We are nearing the end of the 12 short stories challenge for 2017. Our last deadline is the end of December. I am so proud of all the writers who have participated.
We will continue the challenge in 2018. The goal is to write 12 short stories in 12 months. I post a prompt once a month, the deadline is usually 4 weeks later. The word counts vary each month. You post one story and comment on four other stories. It is a great learning experience.
Please remember: This is not a competition. It’s about discipline, productivity and learning. Not all my stories will be great, but they will at least be written.
How do you participate in the challenge?
Step 1: Write your story. First prompt will be up in 3 January 2018.
Step 2: Create a profile on the website. www.12shortstories.com. The security settings are very high. Log in with Facebook or choose and type your password very carefully.
Step 3: Post your story. Please only post one story every month.
Step 4: Read the other submissions and feel free to comment, offer advice, and learn from each other.
Commenting guidelines:
- You can only comment if you have submitted a story. Please respect this.
- Be kind. We are all learning and receiving feedback is hard and sometimes terrifying.
- When you comment, try to mention what is good about the story as well as suggestions for improvements. Mean people will be obliterated and blocked. NB!
Step 5: Start working on your story for the next month. We want 12/12!
I have included some comments from current members if you are considering joining the challenge. It has been an amazing year.
Your Comments On 12 Short Stories 2017
But more than anything else, I love this group because it has motivated me to write more than what I have written over the past several years. I know it’s something we have all mentioned one time or the other on Facebook, but I just felt like saying it again. Thank you, Mia for making this happen. ~Joyce Finny
Hello everybody and especially Mia,
I joined the group nine prompts ago and I want to share with you what it has brought me. Above all, the collaboration and feedback which has a real community feel to it and I am sure it has helped me to continue to improve as a writer. The challenging prompts have made sure that I always had at least one story waiting to form itself to be written to a deadline. ~Arthur Hall
This year in promised myself I would write 1 short story every month. I’ve done that plus more. I’ve written 16 short stories, published a novel, published a HiLo book for reluctant readers, and will have another novel out by the end of December AND will have the first draft of a new novel done by the end of this month. Thanks to Mia. ~Jessica Wakefield Veter
I’ve enjoyed it immensely, experimenting with different styles and genres, while trying to think of unique/interesting storylines. It’s a good diversion from my next project which is my first fiction novel which I hope to complete next year. I intend to continue with this group as it is a fabulous community of writers who blow me away every month with their creativity. ~JM Barrie
I cannot express how much this challenge has helped me not only improve my writing, but it has also helped me to connect with other writers and gain invaluable feedback. A great platform to boost one’s own writing confidence in a friendly, safe and sensitive environment. ~Chrisna Ribeiro
I am so glad I joined this challenge. It has given me a safe, supportive space in which I can experiment, and get feedback on what works and what doesn’t. And of course, there is that little word ‘exactly’, when speaking about word count…I have also made new friends within this group. I think I will be joining you again next year. ~Marilize Roos
Very true story. I have loved “working with words since an English teacher in junior high school encouraged me. I was 12 years old. Life’s challenges distracted me. I “toyed” with words or uses writing as a private form of renewal.12 sort stories in 12 months has made me feel young again. This is amazing as I am now 80 years old. ~Irene Cornwell
I have not written for 12 years. I vowed that I would change this in 2017 and I would write and publish something every month. And along came Mia with her 12 short story challenge. Couldn’t have been better timed. The support from Mia and the group has been phenomenal. I did not manage every month – but felt so bereft in not completing my assignment (the rule was you had to post before you could comment) because I couldn’t comment on everyone else’s posts – that I quickly got back into the rhythm. An awesome experience – would highly recommend it. ~Elspeth Flatau
I could rave on and on about this group, the support and the prompts for the stories. I shared with Moira yesterday, before I joined the group I had never written any dialog. I had only written poetry, prose and short snippets of stories.
I was petrified to join a group of ‘real’ writers, as I never viewed myself as one. I am constantly amazed at the mass of exceptional stories produced by each prompt.
The short list of what happened to me in 2017.
I made a pact with myself to return to writing. January, I forced myself to write something everyday and post it to my Facebook page. Towards the end of the month, I felt disenchanted. Very, very few people had made any comments whatsoever at what I posted.
Then, I found your group. I brought my disenchanted soul to the group. I received support and help from fellow writers. <— See that? I felt ‘good enough’ to finally use this term, instead of…I like to write stuff!
I pushed myself to learn how to have my characters ‘talk’. I pushed myself to write a story over 250 words! I groaned trying to meet the first 2500 word story. I began writing a book by April. I finished it the end of October.(73,000 plus words!) I would never have thought any of these things were possible if I had not joined your group and participated in the monthly challenges.
I thank YOU and the group for giving me the confidence to try. I’m sorry for such a long email, but 12ss has given me so much!
~Cheryl Rush Cowperthwait
I hope you get #12/12.
Happiness
Mia
by Mia Botha
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