The 2014 Café Aphra November Challenge

Last year, inspired by the annual Na-No-Wri-Mo Challenge, Cafe Aphra decided to hold our own version to encourage, motivate or just kick ourselves and our followers into some sort of regular writing activity over the month of November.

The 2013 was a great success with people committing a range of writing pursuits and finding that setting themselves a goal reaped rewards. Some decided to write for certain amounts of time each day, whether it was ten minutes first thing or an hour before bed. Some wanted to start or finish projects that had stagnated in the planning stages for far too long. Instead of writing some chose that other put-off activity of editing – taking words out can be as challenging and painful as putting them in.

So how about we do it again? What are you delaying, avoiding, hiding in the dark recesses of your desk drawers or hard drives? What have you promised yourself you’ll do one day? What have you put to the back of your mind until the time is ‘right’? November, with the nights drawing in and the chill of winter creeping into you bones, is the time to do it. Having a time limit – just 30 days – is also a great way to set yourself a goal. There is a clear beginning and end to this challenge and you can use it to stimulate or terrify yourself into action as you see fit. Sharing this activity amongst like-minded people in a writing community is also hugely motivating – we can support, encourage or harangue each other throughout the month.
We will use our Facebook page and this blog to post our ideas, personal challenges and comments and we'd love for you to do the same.
I’ve been letting an idea for a young adult novel simmer in the back of my head for over a year now and as I recently finished my masters dissertation I have no excuse not to get it started. My November challenge is to get the first three chapters written and a clear plan for the rest of it down on paper.
What will you do?

Comments

  1. Oh - brilliant idea - NaNoWriMo - always seems too much :)

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  2. I'm so glad we're doing this. It's a Cafe Aphra tradition.

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  3. I had a great deal of fun doing this last year.

    This year I'm setting a goal that is awfully close to a traditional NaNoWriMo. I finished the second novel in a fantasy series I'm working last November. I've been doing revisions and edits all year. So this year I'm going to start the third novel in the series, write at least 1600 words a day, with a goal of getting more than 50,000 words into it by the end of the month.

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    Replies
    1. Wow! That's a really impressive goal, Fontfolly. How exciting - do let us know how you get on with it!

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  4. I think for this mont's Cafe Aphra NaNoWriMo I'm going to try and write something every day! A very humble aspiration. Something new, fresh, even if it's just a diary entry (but not a shopping list or email!).... that's my goal. :)

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  5. I am trying to outline the revision of my most recent draft novel and to draft 11 new scenes to improve the plot.

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