The challenge
Make progress on a writing project before the summer ends! Join ADVANCE at UNM Director Julia Fulghum and Assistant Professor Lindsay Smith in a 2 Week Online Writing Challenge! Lindsay and Julia are both committing to write for a set amount of time every day for 14 days, starting August 1.
How will this work?
You pick a project and set your own “guidelines.”
How do I get started?
Make your own rules! Need to find the references for an article? Set aside time every day to do that. Need to work on a Revise and Resubmit? Go for it! Pick a project and an amount of time that works for you. We’ll provide the encouragement and virtual company.
Julia’s Rules:
- Julia is going to work on a book chapter (due in early September) for 30 minutes every day.
- Her 30 minutes have to be spent writing sections of the chapter rather than reading or looking for references, getting coffee or wandering around the room.
- Writing the 2 Week Writing Challenge blog won’t count!
Lindsay’s Rules:
- Lindsay will be working on revising an article for an invited special issue of a journal, due at the end of August. She thinks it will be an enormous relief to get the revisions out of the way before the semester starts.
- Her goal for the challenge is to spend 25 minutes each day on focused writing. To help get there, she’s going to try to follow these three rules:
- Working for 25 minutes in one sitting
- No internet, emails, google scholar searches, reading *just* one more article on the theory, reviewing the data *again* etc
- Explicitly asking for help in watching her kiddo for that time since she doesn’t have childcare for one week of the challenge.
Join us!
Share your goal and rules with us in the comments section at the bottom of the page. You may also participate through social media. Be sure to use #UNMwrites and tag us so we can see you! You may share your name or be anonymous.
Day 14: The Finale
What can we say about the writing challenge? In the end, neither of us made our goal of writing every day. Lindsay did get much more writing done than she would normally would have in the two weeks before classes begin, and Julia has never previously accomplished any progress on a writing project just before […] Read More
Day 13
Julia is also getting ready to wrap up the two week intensive. Come visit us on Monday and share with us your final thoughts on the challenge! Online Writing Challenge Main Page
Day 12
Our challenge is almost over! Catch up with Lindsay’s progress on Monday as she shares her final thoughts. Online Writing Challenge Main Page
Day 11
Welcome to Friday everyone! I hope you’ve had a productive week. As I wrote on Wednesday, I can hear the approach of the herd of cats that is the fall semester…I violated my writing rules today and spent time on organizing and editing. When I reach a certain point in a project, I have to print […] Read More
Day 10
Are we there yet? I feel like the kid in the back of the car wishing to be at the destination instead of on the road. This part of the challenge has been very hard for me. I’ve managed to write 25 minutes every day, but I can’t tell you how much I want to […] Read More
Day 9
Hi Everyone, I feel the approach of the coming semester like the approach of a herd of horses cats – a distant sound that grows louder with each passing day ( cat herding ). Or maybe I’ve just been spending too much time staring at my calendar and contemplating the large number of presentations I […] Read More
Day 8
We are over half way done with the challenge. Way to go everyone for sticking it through this far! How did your first week go? Like Julia, I’ve had some ups and downs. Over the weekend, I didn’t even make it to the writing table, despite my commitment to the challenge. I realize that on […] Read More
Day 7
Hi Everyone, Welcome to Day 7 of the Writing Challenge! How are you doing? If you included the weekend in your writing goals, were you able to make progress? I’ll be honest, on Friday, it took me 3 tries to get 30 minutes of writing in. Clearly if my day had been busier, I would […] Read More
Day 6
Lindsay is also taking a break from the blog this weekend! Come back on Monday for Julia’s updates, and on Tuesday for Lindsay’s. Let us know in the comments how your weekend is going! Online Writing Challenge Main Page
Day 5
We take breaks from the blog on weekends, but not from writing! Come back and visit us on Monday for our normal schedule. Online Writing Challenge Main Page
Day 4
Happy day four of the writing challenge! I’m starting to feel the heat. I often begin challenges (or projects, new collaborations, promised book chapters, etc) with a lot of enthusiasm. Soon, however, reality hits. Like all of us, I am already overcommitted and finding time to add one more thing, even when it is a […] Read More
Day 3
Hi Everyone, I must say it is more fun to write this blog than work on my book chapter. It is a good thing that my rule 3 is that writing the blog doesn’t count. Kudos to Lindsay for persisting in the face of The Son Who Wouldn’t Nap and then making time to […] Read More
Day 2
Hi Everyone! I hope that your second day of the writing challenge has been going well. This morning, I ran into a series of roadblocks. I didn’t get up early to write as I had planned. Then my partner’s work schedule changed and suddenly I found myself with no one to watch my toddler while […] Read More
Day 1
Hey Everyone, Welcome to August! Thanks for joining us on this 2-week adventure. I’m determined to make progress on our book chapter before the semester starts, and I hope our writing challenge positions me to do so. A friend of mine posted this brilliant and moving poem (author unknown) about mornings to my Facebook page […] Read More
July 27, 2017 @ 9:02 pm
Begin a new article to gain writing momentum before the semester starts The goal is to submit the article for review during fall semester
30 minutes per day of focused writing
30 minutes per day of looking for new references and reviewing popular media on the topic
July 31, 2017 @ 6:44 pm
Welcome Renia,
Thanks for joining. Looks like a great plan, and we understand your hope to finish before the semester starts!
