Welcome to Week One!
This weeks’s theme: Limits
(Keep scrolling for this week’s writing prompts!)
I know you’re excited.
I know you want to get started on your great masterpiece. But putting that kind of pressure on yourself is the fastest way to create a crippling case of writer’s block!
This week I’m going to impose limits on your writing that will make it almost impossible for you to write something great. This is my gift to you.
(Don’t worry I’m going to let you write what you want a little bit later in the month.)
The limits I’m going to impose on your writing will bypass your inner editor, lower the stakes, and help you discover the joy of writing for its own sake, without worrying about being graded, critiqued, or assessed as worthy of publication or not.
The exercises and the limits include:
- a time limit
- a list of words that you must us in your story
- point of view
- specific characters you must use
- specific forms you must use.
Tips for Success In Week 1
- Set a time to write every day
- Don’t worry about writing something great
- Hit the page, write with abandon, finish the story, walk away and never look back.
This is going to be fun!
Here are your posts for the upcoming week
How To Take Part
- Write a story every day (you don’t have to use the prompts)
- Come back to each day’s post and leave a comment telling us how you got on.
- Encourage other people to keep going!
Even if you’re note using the prompts, click on the links below, because the comments of those blog posts are where the community discussion‘s happening for StoryADay September 2016!
The Prompts – Week One
- Day 1 – Write A Story in 30 Minutes
- Day 2 – Fourth Grade Spelling List
- Day 3 – Write A Drabble (100 words)
- Day 4 – Write A First-Person Story
- Day 5 – When Your Character Is Like You
- Day 6 – When Your Character Is Not Like You
- Day 7 – Write A Story in Dialogue
Week Two (coming soon)
One Last Thing
Don’t forget to come back and leave comments on the blog posts, letting us know how you got on.
And yes, if you’re posting your stories at your own blog and want to share them, you’re welcome to leave a link here in the comments.
For more community togetherness, you can use the hashtag #storyaday to find other participants on Twitter. You can also find people at the Facebook page or take part in the online community (post your successes and struggles in the Victory Dance Group – email julie at storyaday dot org if you don’t have a community membership and I’ll get you set up.)
My life sort of imploded last Thursday, so I haven’t written anything since then, but I am committed to getting all of the stories written, even if it takes well past September to do it.
Oh, I KNOW how that goes. Glad to hear you’re going to keep writing no matter what. Just pick up wherever you can and keep pushing forward!
Should I be waiting here for week two’s prompts or are they in another post? No idea where to look!
Never mind – I found it. 🙂
Sorry about that. Did you find them? Top post on the blog now.
https://storyaday.org/welcome-to-week-two/
Here are my stories for yesterday (http://notwhereilive.ca/2016/09/06/story-a-day-september-day-6-2/) and today (http://notwhereilive.ca/2016/09/07/story-a-day-september-day-7/) and this first week is done. Yeah!
I’ve settled in to mostly writing about one character and the separate stories are exploring aspects of her (and the supporting characters surrounding her) and the situation she is in, with a view towards putting it all together in novel (or novella) length. This might be this year’s Nanowrimo project.
And here’s Day 7: https://fallonbrownwrites.wordpress.com/story-a-day-september-2016/story-a-day-september-day-7-past-the-guilt/
Even fleshed it out into today’s words on the WiP. Love when I’m able to do that.
I’m a day behind, but it really couldn’t be helped. I had family in from town unexpectedly Sunday – this morning, including my 10 year old niece, who really needed my attention. I desperately wanted to stay on track, but had to make a difficult choice. My writing is important, but that little girl is more important than everything. SO, I wrote Sunday (yay!), I wrote yesterday’s story today (yay!), and hopefully tomorrow I will write two stories to catch up. (I’m also doing a six word daily story challenge and I got that done yesterday, so I did write SOMETHING.)
Day 6: https://fallonbrownwrites.wordpress.com/story-a-day-september-2016/story-a-day-day-6-going-in/
This is a shorter one.
