I love writing, and I have for most of my life. But there are times when squeezing in time to put pen to paper in a meaningful way can prove challenging. Life can get in the way unless you push back, but the sense of accomplishment that comes with it is inspiring. Surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals will help you overcome.

For my writing journey, setting a goal to achieve is one of the best motivators. I’ll let you in on my secret MAPs, Writing Challenges, and Writing Sprints. I like the sense of community each of these offers. Whether it is encouragement to reach your goal or the ability to get advice from a group, it all helps one to grow in both discipline and skill.

What? Are you unfamiliar with MAPs, challenges, and sprints? Well, until about four years ago, neither was I. The Arista’s Band of Fairy Tale Retellers introduced me to writing challenges. From there, I received an invitation to the 2020 Short Story Challenge. This challenge was two weeks of prompts centered around a theme. Accept the daily challenge by writing a short story and then submitting it before the two weeks are over. This challenge resulted in my first published story.

As the years have passed, the challenges I’ve participated in have evolved. This summer, I am participating in the 90-Day Novel Writing Challenge. The goal is to write for one hour a day and work up to 1000 words in that hour. By the end of summer, I should have a completed story.

What I most enjoy about the 90-Day Challenge is that I am part of a Facebook group where we both challenge and support one another throughout the challenge. It is within this group that writing sprints take place. At various times during the week, 60 to 90-minute blocks are set aside for writing. For each twenty to thirty-minute block, writers set a word-count goal to achieve within that block. I liken it to the 1500-meter race in track and field. Yes, speed is necessary, but so is a steady pace.

Multi-author projects (MAPs) are a series of books written by several authors that have a central theme. Participating in a MAP is a great way to expand one’s exposure to new readers. There is a burden on each author to promote one another’s work; however, the benefits, in terms of exposure and support, far outweigh the effort put into the project.

I have enjoyed my experiences and feel my writing has benefited from each of these challenges and collaborations.