August Challenge - Write Every Day!

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Magnus

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Hi. Way too many times I've thought I've had my writing habit locked down, but every time it has slipped. The motivation to write isn't lacking, but the energy to pick up the pen sometimes is! So I will follow my own advice and set a goal to write every day in August. This is where I'll hold myself accountable. I hope that's okay!

The rules are simple: Write every day. There is no word count minimum. It's just about creating a habit -- making writing a natural part of my daily routine, be it with blog posts, writing exercises, first drafts, or rewrites. Brainstorming and taking notes doesn't count as it is not the same as a structured writing process. Editing doesn't count unless it involves complete rewrites or additions. Forum posts count assuming they involved structured writing and not just a simple comment or reaction.

I'll keep this updated every day come Tuesday. Anyone else who thinks it might be a good idea to take it on is welcome to post here, as well. Or you can make your own thread and let me know, and we can cheer each other on!

:D

(And remember if you miss a day, you don't get to quit; it's a reason to redouble your efforts and truck on. But you won't miss a day, will you?)
 

technoglobe

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I love this. I could always use more accountability, especially since I'm starting a new project.
 

D.L. Shepherd

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I'd love to join in too. I just recently started working on a new novel that I love, but I've been struggling to carve out time to work on it. Maybe being held accountable will give me the extra push I need.
 

Fruitbat

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Great idea. I'm in.
 

Magnus

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Tomorrow we begin! I'll be posting a short (or long) note about what I've written on a daily basis. Anyone is welcome to do the same in this thread, as I'm sure that will help us spur each other on! :D

Oh, and I set an additional rule for myself that my journaling doesn't count, as it's not structured writing, either. Mainly it's just a stream of thoughts to get out of my head.

The purpose is to create a habit of sitting down to do creative writing (fiction or non-fiction), so anything that falls outside of that doesn't count.

With that in mind, a single sentence is enough, as long as you sat down with the purpose of writing creatively.
 
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Magnus

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I had the idea that anyone posting an update can also post some small writing prompt or exercise (if they feel like it). That might help someone else who's doing the challenge but is feeling stuck!

Day 1


I've written, edited, and posted my monthly update which goes out to my patrons. It ended up at roughly 500 words. Starting tomorrow, I am going to try writing a while after breakfast, to create a regular time when I write. The morning seems a good time, even if it's just for 20 minutes or so before I get to work.

Today's prompt:

Write a paragraph or two that starts a story by describing a place or an item.
 

D.L. Shepherd

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I've written, edited, and posted my monthly update which goes out to my patrons. It ended up at roughly 500 words.

500 words is a great start! I'm just winding down from a long day now, but I'm about to make myself open up the file for my novel and write "something" so that I don't fail on the very first day of this challenge. I'll update tomorrow. I usually write in the evenings, so my updates on this thread will probably fall on the following day.

Good luck tomorrow with meeting your goals!
 

Jenna Reads

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So I've joined you in your endeavor to write every day in an effort to create a habit, too.

I decided to use prompts, specifically the ones on this page. I like them well enough.

I wrote about 200 words, a vague story-esque sort of thing to the first prompt "Hidden away on the inside of the jacket".

I have always been best either early in the morning or in the latest part of the night. But since I have an 8-5 now, I'm trying to train my brain to want to be creative early. But this involves a revamp of my entire LIFE, it seems. Or at least of my sleeping habits. The earlier bedtimes are killing me. But I love the feeling of accomplishment when I do get up and do something productive or creative. I heard something on a podcast that said a person does best if the roll out of bed, suck down a full glass of water (you apparently get somewhat dehydrated overnight) and move immediately to the project they want to do. So this is what I'm trying. One day down!
 

Magnus

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So I've joined you in your endeavor to write every day in an effort to create a habit, too.

I decided to use prompts, specifically the ones on this page. I like them well enough.

I wrote about 200 words, a vague story-esque sort of thing to the first prompt "Hidden away on the inside of the jacket".



I have always been best either early in the morning or in the latest part of the night. But since I have an 8-5 now, I'm trying to train my brain to want to be creative early. But this involves a revamp of my entire LIFE, it seems. Or at least of my sleeping habits. The earlier bedtimes are killing me. But I love the feeling of accomplishment when I do get up and do something productive or creative. I heard something on a podcast that said a person does best if the roll out of bed, suck down a full glass of water (you apparently get somewhat dehydrated overnight) and move immediately to the project they want to do. So this is what I'm trying. One day down!