Keep us posted,
The Advance team
July 27, 2017 @ 9:45 pm
I’m in! My challenge: I will work on an R&R, which requires that I incorporate a new set of literature with which I am not familiar. I will work 1 hour a day on this task excluding weekend since I will be camping. Since I have to first cover a fair amount of literature, for me ‘writing’ will include the lit search, reading, note-taking, and summarizing. By the second week, 30 minutes out of my hour will be spent on actual writing as I incorporate this new literature into my paper revision. When do we start?
July 31, 2017 @ 6:44 pm
Hi Marygold,
Sounds like you’ve got your work cut out for you. Thanks for sharing your ideas on how you are organizing it. We start Aug. 1!
Enjoy the camping,
The Advance team
July 27, 2017 @ 10:40 pm
I’m in! I’m working on a proposal that will be submitted in mid-September and I MUST get a reasonable draft to co-PIs before I leave for vacation on Aug 9. I cannot have this hanging over my head while I’m supposed to be with family! My rules will be 37 min (I like odd numbers) every day of writing (not making figures, not reading articles). Thanks for the motivation!
July 31, 2017 @ 6:45 pm
Hi Anonymous,
We can relate to wanting to get reasonable drafts done for co-workers before school starts again. Keep us posted!
The Advance team
July 28, 2017 @ 1:46 pm
Julia, I am in. Going to devote 30 minutes a day come heck or high water to finally getting this massive AFRL proposal done and turned in. Hopefully it will provide a few million dollars a year to help fund UNM student research. We now have about 20 students working on a wide variety of different research but could always use funding for more of them.
Craig
July 31, 2017 @ 6:45 pm
Craig,
That’s a great goal!
Sounds like a good way to use your time to help students.
Thanks for joining,
Julia and the Advance team
July 28, 2017 @ 4:06 pm
I just put a 30 minute calendar alert at 10 AM every day for the two weeks! The resubmission should be done by the end!!!
July 31, 2017 @ 6:43 pm
Hi Amy,
We love the idea of setting alerts on your calendar. Thanks for sharing.
Look forward to hearing about your progress,
The Advance team
July 29, 2017 @ 2:38 pm
Im in! Although I have to modify the dates to only cover July 31, August 1,2, 7-11.
My goal is to finish (or come close to finishing) a chapter that is due in October(already started) and to begin work on an R&R that requires a little more data collection (which will be completed in late August, early September).
I plan to work a minimum of two uninterrupted hours per day on the chapter and about 1 hour per day on the R&R.
July 30, 2017 @ 4:41 pm
Hi Naomi,
We’re glad you can still join us!
Let us know how you make it through those uninterrupted hours of work! What keeps you focused?
Thanks for sharing,
The Advance team
July 31, 2017 @ 8:42 pm
I started today and realized that there’s some data prep and analyses to do before I get back to the writing. It ALWAYS takes me longer than I anticipate. However, getting started is what it takes. Step by step and it’ll get done!
August 17, 2017 @ 4:08 pm
Hi Julia and Lindsay,
I’d like to thank you for creating this opportunity. I’m pleased to say that I’ve completed a full draft of my paper and I think it’s actually pretty close to being ready to submit. The writing challenge really helped me get started on this sooner than I would have otherwise, especially since the paper isn’t due until October. But I definitely needed to get this one off of my to-do list, as I have so many other things pending, including another paper due in October! This challenge helped me tackle the paper that I least wanted to write (I’m looking forward to the other one) and has helped me feel more ready to face the beginning of the semester. Thank you!!!
August 18, 2017 @ 12:06 pm
Thanks so much Naomi!
It’s so great to hear about what you were able to accomplish. Kudos!
We’ll keep you posted on the next one.
Julia and Lindsay
July 29, 2017 @ 4:54 pm
I need this so badly! I challenge myself to 30 min a day of solid writing. It must be spent generating new copy, not reading or revising!
