internal censor and I end up writing things I may never have if I'd taken more time to think it through.
Thanks for stopping by, Lisa. I agree that I'm finding I need deadlines.
I've never tried NaNoWriMo, but I think I will probably try it next year. It seems to be really beneficial for the people I know who have participated!
Thanks, again!
I have to be in the right frame of mind to do a challenge, but I'm disciplined enough to get into that right frame of mind.
Right now I'm in the (at least) 100 words a day in between my local Austin meetings. When I join this challenge, I don't miss any days.
I did NaNo for the first time last year. I didn't think I would, but I did manage to hit 50,000 words. I had a blast and discovered that doing a NaNo style 1st draft will probably be my routine for a while.
I like the idea of the 100 words a day (at least) challenge, Lexi. My local chapter, in Montana, has been talking about different ways to motivate ourselves to write, and I'm finding that a lot of other chapters are doing some kind of writing challenge right now.
I heard of one that had been going on for four years where they were trying to hit 1,000,000 words written. And after four years, I think some of them were close. :-) I think that would be cool.
I should do a NaNo style draft sometime. I just tend to be so obsessed with editing as I go. I like to send chapters to crit partners and get feedback and change things, and then proceed. I get about a chapter a week, which is kind of a slow pace, sometimes. But it's been working well for me. I do want to try NaNo next year, though. It sounds awesome!
Thanks for stopping by! :-)
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