Oct 7, 2013 / Topic Ideas

Blast from the Past: Weekly Writing Challenge

The Daily Post is on hiatus this week, so we’ll be highlighting great posts from the archives that you might have missed the first time around (never fear — there’ll still be a new Photo Challenge on Friday!). 

For the Weekly Writing Challenge, here’s one that was a fan favorite the first time around. If you’re in a blogging slump, it just might give you the creative boost you need.

____________________________________________________

Last week, we highlighted Tim of Get Second Lunch, whose latest post had just been Freshly Pressed. One of the things that drew us to his post was his unique style—illustration-heavy posts that give him a great opportunity to put his own spin on familiar topics.

We certainly don’t want to suggest that everyone needs to start illustrating their posts; goodness knows The Daily Post would just end up awash in crudely-drawn stick figures. It did get us thinking, though: what if we occasionally pushed ourselves out of our comfort zones and tried an unexpected post style? It could be interesting to readers, but more importantly, it could help us expand our boundaries, push past writers’ block, and spark ideas for other posts.

So this week, we challenge you to step outside your blogging box and try something totally different:

  • If you normally write non-fiction, try fiction.
  • If you normally write fiction, try poetry.
  • If you normally post photos, try writing.
  • If you normally just write, try including photos.

Need a little more guidance? Check out these post types, and pick one. Don’t opt for something that seems immediately doable; go with something you’ll have to work at a bit:

  • Stream-of-consciousness
  • Short fiction
  • A day in the life
  • Instructions on doing/making something
  • Top ten lists
  • An open letter
  • An explanation of a topic you know a lot about
  • A walk down memory lane
  • A rant
  • News/current event analysis
  • A book, movie, or music review

The goal of this challenge isn’t to turn you into someone you’re not, but simply to see what you can take away from trying something completely new. The better we understand all the creative avenues open to us, the more effective we can be as writers, bloggers, and communicators.

At the end of your post, take a minute to reflect on the experience of creating it. Was it easier than you thought? Harder? Did you learn anything useful? Will you incorporate the new style into your repertoire? Would you try this exercise again with a different style?

We had a blast reading through last week’s Metaphor and Simile entries, and can’t wait to see what you come up with in another wide-open challenge!

Show Comments

66 Comments

Comments are closed.

Close Comments

Comments

  1. This would be intresting to take this challenge! I normally write routine stuffs or my experience, sometimes i present my story casting someone else. Basically I write my life story/feelings with different people acting in it.
    It will be fun and totally exhausting experience. I’ll try out fiction 😉 Wow.

    Like

  3. Im sorry i am completely new to blogging….is this like a real challenge or just to boost us up and make us good in writing..?whats the deal about…?can anyone explain in detail what are these challenges upto..?

    Like

    1. writing is infinite. the more you think out of the box, the more better writer/bloggre/communicator you become. Its not mainly areal challenge but yes it gives u the oppurtunity to explore more imagination powers in you.
      Hope this answers your query. 🙂

      Like

    2. Challenges are just meant to get you thinking and inspire you to write — nothing less, nothing more. They’re not required, and there’s no formal entry. If a challenge moves you to write, then write!

      Like

  6. This would be Interesting to take this challenge! I normally write routine stuffs or my experience, sometimes i present my story casting someone else. Basically I write my life story/feelings with different people acting in it.
    It will be fun and totally exhausting experience. I’ll try out fiction

    Like

  8. I like reading blogs and thanks to this post, I went to your post which was more than a year ago “Metaphor and Simile”…though I enjoyed reading those post but I saw that most of those bloggers have stopped blogging, still I really liked reading through the pages of past 🙂

    Like

    1. Then I encourage you to return next week, when we’ll have a new challenge and lots of current bloggers participating (or, check out the links in one of the Daily Prompts to find great new reads).

      Like

      1. Yes for sure.I did participated in the last three daily prompts. I thought about mentioning that so you guys could figure out something to make the community more engaging for those people who were their earlier. One think that is common from the last year is the your presence.It’s really encouraging that you guys keep interacting.Thank you. 🙂

        Like

      1. Thanks, Michelle! I really enjoyed combining a part of my own life (the conversation with my nephew) with an issue that is effecting so many people. I would definitely like to do more of that: taking something that is far-reaching and making it personal.
        I also liked changing it up a bit from my normal theme. I love my children and my life, but it was really nice to think about something a little more intellectual!
        Thanks so much for reading!

        Like

  14. interesting challenge! i think i might just try out the Open letter. It’ll be an interesting thing if thousands of people read my letter in the long run. Good luck to everyone trying out something new!

    Like

  16. Hi. I am curious. Last week’s Writing Challenge was “DNA Analysis”, which I sent a submission to. “Metaphor and Smile” is from 2012. I never saw any Freshly Pressed posts from last weeks challenge. I always look forward to them. It seems as if last week’s challenge disappeared. Am I wrong?

    Like

    1. We always look at the challenge posts, but don’t necessarily feature any on Freshly Pressed — if you look back, you’ll see that some weeks we feature three or four, and other weeks one or none; it depends on that week’s submissions.

      This week’s post is challenge from the archives, as we’re on hiatus this week. It was originally published last year, hence the reference to older posts.

      Like

      1. Oh, I see. I wasn’t quite sure how all that worked. Thank you for clearing it up for me! Sorry, I’m still new and haven’t learned everything. You all do a great job with the many different opportunities for bloggers to write and learn. Thanks!
        Ann

        Like

  18. Can someone explain a little further into this “blogging idea”? I have initially set up an account as a requirement for a class, but am very interested in learning and broadening my horizons with writing. Anything will be helpful and appreciated :))

    Like

  20. This is great. I’m new to blogging but have been writing for years and just thought to start blogging stories, apparently not an original idea. But I love the idea of a challenge to yourself to do something new. Should be fun.

    Like

  22. I really enjoyed this thought of getting out of comfort zone.. I am a poetess and recently I have tried my hands in writing stories and also I have done some photography of clouds on my own. I will try to mix these three indigrents and create something new. Thanks

    Like

  23. I dipped into the waters of poetry and did my best. I hope you all like it! This challenge really made me reflect deeply about my past and I think it brought out the best in the poem.

    Addiction

    Like

  24. Oh after a long writing Hiatus, I dropped in here and this is just what I need. I’ve never written a book review though I read books at a voracious pace. Maybe I’ll do that. Hugs Michelle. It’s like dropping by to meet an old friend!

    Like