By the end I hope to have the groundwork for a solid habit.
July 30, 2017 @ 4:43 pm
Hi Erin,
We think it’s a wonderful idea to aim for new habits!
Best of luck,
The Advance team
July 30, 2017 @ 2:13 pm
Thank you for creating this for us! I am going to start a long term writing project, so I will also spend 30 minutes a day reading and taking notes to outline the project and the work I want to do over the next year.
July 30, 2017 @ 4:47 pm
Hi Heidi,
We are happy to be of help. Keep us posted on your progress!
Here to support,
The Advance team
July 31, 2017 @ 4:21 pm
1 hour a day of writing, for an article due in August. I have the research I need and have read the literature I’ll be working multiple times, but have a bad habit of continuing to find new research “just in case” and putting off the writing.
July 31, 2017 @ 6:05 pm
Hi Keri,
We agree that it is difficult to focus on just writing. We hope you find this challenge helpful!
Let us know how it goes,
The Advance team
July 31, 2017 @ 6:13 pm
Thanks for the motivation! My goals:
Write 1 h each morning (10-11 AM) on a paper to be submitted within next 2 weeks.
Bonus goal: get that one submitted by 8/8, and begin draft of the next paper in the backlog.
July 31, 2017 @ 6:18 pm
Hi Andy,
We’re glad to have you on board! Keep us updated on your goals.
Best of luck,
The Advance team
July 31, 2017 @ 7:25 pm
Finish my book manuscript! At the moment this is the only project I’m working on, so my entire working day will be devoted to this. I will spend at least 2 hours each day writing/revising, and at least 2 hours on non-writing work related to finishing the ms (updating citations, researching presses, etc).
August 2, 2017 @ 3:35 am
Hi Kendra,
Good luck! We hope having some virtual writing company helps you finish your book. Let us know.
Julia and the Advance team
July 31, 2017 @ 8:06 pm
I’ll jump in on this as well. I will write a poem a day. So by the end of this I will have 14 poems.
August 2, 2017 @ 3:35 am
Hi Roanna,
Thank you for joining and for adding poetry to the collective writing efforts.
Julia and the Advance team
July 31, 2017 @ 8:20 pm
I’m in! I am working on (or have been putting off working on) writing the introduction to a special issue I am co-editing. For the challenge, my goal is to work on writing and revising this introduction for 25 minutes each day.
Thanks for setting this up – it’s nice to work in company!
August 2, 2017 @ 3:36 am
Hi Emily,
We always have to write the introduction last, so we can sympathize with putting this off!
Some of the other participants will be struggling along with you.
Julia and the Advance team
July 31, 2017 @ 8:46 pm
I’m in!
August 2, 2017 @ 3:36 am
Hi Jessica,
Welcome to the Challenge!
Julia and the Advance team
July 31, 2017 @ 9:17 pm
Thank you for setting this up! I plan to spend 2 hours each day working on an R&R I’d like to have submitted this month.
August 2, 2017 @ 3:37 am
Hi Jami,
So many people think August is for R&R, meaning rest & relaxation. Thanks for working on your revisions with us!
Julia and the Advance team
July 31, 2017 @ 10:25 pm
I’m in.
My goal is to write for at least 30 minutes, ideally every morning before heading in to the office. Next week is our busiest week so it’ll be tough! I’m writing an article that’s due Sept. 1, so this is great timing and encouragement.
Aeron
August 2, 2017 @ 3:38 am
Hi Aeron,
Glad you’re joining us! Julia is trying to work in the mornings before she goes in as well. Next week will be a challenge for her!
Julia and the Advance team
July 31, 2017 @ 10:43 pm
At a minimum, I need to complete a co-authored paper on men’s roles and work-life balance policies in Japan for the American Political Science Association Annual Meeting (Aug 31-Sept 2). Since I have minimal child care in August and other things going on, including a camping trip Aug 9-13, my goal is to write at least TWO SENTENCES per day for my share of this paper during the writing challenge, including with paper and pen while camping!
August 2, 2017 @ 3:40 am
Hi Mala,
Thanks for participating while camping. Let us know if you make progress!
Julia and the Advance team
August 1, 2017 @ 12:11 am
30 minutes per day of focused writing on manuscript to submit by August 31.
August 2, 2017 @ 3:40 am
Hi Anonymous,
We’re glad you’re participating!
Julia and the Advance team
August 1, 2017 @ 12:14 am
Count me in as well. One hour a day on a new piece of short fiction. Thanks for the nudge!
August 2, 2017 @ 3:41 am
Hi Daniel,
It is great to add fiction to this effort. Glad you are writing with us!
