What's your motivation for entering or not entering?

[Phyrebrat]

I was considering posting this in GWD but thought it would be moved here when I realised there are other challenge-related threads in here that are not specific to a month's entries or discussion. If I'm wrong, please accept me best apologies

I've noticed I interact with a lot of people on Chrons whose names never or rarely seem to figure in the challenges; whether as entries or voters. It made me wonder how many of us on this site are writers. Aspiring or Aspired...

Why do you enter? Is it to win, to participate in the sense of community, to make a point, to improve your accuracy, or because you like the genre or theme for that month? I'm also curious as to why you don't enter. I've heard a few say that it's not their thing or that it would be too difficult and I can relate to that. When I first joined, I was looking for general writing advice, and had not even heard of the term flash- or micro-fiction. I think I was also a bit snobby about it in the sense of, why bother? When you're used to reading breeze-block books, what possible use can there be for flash? However, I gave it a try, realised how difficult it was, and immediately clocked that it would make me a more concise writer. I think it has.

Many months I see the genre and think I'll give it a pass but that's defeating the object for me; a theme outside of my preferred genre makes me think harder and work harder - all the more so if it's coupled with an obtuse theme.

What are your thoughts?

pH

 

[ratsy]

I was honestly a member for 3-4 years before I even knew there were writing challenges. I didn't really interact with people, and really just posted in the book section. I wasn't a writer yet. When I found them, I started taking part and was hooked right away. TBH I think it helped that my first 300 word got 3 votes (Ive done much worse many times since) and it spurned me on. I don't think I've ever actually cared about winning. I just like to challenge myself and try to write something that people enjoy. I have had months with zero votes but fifteen mentions/shortlists and that is an amazing accomplishment to me still. As a short story writer, who often has word count limitations, these challenges are awesome. When I have to write a 1000 word flash fiction for SNR or Kraxon, you have to pack a lot of punch into those 1000 words, much the same on a slightly smaller scale with the 75 and 300 word challenges.

I will say this: the challenges drove me to become a writer. That is one of the reasons I feel so connected to this place. Writing has not just become a hobby of mine, it has become who I am.

That and my new book I started is based on a 75 word story, so there's that. So enter because your next book might depend on it!!

The ships came at dawn.

 

[Droflet]

It's good writing practice. Keeping it tight, keeping moving forward, keeping it involved. And it's fun.

 

[Juliana]

The sense of community, definitely, and also the forcing myself to write, however hard I find the theme/genre. And it's a wonderful exercise in how few words you actually need to get something across.

 

[Venusian Broon]

A bit like Ratsy it took me quite a while to figure out these challenges were on the boards. I was slow to get into them because, I had limited writing time then - an hour or so a day - and spending, say, three hours or so on polishing up a 75, usually what I spend on them, could easily stop writing on my WiP by half a week.

However now that I have more time, they are as Droflet says great practice - I see them as a sort of high level 'creative sudoku' - fitting the essence of a story into a very tight word count, but also the challenge of trying to be creative with the subject and genre. All the challenge pieces I write are nothing like my 'proper' writing, more sort of experimental snippets or whatever I felt that day, so they are also a bit throwaway to me.

The competition side of things - okay if I ever won one that might fry my brain - but just getting shouts out from others saying they liked it (to whatever degree) is really reward enough.

It would be interesting to hear the views of those that know about the challenges, but currently haven't entered them.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

To win. Of course. Now, move aside the lot of you.

 

[Mad Alice]

Its a really fun brainteaser, I find.
I have tried every challenge offered up every month. Sometimes I can get an entry together in the word and time limit, and sometimes not.
The challenges present a real inquiry into the parts of a story. Before I came here, my style was a bit airy fairy all over the place. With the discipline of the short word counts, I am learning to tighten up the pace. And what is more surprising is that my work has become lighter in tone overall.
I started participating in the challenges, and even joined here because of a bet, the same one that saw me enter into Camp Nanowrimo.
And though I did lose the bet on both counts, I find I have won ever so much more.

 

[HoopyFrood]

I used to enter, way back when they first started, and even did quite well -- around this time about five years ago I won, and somehow I wracked up enough votes to still be in the top scorers even after a year or two of not entering. And all this is, I think, what I liked about entering the challenges -- I've always been someone who's never really known what to think about her own writing so it's interesting and encouraging to see 'oh, people actually like this...'

Since then it's been a combination of not writing much at all anymore and generally also not frequenting the site as much. Sometimes I look in on the challenges to see the new themes and if I'm really lucky it might spark something but I won't sit and try and think of something like I used to.

The 75 worder is a lovely little challenge, though, really makes you reword and cut down mercilessly.

