WednesdayChallenge

Write a single-post short story in response to a prompt chosen weekly (posted with the #WedC tag).

How it works

Write a 1-post entry based around the week’s theme, chosen each Wednesday. Post it, remembering to include either the tag #WedC (preferred) or #WednesdayChallenge if your muse isn’t being helpful and you need to fill space!

More answers to questions

• An extended version can be posted elsewhere (e.g. your own blog).
• Though the challenge starts on Wednesday there are no pressures to hit deadlines - writing runs for the full week. You don’t even have to publicize your involvement, if writing is the thing that spreads your toes.
• Given the 256-character post limit most people will use #WedC. The original #WednesdayChallenge tag was abbreviated in response to the inevitable observation that 14 superfluous characters of tag is silly.

History

On App.net, @nitinkhanna called for the first Wednesday Challenge and @duerig, creator of Patter, suggested it be a weekly thing. This conversation took place in the Writers Write room set up by @richardleis., who introduced the #hourofwriting, a similar challenge activity, during which people write at the same time for an hour non-stop.

Previous Prompts

2022

• December 28 "new year"
• March 9 "bowl"

2021

• November 10 "meta"
• October 6 "go"
• August 4 "idle"
• May 5 "fold"
• March 24 "runoff"
• March 17 "curtain"
• March 10 "better"
• March 3 "thumb"
• February 24 "law"
• February 17 "snow"

2020

• October 28 "gong"
• September 23 "reborn"
• July 22: "proctor"
• July 8: "credence"
• June 17: "Pumpernickel"
• May 27: "fact check"
• May 13: "force field"
• April 29: "arm's length"
• April 1: "mortar"
• March 25: "early writing system"
• March 4: "unction"
• February 19: "space"
• February 12: "secondary"
• February 5: "protein"
• January 29: "sous-chef"
• January 22: "feng shui"
• January 15: "playground"

2019

• November 13: "plaid"
• October 30: "catch"
• October 23: "blood sucker"
• October 9: "Flocculation"
• October 2: "hot drink"
• September 25: "silence is golden"
• September 4: "the one in the bedroom is alive"
• August 28: "wink"
• August 14: "looped" (or "pooped" if you're feeling it)
• July 24: "behind the curtain"
• July 10: "edit"
• June 26: "I was young. I needed the work."
• June 19: "chess"
• June 5: "Jeopardy"
• April 10: "medieval"
• March 27: "qualm"
• March 13: "alias"
• February 6: "a place to scream"
• January 30: "cold snap"
• January 23: "there once was a girl from Nantucket..."
• January 2: "resolution"

2018

• December 26: "misspelled"
• December 19: "throwing"
• December 12: "prompt"
• December 5: "hush"
• November 28: "Caribbean"
• November 21: "cruft"
• November 14: improvise
• November 7: "with a grain of salt"
• October 31: "hollow"
• October 24: "dead battery"
• October 17: "supertramp"
• October 10: "register"
• October 3: "comte"
• September 26: "Victorian hat"
• September 19: "green"
• September 12: "team building"
• September 5: "underscore"
• August 29: "cabal"
• August 8: "insomnia"
• August 1: "readme"
• July 25: "wildfire"
• June 27: "Double take"
• June 20: "swelter"
• June 6: "🍁"
• May 30: "Ring of Honor"
• May 23: "paraph"
• May 16: "euphoria?"
• May 9: "loss"
• April 30: "airport"
• April 25: "paint"
• April 11: "bananas"
• April 4: "lamb"
• March 28: "yegg"
• March 14: "moon"
• February 21: "rān|reyn|reɪn"

Deutsch

• From pnut.io post:

“Guten Abend, nach altem Brauch (#WednesdayChallenge) rufe ich auf, eine kurze Geschichte zu schreiben. Sie passe in 256 Zeichen, trage das Zeichen #WedC oder #MitC und treffe das Thema dieser Woche “Links” (Deutsch oder Englisch) #MittwochsChallenge”

Footnotes

• ^ #WednesdayChallenge - @nitinkhanna: Write a short story in 256 characters involving the words "Pope","battle" and "moon". The wilder the better. :) - app.net, March 13 2013.
• ^ #@duerig: That was fun. We should do this every wednesday. - Writer's Write Patter archive, March 13 2013
• ^ #@pamdavis: We also used to do #hourofwriting, which anyone could call for. That was started by the room owner @richardleis. - app.net, October 2013 recollection.
• ^ #@richardleis: I got the idea for #hourofwriting from Jane Espenson (TV writer and producer). She often calls for one on Twitter. Hope your writing is going well! - app.net, April 2013.
• ^ #@thelma: @duerig That actually sounds great! If @bazbt3 and @annatarkov concur, we can let everyone know? @nitinkhanna said he wanted to sit this week out. - app.net, October 2013