curious about taking the Challenge? still have some lingering questions? we’re here to help. peruse our answers to questions from writers like you. if you don’t find the answers you’re looking for here, be sure to reach out. find us on Facebook or visit the Contact page to get in touch.
1. do you have to be a writer to take the Challenge?
yes, and no.
at Write 100 we define a “writer” as someone who writes. the Challenge is for anyone and everyone who wants writing to be a regular part of their life. the capacity, the form, the style, etc. are all entirely up to you. the Challenge is for all ages, stages, and skill levels.
you do not have to be a published or aspiring novelist, poet, essayist, etc to take part and benefit (though this is a fantastic place for people pursuing writing as a career). some Write 100 participants will write for contests, for publications, for posterity, or even for personal reflection.
2. I missed the group challenge. can I still participate?
absolutely! the group challenge is just one way to do Write 100. you can jump in anytime. the whole idea behind Write 100 is to get rid of excuses and stop procrastinating. the time to write is now.
if you’re setting your own start date, download the 100 day challenge tracker from the Challenge page. or you could still use the date specific group challenge calendar found on the same page.
whatever you choose to do and whenever you start, you are always welcome and encouraged to jump into the conversation on our Facebook group for the accountability and community that makes Write 100 so unique.
3. why 100 days?
good question. there are a few reasons.
first, it just sounds cool. imagine the bragging rights you’ll earn when you complete the Challenge and get to share with all your friends that you made it 100 days! it’s such a satisfying number. and rather literary too.
second, it’s a real challenge. you will be pushing yourself to complete it. any number of obstacles, excuses, and naysayers will try to get in your way in that time. fight through it. protect your writing time. you’ll get out what you put in. you’ll be asked to sacrifice to see this challenge through, but we believe the reward will be well worth the toil.
third, it’s habit forming. Write 100 is about establishing goals, seeing them through, and forming the habits that will shape your writing life. that takes time and commitment. one hundred days of writing gives you the time and the space to make writing a part of every day. it’s supposed to be sustainable and renewable even after your 100 days are over. (besides, you can always start with us again for another challenge!)
4. what if I miss a day?
so you missed a day. there are any number of reasons why that might happen, despite our greatest efforts to the contrary.
this is not a “strike-you’re-out” arrangement. it’s not a matter of starting over. there’s only one thing to do if you missed a day of writing: keep writing.
Write 100 is a no excuse zone. that means missing a day doesn’t even count as an excuse. don’t worry about what happened yesterday. don’t think about tomorrow. write today. that’s all you can control. what matters is that you keep writing through thick and thin.
if you stick to that, you’ll have accomplished something to be proud of at the end of the challenge. it just may look a little different for all of us.
5. how do I get connected?
follow the blog for regular updates. like the Facebook page. join the Facebook group. use #write100challenge on Twitter and Instagram to find one another. comment and share.
while Facebook is playing host to many of our group conversations, we know there are plenty of others who may not be on the social media giant. that’s okay. right now we aren’t able to host any formal conversations on our website (that’s a dream for Write 100 as it grows!). but you can still create connection. get friends, classmates, coworkers, family members, etc. to join you on the journey. join a writer’s group. share your goals on your own blog, if you have one. connection is extremely important for all of us. that’s something all of us should be doing, anyway.
we always value your feedback, but if you have ideas of how we at Write 100 might be able to better facilitate community and connection we welcome you to share them.
6. can I use Write 100 with my classroom?
please do! we’re all about encouraging and empowering the next generation of writers. challenge your students to write on their own, use it for extra credit, or build Write 100 into your curriculum. teachers and librarians, please reach out if there are particular resources you’d be interested in having available. we’d love to help you adapt the program to be suitable for your age group and classroom setting.
7. can I join the Write 100 team?
at this point, we are not adding new members to the content team. we’re just getting started and figuring out our needs/process. but thank you for your interest. there are still ways for you to contribute. we love to host guest posts on our blog. if you have an idea of something you’d like to write for us, hop on over to the Contact page for info on how to submit. if you don’t have a specific idea right now but would like to be considered for guest posts in the future, send us a message introducing yourself and telling us the sorts of topics you’d be willing and able to contribute. please include links to your own blog or other writing samples if you have them. we want to make sure Write 100 and any potential guest contributors are a good match.
8. why do you like to use lowercase on the website?
no real reason. it looked cool with the aesthetic. and it got your attention, didn’t it?
you’ll still find regular capitalization rules followed on our blog posts. we really do believe in the power of punctuation.