Tag Archive for: 30K for Christ

30K for Christ Coming in April

In April, we’ll again be hosting the 30K for Christ Writing Challenge.  This is a CWG Members and Guests only challenge

What is 30K for Christ?  In the month of April, we challenge you to write 30,000 words.  In one sense, it’s like NaNo, because words count, but that’s where the similarity ends.  You can write those 30,000 words in any way you want—from novel draft to non-fiction book proposal to blog series.  However, for them to count, you must dedicate them to Christ.

What’s the purpose of 30K for Christ?  As Catholic writers, we are called to use our talent responsibly for the betterment of the world and for the coming of Christ’s kingdom.  This doesn’t mean we have to write only devotionals and apologia, but that whatever we write, we remember to uphold the virtues that Christ called us to live.  During 30K for Christ, we develop or hone our awareness of our responsibility of bringing the Light of Christ to the world.

How do I participate in 30K for Christ?

1.   Anyone striving to follow Christ can take part in the challenge, but only those registered on the Catholic Writers Guild website can actively participate.

2.  Post your intention on the CWG forum: http://catholicwritersguild.com/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewforum&f=83.  There will be a graphic there you can post on your website, twitter, etc.

3. Before you start writing, pray.  Take a minute or two to connect with Christ.  If you need a prayer, here is the official CWG prayer:

Holy Family, Guide our minds, our hearts, our hands, as we write, speak, illustrate – help our words to live in union with the Word.  Teach us discipline and skill to use the talents God gives us. Give us also insight and courage to convey God’s love through our craft, and humility to be open to His divine will, shaping our lives, in loving loyalty to His Church. In Christ’s name, Amen.

4.  Write, keeping in mind the great gift and responsibility God has given you with your talent.

5.  Track your progress.  We’re on the honor system.

6.  Report your progress on the forum.

7.  When you his 30K, we’ll send you a nice graphic you can put on your website.

 

Questions?  Post them on the forum or in the comments section of the blog.

Why 30K For Christ?

30K for Christ started (as many projects do) from a conversation in the chat room.  NaNoWriMo was coming up.  This was back when it was a new thing, but many of the folks in the chat were disappointed that they would not be able to participate because they were writing non-fiction, or wrote articles rather than long works.  They wanted a challenge that worked for them, too.

As we got to talking, we realized that as Catholics and writers, we have a calling to use our words to serve Christ and better our world.  Whether writing a Catholic apologetics article or a thriller or a humorous flash fiction piece, we needed to keep Christ in our hearts and minds as we wrote.

Thus, 30K for Christ was born.  The challenge is simple and broader than NaNoWriMo:  write 30,000 words in a month in whatever format.  It could be 30,000 words towards a novel or non-fiction book; 10 articles of 3,000 words each, even 30 pieces of flash.  (There’s a challenge—a story a day!)  Even work like press releases and blogs count.  The only stipulation is, you begin each writing session by dedicating it to Jesus and implore his guidance as you write.

The goal is not like NaNoWriMo:  We’re not seeking to turn off the internal editor to increase productivity.  Rather, we’re seeking to keep Christ present as our first editor, so that the words we produce are in keeping with The Word.

The first 30K for Christ challenge only had a few participants, but all agreed it helped them gain better awareness of the working of God in their life and writing.  The challenge went on hiatus for a couple of years, but another conversation in the chat room brought it back up.  This year, we’re hoping for more participants.

We’ll be signing up on the CWG forums*.  Please drop by and state your intentions.  Full instructions will be there, and on the blog March 22. Once April begins, check back now and again, post your progress and share encouragement and challenges.

BTW, if anyone would like to make a couple of icons (one Participant and one Winner), please e-mail me at karina(at)fabianspace.com.  It’s be great to have a little something for our blogs.

*Sorry, the program is for dues-paying members only.