The Write Every Day In January Challenge: JanNoWriMo 2009

[first_seventhe]

Intro
Last January, I tried something I cunningly called "JanNoWriMo" -- since I often fail at NaNoWriMo in November -- during which I intended to "write a lot". It didn't work, partially because I lack organizational skill and partially because I lack motivation. This year, I'm trying to fix both.

The Idea
I want to write something, every day, for the entire month of January. More specifically, my goal is to write at least 500 words every day in January of 2009, which gives me a month-long target over 15,000 words. While I'd like to hit 500 per day, I will be satisfied with a 100-word drabble or even a few sentences on a currently-existing project, if that's all I get. So, for me personally, my goals are the following, ranked by priority!:

1. Write something, every day, in January.
2. Write over 15,000 words total in January.
3. Write at least 500 words a day.

If I can get to #3, that's great. But I'll be satisfied if I only hit #1. These three goals are, in a nutshell, the concept behind JanNoWriMo 2009.

Participation
To my surprise, people expressed interest in doing this crazy thing with me. Hooray for people! Yay! JanNoWriMo = PARTY TIME.

Some people prefer structure when working towards a deadline; I know I do, because it helps me to be specific rather than general. So, I've provided some structure, in the form of steps, because I like lists. PLUS A CALENDAR! Because I am clearly in charge awesome.

Keep in mind, however, that what I've included under the cut isn't a "set of rules": there are no rules. I'm not "in charge" of anything. You can do with your JanNoWriMo whatever you want to, and I'll still be happy that you played along!

1. Make your rules. Whatever you want, and more importantly, whatever you think you can stick to. I would love for everyone to include is the "write every day" rule, mainly because we're all more likely to do it if everyone else does. It's the main concept behind this particular write-fest.
   However, if you don't think you can keep to that but still want to write in January, make up your own set of goals/rules! This isn't a dictatorship yet.
2. Make them public. It's like they say about New Year's Resolutions: you're more likely to keep them if you tell other people about them.
3. Plan accordingly. For example, I'm planning one exemption for myself: the weekend of Ohayocon. If you've got unavoidable plans, then put a fair exemption in your rules -- one that you can stick to, like "I'll write 500 words extra on another day" or something. This is totally legal, because I say so!
4. Line up inspiration. I've made a post at brokenprism, here, to collect ideas in case the well runs dry. You could also make a list of things you want to write, to remind yourself, or dig up some old WIPs.
5. Write! Once January hits, go go go! You don't have to post daily, or even at all. This is all on the honor system. If you miss a day, you're not "out", either -- just write a little bit harder for the remaining days! CAUSE I SAID, THAT'S WHY.
   Anything counts. A drabble. A few sentences on something you already started. A 5,000-word chapter. You're only bound by whatever rules you set for yourself in #1.
6. Praise yourself! (Hilarious advice coming from me, O Queen Of Blatant And Shameless Self-Promotion.) Keeping track of where you are and what you've done can be a huge motivator. I've even created a calendar for people to keep track of their work, here:
   
   
   For example, I'll be coloring in each day that I actually write with MS Paint. On days I write more than 500 words, I'll put the actual total in a pretty font, and maybe the name of what I worked on. This way I'll have a (really fugly) picture to show for myself in the end!
7. Keep writing! Write something, every day. That's all. Not so hard, is it?
8. Celebrate on February 1st. And then punch me in the face, because I want to do this with art in March.

As a final note on participation, this is open to everyone -- fanfiction, original work, poetry, whatever you'd like, as long as it's "writing" in some form! And feel free to invite others; all of my JanNoWriMo posts will be totally public. Again: not in charge of anything; I'm just the organizer.

Celebration
I haven't yet decided what to promise for February, but there will at least be a wrap-up post of everyone who participated and how many days/words we each actually wrote! Ideally I'd like to have a big spammo link day where I post links to everyone's January work and we all go around and review each other in a big self-insert circle-jerk um just like my fantasies!!!1 and stuff, but some people may not be ready to post WIP stuff, so I'm undecided on that. However, I'll definitely be spreading some recognition and congratulations for everybody. And you know that's what you all want: my undying pantsless love.

Apology...
...to the non-writers on my F-List. There's going to be a lot of flailing and posting about this in January. However, the writing itself will all be over at brokenprism, so at least you won't be exposed to my terrible House/Wilson/Me/Wilson Again fantasies. I mean uh. what? that's a joke. Then again, if you've ever thought about writing, even just as a hobby... why not try it? You're invited, too!

Conclusion
It's already December 29th. Those of us who consider ourselves writers -- don't we all have "write more" as a New Year's Resolution? This is an easy way to keep it. Easy AND fun. Easy and fun, and awesome! Easy, fun, awesome, and totally doable.

Interested?
To keep this semi-official, just drop me a comment if you're planning on doing anything for JanNoWriMo (no matter how small), so I know whose journals I need to stalk! Otherwise, get planning, because January 1st is only a few days away!

- - -


Sev's Rules/Goals:

1. Write every day in January.
2. Write over 15,000 words total in January.
3. Write 500 words every day in January.

For every one of these I complete, I'm going to reward myself with something. If I complete all 3, that's an uber-win.

Sev's Exemption:
January 29-31st I will be in Columbus OH for Ohayocon and very likely will be drunk. I should still be able to write the 29th, but I am exempting myself from the 30th and 31st, as I do not think it a wise idea to drag my crappy brink-of-death laptop all the way to a con. If I write an extra 1000 or 2x500 words earlier in the month, I will consider myself exempt from the 30th and 31st. Otherwise, I will have to fail myself on those two days. you read it here first.

Sev's List Of Things To Write

1. Birthday Fic for bottle-of-shine, involving country singers and their sexy bodyguards, because I could swear that her birthday was in January BUT NOW THAT I AM LOOKING I CAN'T FIND IT ANYWHERE PLEASE NAY TELL ME IF I AM MAKING A COCK OF MYSELF FOR REALS NOW
2. Parts II and III of That Pirate Fic
3. The next chapter(s) of From the Mouths of Monsters
4. At least 2,000 more words of my original work from NaNo 2008.
5. Another chapter of TLO, and work on the next chapter of HNtDB.
6. Fic for my various still-existing community claims.
7. Schala/Magus, with Katy. Moar, moar, moar.
8. Various and sundry things I have promised to people but never delivered on because I am a robotard.

I am sure that other things / ideas / whatnot will rear their heads as I progress and/or freak out, but that's a pretty solid list without having to dip into my Emergency Fic Idea collection!

YES, THIS IS THE OFFICIAL JANNOWRIMO ICON. SHADDUP.

(edit) yeah, now with glitter text >.> BECAUSE WHAT'S A SEV CHALLENGE WITHOUT FUCKING GLITTER TEXT