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Weekly Challenges?

Philip Overby

Staff
Article Team
I find myself attracted to Chuck Wendig's weekly challenges at his site TERRIBLEMINDS: Chuck Wendig, Freelance Penmonkey | Chuck Wendig: Freelance Penmonkey

I was wondering if we could try something similar here? You don't necessarily have to post your story (unless you want to) but I like the idea of having a weekly challenge to create something as it sometimes sparks ideas for short stories and the like for me.

Would anyone want to join me in creating something on the Challenge forum, maybe just post it as Mythic Scribes Weekly Challenge. And then have people either post their stories there or report their progress (failed miserably, it didn't work, it motivated me to finish something, etc.) If you joined me, then we'd each have a designated week to come up with a challenge to post. The challenge could be easy like "Write a scene in which someone dies" or something more difficult like "Write a scene in which there is literally an elephant in the room."

For me, these kind of challenges really get me thinking and give me a healthy, quick distraction from my main projects if just for a minute.

So what do you think? It doesn't have to be a real heavy sort of thing, just a weekly challenge that people can join if they'd like to.
 

Kelise

Maester
I'd be interested. The original writing forum I was on sorted us all into teams and you earned participation points. In the end we also had a judging panel and awarded bragging rights of first, second and third - but that's all not very necessary.

It was fun though, I miss it :) I'd join in for sure.
 

Legendary Sidekick

The HAM'ster
Moderator
For me, this is no different from trigger challenge in the sense that when I accept a challenge, I just post.

But I like that this doesn't have the added pressure of "I better edit this to death so I can win." At least that's why I think some people take more time than I do on this sort of thing. Not to say that I'm not competitive... it's just that for me, I tend to kill an idea if I sit on it too long.

No fat jokes.



PS- As soon as I see this on the Challenge thread, I'm in.
 

Devor

Fiery Keeper of the Hat
Moderator
I don't really understand what the difference would be.


But I like that this doesn't have the added pressure of "I better edit this to death so I can win." At least that's why I think some people take more time than I do on this sort of thing.

I do edit a bunch, usually while I write. That's not why I'm usually close to the deadlines, though. Ideas come to me at random, so the longer thoughts percolate in the back of my mind, the better the ideas. But sitting down to write, I do best with a shot of adrenaline. Deadlines provide adrenaline. So do other things, but rapidly approaching deadlines and social obligations tend to help me produce better work.
 

Philip Overby

Staff
Article Team
The difference is you don't have to post anything. Just work on it independently if you want. Obviously the deadline would be the end of each week. If you want to post however, do it.

I'm the same as Sidekick usually. If I accept a challenge, I usually do it soon after I've accepted. Even if it sucks. I think a Weekly Challenge would encourage some to just write it and even if it sucks, they can just say "Well, that sucked." No need to post if you don't want.

Also what I was suggesting is a little less involved than the trigger challenges. Some of those require several guidelines, whereas the idea of a Weekly Challenge would be simpler. More like a writing prompt than a challenge I guess.

In the case of most challenges, there is a long deadline, judges, etc. Writing prompt is more like it. Yes, I'll call it Weekly Prompt.
 

Devor

Fiery Keeper of the Hat
Moderator
I think a Weekly Challenge would encourage some to just write it and even if it sucks, they can just say "Well, that sucked." No need to post if you don't want.

I was wondering more about what would separate this from the non-Trigger challenges, and that would do it. That makes it more of an exercise-practice group. The only thing I'm wondering now is, well, whether people would really write if they wouldn't post it. This might sound weird, but I think maybe you'd have better luck asking people to send something to a group leader even if they're not posting it. That way people can make a real commitment to writing the exercises, and there's still some pressure to participate even if the quality itself isn't being judged.
 

SlimShady

Troubadour
Well, I'm not really an active poster on this forum, but I usually view it everyday. I think it would be a great idea, because I myself have unfortunately found myself writing a little less everyday. I am almost certain that my writing is rusty, so I think it would be a splendid idea to have some sort of weekly challenge.

Maybe write a short story every week or something?
 

Legendary Sidekick

The HAM'ster
Moderator
To those of you who expressed interest in the weekly challenges, there's a subforum in the challenge section.

Just click it to see what challenges are up for the current week. I think between Phil and I, you can expect there to be at least one Weekly Challenge every week.
 
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