Thursday, January 22, 2009

The Public Humiliation Challenge (summarised and made coherent)

The Public Humiliation Challenge is a way to ensure you keep cracking on those works in progress.

Challengees post word counts either in posts on their own blogs (preferably a new post, so I can follow it easily), or report in here (comment in whatever post is at the top is fine). Your target is a minimum 100 words up there at least six days a week, actual writing and not blog posts. Memoirs, stories, a paragraph in your novel - any kind of original writing counts. Editing also counts, but you must have worked on a chunk of at least 100 words - although I don't care if it turns out to be 150 words or 10 words by the time you've finished with it. Plotting and planning count as long as they are on paper/keyboard, not in your head. Reading does not count; I expect some kind of production. State in your entry what type of work you have done, if not straight writing.

You get one day off a week - a free pass for those days when the family keep you busy from dawn until dusk or some kind of irresistable adventure uses up your whole day. Only one day, mind and you must declare your chosen day instead of your wordcount.

Otherwise, only entertaining excuses are permitted - those would be ones that make me laugh. Special dispensations for extreme weather conditions, and for tragedy, obviously, although this year the koala clan is hoping fervently for a year without hospital admissions as we have single-handedly kept the Australian medical system afloat in the past twelve months. The tragedy dispensation section does not include broken nails, cranky spouses or homework-eating dogs. It does, however, include Attacks by Baby Koalas (section 5, A (iii)). What do you mean I'm the only one with baby koalas? Too bad. That's not my fault.

Anyone who doesn't make the 100 words on at least six days in any one week must come here and confess. We reserve the right to be utterly unsympathetic.

This was going to be a lovely, friendly challenge with mere fruit throwing as penalties however JJdeGoblin introduced a rather cool 'Koala claw threat level-ometer' that I shall be adopting. Graphics to follow.

This challenge is completely compatible with Aerin's - use your 100 words a day to meet her challenge of 1000 a month (however, if you want it to count towards her challenge the words must be original writing).

Why this will work... 100 words a day on a WIP keeps you in touch with your creativity and line of thinking, even when you don't have time to write large chunks...100 words a day keeps your technique alive...100 words a day adds up to a 1000 word short story in only ten days...100 words a day can take less than ten minutes...100 words a day can turn into a couple of thousand almost by accident...100 words a day just reminds you of what you are doing and why you are doing it...100 words a day is merely fun that can turn into something amazing.

Meet your fellow challengees:

McK (surprise!)
JJ de Benedictis
Whirlochre
Blogless Troll
Robin
JaneyV
Aerin
Sylvia
Sarah L
JC Montgomery

More entrants welcome at any time. Just let me know in a comment at the end of my most recent post.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Me! I'm an entrant! I've got 400 words today (but that's because I've got a deadline in 48 hours)

Robin B. said...

Hey, McK. I've been posting my count in the comments of my Almost There...And Counting...post. If you want me to change how I do it, I'll do that - is what I'm doing OK with you?

And thanks again for doing this. Sometimes I need to be accountable.

jjdebenedictis said...

I have presents for you!

Steal and use as you see fit.

Koala Approves

KCTL: Low

KCTL: Moderate

KCTL: High

KCTL: Extreme

Koala Smack-down

pacatrue said...

I finished artificial languages a and b last night for experiments 1 and 2. Today I finished implementing both experiments in ePrime, the experimental software.

Does this count for anything?

pacatrue said...

My problem is that I love jj's KCTL: High and KCTL: Smackdown the most. I might act up just so I can get the Koala Claw. Does this mean I have emotional problems?

Sylvia said...

Actually, I'd like to join in if I can abuse your comment stream for my updates. I am trying to finish the F'ing Faeries for once and forever and I really need all the shoving forward I can get!

Robin B. said...

Yay, Sylvia!!!

PJD said...

I think I qualified this week if you count my daily "I'm sorry I missed our meeting today... I was (insert creative excuse here)."

But I'm with Paca. My favorite is the High threat level, so I might just try to float at whatever level of noncompliance keeps me on the verge of smackdown.

I guess my point is I'm avoiding your challenge because I know I will fail it, not because I'm avoiding you.

Blogless Troll said...

Those are awesome. I will be stealing.

Whirlochre said...

I'm editing chapters au mo, so it's hard to assess the word count, but I've managed 7 since Monday, so that's just under two a day at approx 2000 words apiece pruned and twizzled but for the odd para/note.

All downhill from here, methinks...

McKoala said...

JJ, these are fabulous! I love them! I need to de-fuzz my brain from last night's party (guess who's claiming her day off today...) and then they are going straight up in the sidebar! Thank you so much. My graphics would have involved crayons and a scanner.

Challengees, you may all have a 'koala approves' graphic in your sidebars to kick off. Thereafter...hmmm...

Aerin, glad you're in! Robin that's fine; I'll check in to make sure you are keeping your nose to the grindstone.

Paca, no professional writing, but you knew that, didn't you? Actually you and PJD could always display a permanent 'smackdown' if you're not playing!

Sylvia, goody, yes comments here are fine.

Whirl, you've earned your approval stamp and keep up the good work.

Now I need a big glass of water and ten minutes in the pool.

Robin S. said...

Thanks, JJ - I just put the 'approves' on my blog. It's so cute!!!

jjdebenedictis said...

:-D

Aw, I'm such a slut for praise. Thanks everyone; glad you liked them!

Sylvia said...

I'm doing three passes per section so I've rather randomly defined the first pass as minimum 10 pages/day.

I did a first pass on 14 pages yesterday. Yay.

I've done nothing so far today but I want tomorrow as my day off so I better get to it.

I love the badges!

McKoala said...

Good work, Sylvia. Wear your Koala Approves badge with pride.

J.C. Montgomery said...

Uhm. Okay. I admit it. I don't have enough pokage going on around the nether regions to keep me going, even at a hundred words a day.

So, tossing all caution, sanity, and fear of scarring aside, I will accept your challenge.

Just wondering where to begin? As of today? Do I count what I've done so far this month (i.e. Clarity of Night contest as well as some work over at RedBubble)?

Please email me, if you don't mind, at cappsmontgomery AT hotmail DOT com.

Thanks.

I think.

McKoala said...

Oh, the claws don't scar too badly as long as I remember to keep 'em clean...

Sylvia said...

I think my badge slipped off.

I did nothing at all, all weekend.

Today I've gone through the first section with a friend who was really happy with it and said she thought I'd done a great job.

I'll have to get a new reader (my favorite proof-readers have all read a previous draft so might miss logic errors where I add/delete thoughtlessly) but right now it's all very scary and precious so I think I'll hold it to my chest a bit longer.

I also did a first pass over 8 pages in section 2. That takes me to the end of a chapter where I think the entire chapter needs rewriting. So I'm going to stop reading and go on a writing binge to fix that chapter from here.

Hopefully that'll keep the claws away!

McKoala said...

Hm, Sylvia. I'm moving you on to Koala Claw Threat Low!

fairyhedgehog said...

Extreme threat
Whirlochre
The claws are clicking down his hallway...

If I were Whirl I'd be sitting at my keyboard now typing out hundreds of words of creative prose with trembling fingers. You are one scary koala!

Stacy said...

Can I do one hundred notes instead???