5 ways writing challenges help new writers
By Alli Neri
Maybe you’re new to the writing world. Maybe you’ve been watching silently for a while, intrigued but hesitant to join in on the fun. Maybe you are finally ready to dip your toes. Or maybe you’ve started to dabble, but still don’t see yourself as “real” writer.
Now matter where you’re coming from, you’re in the right place. And by clicking on this article, we can assume that you are at a least a little intrigued by the idea of joining a writing challenge.
What I soon found out is that these writing challenges are so much more than just “contests.” There are so many ways that joining a writing challenge can help you on your journey as a new writer. In this article, we’re going to list just a few.
But first, a little personal note.
I, Alli (co-founder of Forest & Fawn), joined my first writing challenge a few years ago. And though I had been writing for most of my life in one capacity or another, it was that first challenge that finally made me feel like a real writer. It was a combination of several things that did it for me: the time crunch that made me feel like I was on assignment with a deadline, the sheer creativity it took to combine all of the given prompts, and the finished product at the end — the proof.
It might sound dramatic, but my first writing challenge kind of changed my life. It was the catalyst that led me to this business, a place for fantasy writers to connect and grow, and the very thing that inspired our first fantasy writing challenge at Forest & Fawn.
Okay, enough story time, let’s get into the meat of why you’re here. The ways that writing challenges help new writers. Again, this list is an abbreviated version with just some of (what I think) are the most important reasons to join a writing challenge as new author.
They push you into action
We all know that the hardest part of writing (or doing pretty much anything for that matter) is STARTING. If we could just mentally get around that initial hurdle, it is only up from there. But that’s where most people stop: with the daydream. They never actually do the thing that they think about doing or that they say they are ‘going to do one day.’ There are over 150 million books in the world. Now, imagine how many there could be if everyone who thought about writing one actually did.
That’s the beautiful thing about writing challenges. Because you’ve committed to this challenge (invested time and energy) and you’ve paid (invested financially), you bet you’ll be online at the time the challenge starts, waiting to get your prompts and start on your story.
It isn’t that writing challenges remove the first hurdle, they just change it. The first hurdle is no longer sitting down to write. Instead, the first hurdle is as simple as signing up. Easy right?
They silence the “inner critic”
With a challenge that lasts 5, 7, or even 10 days, there isn’t a lot of time for the inner critic to even slip in, let alone take hold and stop you from writing altogether. And because you are often working within specific restraints with genre, theme, and prompts, there is less pressure to produce an award-winning piece of writing. Chances are, you’ll be pretty happy if you produce a full length short story of any quality that meets all the requirements.
And that is the beautiful thing about challenges: they are a perfect practice playground. A chance to test the waters without the daunting weight of having your final product be something that needs to get published or be marketable to an audience.
They prove that you are, in fact, a real writer
This was my favorite, most unexpected benefit.
We all know what it’s like to sign up for that workshop or webinar two months away from now and when the time comes, you don’t even open the email to join the zoom. But with a challenge, with a deadline and an expectation to produce a short story, it carries a different weight.
When I joined my first writing challenge, I set aside the entire weekend, I cleared my schedule the following week, I cancelled plans, and rearranged my life to make sure I got that story done in time.
And doing in so, I unexpectedly felt like a real writer. It felt like I’d been given an assignment from a publisher or a magazine and like I was on assignment with a deadline.
So, not only did the challenge help me start writing, but it also helped me keep writing.
They come with built in community
This one is something that is at the center of all of our writing challenges at Forest & Fawn. And for good reason.
As a new writer, it cannot go unstated how important community is. Whether that’s in a free discord chat, some friends that meetup at the local cafe, or a dedicated membership such as our Writer’s Corner, having that support and camaraderie is crucial to sustaining a practice.
There’s just something about knowing that there are other people participating in the challenge alongside that boosts motivation to continue. Not only that, but it’s a perfect place to meet an accountability buddy or get connected to other writing groups!
They force you to try something new
This one seems obvious, but it is so important that we couldn’t pass it up. Because it’s not just about trying something new or pushing you outside of your comfort zone. It has a lot more to do with expanding your skillsets. Maybe you are interested in writing a fantasy novel, but you lean more toward epic fantasy — sweeping landscapes, months-long adventures, epic battles. Trying your hand at a romantasy or cozy fantasy challenge might seem like a waste of your time, but chances are your epic fantasy still has relational elements and scenes where friends are gathered around a fire for a good chat.
Trying out different genres can help you to feel more skilled and nuanced in your writing, covering greater ground in your genre, and learning new skills that you can include your other projects.
So, there you have it. Just a few of the many reasons that I personally love writing challenges (as a writer) and why we love to host them for writers in our community. You can learn more about our fantasy writing challenges here, or go find another one that resonates with you!
Happy Writing,
🌲 Alli