Julia and the Advance team
August 1, 2017 @ 3:12 am
I’m really into this! I’m going to set a goal to work on my current short writing project for 30 minutes each day. I need to either be writing the piece itself, or working on plotting/characters.
August 2, 2017 @ 3:42 am
Hi Jenifer,
We’re glad you like this idea and are setting your own rules. Good luck with the plotting, scheming and writing.
Julia and the Advance team
August 1, 2017 @ 12:36 pm
What a wonderful program! My goal is to create a blog in which I work through archival research that I conducted during a fellowship this spring. Rules are: 1. Work with the data I have; additional research will come in the future. 2. Write for 30 minutes each day. 3. This is the hard one: No editing (that is, second-guessing) my prose during those 30 minutes.
August 2, 2017 @ 3:43 am
Hi Marissa,
We like your rule number 3. It was hard for Julia to not re-write the same paragraph over and over this morning, but it definitely would not have been a good use of her writing time.
Julia and the Advance team
August 1, 2017 @ 1:05 pm
I am going to follow Lindsay’s rules to write for one hour (10:30-11:30) each day August 1-8 (no internet, no governance!) to finish revising a chapter for submission. I will post a new schedule, new challenge, for August 13 forward. Let’s do this!
August 2, 2017 @ 3:43 am
Hi Liz,
Thanks for reminding people that it isn’t over once it’s over! We’re open to suggestions for other virtual and in-person writing accountability efforts.
Julia and the Advance team
August 1, 2017 @ 4:15 pm
I’m in! Writing was a passion to me for the longest time and one day it came to a halt.
My goal is to find my voice again.
My rules:
– Write nonstop for 30 minutes (end of workday)
– A combination of hand writing and typing
– No overthinking, allowing all ideas and thoughts to find its place on a blank page
By the end of the challenge I hope to find the flow I once had and turn it into an instrument of empowerment.
August 2, 2017 @ 3:44 am
Hi ANC,
Let us know if writing at the end of the work day works for you. Good luck getting back into a writing routine!
Julia and the Advance team
August 1, 2017 @ 6:06 pm
Goal: 25 minutes per day, including weekends, of work on a book chapter that is in progress but nowhere near complete. Which is unfortunate, as it was due to editors today.
Rules: (1) Writing time does not include reading, taking notes, looking things up. (2) Time will be kept with timer and can’t be paused. (3) Weekday writing time will take place before noon, in the office; Saturday writing time will take place at home, before kids wake up.
August 2, 2017 @ 3:45 am
Hi Maria,
Glad you are participating. Many people (including Julia!) find it hard to work on manuscripts once they are overdue. We are cheering for you!
Julia and the Advance team
August 1, 2017 @ 9:40 pm
I just put in my 20 minutes and commit to 20 minutes a day for the next 13 days. I’m starting research on a project that has been a glimmer in my eye for a year or so now. It’s an article on a small village in New Mexico: Villanueva. During the 20 minutes a day, I will work non-stop through internet research, emails and possibly phone calls to learn more about the village. Eventually, possibly during these 2 weeks, I will be going there for personal interviews as well.
August 2, 2017 @ 3:46 am
Hi Kyle,
Thanks for sharing your first update! We hope you make good, productive progress with this challenge.
The Advance team
August 2, 2017 @ 2:41 am
It is August 1st! Let the writing process begin … my goal is 30 minutes of anything productive … which may include actual writing, but also might also be gathering and reading articles (but not straying too far off topic). If I go over time, I will not be docked points. 🙂
Thanks for this challenge! 21 days to establish a new habit … may this one “take”!
August 2, 2017 @ 3:47 am
Hi Creative Commitment,
Yes, the first day has come! We hope you enjoy the challenge. Make sure to keep up with our daily updates, so we can share the struggle.
The Advance team
August 2, 2017 @ 3:32 am
Great idea! I commit to revising a manuscript and resubmitting it to a new journal during this time. My rules:
— Write two hours on Aug 9 (I’ll be out of town before then)
— Devote at least two hours to it on Aug 10, 14, and 15 or until the paper is back out the door!
August 2, 2017 @ 3:48 am
Hi Lisa,
Welcome to the challenge! We look forward to your updates.
The Advance team
August 4, 2017 @ 9:26 pm
I’m in, too! I will write for at least 30 minutes a day. It may be a poem or it may be a narrative or reflection about the day. I just want to get back in the habit of writing daily. I am starting a few days late as I was on vacation when this came through.
August 7, 2017 @ 1:09 pm
Welcome, Fazuzu!
We hope this challenge does help you to set new writing habits. And kudos for joining us right after your vacation!
Let us know how it goes.
The Advance team