Writing Challenge #15 - Reunions (Write Nov. 15)

Hi folks

We have reached the midpoint of the month - day and challenge 15 of 30!

No matter how much writing you've done or haven't done over the past two weeks, well done, everyone!

Every day you write something (no matter how good or bad you think it might be in the moment) is a better day than a day where you don't write.  These are just first drafts, you can go back and fix whatever you want later.  For now, just let the pages flow.

Happy writing to all!

And also remember, you can ignore this prompt and write whatever you like.

Just write some pages and turn them in before Saturday, 12 noon Central Time.  That's enough to satisfy the challenge.

(Or that escape hatch play at the end of this message/post is always an option)

Apologies for the slight delay in getting out the prompt today - day job duties intervened.  That’s in part why the Tuesday/Wednesday challenge emails went out in the morning - I have to report to the office rather than work remotely from home on those days, so I thought it better to get them out early rather than risk have something come up midday. Otherwise, I’d wait until the noon deadline had passed in order to try and make things less confusing.

Remember, if you ever find that you haven’t received the day’s email, or perhaps Gmail is hiding it from you, you can always find the challenges posted on the blog - https://thresholdwritingchallenge.blogspot.com/

Let’s get you that writing prompt…

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Challenge #15 - Reunions

Write Nov. 15th - or earlier if you like
Due: Saturday, November 16th, 12pm noon Central Time
(1pm Eastern Time, 11am Mountain Time, 10am Western Time for the US Time Zones)



Let's talk reunions.

Last fall, despite all the best efforts of the officers of my graduating class doing some pretty impressive detective work, I ended up not attending my 40th high school reunion.

This was mostly because the last time I was back home for any extended period of time, my mother was dying of a brain tumor.

It took two solid years of grief therapy and support group meetings just to stop the constant replay film in my head of those one and a half months I was there daily while she was sick, driving on all those same roads I would have to travel down yet again for this reunion event.

Even around reunion time, four years on from putting her ashes in the ground, the thought of returning there was like returning to the scene of a horror movie, or the place a bomb went off.

Responding to the class president, who reached out to me on Facebook, I regretfully said, “As much as part of me wishes I had the fortitude to face all those familiar locations, I have to admit that I still just don’t have it in me.  I need a bit more distance.”

And to be honest, there also wasn't really anyone there I wanted to see (at least not badly enough to want to deal with the previous reason not to go).

And I was raised in Pennsylvania, so I probably don't want to know how most of my former classmates still living there voted in the last three presidential elections.

But it did get me thinking,
what people would I want to see again
(high school,
college,
grad school,
life in general),
and under what conditions?

Beyond high school,
who all would you want to be reunited with and why and how?  

This applies to both the living and the dead.

If that sounds like a fun thing to play around with, go for it.

Or ignore me and write whatever you want - either way, we’re halfway there!


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If you’re not interested in this prompt, you can

try 2021’s challenge #15: Endings

Or try 2022’s challenge #15: Fake Adaptations

Or try 2023’s Challenge #15: Pictures That Haunt You

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 #15

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 #15
(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. 15th - or earlier if you like
Again, this is: Due: Saturday, November 16th, 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 Saturday 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 15 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.

A banner hangs across part of the stage saying “40 Year Reunion - Phoenixville Area Senior High School”

Two people appear on opposite sides of the stage.

They haven’t seen each other since high school graduation, or was it the five year reunion?

Either way, it’s been awhile.

They see one another.

They lock eyes.

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.