#60daysshortstory

[the-wip-project]

Write a Short Story in 60 days

Hello writerly friends!

This is the project for the new year. A short story is usually between 4000 and 6000 words long, so with just 100 words per day, you're golden. This would probably also align with your SloMoWriNo goal (which is still going on!) and you might even do this along side another WIP.

Starting January, you have sixty days to complete a short story.

We'll be doing a little accountability check every week, to keep you on the project. That will be like a little report card with a question you can answer on tumblr or on the discord. Of course, it's up to you what you make of this.

After sixty days, I want you to have a short story you can publish or submit to a magazine. Wouldn't that be cool?

Let us know that you will participate, mention this blog in a post (the tag is #60daysshortstory) or join the discord.

Sixty days, one short story. We can do this!

#60daysshortstory #Write a Short Story in 60 days #writeblr #writing challenge #writing event

[the960writers]

Write a short story in 60 days

Since I kicked off this event today, I should probably make a post myself.

I haven't quite decided what I will write.

I have an idea for a scifi story with someone waking up on an abandoned ship. Now that I wrote that down, it sounds like a horror story, doesn't it? Not exactly my genre, tbh.

The other idea is one I actually wrote some words for in the last month, as part of my end-of-the-year idea to write "a short smut piece to publish on KU" which I failed at. That story is still just "orc meets siren at a bar" and I'm not sure how to get it going.

I always struggle with keeping things short but that 6000 wordcount is not etched in stone for me. I won't complain if the short story becomes a novella instead. I just want to have one story DONE.

#60daysshortstory #my writing life #writeblr #about writing

[tryingtimi]

Aight, I'll catch up with the short story updates of #60daysshortstory by @the-wip-project, because the extra working hours are finally over and I've got a fairly proper rest. Here we go.

WEEK 2 REPORT.

Rejiggle your plan. Which changes does your writing plan need for the next week?

Left off here I think. I needed to put my writing hours at the end of the day, because life didn't let me have those morning sessions as I have ten minutes before I hop on a bus to work when I have morning shifts. They are not as productive, because my mind is a mush at the end of the days. But, they are something.

Why do you want to write your story?

The theme is very close to my heart, and I promised myself last year that I'm not going to abandon the idea.

Does your plan work? What will you have to change to make it fit for your life?

It does not work in the moment lol. I've burnt out pretty nastily because of the extra hours at work. I had brainrot a lot and ideas and bumps to write, but I couldn't put words on the page. However, it's not the schedule's fault, and in regular circumstances I think it would be ideal. (the rest is under the cut, because it became long)

Have a little thinking about your Why. Why do you want to write this story? What do you want to achieve?

I want the story to convey the terror of losing control over yourself. Not even the revelation itself, but the process of slowly realising it. The uncertainty of knowing if you've stepped over the line or not. It is a theme that is close to me, because it's one of my deepest fears too.

And as additional questions: What's the name of your main character(s)? Why did you pick it?

Her name is Amity. It'll sound weird but I picked it because it has an old, werewolf sounding hehe. And now that I looked after it, the meaning – which is friendly relations if my source can be trusted – gives a nice contrast to the theme. Plus a little hint for Amity's personality, when she can control herself.

WEEK 3 REPORT.

If you get writer's block, what do you do to get out of it? Do you have trick, as special technique to help you out of a slump?

Very great timing! I don't really have one other than trying to work on other things. My first attempt goes to writing other stuff, but if that doesn't work because my work is completely empty, then I paint. Usually after a painting session I'm bursting with energy to write. (mostly because I realise my skill is lacking more than I anticipated and I get frustrated OR I end up with a painting I like but that's more rare)

WEEK 4 REPORT.

What emotions do you want to induce? What do you want your readers to feel as they read your story?

Anxiety and terror, but at the same time familiarity and understanding. The fear of losing control is kind of universal I think, but it still can be personal. Even losing control can mean many things, and can show up in many forms.

#60daysshortstory #week 2 report #week 3 report #week 4 report #Project Lonel #Lonel: Her Howl #writeblr #writing community #i also signed up for a contest so i have another short story going on (kinda)

[the-wip-project]

Write a short story in 60 days, Day One

Hello writerly friends!

A short story is around 6000 words long. If you're a one-project-at-a-time person, you would only have to write 100 words each day to reach your goal. Theoretically. 

In reality, you probably won't be able to write every single, and even a 6k short story will need a round of editing before it is publishable. You'll also need time to write down notes, to try out ideas, cover a few false starts. You probably also have other projects going on besides this short story, like "Write your novel in a year" as part of the SloMoWriNo project Maree runs here (the tag is #slomowrino) and on her substack. I'm a big fan of working on several things at once and this short story is meant as a side project.

To keep with the SloMoWriNo vibe, don't put too much on your plate. Don't get hung up on daily wordcounts if you can't write every day. Be flexible with your schedule. Maybe you can only work on your short story on two days per week? If you write 300 words in one session, you'll only need 20 days to write 6000 words. 

You can make this your only project to work on this spring, but it also works well as a side project, for the days when you want something fresh to work on. 

