Weekend Freewrites: Explained! And A Chance to Win!
Day 3
brought to you by @byn
Weekend Freewrites: What's the Deal? Weekendfreewrites are a special challenge that @mariannewest posts once a week on Saturday mornings.
Weekend freewrites are a special breed and not for the faint of heart. They are a fantastic, fun challenge that will take you out of your comfort zone and will force you to leave all of your preconceived notions aside. It is SO much fun to just dive into a story, not quite sure where the next prompt will take you. I have had some of the next stories come from weekend freewrites and they have become my absolute favorite writing exercise.
Now, what exactly is a weekend freewrite? It's both simple and it's not. If you enjoy a challenge, this is the writing prompt game for you! (If you hate challenges, you can always choose the single prompt option instead!)
First off, you start the writing challenge just like any single prompt challenge. The difference is that you aren't trying to finish the story in one prompt, in only 5 minutes.
You set your timer for 5 minutes.
Open your program of choice for writing (I usually write mine in a google doc and then transfer to steemit for markdown and adding photos, etc.)
Open a tab with the #weekendfreewrite prompts ready to go
Get Prompt #1 (Green): Start the timer and type away for five minutes. When that time is up...
Get Prompt #2 (Yellow): Restart your timer for another 5 minutes.
Continue the middle part of your story. This is where the interference/conflict usually comes into play.
Get Prompt #3 (Violet): The Dramatic Twist. Restart your 5 minute timer one last time.
Here is the prompt you use for your final 5 minutes.
Then go back to the page where you found prompt #3 and share the link to your post in the comments so that the other freewriters can find your story and give you some attention!
It is a crazy wild ride and it might take you a time or two to really get the hang of it, but trust me, it is SO fun! You will pull things out of your imagination that you didn't even know were there. I know for me, it has inspired some longer form stories that I'm working on in my free time.
Don't forget to go visit the comments and find a freewrite or two to read and comment on to help spread the love! Everyone loves getting positive feedback on their work!
That's all there is to it!
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- Which has something to do with this post
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The Contest for this day is now closed.
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Join the Freewrite daily prompt
And join us at the Isle of Write in the freewriter - retreat
art and flair courtesy of @PegasusPhysics
I finally understand weekend freewrites! I have been too timid to attempt in the past as I couldn’t grasp the multiple post structure (now it’s very duh, how did you not get that!) but I’m so excited to go for it! I think it will be even more fun of a challenge.
Plus, I might end up with something a little longer!
14 ameliabartlett
You are in the drawing. Yes. It is a bit hard to explain and @byn did a great job!! We are so glad that you are going to give it a go. And here is a little freewriter's secret. Not everyone stops after the 5 minutes. If you have time and more to say - go for it :)
I dove right in to the #weekendfreewrite. It was only my second steemit #freewrite, and this time I took a chance and posted on my own blog. It was so much fun! I am a little surprised by how the story just unfolded and my ability to incorporate the three prompts. It is not seamless, but I love that I am already seeing progress in my writing after two free writing sessions!
7 ghostsinahatbox
You are in the drawing. We are so glad that you are getting more confidence and are posting your freewrites. But you always have the comment option. It is fun, right? And you will see how your writing will take you places you never thought you might go. 😄
Oh right! Weekend! It's Saturday! (Well, it's Sunday for me now). My favourite freewrite every week! I will make sure I will write mine this morning.
The weekend freewrites are the best, because with the twists and turns, you cannot plan the whole plot in your head before you get to it. Furthermore, you cannot stop and think on how to incorporate it. You just go go go! What if it is a train wreck? Then it's just a tragedy that the reader has to live with. It really helps me be creative and think outside the box. Last week, my character was at a wedding and ended up hooking up with the bride's little brother who was supposed to be a witness... because of the prompt that the shirts came off. I wasn't mad at that prompt. If anything, thank you! hahahaha
10 poetrybyjeremy
You are in the drawing. That is so funny - hooking up with the bride's little brother! tsk, tsk, tsk - Than again, that seems to be happening a lot...😜
At least it wasn't the groom, just the best man!
Ahh - the three stage freewrite. I was up at 04:30 doing this activity early in the morning because I could not contemplate missing out!! I love having a prompt and the usual picture to get started with. After the first five minutes have finished - that is not it. It is just one part of a maze.
Turning around the corner, we have to keep walking and moving forward. We have to keep our eye on the prize - a story that works together.
But wait: there's more. Another corner and another twist as the story tries to bring itself together. Will it succeed? Who knows? Will it sound silly or will we come out of the other end of the freewrite maze with a story that flows and connects? One can only hope. Then again, the stories that are written with massive, convoluted twists and turns are sometimes the most interesting ones to read. So don't feel scared by the concept - give it a go!!!
