Picture Challenge!

[out_there]

slodwick has announced The 4th Annual 'A Picture is Worth a 1000 Words' Challenge!

This is my favourite fannish challenge for a lot of reasons. It's not just that I've done it from the start (oh, yeah, baby, I wrote for all three years). It's the open-ended nature of the challenge, the way that you can write for any pairing, any fandom, any fannish thing that strikes your fancy. I love the way that it pushes me -- a writer who tends to hear the dialogue of stories but barely see the scenes -- to incorporate visual inspiration into my writing. I love the way that it's only 1,000 words, so it doesn't feel like a burden.

I love the fact that I'm already thinking about seasons and pictures, and if I'll write for SGA or SN (so far, I've done three years, three different fandoms. That's a pretty cool tradition to continue).

Comments

[in-the-bottle.livejournal.com]

Huh. Am actually tempted to sign up except for this whole lack of inspiration I have here.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

But that's the cool part: you get emailed a picture (which is meant to be your inspiration). Hence, it's the perfect challenge to sign up for when you have no real ideas, because 1,000 words isn't too long and if you think hard about the picture, you can always think of something.

[in-the-bottle.livejournal.com]

There's also this fear of what if I can't finish it in time?? What if it's too short? Too long? OMGFREAKOUT!

Yeah, I'm getting in touch with my inner drama queen this week. Heh.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

What if it's too short? Too long?

One of the rules are that it has to be 1000 words. No longer, no shorter. Also, you're not specifically writing for anyone else, which I find a relief. (I hate where you write for someone else, and you spend all the challenge wondering if they'll like it, if it's what they meant, etc. Eurgh.)

[phoebesmum.livejournal.com]

There's not a lot of point in my signing up for challenges - I can't always even manage a drabble from a prompt. Or write a fic that's full and entire in my head.

Nor am I bitterly jealous of those who can. Not at all. No.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

*pets you*

Sometimes, I need the outside pressure/feedback to make me write. I am not the type of self-sustained author who could sit in a room, all alone, and write a novel for months. *shudders*

[phoebesmum.livejournal.com]

There's an entire DPS fic in here, you know. Will it transfer itself onto the page? Will it hell. *grump*

/vent. Sorry.

[dzurlady.livejournal.com]

...you are kind of evil. In that otherwise I would not have heard about this and therefore not have signed up. *wibbles slightly* Still, there's no-one but me, so not pressure that way, and it looks like fun.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

It's a good challenge, from that perspective.