Your homework for the coming week has two points:

Make a plan for your writing time. Try it out for the week and we'll reflect on it on Sunday and rejiggle it for the next week. Plans are made to be rejiggled when needed.

Write down three things you want to put into your short story. This can be the theme, or a message you want to convey, that one glimpse of a scene that made you think of the story, the setting, the characters. Use the coming week to try out a few things to find what makes you interested in the story.

I would love to see what you're planning to do. Do you have plan for your writing time? Do you already have an idea for your story? What other projects are you working on?

Let us know how you will participate, mention this blog in a post. The tag is #⁠60daysshortstory. Or join the discord to write about it.

#60daysshortstory #writeblr #writing community

[the-wip-project]

60daysshortstory Week 1 Report card

Hello writerly friends!

How was the first week for you? I found it very difficult to get into a routine, too many things happening all at once at the beginning of the year. I saw someone recommend to see January as a time for rest and transition, to not pressure ourselves to start at full power. A tempting idea, I must say. But I think, with our gentle approach for this short story, we can do this without putting too much pressure on ourselves, slow and steady, the slomowrino way.  

I've only managed to work on my short story on two days in the week which gave me 1800 words just for the intro. I can already see this story getting way too long. 

Now, without further ado, here is your report card for the first week. Please fill it out, meaning, make a post about it (tag this blog) or talk about it on our discord.

Report:

What times could you write best? Could you make these times part of a routine?

What genre is your story? 

What theme or message could your story develop?

Your thinking homework: 

Rejiggle your plan. Which changes does your writing plan need for the next week?

Why do you want to write your story? 

I hope to hear from you!

Write on, friends!

#60daysshortstory #the wip project #writeblr

[the-wip-project]

What's all this here?

Here at the-wip-project, we want to help you write and finish your WIPs.

Currently, 2024, we have two projects for you, which you can both do at the same time if you want, or one after the other:

Write your novel in 2024

Slow and steady, write and finish your novel this year.

The masterpost is here, or start here at the first post and go through the tag #slomowrino. Subscribe to the substack to get everything in one place

Write a short story in 60 days

Write and finish a short story to publish yourself or submit it to traditional publishers.

The start post is here and the tag is #⁠60daysshortstory.

---

The projects through the years:

2023:

Fall of 2023, the begin of SloMoWriNo https://www.tumblr.com/the-wip-project/736076610461138944/slomo-wrino-master-post

Spring 2023, the start with a special writing docket to download: https://the-wip-project.tumblr.com/post/711609740849037313/the-wip-project-2023

2022:

Here’s the masterpost for 2022’s 90 days to first draft: https://the-wip-project.tumblr.com/post/676795295564234752/the-wip-project-2022-masterpost

2021:

100 days of writing. The tag is here, and here are four posts I find especially notable about The Heroine's Journey by Gail Carriger:

https://the-wip-project.tumblr.com/post/660848335263023104/100daysofwriting-day-ninety-2021-08-29

https://the-wip-project.tumblr.com/post/660939749305008128/100daysofwriting-day-ninety-one-2021-08-30

https://the-wip-project.tumblr.com/post/661030364772548608/100daysofwriting-day-ninety-two-2021-08-31

https://the-wip-project.tumblr.com/post/661120982330834944/100daysofwriting-day-ninety-three-2021-09-01

2020:

Two short projects in this year. https://the-wip-project.tumblr.com/post/190175623889/the-wip-project-2020 and https://the-wip-project.tumblr.com/post/627604336988618752/im-so-busy-are-you-busy-too-i-was-trying-to

Note how I keep pushing for accountability posts. I'm convinced that accountability posts are the key to getting shit done, but very few people actually do it.

2019:

Where it all started, complete with a sign-up form and prizes. The prizes made everything extremely stressful for me, so I'm not doing that again 😂😂😂. https://the-wip-project.tumblr.com/post/185566159309/the-wip-project-2019

#writeblr #writing challenge #WIP #write your novel #slomowrino #60daysshortstory #the wip project #accountability

[the960writers]

It's done! The story is done at 10,424 words.

I did a first edit pass today, that's why it's difficult to say how many words I wrote. Some words had to go, others had to be added, and the ending is still not quite right. But it is done!

This is really exciting. I haven't finished many things in my little writer life. It makes this story really special to me.

Now, what should I write in the remaining week? 

#WIP update #am writing #60daysshortstory

[the-wip-project]

60daysshortstory Week 5 Report card

Hello writerly friends!

We have roughly 25 days left in this project, which is clearly not enough pressure for me. I hope you're faring better than me. I started two new WIPs after getting stuck on the short story. It's not exactly the solution to my problem but what can you do.

I want to talk about something that came across my feed in the last few days. It's a lovely post about "writing is hard, but I love writing" (this post). I really love this post and it made me think.

We tend to think that something has to be fun to be good. But I think "fun" is the wrong expectation. Writing is hard and not always fun. Drawing is hard and not always fun. Work is hard and not always fun. Expecting everything to be fun, is a recipe for disappointment.

Writing isn't always fun. But it's rewarding. Writing gives me so much, even when it's hard. I think it's more healthy to think about what creativity and art gives us. It should be about that. 

