Monday, 3 October 2011

Challenge the first: October is Life Story Competition Month!

So I told you this wasn't going to be consistent. Life has been busy and I've not been feeling well so yes, I finally got round to identifying my first writing challenge. It's not an exercise, it's a writing competition. I've always thought about entering creative writing competitions but never actually have, never having the guts or perhaps just being lazy (probably laziness, as those of you who know me would already have worked out.) But this time, I'm actually determined to do it.

This particular writing competition is called 'A Piece of Your Life' and is being held by the local paper (the South Manchester Reporter, if you wanted to know) and all pieces must be under 1500 words and in prose. Now, it's starting small, I know, but there's a saying about running and walking and that applies to pretty much everything. And should probably be said to me more often. ("Play the bass in our band? Of course! Let me just buy one...and then learn to play it")

Compared to NaNoWriMo (which is 50,000 words. You know, in case you were unaware. Look at me, providing you with all the informations!) this short short story feels like it's going to be a walk in the proverbial park but I will bet you any amount of money that I'll feel differently only a few hours in. Minutes in. Probably about three characters in.

Don't try to run before you can walk- as it applies to chickens.

I've not actually chosen what part of my life to document yet. This is probably because my life feels pretty uneventful when I have to sit down and think about a really interesting part of it. Thankfully, I have poetic licencing on my side and am free to...embellish on any of my anecdotes to make an actually good story. Or at least something that I'm willing to enter into a competition. Or at least something that's makes sense. Or something that is words.

This challenge is going to be month long because the entry date is 31st October (but maybe I'll finish it before then! Who knows?! Oh what a spontaneously thrilling life I lead! Ah, if only the interrobang had caught on...) I will update you on the (probably stilted and frustrated) progress of said short story whilst trying to write it instead of a new story I've started which is period drama and far too much fun to write when I have so many unfinished things lying around.

If any of you in the general area (or any of you, GO MAD) feel like joining me in my clearly wild and crazy endeavor, feel free! We could compete!


...wait.

(Ohohoho*)


*I can hear your faked laughter even from here. Unless there was no fake laughter. In which case, how very rude of you. You could at least pretend to laugh at my terrible attempts to make jokes. 


I get the feeling I'm no longer making any sense.

No comments:

Post a Comment