My story for day 5 (not totally happy with it, but I got something done): http://notwhereilive.ca/2016/09/05/story-a-day-september-day-5/
And this one actually is Day 5: https://fallonbrownwrites.wordpress.com/story-a-day-september-2016/story-a-day-september-day-5-a-few-rational-words/
Hi, all,
I hope things are going well for everyone. My story for today follows the “write in 1st person” prompt and uses the same character I wrote about (in the 3rd person) on the 2nd.
http://notwhereilive.ca/2016/09/04/story-a-day-september-day-4-2/
Here’s my story for Day 5: https://fallonbrownwrites.wordpress.com/story-a-day-september-2016/story-a-day-september-day-4-hawk/
Think this one is the longest one I’ve written so far this month. The character just kind of took over.
ha! That should have said for Day 4. just caught that. oops
Hi! Not sure if I’m supposed to leave my link here or on the post of the day, so I’m doing both. I’m just starting today (day 3), but my personal challenge is to write every day this year, so I inadvertently did days one and two without realizing this challenge existed. So glad I found it! After eight months, I was starting to run out of inspiration!
Anyway, here’s my effort for today. https://lindaghillfiction.com/2016/09/03/melody-two-100-word-drabble/
Cheers!
Hey, glad you found us and yes, you can post here, or post at your own site and leave a link. or you can not post anything, just drop by and say “I wrote!” (We work on the honor system around here, but it is always fun to see the stories people are writing)
Day three, kind of silly (I hope it’s okay to post it here):
“What’s a gerbit?”
I used to be able to tell Antonia everything.
“Part rabbit, part gerbil,” I explain. “New, rare, trendy, expensive.” Adorable!
Now most topics lead to her passive-aggressively belittling.
“A waste of money that poops, basically,” she says.
For years, we were closer than close, then one day: A canyon between us.
Did she dig it? Did I?
After lunch, I go home and feed Percy, the gerbit I’ve had for six weeks that my ‘best friend’ knows nothing about.
“I tried to tell her about you,” I tell him. I’ve tried to tell her so much.
Cute! 🙂
Absolutely fine to post it here.
Plus: aw. Nice job making this fun and sad at the same time.
Here’s my day 3 contribution: http://notwhereilive.ca/2016/09/03/story-a-day-september-day-3-2/
I’m not a huge super-short fiction fan, but they can be fun to do. (And I do think that using a variety of different prompts/limits/ideas is nothing but helpful.)
Sweet!
And here’s day 3, which I combined with a Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt: https://fallonbrownwrites.wordpress.com/2016/09/03/stream-of-consciousness-saturdaystory-a-day-september-day-3-accumulate/
These 2 have been killing me with their feels since book 1, so I’m glad to finally be getting to their story(which is book 3). Though this actually happens right before the story starts, which I realized as I was writing this.
You packed so much truth into one little sentence: The more you let accumulate between you, the harder it’ll be to make things right with him.
I love books and stories, as a whole, of course, but these little sentences that are works of art all on their own are my favorites.
Thanks. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Just in…
https://manyworldsmanyminds.wordpress.com/2016/09/02/dancers-stadasept-2/
Here is my Day 2 offering (using the Day 1 prompt since I used the Day 2 prompt yesterday…).
It’s a SF story today, as I’m trying to expand myself genre-wise. (I love reading SF and mysteries, but it has only really been in the last year or two that I have started to write genre stuff. Usually I’m very much a literary fiction type person.)
http://notwhereilive.ca/2016/09/02/story-a-day-september-day-2-2/
I commented yesterday (before creating an account) and it’s still showing that it’s awaiting moderation, but I actually finished a short story today. (I struggle with finishing.) Whoo hoo! I’m not sure I’m ready to show it to anyone and I don’t have a blog where I post my writing, but I FINISHED it.
Woo-hoo!
I’ve been in to moderate the comments, so you should be visible now.
It can be a mixed blessing, posting first drafts of stories, so don’t worry if you’re not doing it. In some ways it’s nice to just post “I FINISHED!” 😉
Hello, all! Thanks as always, Julie, for doing this.
