Goodbye, February! Hello, March!

This is your inner artist begging to be let out. Notice how nicely it is asking for a treat…

Dust off your computers. Buy a new set of pens. Set your excuses aside. I warned you this was coming. Tomorrow: Writer’s March. Be there or be:

sad you didn’t participate
mad at yourself for not writing (again)
tired of always putting everything else first (again)
one of those people who talks more about writing than actually does it (again)
square (again!)

Writer’s March: SIGN UP!!! Not only is it free, but imagine how much money you’ll save because you’ll spend all your free time writing…

The Challenge (if you choose to accept it) is simple:

1. Make a commitment to write every day this month. The trick here is that you set your own standards. Whether its 15 minutes a day or 5 hours a day, you know your schedule and you should keep it. Whatever you do, push yourself, but make it achievable. Skip watching television. Give up that extra hour of sleep in the morning. Whatever it is, if you want the time, you have it. All excuses aside.

2. Decide upon a monthly goal. So maybe you want to finish a draft of your novel. Or maybe you are a poet and you want to write a poem a day. Or a short story writer who wants one solid, ready-to-submit story. Whatever the goal. Set it now, the beginning of the month, and then work every day to achieve it.

Yes, that’s right, it says “I want something else to get me through this.” I don’t know. It seemed fitting…cue the song!

3. Find a writing companion (or make this blog your companion) and check in every day. I had a teacher who required writing partners. The task: to agree on a time to write every day and call the friend up, commit to the two hours (or three or five) with them, and then call them back when you are done. I had friends in high school who used to do this when they were running. 5am every day before high school, and the only way they could keep going was by knocking on each other’s window. Why not do the same?

If you are interested in officially participating in this year’s challenge, please CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE MARCH. I’ll add your name and goals to our challenger’s page: just one more way to hold yourself accountable (you’re welcome).

Changes to this year’s March:

While the idea and the posts will, more or less, be the same, this year, I am looking for more voices of encouragement. If you’d like to write a blog post to share:

your favorite writing excercise(s)
the best writing advice you’ve ever received
things you do to get you through this…

Please email me at writersmarch@gmail.com. I’m also very much interested in any interviews or articles or other informational bits you encounter about writing, the writing process, this writing life.

Finally, I also want to add a page for Challenger Accomplishments. If any of your March writings have been/are published and you want some free publicity, send me that information as well!