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January Writing Challenges (or, Why not both?)

Tomorrow is January 10th - also known as the first day of both the Winter Writing Festival AND the kickoff of the 20Kin5days challenge.  On top of that, there are 35 days until the submission window opens for the next round of Author Mentor Match.

I've participated in the Winter Writing Festival for the last 2 years, and I have to say it's probably been the biggest instigator in moving me along my writing journey. Without the WWF to keep in my my seat, I probably would never have discovered the 5am Writing Club, or developed any of the habits that have lead to finished drafts.

For the last week I've been planning on postponing my participation on the 20Kin5days challenge. I really wanted to use that challenge to draft something totally new.  I debated using the 5 day period to work on my current WIP, but I'm worried if I push that hard on a project that I can't finish, that I'll burn myself out on it.  I have 45,000 more words to revise in my current WIP, and I think if I push myself I can get it done in time for the AMM submission.  So the plan was to focus on my current WIP at a normal pace during WWF, and then hold a solo 20k challenge during the later weeks of the WWF. 

But then. Tasha Harrison posted a prep guide for the 20Kin5days challenge. And instead of working on the WIP that I have 35 days to finish, I spent 2 hours developing an outline for a brand-spanking new story (and sobbed uncontrollably the whole time, but that's another story). And I'm excited about it.  Each time I draft something new, I like to think I get a little better at it. And that - developing a better sense for the craft of writing - is really what I want this year to be about.

So tomorrow I'll be posting my goals to the WWF, with an ambitious goal of getting my current WIP finished in time for the AMM submission window. But for the first 5 days of the WWF (or as long as it takes me to get through this outline) I'll be drafting something new.
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