Writing is hard, but it's rewarding.

If you're feeling frustrated right now, maybe unhappy with your progress, I want you to think about what writing gives you. What makes writing rewarding for you?

#60daysshortstory #writing is hard #writing is rewarding #writeblr #about writing

[the960writers]

Hello friends, the daily report and guess what!

I did better! I got home a bit earlier from work, I went straight to the writing desk (after some food) with a cup of tea and wrote 849 words in 90 minutes. That may not be super fast but I'm really happy with this. 

It helped to have this place set up that's just for writing. And also, the magic tool: the cutest keyboard ever! Isn't it adorable?

#WIP update #am writing #60daysshortstory

[the960writers]

Daily WIP update 10

I was a good writer this month, I deserved a break. I have written 12k words in February. That's really good for me, my monthly wordcount usually lies between 10k and 15k.

It's also a good idea to let the short story rest for a little bit, before I go and see if I can hack this thing into a more manageable size.

#WIP update #am writing #60daysshortstory

[the960writers]

It was too late to make a post last night, I was posting the little prompt fic while forcing my eyes to stay open.

And I also felt like it didn't even count, you know? Even though I'm the first one to say that fanfic is valid, 60daysshortstory is meant for original fiction and I didn't work on that last night.

But I did write, good words even, and they spilled out easily. I wish I could channel that ease over to the original fiction.

#60daysshortstory #am writing #WIP update

[the-wip-project]

60daysshortstory Finale!

Hello writerly friends!

Here we are, after 60 days. Sixty days of thinking about our stories, writing, and maybe even editing them. 

I know I lost most of you along the way. But if you are one of the few who worked on their story and wrote and maybe even finished it, pat yourself on the back! Well done! Look what you can do!

I hope you learned things about yourself and your writing process. Trying to write regularly can be a challenge. If you made posts or took notes, look back at your goals and how you approached them and if you hit them. What have you learned about your process?

I learned that I can write in the afternoon and in the evening, if I move my body somewhere else. I also learned, once again, that I need less distractions but a little bit of accountability and control from someone else to write a lot. The daily wordcount post was also an interesting experience, a bit annoying sometimes, but great for making me write at leas a little bit every day. Maybe I should keep doing that. 

With the finished short story on your harddrive, I should probably provide resources and advice for how to edit and revise, but I'm afraid this is something I know nothing about. Revision has never been necessary for me, here in fanfic world. I'm currently figuring this out myself.

Once you have revised and edited your story, you may think about sending it to magazines for publishing. This is also not my expertise, but I can safely point you to the Submission Grinder (https://thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com/Search/ByFilter), which is a database where you can search short story markets. Who knows, you might even earn some money from the publication. 

Whatever you want to do, no matter how scary, do it. Do it scared. Get this story out into the world.

#60daysshortstory #short stories #publishing #writing habit

[the-wip-project]

60daysshortstory Week 7 Report card

Whoops, with all the weekend stress, I forgot to make a report card. I hope you didn't miss it too much 😀😀😀.

By my count, there's ten days left in this project. If you haven't started with your short story yet, I say it's about time now. 

If you haven't started yet, think about that first scene you want to set, what emotions you want to evoke in your readers. 

If you're done or nearly done already with your story, try coming up with a short blurb or a logline for it. How would you describe your story if someone asked you what it's about?

Ten more days, friends. Let's get this done!

#60daysshortstory #the wip project #accountability #ten more days!

[the960writers]

773 words. 

There we go! Writing days can do wonders.

The story is at over 7k now, leaving the short story area pretty soon and entering novella town. But maybe there's a lot to cut later on, I'm not sure yet. I always say that I drive fairly clean drafts and not a lot of filler, but I must admit that I haven't really tested that assumption. 

In the story, alien possessed cat has found new ways of communicating, and Captain Bina is determined to help her new friend back to their dimension. It's not gonna be easy, but I haven't reached the explosion part, yet. But things are shaping up nicely!

#WIP update #am writing #60daysshortstory

[the960writers]

Daily WIP update 3

Whoops.

Yeah, I got nothing. Trying to post daily makes me realize that I actually don't write daily. Workdays don't lend themselves to writing I must say. I had time to think today, but I didn't have time to write. One would think that time could be used for either activity, but I cannot, sorry.

I still gotta get my spaceship captain, the alien possessed cat, and the helpful ship AI closer to that other dimension, without all of them getting ripped apart (by things, you know? physics, quantum mechanics, and stuff) and make it interesting. Maybe I should add a little explosion? That always works, right?

#WIP update #am writing #60daysshortstory

[the960writers]

Daily WIP update 2

Usually, Tuesdays are my writing days, but today that didn't work at all. I don't know where the time went. I wrote a bit on a fanfic, because I'm still stuck on the short story. 

I think it's a pacing problem. In my head, it looks like an episode of a TV show, and the point where I'm at should be a montage to skip over some travel time. Or a B plot. Do I have time for a B plot in a short story/novella? I guess I'll have to find out tomorrow. 

#wip update #am writing #a little #60daysshortstory