Hi folks
Still playing catch-up with the email, but I wanted to thank you all for giving me something positive and productive to do, rather than just sitting around spiraling about election results, what they mean, etc.
Seeing all your creativity come flooding into the inbox is very gratifying. It’s why we do the challenge, to encourage the practice of playwriting, however you choose to exercise it.
In one of my past lives, I hosted a local theater arts discussion show on cable access, and during one of the interviews, the guest said that he was reminded of an artist (he couldn’t remember the name), but during a time of unrest and uncertainty, this writer said, “In the future, people won’t ask about what the politicians did or didn’t do about a bad situation. They will ask why the artists were silent.”
So thank you all, for continuing to write. And not being silent.
Let’s get you that writing prompt…
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Challenge #12 - The Neon Sign, The Keys, The Door
Write Nov. 12th - or earlier if you like
Due: Wednesday, November 13th, 12pm noon Central Time
(1pm Eastern Time, 11am Mountain Time, 10am Western Time for the US Time Zones)
Today’s prompt comes out of a list of suggestions from Threshold Theater’s co-founder and Managing Director, David Schlosser. David’s also a photographer, so he often thinks in terms of images, little snippets of ideas that you can conjure into whatever you like.
He’s again given me a list of a variety of such bits and pieces. So I’m going to gather a handful I think are related and offer them up for you to play around with.
Today’s sampler:
“As he/she/they held the keys in their hands…”
“He/she/they breathed in. OK. Here we go again.”
“He/she/they turned around and shut the door because…”
“The neon sign read…”
Take any or all of those if they inspire you, and spin a scene or two out of them.
Or if those don’t do it for you, but they make you think of something else you might like to write about instead, go with that.
Just write something.
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If you’re not interested in this prompt, you can
try 2021’s challenge #12: Random Phrase Generator part 2
Or try 2022’s challenge #12: Omens
Or try 2023’s Challenge #12: Snapshots 2 (from Threshold Theater’s co-founder and Managing Director David Schlosser)
Or, you know, just ignore the prompts altogether and write whatever you want - as long as you’re writing and turning it in by the deadline, that’s all that matters for the challenge :)
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And because we call can get in our own way so easily, here’s some words of reassurance on the basics of this month:
Friendly Reminders - Answers To Common Questions:
(Follow the links to read me expounding on these items :)
Don’t Stress About Writing A Full Play
Don’t Stress About FormatDon’t Stress About Sticking To The Writing Prompt
No. Really. I Mean It. Don’t Stress About Sticking To The Writing Prompt
Don’t Stress About Finishing An Idea (You Can Add Later)
Don’t Stress About “Succeeding” or “Failing”
Don’t Stress About What You’re Turning In Each Day
Don’t Stress About November 28th (however you recognize the holiday weekend)
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How to submit your work for Challenge #12
You have options. They are:
Save your script as a PDF or Word Doc and send as an attachment to an email sent to ThresholdWritingChallenge@gmail.com
OR
Copy and paste your script in the body of an email and send it to ThresholdWritingChallenge@gmail.com
OR
Post your script online (as a Google doc, or in a blog post, on your own personal website, etc.) - email a link to this script to ThresholdWritingChallenge@gmail.com
(If you’re going to Google doc route, just make sure to have the document public, or give permissions to our email address to open it)
When emailing us, make the subject line of your email - Challenge #12
(That just helps us sort through the email more quickly)
(Or, you know, just reply to this email if you want :)
OR
Post the link for the online document option noted above in the comments section below on this very blog post for today's challenge on our writing challenge blog
Write Nov. 12th - or earlier if you like
Again, this is: Due: Wednesday, November 13th, 12pm noon Central Time
(1pm Eastern Time, 11am Mountain Time, 10am Western Time for the US Time Zones)
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And, just to reassure you, no, we are not going to be sticklers about you following these directions down to the minutest detail - the important thing is that you write, and then that you share it with us, so we can keep track of who’s writing every day.
Also, no, there is no penalty for finishing and submitting early - but it also isn’t a race, so give yourself all the time up til 12 noon Central Time on Wednesday to write if you need it. When you’re done, you’re done.
Again, remember, it doesn’t need to be great, it doesn’t even need to be responding to this prompt (the prompt is just there so you’re not staring at a blank screen to start with no idea what to write about :)
Doesn't even need to be complete - you could have the beginning or the middle or the end of an idea, maybe two out of three but not all, that's still fine. This is all about getting things started, you can write more later.
You have 18 more days to build on whatever you come up with today, if you want.
Just get anything on the page, even if won't make sense to anyone else, as long as it make sense to you.
It just needs to be something.
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And that something can be:
Lights up.
She emerged from the shop.
The neon sign in the window read “Closed”
She turned around and shut the door behind her because it was time to move on.
As she held the keys in their hands, she breathed in.
“OK. Here we go again.”
She walked away from the store for the last time.
Lights down.
The End
That’s always your escape hatch, every day.
That’s your base line.
Build on it.
Have fun.
Don’t stress.
Make an impulsive decision and run with it.
Breathe.
You’ve got the day.
Just write.
And take good care of yourselves, and each other.
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