Monday, April 24, 2017

May the (Creative) Force Be With You!

Believe me, I can use all the help I can get since this May, I will be participating in Story A Day! 




Story A Day is all about promoting creativity. The goal: write - and finish! - a story every day in May.

Now, as founder Julie Duffy says, there is some flexibility:

"Since the StoryADay May challenge began in 2010 I have always said: make your own rules. For some people, the challenge of writing a story every day is the thing that excites them the most and helps them to embrace the challenge. For other people it’s unrealistic. Those writers simply decide how many days this month they’re going to write. The key is to make your own rules and then stick to them. Some years, for example, I take Sundays off."

But she is a stickler for one thing: FINISHING.

"This is the only place where I am quite strict. There is a power in finishing a story and so I encourage you to push through to the end of your story every day. This does not mean writing a brilliant draft. Sometimes you have to cheat. You can write “[something clever happens here]” and then sketch out a resolution and final paragraph if that’s what it takes to get used to the end of the story. Doing this at least teaches you to keep the mood to keep the story moving towards a place of resolution."
So, my plan for May: write and finish a story Monday through Friday with weekends off OR five stories a week, just in case I need a little wiggle room. I hope to reconnect with the core of my writing, the joy and the passion I used to feel. I'm going to have fun with my writing again, people. 
Wish me luck!
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Have you heard of Story A Day? Plan on giving it a try? There's still time to sign up! Are you participating in any other challenges, creative or otherwise? 

32 comments:

  1. I've not heard of this, but what an amazing challenge! Good luck. :)

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    1. Thanks, Christine! I'm pretty sure I participated years ago, but it's been such a long time and now I'm ready again - hopefully! - for the challenge. :)

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  2. This sounds like an awesome challenge! I may check it out. :)

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    1. You totally should! It's excellent for writing flash fiction. :)

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  3. I can't remember what famous author it was but he did something like this. It might've been Issac Asimov.

    I know a few artists who complete little paintings or sketches every day. It improves not only your skill but your speed.

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    1. Ray Bradbury?

      I really want to get back to finishing what I start, get back to the joy of creating without the pressure of publishing. Of course, I'd love to have at least a few stories I can revise and submit when the month is over but that's a secondary goal.

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  4. I've never heard of this, but this sounds like a great way to keep you writing. The one time I did Camp NaNoWrMo really helped me with that. I'm not much of a short story writer, but it's definitely something I'd like to learn how to do better.
    Good luck! :)

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    1. Maybe check it out? Get those story muscles warmed up and working? :)

      I've done Camp NaNo a few times, and I'm considering it for July. Not sure if I'll have a project I want to work on then but I'm definitely keeping it in mind.

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  5. I do wish you luck. I try to write every day but coming up with a new story five times per week! You can do it.

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    1. Thanks, Susan! I've got a loose plan for how I'm going to work it all out - fingers crossed! :)

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  6. And I thought the A to Z Challenge was tough! This sounds like an extraordinary challenge. Don't think I'd ever be up for it.

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    1. The A-Z Challenge IS tough, no doubt about that! And hey, you never know about giving Story A Day a try. If not this year then maybe the next one.

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  7. Sounds like a great way to get creative juice flowing. All the best and I'm checking out the site right now. :)

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    1. Thank you! I hope you like what you see over there and join in. :)

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  8. Thank you for visiting my site today, Madeline, for my AtoZ post. I have never heard of the story-a-day challenge before. I've participated in NaNoWriMo for several years, have published three of those novels and am editing a fourth. I believe in the writing method of "no editing" until the story is fully out of my head and on the page (or computer.)

    Best of luck with your May challenge. You will survive!

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    1. Usually, I need to do a little editing as I go - not big chunks or anything. I find if I read over the last few pages of what I wrote previously, tweaking things here and there, it helps get me into the writing zone. :)

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  9. I did something similar when I was writing my most recent collection - but they were all less than 800 words, and I didn't make them perfect or finish them until later on. It was fun just splurging things onto the page and seeing what appeared. Good luck :-)

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  10. Hooray! This will be awesome. I admire you for taking on the challenge and I have a feeling it will be just what you need to get those creative juices flowing again. Good luck and I look forward to reading the stories!

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  11. I've never heard of this challenge but it looks really interesting and useful. All the best with it!

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  12. Excellent idea. Finishing was always my Achilles heel. And GOOD LUCK. "\o/"

    Anna from elements of emaginette

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    1. I hope that by having so many finished drafts, the odds of finding a few gems will increase. :)

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  13. Have never heard of Story a Day challenge. Good luck Madeline. Look forward to reading your stories.

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    1. Thanks, Rachna. Not sure any of the stories will see the light of day but fingers crossed. :)

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  14. Funny, I just mentioned StoryADay in the IWSG Book Club under the writing challenge thread. :) Since I don't really write flash fiction, I'm thinking of using this to write one chapter a day in my book. :)

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  15. I hope you've gotten a good start on your story a day challenge! I wouldn't be able to do it. I've found life a bit difficult with managing affairs for myself, my husband, and my children. I can't even make it to work on time!

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    1. So far, so good!

      Hey, we all do what we can, when we can. Maybe you'll give it a go next time or make your own version of the challenge when it works best for you. :)

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  16. Wow, that sounds super challenging! Good luck with it. I hope you have fun.

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