 

[HareBrain]

I entered from the beginning because everyone was excited about it and I wanted to see how well I could do. (Luckily I gave it more than one month to find out, because the initial assessment was "not very".)

For about the last year, though, or maybe longer, I've entered more and more sporadically. Whatever source my ideas came from seems to have dried up. I'm not sure why that's happened, but it's a bit worrying.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

No. I just think it's hard coming up with a new idea 16 times a year...

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Since I started participating about two years ago, I have not missed any of the challenges. I enjoy them greatly. The two that I have been fortunate enough to win gave me a thrill, I must admit. Those where I did not receive any votes at all were also great fun, so it's not entirely the excitement of victory.

The idea that several people are actually reading something I wrote is tremendously encouraging. I also enjoy coming up with something to fit a theme and/or genre with which I would not normally deal.

 

[The Judge]

*Coughs loudly, and plants her chair just that little bit more firmly, with no intention of moving*



To be frank, I'd got to the stage where I was entering the 75s just to maintain a 100% entry record. Since I'm very competitive I could rarely if ever relax and just knock out a story in a few minutes -- it had to be crafted and at least have some chance of getting a vote. And since I'm also a procrastinator that meant the 23rd of each month was becoming a real problem as I tried to force a story out, with no ideas and little or no motivation for writing of any kind, resulting in all kinds of drama-queen histrionics here at DunJudging Towers. From now on, I don't know. I might only enter the 75s if I feel inspired. Or, knowing me, I might get back on the must-enter-to-maintain-90% record treadmill again.

As to the 300s, I'm there to conquer the world, people, so don't get in my way.



HB -- go back to writing about pants. It never failed.

 

[HareBrain]

HB -- go back to writing about pants. It never failed.

It did once. I think that's what broke me. For if one can't get a cheap couple of votes from a story about underwear, what certainties are left? Are we, after all, just squeaking terrified ghosts lost in a universe of chaos and horror? Is there any point to existence? Or, indeed, to pants?

 

[Hex]

It's fun, and sometimes the idea just jumps out, and sometimes it develops slowly (and increasingly, as for HB, it doesn't appear at all...), and some of the ideas turn out to be too long for 75 or 300 words, but are interesting in themselves.

It's nice to get votes and mentions too, or to feel proud of something you've written (the overlap there is not 100%). And some months, the Discussion Thread is the most fun place to be on the whole of the Chrons -- I remember that month where HB wrote the story about the boy and his clockwork(?) ship. That was a great month.

Also, one day, I want to write a story about pants.

 

[HareBrain]

I can't work out id the ideas used to come by themselves (either jumping or slowly unfolding), or if I was just more determined to find one. (Though if the latter, it probably made the former more likely too.)

Maybe I just need more motivation. A massive cash prize, or threat of death. Either will do.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Because it is there.

Because I'm addicted.

Because the universe will grind to a halt if I don't keep my 100% record, and I'm saving your lives. I fully expect your gratitude to be reflected in my vote count. Or cookies.

 

[Hex]

I am happy to make death threats, HB, if it means you writing 75 worders again.

 

[Kylara]

I had an almost 100% record, and then I became too wracked with chronic pain to consider writing much other than stuff that cheered me up. I love squishing it down to 75 and 300 words, but since I've been back on board (hah pun!) I haven't been grasped by an idea - out of practice I think. And my go to of dragons really doesn't fit sometimes. I'm hoping to get something in this month and the discussion thread is always marvellous. I have yet to win but the possibility kept me going and I'm sure it will once I get going again. My issue was I was always getting a couple of votes, nothing majorly troubling to the winners, and I tried various styles of comedy, serious, somewhere in between, with little difference in vote. I even tried dark once I think after a run of dark stories won, but that failed. I even tried to write in a completely alien style, I got a vote I think and TJ mentioned how surprised she was I wrote it as it was so not me. It obviously didn't do well! So back to dragons maybe I can fit a dragon into this month.
My favourite challenge was one where I wrote about dinosaurs and shopping trollies. I really loved writing that and expanded it into a short play that my fellow course people enjoyed. (did the same with the museums piece, the students loved it, the tutor jot so much, too silly for him I think)

*wanders off to the challenge thread to drum up ideas*

 

[HareBrain]

I am happy to make death threats, HB, if it means you writing 75 worders again.

Thanks, but I'm not sure they'd be entirely convincing with your current avatar ...

 

[thaddeus6th]

I just don't feel I have the extra time to spare writing. The challenges sound fun, but I often struggle to come up with short story ideas, and those I do I want to save either for submission or for the thousand post 'anniversary' stories.