 Contests & Activities: August 14, 2019 Issue [#9708] |
This week: Writing Priorities and Deadlines Edited by: Dawn Embers  
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Contest & Activities Newsletter by Dawn
Talk about the priority decisions we make, how we get writing in and the use of contests with their deadlines to get things done.
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When it comes to writing and getting pretty much anything accomplished, sometimes we have to consider our priorities. The basic fact is in order to get something done, we have to put the effort and time into it, whether talking about writing, fitness or pretty much any other element in our lives. Sometimes it is easier than others and there will be times when something has to go on the back burner for the time being, even the writing. However, aside from making the plan and putting the work in so we can get something done, things like contests and activities can be very helpful in pushing us to achieve the goal of writing.
Contests and Priorities
One method I use at times in order to push writing up higher on my list of priorities is to enter contests here on WDC. They help me in particular for a couple of reasons so they may help you as well. The first is the sheer fact that there is a deadline. This could be 24 hours (Writer's Cramp or Daily Flash Fiction for example) or a week or a month. There are a couple of ones that run even longer but most tend to stick to weeks or month as the general range for the deadlines on a given prompt. Given a specific time frame, that helps to drive things and put a priority on whatever you want to enter in order to get it done in time to get considered for the contest. There is another reason a contest can help with prioritization. I don't know how many ideas and stories you have, but for me sometimes it's hard to focus. So many shiny ideas exist out there and it's hard at times to decide which one should be the priority. Having a contest with a prompt (or even the open ones) means picking a single one to write. That is important because cause trust me, from my experience working on 20 at one time makes it so much longer in order to get anything close to finished status.
Activities and Priorities
One thing an activity can do, if it's geared towards the specific goal of writing, is to help make it a priority. One example is that of the I Write activity, which has the goal in the name. The focus of the challenge was to write but it also had the added bonus of having a review requirement as well. That is another thing with this site that we sometimes forget to make time for and that is to review other people's writing. It can be hard to put as a priority at times since we often have so many things going on in our lives but don't forget that reviews are an important part of what makes this a community of writers. Aside from that, activities like I Write are helpful because they help give us a reason to prioritize writing and to get some things done. Other activities will have similar assistance because being part of something helps to put that focus on the particular task. Doesn't just have to be writing. There are also activities that focus on reviewing or reading, whether it's items on WDC or reading published books.
Like with the contests, the activity is a good assistance because there is often a deadline in order to push the goal forward and to give that added reason to get something done. Often the deadlines range in the month range, though some will vary. The NaNoPrep is one that is a month long of preparing to write but has daily activities that require focus and priority on a regular basis. Others might be even longer or a little less, depending on what the goal is and the requirements in order to achieve them.
Needing a little inspiration or extra push to make writing a priority? Join a challenge or pick a contest and get to work. Either way, let's make this a priority and get some writing done. |
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Do you use contests and activities to help make your writing a priority?
Last time, when I edited for this newsletter I wrote about taking part in the community with contests. Here is a comment that was sent in that has an interesting question I hope can help others too as the person isn't on the site anymore.
Comment by bumber 
Question-How do I. Submit an item. for consideration as a writing prompt?
For most contests, the judges/owners are the ones who come up with and post prompts. However, I'm sure many of them are open to suggestions. In particular if the contest is one that has already gone through so many rounds that ideas start to run a little dry. You could send a friendly email with the suggestion. The site contests are run by moderators and have their own prompt picking process. You could also try and create your own contest to use the prompts. A few options out there for you to share ideas.
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