One of my favorite challenges on Forward Motion is the May Story a Day, which I have been doing since 2003 when the challenge started. That first time, I signed up with the uncomfortable feeling that I couldn’t write short fiction. Most of the short stories I’d written before then were actually novel synopses, leaving me to question whether I had it in me to write short. This challenge proved that I could, in fact, produce short works in the 2000-8000 range that were self-contained and even worth submitting. Ever since, I give over May to short stories, a mental switch that offers me a ton of edit fodder as well as an unmatched satisfaction at the achievement of something shorter than 50,000 words.

If you haven’t heard of the challenge, you can read more about it here: May Story a Day Announcement . The challenge is leveled despite the name, so there’s still time to join in. You must be a member of Forward Motion, but membership is free. The new “starter” level is five stories for the month.

Anyway, regarding my own Story a Day, I’m off to a rocky start. Here it is the second day of the month and I have nothing. I know what my first story is about, where it will start, and where it will end. That said, I have not written the first word.

I ended the last month with a few major deadlines…and a flu. Thanks to the last, two of those deadlines rolled over to the new month so play time has to wait. However, the first (a costume for my son’s final high school play) I completed last night. The second is a novella edit which I am finishing up today.

Some year I will go for it and try to achieve 31 stories. The last time I tried was in 2003, and I managed 25, so not too poorly. This year, I hope to have at least 10 solid stories by the 31st, something still achievable with a delayed start.

That’s where I am. How about you? Are you taking on the craziness of May Story a Day? If so, how are you doing? Whether an inspiration or commiseration, I’d love to hear from others absorbed in this creative frenzy. I know other folks have adopted variations on the challenge, so if you’re working toward one of those, go ahead and drop a note as well. It’ll be interesting to see how they are the same and how they are different.