Sharing My August 2022 Writing Challenge
Feel Free To Join
Some days it’s easy. You sit down at the keyboard and words flow through your fingertips as if the thoughts initiated there. You look around for the muse but decide to just keep going, roll with it. Other days, you look at the screen, you search the web for a muse, you type drivel that rolls from your brain to your shoulders and slowly drips to your fingertips. You never know what you are going to get when you sit down to write and that, in itself, is a challenge. The goal is not always to turn out amazing, thought-provoking work that gains you followers and boosts your self esteem. The goal is to show up, keep the commitment to yourself, and write.
This month, I have created a calendar for all of the weekdays in August. In the dog days of summer, I am giving myself the weekends off. I have loaded each day with a short quote to start my brainstorming. Everyday, I will start by reading the day’s quote, rolling it around in my brain while I drink my coffee, and then I will write for one solid hour based on where my mind takes me. You are welcome to change the rules for your challenge, if you like, how would I know, anyway!
Week 1 should be the easiest. The beginning of a challenge always is. You are running on adrenaline, hope, and, in my case, caffeine. You made this commitment to yourself and your craft. You can do this! One hour!? Think of the many useless ways you have spent an hour in the past. You owe yourself one hour that is solely about you.
Week 2…things will try to get in your way. People may think you look too comfortable or that you are not paying enough attention to them. You may have to switch your location or change your schedule. However, you are worth one hour per day. Do not give up. You are two weeks in and that is almost halfway there. This should start to feel like part of your routine. Adjust your sails if you must, but keep on going.
Week 3! You are in the groove. You have so much to be proud of. You may not be over the moon about every sentence you spun. However, you surely have some work that is presentable or buildable. Either way, you kept up the bare minimum. You have given yourself one hour a day, five hours a week to hone your craft and practice.
Week 4 and you are nearing the finish line. You surely feel one of two ways. You are either wishing this would last forever or praying that it ends soon. Well, the word challenge should have told you that it wasn’t going to be easy. And, like most things, it may not be easy but it is worth it. A writer writes and you are a writer. So, write…
You are now truly in the home stretch, in these last three days of August, and closing out summer with a bang! I hope you are empowered by pride and adrenaline. I hope you created work that you are proud of and can return to. You did it! For four and a half weeks you focused on you, your goals, and writing solely for you! I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you will join me for another challenge in the future.
I encourage you to take part in this challenge. Setting up a month of challenges has helped me meet my writing goals, gain followers, build a portfolio, and grow my confidence. If you post your writing in Bacon and Beach Days, we can comment on others’ work and grow as a group. When commenting on others’ work, I always encourage the rose, thorn, bud method. Start by telling the writer something you truly appreciated about their work. Next, tell them something you think they should work on or that could improve their work. Lastly, tell them something that you’d love to see them develop either in that piece or another.
Happy writing and happy August!!!!!!
