To plot or not?

It always seems to come down to that. The virtue of plotting has been extolled and celebrated for years. Pantsing has been denounced.

But…

What if I told you there was a third option?

I don’t plot, but I don’t pants either. I do something in between. I explore my stories and follow my characters around to see where they lead, but then I will go back and tidy up and plan and decide how to go forward. It’s a combination of the two. That is what this challenge is about. It’s all about plotting and planning but also learning to leave a margin for magic.

Let’s plot.

The challenge costs US$147. Every day during September 2023 I will post an exercise, prompt and explanation that will help you to plan and explore your story idea. Your exercise/scene will be posted on www.deadlinesforwriters.com at 8 am (GMT+02:00). You will have 24 hours to post your work.

The Rules:

Post one, comment on two.
Be kind.
Post in the correct time frame/window.
Stick to the correct word count.
English only, please. Sorry, I just don’t have the resources for more languages.
You post on the website at your own risk.
You earn one point per post. The goal is to earn 30 points.

Why will a deadline help?

I started Deadlines for Writers because I needed accountability. I know how hard it can be to motivate yourself because I’m a recovering procrastinator. Now, it’s six years later and I have learnt how effective and productive deadlines can be. You will receive accountability, productivity, and access to a great community along with 30 prompts, 30 deadlines and 30 days to improve your discipline. You will also give and receive feedback to and from your fellow writers on a daily basis.

The cost: US$147 per challenge. This is a non-refundable fee. It is non-refundable because it adds to accountability. Please read the Terms and Conditions.

You will receive:

A profile on Deadlines for Writers.
30 prompts, published daily, which will help you to brainstorm your story.
30 lessons to help you learn.
A daily deadline to hold you accountable.
And at the end, if you post once per day for 30 days, you will have completed 30 exercises and an outline for your story.

Results

During this month we will be working on your story idea for 30 consecutive days. You will complete and post 30 exercises related to your plot. These will be written in answer to plot-specific prompts. Is it going to be easy? Nope, but you will have the support and enthusiasm of a group of like-minded writers with the same goal. You will also give and receive feedback while you write with and learn from your fellow writers.

Prompts

I believe in prompts, and I would encourage you to use the prompts for this challenge. Every day you will receive a new prompt. The deadlines make the ideas appear, but the prompts add the magic. It is a little bit of the unknown to keep you on your toes. Want to refresh the theory before the challenge starts? Join us for a free class.

Dates:

The first prompt will be published on 1 September 2023.
The last prompt will be published on 30 September 2023.

The challenge is to submit 30 posts in 30 consecutive days.

Deadlines:

I will accept and approve posts for the specific prompt from, 8:00 (Johannesburg time | GMT +2:00), on the day of the deadline until, 8:00 (Johannesburg time | GMT +2:00) the following day on www.deadlinesforwriters.com.

Please ask Google to figure out what time that will be in your part of the world.

This challenge will start on 1 September 2023 and end on 30 September 2023. Join Mia for the free Plotting Workshop before the challenge starts.