Today I used the prompt for tomorrow (I guess I’m just being difficult). The story is here: https://notwhereilive.wordpress.com/2016/09/01/story-a-day-september-day-1-2/
(By way of comparison, if anyone is interested, I wrote a very different story with the same prompt in May: https://notwhereilive.wordpress.com/2016/05/02/story-a-day-may-day-two/)
I did day one on day two, so I guess I should call it day 1.5.
https://truestoryreally.wordpress.com/2016/09/02/weeding/
I really enjoyed this. Identified with her a lot too.
Particularly loved this line “Halfway between a flower and a threat”. Sounds right for a flower we Scots use as our symbol!
Day 2: https://fallonbrownwrites.wordpress.com/story-a-day-september-2016/story-a-day-day-2-an-easy-lie/
After years away from StoryADay, trying again…
https://manyworldsmanyminds.wordpress.com/2016/09/01/stadasept-1/
Welcome back!
Intriguing story. I could tell that you’ve been thinking about these characters for a while. Interested to see what you do with them.
Also, I may have to unofficially adopt your tagline for this challenge: “because I need more insanity” LOL
You’re are most welcome to use it. Glad to share.
😉
Here’s day 1: With any luck one or two of these shorts will eventually lend themselves to a November Novel writing effort. 🙂
http://tidbitsbyshannon.blogspot.com/2016/09/and-so-begins-september-story-day.html
Very cool! I was there along with him!
Also: Shannon!!!! 🙂
Hello, all! Thanks as always, Julie, for doing this.
Today I used the prompt for tomorrow (I guess I’m just being difficult). The story is here: https://notwhereilive.wordpress.com/2016/09/01/story-a-day-september-day-1-2/
(By way of comparison, if anyone is interested, I wrote a very different story with the same prompt in May: https://notwhereilive.wordpress.com/2016/05/02/story-a-day-may-day-two/)
Oh, I love it. I’m always telling people how amazing it is that different people write so differently from the same prompt. Here you are, one person (I assume) writing two different stories from the same prompt!
Also, I liked how you ended this one (if that doesn’t sound to sociopathic).
Thanks. I didn’t really remember what I had written in May until I went back to look for it after I wrote yesterday’s story, so it surprised me, too 🙂
I enjoyed my first day of StoryADay September! I’m using the prompts from 2015 for a little variety from May 2016’s prompts.
I’m not publishing my work online this time around because I’m hoping for 30 or so short stories this month I can eventually rewrite and send to potential markets. Tonight I ended up with a silly little horror story about a demon and a soul to be collected, but things don’t turn out quite how everyone involved expects.
Ha! Sounds like fun!
I didn’t get a finished story, but I wrote for 30 minutes, using the prompt, and got 1,124 words. Time and word limits are something I really struggle with, because I am super long-winded…I struggle with short. It kind of drives me nuts, because I used to LOVE writing short stories, but now be it for a challenge or a contest or wherever there are constraints, by the time it’s time to be done, I’ve just gotten started. I won’t let this discourage me, though!
Maybe you’re a born epic novelist?
Still, it’s good to try to write short because it’s another string to your bow (and so many opportunities come in the form of contests and anthologies).
It is, however, hard to write short, quickly. I know this. And yet I still insist we try this every day for a month!!
Glad you’re here!
Thank you, Julie. I actually wasn’t going to do StoryADay (though I really wanted to), because back in July I did CampNaNoWriMo and got 50K of a novel written (which wasn’t even the mid-way point). I had such good momentum during that challenge, but in August, suffered some serious fizzle (I got 17K written) and then just stalled completely. THEN I read the note in your e-mail about how you failed at a previous StoryADay, but it unlocked YOUR stalled novel. It seemed like a sign from the universe that I should do this. Because I really, really do want to finish that novel! (See, can’t even be short and sweet in a comment!)
Aha! Fingers crossed it works for you! The effect kicked in around day 10, for me, after I wrote a few novel-related shorts…
My first story for this month: https://fallonbrownwrites.wordpress.com/story-a-day-september-day-1-dessert/
Gets a little steamy, but nothing explicit.
I love the use of language in this story. Well done!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. I love these two(I say that about a lot of my character pairings, but still). 🙂
Steamy and fun! Thanks for sharing!
Glad you liked!