November 2008 and Your Messages is Back...

...by popular demand! But in a different incarnation because there’s no way we could duplicate November 2007’s amazing project that culminated in the launch of Your Messages at the Poetry Café in London in February this year.

Every day during the month of November 2008 we will post a writing prompt of exactly 30 words and you’re invited to respond, via the comments box, with your own original piece of writing which may be either exactly 30 words or 300 words long.

At the end of the month we’ll be choosing one response as the overall prize-winner (although we may well comment on one or two others as well) and the writer of that piece will receive signed copies of our books: Leading the Dance, Learning How to Fall, Something Beginning With and The Oven House.

And how will we make our decision from so much fine writing? Here are a few things to bear in mind:

1.There should be some kind of link to the prompt, e.g. theme, image, word or phrase
2.It should be a stand-alone piece of writing.
3.It has to be brilliant! :-)))

We look forward to meeting up with as many old and new ‘Messagers’ as possible online from 1st November.

Let the writing begin. Again!

Sarah & Lynne

36 comments:

  1. Brilliant idea! It's good to be back. Have a nice day everyone.

    Brigita P.

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  2. Hurray!!! I'm really looking forward to this! It was so fun last year to read everyone else's and see how different they all were. Again, thanks so much (now we just need to come up with another reason for me to come back to london - preferably when its a bit warmer)

    xoxo
    g

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  3. A nice way to get people looking forward to the often dreary month of November.

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  4. Hello again - like settling into a familiar comfy chair, isn't it?

    Oz.

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  5. Aw, this is lovely. We've missed you all!!!!

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  6. Great! Looking forward to November 1st. Thanks for hosting another challenge!

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  7. This challenge looks great fun, I'm definately interested.

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  8. Can overseas residents join in?

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  9. Hello, Anonymous - absolutely! The participants in last year's YM project were dotted all around the globe. The only thing you'll need to think about it is the deadline for any response to the daily prompts - before 8am GMT the morning after the original posting. Welcome to Your Messages.

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  10. Ah, fabulous, another way to help me write every day! I look forward to taking part as a newbie. :o)

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  11. Welcome, Catalogue 25. And I'm sure you'll find even more inspiration from all the other contributors too. See you on 1st November - only 3 days to go!

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  12. Heard about this via Char March - sounds great, will post it up on Planting Words over the next couple of days... am going to be jealous of all those short pieces of writing though, I might sneak one or two for http://www.ahandfulofstones.com ;) (not really)

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  13. Hi Fiona - nice to see you here and thanks for spreading the word.

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  14. Hi Lynne and Sarah. It's good to be back. I've passed on the word around my neck of the woods and have posted on my blog. Thanks to the 2007 project, 6 of Merc's Shorties have been translated into French, and one is now living in Finland. I'm attracted by the 30's this time. Makes me feel younger, and anyway, the daily warmup is rejuvenating!

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  15. Good to have you back, Merc, and congrats on the translations too.

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  16. I'm looking forward to reading, if not participating in this year's competition, too!

    I now do a series of prose writes on my blogspot website as a result of doing the competition last year.

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  17. What a brilliant idea! I'll get my thinking cap on now. And if that doesn't work, I'll enjoy everyone else's contributions. A great way to brighten our dull November days.

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  18. Hi Sarah and Lynne,

    I tried to post my entry for Nov. 1 last night here in NY but couldn't get in till this morning, wasn't doing the blog right. Hope you can still accept the first one. Thanks.

    An_Yu

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  19. Time is changing... The permanent link to Wednesday 5th of November indicates it is Tuesday, while the archive suggests we're already in 2010... :)

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  20. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  21. Hello An_Yu - That's fine - thank you for letting us know.

    And Anonymous... Your Messages is, of course, its very own universe, so time 'as we know it' does not apply here. Or it could be that the first post in the blog has been post-dated to make it 'stick'. Nah... you're in another universe. Enjoy!

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  22. Hi there,

    I know I'm late each time so far, but I've decided to post anyway, and enjoy the writing. I'll be back from holiday mid november and will be on time after that.

    Thanks for doing this again.

    Jim

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  23. Hi Jim - you're welcome, and welcome back!

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  24. Gerry said

    Mother wants Strawberry;
    he, Chocolate ice-cream.
    It will want too much of him.
    And in banana sauce!
    She, now split in herself, screams.
    And he sees otherwise, with a sigh.

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  25. Hi Lynne and Sarah

    Thanks for a great month of messages. Just wanted to know if you will be posting the winner for us all to see?

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  26. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  27. Hello, Lynne and Sarah,

    Thank you for running this challenge! I've thoroughly enjoyed participating, and reading the prompts and responses has provided me with a wealth of inspiration for my own writing. And it's all been for a good cause. Perfect!

    Thanks again. :-)

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  28. Thanks all - it means a lot to us that these prompts have worked for your own writing too. And, Sarah, hopefully we will, but that depends on who we pick. It has to be with their permission.

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  29. Hello Ladies, and others writing,
    It has been again a fun month of intersting work. Thanks to you both for the prompts and time, and to everyone else whose work I have enjoyed reading.

    redjim99

    jimbarron@walkauvergne.co.uk

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  30. Just to say thanks - it has been great fun.

    Monkey @ monkeyonmyshoulder.co.uk

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  31. Thanks for brightening up November for us all. As usual I didn't post quite as many responses as I hoped to, but there are lots of little pieces of writing, of more than, less than, and just about thirty words in my notebook thanks to you both. Have fun with your reading. And hopefully see you next year...

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  32. Due to this & that, I've not been able to chip in as much as last year, but it's been great to hop in & out and, once again, find so many superb little gems. Hope to continue to meet some of you in the 'outside world'.

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  33. With best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.

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  34. Due to this & that, I've not been competent to microchip in as such as net period, but it's been high to hop in & out and, erstwhile again, hear so umteen superior emotional gems. Expectation to move to cater some of you in the 'outdoors humankind'.
    --------
    Sean Cruz
    drapes Toronto

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  35. Hello! Just wondering if there will be any 'Your Messages' this year. It's almost November! :-)

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  36. Novemebr is getting close, anything going on?

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Add Your Own Message Here
If you want to take part - great. All you need to do is add your response to our message here as a comment, but remember it has to be exactly 30 or 300 words, and it needs to be posted before 8am GMT the morning after the original post for each day. Please also remember to add your Name and Email Address to the end of your message, so that we can get in touch if your work is selected.