February Writing Challenges
Let’s Try Some Different Forms and Outlets
Ah, the month of February is here. .again?? Wow, how does time go by so quickly? February 2024 seems like yesterday when I drafted some monthly writing prompts.
In the spirit of a new month in a still very new year, I have decided to attempt something a little different this February. Instead of prompts, let’s go all out with some serious writing challenges. As spring is soon coming(I haven’t checked the Groundhog results yet) let us remember it is always grand to try out new writing genres and platforms.
Are Wikipedia Pages Calling You?
Have you ever considered becoming a Wikipedia editor and writer? If you have not tried this already, the process is quite simple. Just create an online account and start editing or writing away.
Scratch that, the process is a little more difficult. Sure, anyone can create an account. But regular online Wikipedia editing and writing takes time, discipline, accuracy, and care. Maybe use this challenge to tailor contributing to this amazing online encyclopedia to your own needs and interests. Perhaps you can start by editing ten pages in February? Or maybe just drafting one complete new Wikipedia entry(or making major contributions to those stub articles) can be your beginner’s goal.
Medium Month-Long Daily Writing Challenge
Here is a popular Medium challenge — try writing at least one article per day. Since February is a shorter month, you will succeed in this challenge while having done less work. The sky is certainly the limit for catchy Medium articles — film, books, entertainment, interesting knowledge, or writing tips and tricks are just a few popular topics. As long as you do not make every day’s article a reflection on this writing challenge, you should find this activity quite fun. As you publish more pieces, you may see increases in your views, reads, claps, and responses.
Quora Month-Long Writing Challenge
Here is a similar challenge on another amazing platform — try writing an answer on Quora for every day of the month. You hear that? It is the sound of the hundreds of thousands of questions asked each day on the most widely used online Q&A platform calling for an answer. This challenge can be simple when you find topics and questions in your area of expertise or interest. It can also be quite riveting when you encounter unconsidered domains and experience distinct points of view. Just the fact that each question becomes a prompt in its own right shows that this platform is an amazing way to flex your writing muscles.
Become a Film or Television Critic
Have you found yourself becoming the classic motif of a “couch potato?” Do you spend countless hours streaming the latest Hulu or Netflix series or replaying clips from your favorite show on YouTube? Why not take advantage of platforms like Metacritic or Rotten Tomatoes to offer a review or critique of your top-watched shows? No one is asking you to model Roger Ebert, but your unique voice can add so much to the entertainment universe. You don’t have to let this challenge interrupt your streaming time too much, maybe start out with ten reviews.
Submit To a Publication
Want to go a more classic route? Why not challenge yourself to submit to a publication? For this challenge, the difficulty may be knowing where to begin. There are thousands of literary magazines accepting submissions. Medium also still offers countless publications. It is always wonderful to see your writing accepted and printed by an official publisher. And even if your writing does not make it in the queue, how wonderful to still make connections and expand horizons. You can start small with this one, maybe try submitting just a few pieces.
So, we have listed a few challenges you may want to try this month of February. Best wishes as you get your feet wet in these(or others you may find). Writing challenges can be great ways to help you grow as a writer and person. Who knows what doors or windows may open when you least expect it? Of course, we have only scratched the surface of possible writing challenges. An additional feat can be coming up with your own.
