Category: Writing Challenges

Challenges found on the Internet, or elsewhere

15K in May: writing under pressure

Writing Towards 15 Thousand Words

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  1. Crime fiction (Birkbeck assignment) = 999 words, after editing.
  2. Ruthless Scribbling blog posts = 819 words
  3. Ruthless Reading blog post = 467 words
  4. Ruth’s Coastal Walk blog posts = 4,377 words
  5. Historic fiction (Birkbeck assignment) = 993 words, before final edit
  6. Total = 7,655 words


Here is my latest progress meter. This one is courtesy of Word Meter on Critique Circle.

Other People doing 15K in May

Wayne Kelly
Maria Smith
Dee Kirkby
Ileandra Young
Ruth Livingstone (me, of course)
Lynne Collins
Rinelle Grey
Alison Wells
Lisa Redmond

15K in May: writing in the Tang Dynasty

I compared the life of my 7th Century Tang scholar to my life in the 21st Century today. It led me to ponder on the effort of being a writer in that era, how hard to become proficient in calligraphy, how expensive the basic implements and how time-consuming the process. As modern writers, aren’t our lives incomparably easier?

Ruth Livingstone - writing

Work gets in the way of writing

This week, I had a couple of busy days due to work commitments. Friday was set aside as a writing day, but I am afraid it just went by in a blur. I didn’t do any serious writing. I did, however, do hours and hours of research for my next story assignment.

Writing about the Tang Dynasty

My latest Birkbeck writing task is another exercise in genre fiction. Our assignment is to construct a 1,000 word excerpt from a historical novel and post it up on our Birkbeck intranet site.

The first big decision I had to make was to choose a place and era to set my excerpt in. I felt horribly out of my depth. I did science subjects at school, not history. What if I got some historical details incorrect? Or the wrong geographical details? So, somewhat tongue in cheek, I decided to Continue reading “15K in May: writing in the Tang Dynasty”

15K in May: steaming ahead with my writing!

15KinMay - fan

Writing progress this month

  • Crime fiction (Birkbeck assignment) = 999 words, after editing.
  • Ruthless Scribbling blog post = 664 words
  • Ruth’s Coastal Walk blog post = 1768
  • Ruth’s Coastal Walk blog post (yesterday) = 1252
  • Ruth’s Coastal Walk blog post (today) = 1357


Total = 6,040 words
I won’t be writing tomorrow as I’m running a workshop in London, followed by my evening class at Birkbeck. Let’s see what I do on Friday!

15K in May: catching up with my walking blog

I spent the bank holiday weekend walking the coast in Cornwall. The weather was surprisingly good and I walked all day, every day. As a result I did very little writing.

15K in May, Ruth Livingstone, writing challengeI am using the 15KinMay challenge as an opportunity to catch up with my walking blog. I walk at a faster pace than my write-ups  and, for those who know how fast I walk, you will realise that means my write-ups are produced very slowly indeed. I am always a few days behind.

Why so slow? For each walk I’ve completed, my first task is to sort out the photographs – and I take a great many photographs. Then I have the pleasure of thinking back on the walk Continue reading “15K in May: catching up with my walking blog”

15K in May: writing off to a good start

Pen and Notebook, Ruth Livingstone, writer.The challenge is to write 15 thousand words by the end of May. The words can be fiction or blog posts, new writing or editing of old work.

When I set out, I intended to write 15K of my unfinished novel. However, true to my procrastinating nature, I have written Continue reading “15K in May: writing off to a good start”