Six-and-a-Half Reasons to Participate in a Visual DARE
The Origin: I came up with the Visual Dare quite by accident during last year’s NaNoWriMo. I had just started my blog about six weeks before, and knew that I wasn’t going to keep up with my usual daily updates while sprinting through 1700 words (minimum!) on my manuscript each day. So one day I posted a favorite black-and-white photograph, and challenged my readers to incorporate that image into their own NaNo project. It was a cheater’s way of doing a blog post, but it birthed a weekly flash fiction endeavor that has gained its own following.
The Premise: The Visual Dare is very simple. I post a photo, and the flash fictioneers write a 100-word-or-LESS story based on that prompt.
Time Frame for Entries: The Visual Dare goes live every Tuesday at midnight (Eastern Standard Time) and stays “active” till the following Tuesday at midnight. Writers can post their entry any time during those seven days.
Why participate? The Visual Dare helps writers on several levels:
1) It forces you to say a lot in a few words. 100 words isn’t a lot, so to make the Visual Dare work, it needs careful attention to word choice, sentence length, and “cutting out the fluff.”
2) Low-Risk Writing. A lot of beginners in the writing/blogging world are a bit gun-shy when it comes to other people reading their compositions. A 100 word dare is a great way to help you get over your “stage fright.”
3) Feedback. When you link in your post from your blog, other participants and blog readers can click through to your entry and read what you have to say. They leave comments: solid, helpful comments that help you become a better writer.
4) It can help rejuvenate your current project. Sometimes just breaking away and writing something unrelated to our projects gives us the breakthrough we need. Flash Fiction can pull it out of the mud, by working on a scene from another point of view, or exploring a corner of your world that wasn’t originally in the outline.
5) It can give birth to a new project. Out of writing ideas? Flash Fiction may be the answer for you. One of my projects, currently titled “Welsan’s Story”, was begun as part of a flash fiction entry for another blog. Sometimes when we’re pushed to just sit down and write – about anything – amazing things fall out.
6) It takes hardly any time. No huge commitments here – just put down your 100 words, tweak it a smidge, and post!
Reason #6.5: No blog of your own? NO PROBLEM. That’s why you have Sweet Banana Ink – they will gladly let you post your flash fiction here, and link through to the Visual Dare page!
This week’s challenge, “Parked Outside”, is up for another six days.
Then there will be another prompt.
What are you waiting for???
Angela Goff is an artist, writer and one of those hyper history teachers that gets excited about her lecture and starts throwing things (on accident, of course). You can join in the Visual Dare experience or read her flash fiction and thoughts on writing on her blog or follow her on twitter.
Yours was one of the first sites I found and the visual dares are great, Hand on heart this has helped loads with my writing and it's also great fun. It has also allowed me to connect with fellow 'flashers' which can't be a bad thing. There is a wonderful community of writers out there and I so glad I took a risk and participated.
I am so glad the Visual Dare has helped you out!! Connecting with "fellow flashers" is always a plus for any writer; our daily lives tend to be so isolated (writing-wise), that it's great to know you're not alone. So glad you joined the writing community!!
Absolutely wonderful! I have to say that I have a project that is gaining steam right now that started as a flash fiction piece. I LOVE all these flash fiction sites even though I am very intermittent in my participation. Thanks so much for a wonderful post Angela and for hosting such an awesome blog.
Thank YOU. And I've also benefitted from the flash fiction in unexpected ways…I've got two projects in the storyboarding process that resulted from other people's challenges on their blogs. It's a challenge that pays itself forward!!
Angela's Visual Dares have been a wonderful addition to the flash fiction writing challenge world! She chooses such wonderful photos; these provide the writer with all sorts of avenues to explore. I participate almost every week and up till now, I've done the 100 word flash fiction option. However, I may try doing a longer work connected to my WIP soon.
I agree with Angela (of course, I always agree with Angela!) that these are also a great opportunity for new writers to put their work out in front of people. I always learn from comments that viewers leave. It's just a good experience all round!
I am SO GLAD that you have enjoyed the VisDare so much, and that all the feedback has made you a stronger writer! Cannot wait to hear about how future flash fiction challenges might play into your WIP….I am doing the same thing, with a little help from Donna's "Write4Ten" challenge. It's all about moving your writing forward!!
Do I post my VD submission here? or where?
You can post on Angela’s site (http://anonymouslegacy.blogspot.com/) or post on your own blog and then link to Angela’s blog.