Well done! Yes, I've spent years revamping how I do pretty much everything in my life for the sole purpose of becoming more productive. I always just assumed I was a night person because I stayed up late, but the fact is when I get up early and don't sleep for too long (around seven hours, no more than eight), my head is much clearer the next day. I've also read that doing stuff before breakfast is good, but I'm not sure that's for me. I generally don't eat much in the evening, so when I wake up I'm hungry! :D

Anyway, with any change you're making, the trick is to go slow, one tiny step at the time. That's how you make the changes stick! Good luck!
 

Magnus

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500 words is a great start! I'm just winding down from a long day now, but I'm about to make myself open up the file for my novel and write "something" so that I don't fail on the very first day of this challenge. I'll update tomorrow. I usually write in the evenings, so my updates on this thread will probably fall on the following day.

Good luck tomorrow with meeting your goals!

Thanks! And don't worry, you can't "fail" this challenge, only learn from it!

Part of the purpose of the challenge is that you may have to look for new ways to get some words out. For example, if you're not inspired to write on your novel one day, just put it aside and do a random prompt. I used to think that working on whatever was my current project was the most important, but I don't think that's true anymore. Writing anything at all is more important. Often I find my creativity flowing once I've forced myself to write. Creativity feeds creativity!
 

D.L. Shepherd

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Magnus: I managed to get another 650+ words done on my novel last night, so thanks for the kick in the rear with this thread! The writing prompts are a great idea, but I'm just coming off a three year battle with writer's block and finally have a new idea that I'm confident in, so I'm planning to use this opportunity to push myself into writing that first draft while the idea is still fresh.

Jenna Reads: Welcome on board! I've tried to be productive in the morning, but it's just not me. I feel most productive mid-afternoon, but that's when I'm at work. Goodie for my employer, not so much for my writing goals.
 

emstar94

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Yeah I'm going to stop telling myself to 'try' and just DO IT.
 

Fruitbat

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Well, I didn't get to post on day one because my internet went out at about 10 pm. Also, I didn't write anything haha. My goal is to start a new novel and I just didn't. :( But I am back!
 

Magnus

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Day 2!
I picked up my current writing book after breakfast (which has been lying around for ages) and read until I got to an exercise, then did it. As often is the case with any kind of forced writing, there was a grudging start when I thought I would shoot blanks. So I just wrote the first thing that came to my head and suddenly -- pop -- there was an idea, and I ended up with around 300 words hastily scribbled into my pad. I think it's interesting enough to develop into a piece of flash fiction or perhaps a brief short story! (That happens seldom, so I'm very happy with such a result!)

Today's exercise

The writing book I'm currently reading is Steering the Craft by one of my favourite writers (and possibly, people), Ursula K LeGuin. I can heartily recommend anything and everything she has written.

Here's the exercise I did today from that book:

Exercise One: Being Gorgeous

Part one: Write a paragraph to a page of narrative that's meant to be read aloud. Use onomatopoeia, alliteration, repetition, rhythmic effects, made-up words or names, dialect -- any kind of sound effect you like -- but NOT rhyme or meter.

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Fruitbat - Try to figure out why you didn't write. What stopped you? Was it lack of motivation? Did you end up doing something other than writing when you had intended to write? When you don't hit the daily goal, your task is to figure out why! That way you can try to preempt the problem on the next day.

emstar94 - Great, just go ahead and sit down to write! Write anything; it doesn't matter if it ends up good or bad. Good luck!

D.L. Shepherd - Nice! If it's writing, it's writing! If you end up writing something you planned, that's just great (and I'm a bit jealous). ;)

EVERYONE ELSE - You can still join in. Just start today! :D
 
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D.L. Shepherd

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Magnus: Great job! Hope you do get a nice piece of fiction from the work you started today. Don't be jealous...the writer's block I went through before getting back on point was horrific. But I'm hoping it stays away, at least until after I finish this book!

Fruitbat: Glad your computer is up again, never fun to be without one!

emstar94: Hope you stick around and write with us!

Also, if anyone is curious about my user name change mid-thread, I just switched to my pen name. It's much easier to spell!
 

Jenna Reads

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I love the idea of doing exercises from a craft book. I used to dread them, but now, I'm drawn to them. Multiple reasons - sometimes as a mechanism to avoid what I really should be doing, other times to jump start my brain as Magnus had happen, but seldom for the practice of the skill/technique for which they are intended. I picked up one of my old craft books last week and started rereading it: Novelist's Essential Guide to Crafting Scenes by Raymond Obstfeld. So far, I'm not learning anything new, but it does bring in to focus everything I have forgotten!

