silwritersguild | 2013 Season of Writing Dangerously--Sign-Ups Open!

ETA: Comments on this post are now closed, as the event is over and the amount of spam being posted on this post is driving me crazy.

Starting on the Solstice, June the 21st, and running all through the Equinox on the 23rd of September, we invite Tolkien writers and artists to participate in the Season of Writing Dangerously!

Ever had a story that always remained on the backburner and you never had time to finish?

What about that NaNoWriMo novel that needs the finishing touches, be it editing or writing those final pages or chapters?

Or that challenge piece that you always wanted to finish but you never met the deadline for?

Or all those tantalising and muse-inspiring B2MeM prompts you wanted to write, but you had no time for because real life interfered?

We offer you the chance to get started on them! During the Season of Writing Dangerously, you can tackle those pieces you always wanted to write or finish. You don't have to pledge to finish; instead, you set your own goals to make as much progress as you think you can handle. Once you set your goal, we'll help cheer you on and participants will all receive a very special award at the end of the Season! (See below for more details on this very special award.) With whatever goal you want to set, we take you as seriously as you take yourself. It is your party; we only pass out the invitation to play!

The Very Special Award: This year, we wanted to offer an extra-special prize to encourage our participants to make the dash to the finish line! On September 23, we will make a post for those of you who meet your goals to celebrate and, of course, download banners and icons to show off your success. At this time, winners will also be able to request a piece of artwork or a story to go with a project they worked on for the Season of Writing Dangerously. For example, if you finish that novel that is collecting dust, you might want an illustration of one of the scenes. If you make progress on a painting, you might want a story to go with it. During October, our volunteer writers and artists will work to make your visions come to life!

How to Sign Up as an Author/Artist

If you'd like to sign up for this year's Season of Writing Dangerously, please leave a comment on this post. Include the name you'd like to be called and the goal you'd like to accomplish in the next three months. OpenID, anonymous comments, and logins from other sites LJ recognizes are all acceptable.

ETA: Writers, word counts are not the only acceptable way to declare your goal. You might want to finish a story, add a certain number of chapters, or write x number of stories. In these cases, you might not know your word count! :) That's fine. Remember, any goal that is related to a Tolkien-related creative project is acceptable. /ETA

Some people can't or don't want to use LiveJournal. If this is the case, please email us with your goal at moderator@silmarillionwritersguild.org.

Banners and icons for use by our 2013 Season of Writing Dangerously participants can be found here!

Frequently Asked Questions

So there is no minimum or maximum word count?
Nope! You set your own goals, be it 50 to 100,000 words or even more! Goals not centered on a word count--writing five new chapters or finishing the editing on a story--are also acceptable--it's your choice! What we will offer is an award when you achieve your goal. Since you will be the one writing, you get to state what you find doable to achieve. Your goal can be anything.

I'm an artist, not a writer. How do I participate?
Artists are welcome to play as well. Only instead of a word-count, you get to state what piece(s) you would like to finish, rework, or start.

I'm not setting a goal for myself, but I want to help cheer on everyone else. How can I help?
We will need help at the end of the Season from writers and artists who want to help us make the custom prizes for this year's very special award. We will post a sign-up in August, and winners will make their requests during the final week in September. If you want to be sure you don't miss the post, contact us at moderator@silmarillionwritersguild.org, and we'll alert you as soon as the post is up.

We may also need help making banners, graphics, and other things to help cheer on participants. Email us if you'd like to help with this.

And don't forget to stop by our weekly Season of Writing Dangerously motivational posts to cheer on and support this year's participants!

Why do I have to declare my goal on a public LJ entry?
This is to help you in your word count, by making a public commitment, and so our mods can contact you to claim your award if you win.

What if I don't have a LiveJournal? Can I still participate?

Yes, absolutely! You can leave a comment on the sign-up post using another social media account, like Facebook or Twitter. We also allow anonymous comments (one of the mods will have to approve your comment before it appears, so don't worry if you don't see it right away.) If using LJ is a problem for you for whatever reason, you can also email us at moderator@silmarillionwritersguild.org, and we'll make sure you get signed up.

Can I complete more than one story, artwork, or project?
Absolutely! The sky is the limit!

Does my story or artwork have to be Silmfic specifically?
As with many of our other events, like Back to Middle-earth Month, we welcome sign-ups from every corner from the Tolkien sandbox. The projects you work on do not have to be Silmarillion-related. However, stories and art posted to our website or community should be Silmarillion-based. You are welcome to share links, excerpts, and other details about your project on our weekly Season of Writing Dangerously posts, so long as they are Tolkien-related.

Can I write anything? Poetry, short stories, drabbles, essays, novels, novellas ... anything?
Yes! Anything Tolkien-related is fair game.

When is the last day for sign-ups?
You can sign up at any time.

What happens if I know I'm not going to make my goal?
You can lower your goal with no penalties whatsoever at any time. Simply add a comment to the sign-up post with your new goal.

Who will be making the very special awards at the end of the Season?
Any writer or artist is eligible to help with this. We welcome participants who want to keep their creative inertia going to sign up, as well as writers and artists who didn't participate this year. Please email us if you think you might be interested, and as more information becomes available, we'll make sure you're informed.