The Next Big Thing

I'm hatching a plan and I want you to join me. Maybe. If you're crazy enough. I don't mind doing it alone, though. It's a bit of a commitment, after all.

The Plan

It's a big one.

It's ambitious.

It's quite probably a bit mad.

Stark raving bonkers, even.

But here goes...

I want to write a story EVERY DAY for a year.

Yes, a whole year!

Flash fiction, of course - not a full length story. But still striving for the beginning, middle, and... all that jazz.

At first, I was thinking, one story a day, 365 days, that's 365 stories, possibly with 365 words each... Then I realised next year is a leap year, and that threw a spanner in the works. 366 is a less snazzy number, somehow. It has less of a ring to it. Less hutzpah.

(What a smashing word that is - hutzpah. It's so fun to say, and it sounds so posh and so much like hocking up something revolting at the same time. That can't be said of many words. It's not used enough, in my opinion. It's the 20's, I say it's the right time to bring it back.)

I digress.

What better way to develop a good writing habit, than writing something every day for three hundred and sixty six days? Can you think of a better new year's resolution?

My question is: Are you in?

We could make it a contest. Last man - or woman - standing. What do you think?

We could even make it interesting, and tip the winner.

Maybe just one person will join me - that's fine with me. (Hi, writing buddy!) Maybe I'll do it on my tod. Who knows.

The key thing here (for me at least) is about fun, creativity, and consistency. It doesn't matter whether anyone else comes along for the ride, or how many. It doesn't have to be perfect. Perfection is the enemy of success, is it not? Let's just get our pens out and have fun waggling them around. (Pens! I said pens!)

Writing is creation, and creation is play. Don't be too grown-up about it. - Me, Never Have I Ever

I'm going to use the last few weeks of 2023 (shut up, is it really that close?) ferreting around for prompts. Please feel free to help me out in the comments. I plan to post a list of prompts on 31st December, with a few basic parameters.

Full disclosure - my tank is empty right now. As of this moment, I have nothing useable for 1st January.

I was thinking I might also mark specific days and centre prompts around those. When Chinese New Year rolls around, for instance, it's going to be the Year of the Dragon - and you know how much I love a dragon. (The Worst Heist is still my most-read story, and I am still astonished that Meat, Walking did so well in the Vocal Writing Awards.)

As Freda said to Barry when the moon was up... and as the bishop allegedly said to the netball team...

Let's doo-oo-oo it!

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As always - thank you for stopping by.

Whether you'd like to give it a go with me or not... I really would love some story prompts in the comments. I need three hundred of the buggers, so hit me! I will tip and credit for every one I do use to make a story.

If this isn't something do-able for you, I'd love you to be on stand-by with your pom poms.

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P.S. And finally,here, for your auditory pleasure... for no other reason than even just mentioning it brought me extreme joy... the late great inimitable Victoria Wood singing her "Ballad of Barry and Freda". The best thing you will hear all year, I promise you.

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