Does the thought of writing a full length novel fill you with dread? It’s easy to feel despondent when you consider the commitment and time required – particularly when you’re juggling a family and a full time job – but the truth is you can make a long story short by taking small disciplined steps every day. As Jack London said, “You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club”.
The Challenge
Write 500 words a day, for a full 365 days – if you’ve completed NaNoWriMo you’ll find this very easy. 500 Word Snatch is ideal if you have a long-term goal, or need sustained support and encouragement, and we’ll be there to rally you, every step of the way.
Obviously, you’re not restricted to writing a novel, you can use the challenge for many different writing forms; outlining, a daily blog, a book of poems, short fiction, non-fiction or even revision; we don’t care what you write, as long as you write. Look at it as an exercise in disciplined creativity.
Snatch Rules
Aim to write 500 words a day. You’re not restricted to a single WIP, in fact we encourage you to work on numerous projects, just write those 500 words every day, for a full year.
If you choose to use our badge please link back to this page.
Resources
The best way to meet a goal is to track it. Svenja Liv offers various spreadsheets for writers. We think these are perfect for our challenge. There are also some wonderful free word count meters available on the web, our favourites are from Critique Circle , Svenja Liv and Honorless.
If you’re easily distracted, try a full-screen text editor such as WriteMonkey. It cuts out all distractions, so you can simply concentrate on writing.
Online Meets
We’ll be holding regulars meet-ups on our writing sim in Second Life® at 8am Pacific Time on Monday – Sunday. There’ll be an additional Snatch at Book Island in Second Life® on Sunday at 12 noon Pacific Time.
Join our Second Life® group for event reminders, and our Discord server and X for prompts and community chat.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit our virtual writing community in Second Life®, then make some time, right now. You’ll find an incredibly diverse and active community of writers and the level of support is second to none.
Our Second Life® Word Snatch meter will be up and working on the 1st January at our virtual writers’ spot and will remain up throughout the year. You’ll need to join our Virtual Writers, Inc. group in order to obtain a participant titler (which displays your overall word count above your avatar’s head). To update your word count, wear your Virtual Writers, Inc. group tag and put your total count into the blossoming book (found at the Forest Coffee Bar), which in turn will update your Second Life® titler.
When you drop by our writers’ area in Second Life®, be sure to pick up the free goodie bag for 500 Word Snatch participants.
Please feel free to visit Milk Wood and take a wander through our beautiful woodlands and meadows. Our virtual writers’ cottages are for rent and are perfect for your online office base or a place to display your work. Your virtual books can be linked to your online bookseller or author’s website, allowing instant purchase from many outlets. If you need help with creating a Second Life® version of your book, please email us using the contact form on this website.
If you’d like information on connecting to Second Life®, so you can attend some of our events, then please check out our Spaces page.
Updated: October, 2024
