The Beauty of Letting Yourself Write 'Badly': Why I Participate in Writing Challenges

[@theunboundnotebook]

That pressure is why I don't even write in a program that tells me my word count. Like I literally just use wordpad lol. My goal is like you said, a completed draft. Or honestly I wouldn't even call it a draft because I don't care about prose at all but it's not exactly an outline either. It is just spewing the ideas down, finding the beats of the story. Then the next rewrite using that as a template. So yeah, definitely get the word count pressure because I had to kill it completely. I haven't done writing challenges in years and I am not sure I would go back to it, even though I still do writing in general. I struggle with the sense of someone looking over my shoulder as I write if I open it up to others too early.

[@Jmcpeekwrites]

That all makes total sense. For me, I need enough structure to be a challenge, but flexible enough that if I miss a little here and there, I don't hate myself. It's a thin line. And my first drafts might qualify under your type of draft, usually. This one seems a bit more detailed of a draft, but usually I am pretty bare bones. Almost like stage directions, and I fill in the details later.

[@theunboundnotebook]

​@@Jmcpeekwrites I am watching your bad advice video where you discuss how you made an outline so detailed it sucked the fun out of writing the next draft and I think mine can get close to that at times, but other times being extremely bared bones. Often it's like writing the chapter in shorthand with details I've had in my head I want to make sure to remember. Then flushing it out even more when it comes time to write it out in prose. Either way, I am enjoying your videos and love your opening clicky keyboard ditty.

[@Jmcpeekwrites]

@theunboundnotebook so far, bare bones as an outline seems to work best for me, and i have to remind myself not to think too hard on it while I'm outloning or I will go overboard and not want to do it. And I'm glad you like the opening ditty!