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25-for-25 Challenges for 2008 Write-a-thon
Submitted by Kate_Schaefer on April 22, 2008 - 3:09pm.
It's April, and this year's class is looking forward to a summer of writing, reading, critiquing, and learning. Around this time, Clarion West alumni used to feel nostalgic for the workshop experience. They used to wish they could return and write like that again.
They used to feel that way, but now they look forward to the Write-a-thon.
Be part of Clarion West this summer without even attending the workshop. Set your own goals for your writing for the six weeks of the workshop. Post about your goals in the forums, and encourage others as they pursue their goals. Sign up sponsors in support of your goals, or just write alongside the others. Yes, the Write-a-thon is a fundraiser, and a very important fundraiser for Clarion West, but the writing is more important than the money. The writing comes first.
Participants last year wrote first drafts, polished drafts, short stories, novels, screenplays. They wrote alone and as collaborators. Michael Swanwick and Eileen Gunn started out taunting each other in the Write-a-thon Smackdown, and ended up collaborating on at least six stories, one of which will appear in Fantasy & Science Fiction in the next few months. They'll be back this year. How about you?
Last year, we had more participants than ever before, 41. We'd love to see as many of you back as possible, and we'd like to have 25 people who have never participated in the Write-a-thon before. To that end, we have two 25-for-25 challenges:
One challenge is for new participants: members of the Clarion West Board have promised to sponsor the first 25 to sign up who have never participated in a Write-a-thon before for $25 each.
The other challenge will be for returning participants: members of the Clarion West Board have promised to sponsor the first 25 to sign up who have participated in a Write-a-thon before for $25 each.
The Write-a-thon is open to the whole Clarion West community: alumni, instructors, friends.
Who's on for the early challenges? Post here, or send me email at kate@clarionwest.org. Thanks!
I'm in!
Yes, you all knew I would be :)
Haven't been hanging out here much recently, for which, apologies, and I'm still thinking about my goals. One will be minimum 250 new words a day as it seems to work for me. But I'm also considering a story/week oriented goal. I think it would be good for me to write or finish a story a week, I'm just not sure that I'll be up to it. What do the rest of you think?
Charlie, good to see you're
Charlie, good to see you're in! We have 27 writers signed up so far, and I'm hoping we'll have 60 by the time the workshop starts. I look forward to seeing you at Wiscon later this month.
You could have 250 new words a day as your base goal, with a first draft or finished story a week as your stretch goal.
mememememe
I'm in, as always. and I have a DOOZY of a goal. I have an idea for a novel that exists in 13 chapters, each chapter a short story related, in a convoluted way, to the others. If I can get 6 of those chapters done in the 6 weeks of the WAT I'll be almost halfway done with the novel. And momentum is a happy thing.
Tempest, you're always the
Tempest, you're always the best of company, and a convoluted doozy of a goal is a great thing. Web page questionnaire on its way to you via email. Thanks!
me too me too
I want to try it this year! This will be my first year participating. I'll probably set some sort of novel goal. (Er, a goal about working on a novel, not an excitingly new goal that no one's ever thought of.)
Thanks to the board for the sponsorships!
Thanks, Tina. At this point,
Thanks, Tina. At this point, we have 17 people signed up, so we're well on our to a great Write-a-thon.
There are still plenty of challenge sponsorships for both returning and first-time participants.
me too
I did the challenge last year, and put me down for it again. :)
At the moment I think my goal will be to write a chapter a week of my current novel.
Maura
http://splinister.com
Thanks, Maura. A chapter a
Thanks, Maura. A chapter a week? You must be writing at a fearsome pace.
Count me in!
I've participated in the Write-a-thon previously, even when it was certifiably insane to do so. (Last year, I got married about 1/3 of the way through it.)
I am definitely planning to participate this year. Since I'll be starting a novel in May, my current goal would be to write a chapter each week during the Write-a-thon.
- Sarah
Oh, excellent! Good to have
Oh, excellent! Good to have you back, Sarah.