It all started with this tweet by Kristy Acevedo (@kristyace) in late June 2014:
Who’s in? JULY WRITING CHALLENGE! Starting July 1st, write 500 words minimum each day for 31 days. #Julywritingchallenge #amwriting
— Kristy Acevedo (@kristyace) June 23, 2014
Click on the Police Box to find out how Doctor Who inspired Kristy Acevedo to start the #JulyWritingChallenge.The YA writer and high school English teacher may not have realized it at the time, but that simple invitation inspired writers from around the world to throw their hats in the ring for the #JulyWritingChallenge. Within a few days, those of us participating began to recognize our fellow writers when they’d post their daily word counts, and it became our business to cheer them on. Sharing motivation, advice, and musings about everything from favorite genres, to research complexities, to the joys of meeting and exceeding daily word counts, and so many other wonderful topics, the #JulyWritingChallenge hashtag quickly became a beloved staple in our daily lives as writers. By Day 8 of the #JulyWritingChallenge, thoughts were already turning to what might happen at the end of the month. The conversation went like this…
@NLakeWriter @sarawhitford I’m game for August writing challenge!! — Samantha Garman (@samgarman) July 9, 2014
The task of directing the monthly writing challenge is not for the faint of heart. It requires daily commitment, as well as organization to keep track of each participant’s progress, as we were reminded by the July leader, @kristyace:
@samgarman @NLakeWriter @sarawhitford Ha! This is a lot of work! Maybe we could shift leaders each month? I vote Sara next lol.
— Kristy Acevedo (@kristyace) July 9, 2014
After much discussion, I (@sarawhitford) agreed to take the baton from Kristy in August, and Samantha Garman (@samgarman) agreed to steer the ship in September.
The challenge remains simple. Write at least 500 words per day and post your results each day using the current hashtag. (Please note, the hashtag will change from month to month, so always check the top of the sidebar for the current month’s tag.)