Surviving Blogging and Writing Challenges: Wise Choices

*My apologies to anyone who has received this post twice. A poltergeist seems to have taken up residence in WordPress. I’ve had two more post malfunctions today! 

The aim of this blog is to equip, encourage and empower writers. I pass on as many resources as I can, including writing and blogging challenges which appear sound.

We have NaNoWriMo, OctPoWriMo, NaPoWriMo, JuNoWriMo, Camp NaNoWriMo, the Wego Health Bloggers Challenge, the A-Z Blogging Challenge, Story A Day, Script Frenzy, NaPoBloMo, ROW80, NaNoEdMo, Story of my Life Blogathon, Word Count Blogathon, Creative Every Day, #writemotivation, Blog Blitz, Write Non-Fiction in November, more Wego Blogging initiatives, commercial authors such as Jeff Goins have their own… and each time I look at Twitter there are more!

For a full list of the ones I have identified, please visit this page.

There is something for everyone and that’s not a bad thing… however… exhaustion and creative burnout beckons: the time requirements are absolutely deadly on some of those challenges. When considering getting involved in these challenges, don’t follow the crowd. Please ask yourself:

What are my time, family and energy constraints?
Is it flexible enough to encompass the goals I need to work on.
Is the “encouragement” given in this challenge cracking the whip too hard, making me feel pressured or guilty?
Is the stated time period without rest days? (This is deadly to your mental and physical health: ask any counsellor, psychologist or balanced life coach.)
Will this take me away from my work in progress which is my top priority?
Will this actually increase my skill as a writer? Am I just ticking a box that I blogged?
Will this make me feel good or bad at the end, as I aced it or failed miserably?
Can I take the inspiration and do my own version, at my own pace?
Are the social requirements too much or too tempting as a distraction?
Will the time it takes to read other’s posts and check-in be too much time away from what I actually need to be doing?
If you are not feeling motivated to write, are you using this challenge as a crutch to get motivated? If so, don’t use the challenge as a magical remedy to put you on track. It won’t. Especially if your issue is lack of confidence, time shortages or exhaustion.
Am I relying on other’s around me in challenges for affirmation, rather than working on my own self-esteem as a writer?

Sometimes when we feel exhausted as writers, it is because we simply need a break to re-charge our batteries. Like any body part, your mind needs rest. If you over-use any muscle in your body, it will become strained, painful and you won’t be able to work. If you are simply over it, maybe the best remedy is time-out before you burn out. Don’t get to the point where you go months without writing again.

This article / blog post is Copyright Cate Russell-Cole 2013. All rights are reserved Internationally. You may not reproduce it in any form, in part of whole, without Cate’s prior written permission. That includes usage in forms such as print, audio and digital imaging including pdf, jpg, png etc. A fee may be requested for re-using her work if it is for a commercial venture. Link sharing and Pinterest pins are most welcome as long as Cate is the attributed Author.

Filed under: Author First Aid, What's On, Writing Resources Tagged: blog, Blog Blitz, blogathon, blogging, Camp NaNoWriMo, challenge, Creative Every Day, encouragement, goals, inspiration, JuNoWriMo, motivation, Nanowrimo, NaPoBloMo, NaPoWriMo, OctPoWriMo, ROW80, script frenzy, Story A Day, Story of my Life Blogathon, stress management, success, the A-Z Blogging Challenge, the Wego Health Bloggers Challenge, Word Count Blogathon, Write Non-Fiction in November, Writemotivation, writer, writing, writing challenges