Don't get too comfortable, my dad warned. I asked to see him, catching up after wishing my mother a happy birthday today. We laughed about how my beard needs a trim and a brush. Maybe I cop a shadow of a beard like George Michael. It is stylish.
Before my dad gave me that idea, I had this one after a Reader's Digest article:
What if I celebrate these holidays each day by writing about them?
And that's brought me here.
I'm launching an October Celebration Writing Challenge, and you're invited to join me. Each day, I'll pick a holiday and write about it in a blog post. It might be reflective, funny, informative or personal- anything that brings out the spirit of the day.
How You Can Join In:
Pick a Holiday of the Day: Each day, check out my blog and the holiday calendar. Pick one or a few of the holidays happening that day and write something about them. I don't know if I mentioned it, but I had double cheeseburgers for lunch and dinner on National Cheeseburger Day.
Write Your Post: Share your thoughts, memories, creative stories, photos and personal takes related to that holiday. The key is to get creative and have fun with it. No pressure, just joy.
Share & Engage with the Hashtag: Post your celebration your way with the tag #CelebrateOctoberWrite so we can all find each other's work. I'm excited to see what people share!
This is already ambitious on my part, but I may highlight impressive celebrations in a compilation!
Ways To Participate:
- Follow Along: Even learning that a day is designated as a holiday counts as celebrating, to me. Knowing is half the battle, right? At the very least, you can learn what some random guy is doing with his time halfway across the world.
- Write Daily or When You Can: I understand "daily" is hard. Even logging into a video game each day challenges me. Don't worry about writing each day. Join when inspiration glows hot. All it takes is one.
- Get Creative: The other big piece; the writing doesn't have to be long or formal. I'd love to see some effort, though. Show me only something you can. Trust, and enjoy the process.
- Share and Support: The challenge isn't just to struggle alone, it's to come and celebrate together. Read what others are posting under #CelebrateOctoberWrite, leave comments and cheer them on. It's a celebration, right?
Why Participate?
- Spark Creativity: Creativity comes from consistency, so I hope the challenge to write each day about different topics grows my muscle. Things I want to do ask for some ingenuity and I hope she shows, for my sake.
- Live A Little, Celebrate A Lot: I couldn't put it better than I heard from Jack Kirby. Life at best is bittersweet. With so many reasons for outrage each day, I don't see enough reasons for joy. So I'll make them myself.
- Compete for Consistency: I'm always into starting projects, but sometimes my passions don't push me through. I want to accomplish writing a novel, among other things, so this challenges makes it fun to stick to the script.
Do you accept the challenge?
I'll be kicking things off tomorrow, and I'm excited. I already like three of the days, but might be getting ahead of myself. I can't lie; I would love to see posts from everyone, including a few usual suspects. I suppose it depends on how well I promote it. Check back in around 3 PM UTC (11 AM EDT) for my daily pick, and let's get writing. Remember to use the tag #CelebrateOctoberWrite and share the challenge with your friends!
Let's liven up October by observing each day. After all, who needs an excuse to party? And, who couldn't use another reason to celebrate?
Happy writing,
Kyle, @thatkidsblack