NaNoWriMo Day 8: Writing Challenge Time!

Wordcount: 17206
Words Written Today: 520
Words I Still Need to Write Today: 1147, plus 300 some to make up for what I missed yesterday.
Writing Music Obsession: See below.
I love writing challenges. They're often just what I need to get me to stop procrastinating and start writing. They also provide a set mini-goal, something I find very helpful- I work best when I can say "Ok, I'm going to write for X amount of time/Y pages". And since I know others enjoy them too, I thought I'd post some challenges here.

Challenge 1: Music Marathon

I mentioned a while ago that I've never written all the way through this, but I'm going to try today, and I challenge you all to do the same, either today or sometime in the next week. Celtic not your thing? That's fine; just pick any 2-hour music compilation (or two one-hour compilations) and write all the way through. The point is just to write for two hours without stopping. If you don't have two hours, you can do the same for a one-hour stretch. Or, if you're feeling really daring, try to outwrite the Lord of the Rings Soundtrack (3 hours) or this 5 hours of Epic Music. Post in the comments what you listened to and how many words you wrote!

Challenge 2: Writing Prompts/Dares
I don't usually use prompts or dares outside of games of Writer's Truth or Dare, but sometimes they're fun, and I think others enjoy them. So, here are some prompts I came up with for you to try, either as part of your actual plot or in "bonus scenes".

• Double Trouble: Introduce a new character who's identical to one of your other characters. Ideally, either hilarity or chaos should ensue.
• Time Out!: Give your characters a chance to relax and write a scene where they play a board or card game.
• I Understood That Reference: Write a scene including as many quotes from your favorite movies and/or books as possible. Alternately, write a scene in which one of your characters quotes or references something famous and the other characters either get excited about it or are totally confused.

Again, post in the comments which challenge you did. If you don't mind sharing, you could also post the scene you wrote on your blog- I'd love to read them!
Thanks for reading, and I hope your writing goes well!
-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)