9 mysecondself01
You are in the drawing!! What an honor that you will get up so early to participate in the weekend freewrite. Thank you so much!! always a pleasure to read your stories!
I don't understand the damn instructions, so how in the hell am I gonna construct an acceptable entry to this friggen challenge...//////Maybe that's the whole point? Am I supposed to loose my mind trying to figure this thing out? Huh??? What the...anywayz here is all I'm writing for now because I think that I'm gonna hear the bell soon, and I hate bells. They remind me of church steeples and the one which collapsed on my favorite uncles head in italy when I was just a kid visiting him there eating pesce and watermellons from a field across the way from my grandmother who died of food poisoning...That's why I hate bells. A bell killed my uncle Mario
8 averageoutsider
You are in the drawing! Oh no!!! You found us out!! We want you and everyone to loose their minds!! At least the self-critical part of it 🤪 Love your comment 😄
Thank you...number 8 is a good number...it matches my I.Q.
Excellent!! We have all the same number! LOL
My first re-steem is this post :) I was hyped and still am about it - it is new and I've never done it, but again I can see how this frees some creative energies. But now some pretty random program came across, so I have to run to catch a train to an other city to celebrate the hindu new year. Happy Ugadi! :)
13 cyoadventuregame
You are in the drawing. Well, thank you so much!! We are honored to be your very first esteem!!! Thank you!! 🙏
I agree!! @mariannewest's weekendfreewrite is definitely not for the fainthearted. You have to be ready to take the bull by its horns and in this case the minute by the seconds. Once you start there's no turning back. It's like a roller coaster ride. As you inch, to the top/end, you wonder what the drop/prompt is going to be like to take you to the next. As the needle goes tik tok, you are frantically trying to hold it all in to make it to the next drop/prompt. You wonder if it will culminate into a seamless end!! One that you can walk away from knowing you will be ready for another rollercoaster ride the following weekend, or will your guts be all over the floor for the world to see? ... OK, not quite because you can choose not to post it and try again 😉... Now wish me luck, I am off to do my next weekendfreewrite 😊
11 kaerpediem
You are in the drawing. It is a bit like a roller coaster ride, isn't it? good luck with the freewrite - and you are right, you don't have to post it - but that is allowing the critical mind to win. Sometimes, we don't like something and others just love it...
I am unable to write weekend freewrites because I am always busy during weekends. My weekend posts were written in advance. I hope I am able to create weekend freewrite again. I did once, but unable to create one again. I'll give it a go whenever possible. The challenge with weekend freewrites is to stimulate your brain and become more creative.
12 iyanpol12
you are in the drawing. Yes, it can be challenging to find time on the weekend. for some - that is the only time they can write, for others, the days are way too busy. The beauty is that you can always do it later!!
Funny, your entry number is 12 and you have a 12 in your name. Maybe that is your lucky number?
I love doing the weekendfreewrites so much that if I don't have time on the weekend, I will go back and do it on Monday. I almost always find them SO inspiring that I end up writing more and more just from that one writing project!
I've been freewriting for what I believe is 3 months now, and I'm embarrassed to admit I have never taken the 3 prompt weekend special. :|
I keep telling myself next week, but come saturday, I just go for the single prompt option.
Am I afraid of the 3 prompt special?
I mean, after continuing one story for ~70 consecutive days, I damn sure should be able to write a story using 3 prompts.
Why I don't go for the 3 prompt weekend special is a mystery even to me.
Perhaps some day I will work up the courage and try myself at it.
Perhaps some day.
To everyone who completed any of the 3 prompt weekend specials... Kudos to you!
15 svashta
you are in the drawing. Thank you for leaving the Wild West for a bit to come over to the Freewrite House. Maybe some day, you can take off a day from the saga and just do a fun 3 prompt freewrite for a break 🤠
I'm thinking of doing the single prompt as always - to continue Wild West, and doing something different with the 3 prompts :D
Whatever you do will be fun to read - that much, we know :)
shy
Thank you! That means a lot to me. <3
creo que los freewrite despiertan tu imaginación y capacidad de penar en tan solo 5 minuto me uní al desafió de esta semana y me encanto espero poder seguir el trote de todos en esta comunidad de freewrite aunque mi tiempo es limitado para entrar en la pagina trato de sacar el mayor provecho desde aquí de Venezuela se les agradece por crear esta plataforma para escribir libremente y divertirnos mientras concursamos
mi lema es "si dios nos dio la capacidad de pensar y de soñares es porque cualquier cosa podemos lograr ".
6 angelina1212
You are in the drawing!! I don't speak Spanish but google translate is good enough for me to figure out what you are saying :) I believe we have some other writers from Venezuela. Welcome to the Freewrite House. 😄