Creative Writing Challenge – Part 2 – December

December 2, 2024

|| End Date: Tuesday, December 31, 2024 ||

CREATIVITY IS THE KEY!

PART 2

These challenges are for those who want to continue to work on writing new ideas and who would like to maintain a continuous creativity flow with your writing. Creativity is defined as the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work; the ability to CREATE.

Creatively writing short films are a great way to get started/or extend the passion in your career as a writer. A good short film can further help you develop your style and vision using story, drama, dialog, and imagery. By completing the first part of our Creative Writing Challenge exercise, you should have produced a different concept and/or theme for each completed short story. Additionally, each completed short story per month should have two different genres.

ON TO THE NEXT STEPS…

The short stories you created in part one of our exercise is going to be used as an outline for your upcoming project(s). Look at one of your completed short stories and let’s get those creative juices flowing by adding a protagonist. Think about the goal and struggles they will have to go through. At the same time add an antagonist to your story. Do they have names and maybe a background already in your mind? If so, what are their character arcs? Why is the antagonist there?

Location for your short story – where does it take place? Are there any other characters involved in your story, if so, who are they? If not, can your protagonist and antagonist accomplish everything they need to do to complete their story?

Additionally, keep an outline of your story, as well as the words and sentences used in part one of our exercise, including the month. As a reminder, those words and sentences must be used in your story. Make notes in addition to your outline as to what you want to happen in your story as well as any additional information you want to add. Remember, you are writing this for yourself, no one else. These stories are going to be TOTALLY different from anything else you have written before – a challenge.

Formatting a script for your short story. Are you using a screenwriting software for your script? (Keep in mind there are different software out there, do your research, or check our website for information.) Remember to use the correct size font, add scene headings, and action blocks, if needed. Make sure dialog is on point for each character. (For those who have not written a script before.)

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This short story project has a maximum of twenty (20) pages. Your beginning, middle and ending storyline should be developed in twenty pages or less – not more – a challenge.

Timeframe/Deadline = give yourself one weekend/two (2) days to complete one (1) short story script. ~Do you think you can write a complete story in two days, adding/including our words and sentences that we provided to you?

One final note: The genre of the story you start with MUST remain the same genre throughout the entire project – per each story. Got it?

Can you create a story with a different twist not seen or heard of before? Do you think you can add something that will keep our attention the entire length of your short story? Are you sure your short story can make the cut and it’s so different and engaging that we will want to film it?

Really? Then Challenge begins – do you accept it?

As Mentioned Before = This challenge is FREE for everyone to participate in, any level of writing from beginner to experienced. It’s just another way for you to work on your writing and the key is – you WILL be working on your writing – which is an important part of this exercise.

Maybe you will be asked to incorporate different ideas into a script you are working on. What if you receive notes that you don’t understand but have been directed to add them into the script. Maybe you need to come up with a few ideas and/or create a story, immediately, that you have no control over. This exercise should help.

OF COURSE – THE RULES…

This will be a monthly writing exercise.
- We suggest you try it and see what you can create.
You should give yourself TWO (2) DAYS to complete this part two writing exercise, from start to finish – ONE STORY PER TWO DAYS.
- Since we will not be able to monitor you, we will place you on the honor system and hold YOU accountable for completing this project in the time provided.
- Please allow yourself two (2) days to be creative and work on one story of this exercise.
- The art of making things up is what you are doing here – BEING ORIGINAL AND CREATIVE.
Each project must be a separate / independent project – UNLESS we mention differently.
Understand that this is a writing project, nothing more and nothing less – just an activity of writing stories – CREATIVELY.
All words and the sentences SWN provides to you MUST be included in your creative projects.
- Make notes in addition to your outline for what you want to happen in your story as well as any additional information you want to add.
- Keep the words and sentences we provided to you on your notes, as well as the month, for that project.
- We will maintain a link to past challenges for those who would like to catch up and/or go in a different direction from what has already been written on a previous project.
  - You will find past words and sentences at the link below called A look back at former challenges…
Every year, you will be able to submit your BEST Creative Writing Challenge projects to SWN for a chance to win prizes and possible the development of your script.
- More information – click here