Did my prompt today, too, though not as fleshed out as yesterday's prompt. My imagination must have liked yesterday's better.

This morning was a successful endeavor, all things considered. Even woke up slightly ahead of my alarm which always gives me this exciting feeling of "winning" lol. Did my water and a coffee and wrote. Loved it. Hope to do it again soon. Maybe even tomorrow!

Congrats to all for their successes! We're on a roll!
 

Fruitbat

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Fruitbat - Try to figure out why you didn't write. What stopped you? Was it lack of motivation? Did you end up doing something other than writing when you had intended to write? When you don't hit the daily goal, your task is to figure out why! That way you can try to preempt the problem on the next day.

Great idea there, Magnus. Thanks. I got sidetracked because I didn't quite know where to jump in at to start my new novel. That is something I do- wander off when I'm not sure how to proceed. I should have written the first paragraph, or even the first sentence, before going to bed. Then I'd have something to start with. I wandered off again today, but have just written my first paragraph. Good thing it's a long month! :)

How's everyone else doing?
 
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Layla Nahar

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I added 3 paragraphs to one of my projects yesterday. I was really happy about it.

Thanks for this thread.
 

D.L. Shepherd

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Jenna: Glad your prompt worked for you and you are on a roll...and waking up before the alarm is admirable!

Fruitbat: Nice to have that first paragraph down, gives you a starting point for the next session.

Layla: Welcome aboard...and great start!!

I added 400 words late last night, but they felt very forced. Had a bad day and just wasn't into it. That's a habit of mine that I'm hoping to break, allowing outside negative influences weigh down my creativity.
 

Magnus

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Day 3
I revisited the exercise from yesterday this morning and wrote another passage, then went on to the second part and wrote for that, totalling a little over 100 words. I felt a bit pressured by a work deadline, so I was not quite as inspired as yesterday, but I think I still managed to get a few good phrases out.

Today's exercise (also from Steering the Craft)

Part Two:
In a paragraph or so, describe an action, or a person feeling strong emotion -- joy, fear, grief. Try to make the rhythm and movement of the sentences embody or represent the physical reality you're writing about.

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Jenna Reads - I think if you do writing exercises, you practice your skill and technique whether you intend to or not! :)

Fruitbat - Excellent! Yes, perhaps it's good to leave something hanging and then it's easier to pick up the next day? I sometimes leave a few notes on my plans for the next few paragraphs when I close for the day (if it's one of my main projects).

Layla Nahar - Congratulations on writing! I'm happy this thread helped push you in the right direction! :D

D.L. Shepherd
- It's hard or impossible not to bring the feelings from our life with us when we write; I think it's inevitable that they affect our writing, for good and bad. Even if what you wrote didn't feel very inspired, you may find something you can use when you look it over in a couple of days. Often when I write something I'm not happy with, I don't end up using the text, but there's usually some small idea, feature, or formulation that survives into the next iteration!
 

Fruitbat

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Okay, as mentioned, I'm working on a novel this month.

Thanks for doing this, Magnus. A check-in really helps, even if I didn't get off to the best start with it.

Day 1- 0
Day 2- 0
Day 3- 633 words so far. :Sun:
 
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Fruitbat

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1,100 words total for day 3.
 

Magnus

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Day 4 -- A valuable failure

I didn't do any writing after breakfast, and as a result, I won't have time to do any today (besides the writing I do as a part of my work, but that doesn't count). But that tells me that the habit to write in the morning is the way to go. If I build a habit to write in the morning, I can't miss out when it gets pushed away by other musts or surprises. But in the end, writing is my most important goal. So if I find I don't get enough time left over for work, chores, etc. because I write in the morning, I'll either have to work further into the afternoon/evening -- or get up earlier!

But even after just three days, the habit has grown: I feel an urge to rewrite one of my exercises or do a new one!

So while I don't think I'll hit the goal today, I've learned why it's important! :D

---

Fruitbat - Awesome, over 1000 words, good work!
 

D.L. Shepherd

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Fruitbat: 1,100 words - that's awesome! Great come back.
Magnus: Glad you are on to something with writing in the morning. Better luck tomorrow.

I got nothing done yesterday, and the next three days are crazy busy. But hopefully I can get back on track somehow, even if I just squeeze a paragraph in each day.
 

Fruitbat

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Thanks, guys.

810 words today. I might write some more in a bit, not sure.
 
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