Writing Challenge #16 - First Times and Regrets (Write Nov. 16)

Hi folks

With this prompt, we’re now officially over halfway there!

Once again, well done, everyone.

Whether you write every day or every other day or once a week, pat yourself on the back.

And if you don’t get to writing on a particular day, don’t beat yourself up about it.  
Life happens.  
Just try again to write the next day and keep on going.

As you can all see by my response rate, I’m still behind on the email, but I’m working to catch up - perhaps by this weekend I finally will.  We shall see… It would be nice at the halfway point to get a handle on the full scope of all the work you’ve been turning in.

But don’t wait for me :)  You all keep moving ahead!  
It’s nice for the challenge to be a different kind of challenge for me, too, this year.

Just write.

Let’s get you that writing prompt…


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Challenge #16 - First Times and Regrets

Write Nov. 16th - or earlier if you like
Due: Sunday, November 17th, 12pm noon Central Time
(1pm Eastern Time, 11am Mountain Time, 10am Western Time for the US Time Zones)



Here’s another offering of random ideas to peruse from Threshold Theater’s co-founder and Managing Director David Schlosser.

These four seemed to coalesce around the same type of prompt.

Think them over, and then dive in:


“The first time you saw them…”

“The thing you wish you could take back”

“The one you screwed up on”

“The biggest lie you told your parents”



See if any of that inspires you, even if it’s to do the exact opposite of the things the phrases are conjuring up.

As always, if that doesn’t do it for you, just write whatever you like.

Just write something.


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

try 2021’s challenge #16: Poetry

Or try 2022’s challenge #16: Brains

Or try 2023’s Challenge #16: “How did I get here?” (from Threshold Theater co-founder and Technical Director Nick Mrozek)

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 #16

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 #16
(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. 16th - or earlier if you like
Again, this is: Due: Sunday, November 17th, 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 Sunday 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 14 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.

Two friends in high school stand close together.

Maybe too close.

Suddenly one turns around and smacks the eyeglasses of the other person’s face.

The eyeglass frame go skittering down the hall.

The two - now former(?) - friends stare at each other.

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.