Challenge Dear Diary Challenge 2018|New year, new challenge.

The Dear Diary Challenge was originally created in 2007 by the_wandering_shadow, and made into a yearly challenge and competition by MsLanna. It has been so much fun that this will be its eleventh year--and surely there will be more. The sock is currently run by Kahara and Pandora.

Note: If you have any questions about the challenge, be sure to check the rules. You may find that your answer already lies within.

What is the Dear Diary Challenge about?
For our purposes, we are defining a diary as a first person narrative, usually intended to be private, that covers anything from day-to-day events to reflections on the past and present.


Teh Rulez:


1)
The objective of this challenge is to keep a journal going for an entire year. You can write the diary of an original character or canon character, Star Wars or non-Star Wars, droid or Killer Alien Robot--or even Yoda’s lightsaber. While you will be writing this journal for a year, your character’s story can cover a shorter or longer period of time; they can go days or even months without an entry. Do what you want. The TOS is your only limit.


Half-Marathon Diary: This year, we will also—with thanks to mavjade for the idea--be offering two half-year challenges: the first will be from January 1-July 1, and the second from July 1-December 1. In this case, the challenge will be to keep a diary going for six months. All other rules will continue to apply.


2)
No posting (or writing) until the clock strikes midnight, your time zone, on January 1, 2018. You can use entries written before this date as extras, but they will not count towards the competition. And of course, you can plan and outline as much as you want before that.

Half-Marathon Diary: For the second half-marathon, the start date will be July 1, 2018.

3)
The deadline for posting the first two entries is January 31, 2018.

Half-Marathon Diary: This deadline will apply to the first Half-Marathon; for the second, the deadline for the first two entries will be July 31, 2018.

4)
You must write a minimum of twenty-four entries for the entire year, with at least one entry a month. You can, of course, have as many entries as you want—but remember that this is a year-long challenge, so pace yourself.

Note: Diaries with two or more narrators are allowed. The number of entries for each narrator should be a minimum of 24 (just like any other), and your entries for each narrator need to keep up with the posting schedule the same as for an individual diary.

Half-Marathon Diary: For the Half-Marathons, you must write a minimum of twelve entries--but again, you may have as many entries as you want.


5)
There is no minimum or maximum length limit for the entries. Write a paragraph, write pages, or write a haiku. Just do it.


6)
Please PM the Diary_Challenge_Sock when you update your diaries. Though not required, it would help if you could also provide a link to each new entry in the PM. It makes the checking process go much faster!


7)
We are the keepers of the documents, namely the Indexers. If you fail to update for a month, we will send you a reminder and give you another week to update.

This means seven days from the missed month update, not seven days from the date of the PM.

For example, if your diary was last updated on March 3, and you haven't updated in 31 days, your updates are due April 3. You then have your 7 days until April 10 to update. This is regardless of when you get the warning PM, which is just a reminder for you.


8)
If you miss your monthly post and don't update after the extended 7 days, you're out of the competition portion of the challenge.

If you failed to update for a month three times, the next time you don't update for a month, the diary will automatically drop out of the challenge. It does not matter if that three times are in a row or scattered across the year.

You can, however, label your diary as Out of Competition. This means that the story will not be eligible to win at the end of the year, but it is still listed with any other active diaries that are out of competition.

Alternately, you can also let your story be moved to the Dead Diaries category, which is for diaries whose authors have no intention of continuing. Unless we're asked by the author to put something in Out of Competition, this is the default for stories that haven't updated three times.


9)
There will be bi-monthly discussions and mini-challenges, in which we give you a theme or topic to integrate into the diary. It is not obligatory, just something to get your imagination running.

10)

Voting for the winner will be in the first two weeks of January. Everybody may vote, so invite your readers and others you know here to do so. (For example, a line in your sig is a good way to let lots of people know about a Resource event.)



Rules originally written by MsLanna. Current version written and revised by Kahara and Pandora, with input from Briannakin, jcgoble3, and Ewok Poet.


Old Challenge Threads:
Dear Diary Challenge 2007
Dear Diary Challenge 2008
Dear Diary Challenge 2009
Dear Diary Challenge 2010
Dear Diary Challenge 2011
Dear Diary Challenge 2012
Dear Diary Challenge 2013
Dear Diary Challenge 2014
Dear Diary Challenge 2015
Dear Diary Challenge 2016
Dear Diary Challenge 2017

 

2018 Index

The index will be sorted by era and title. The color coding is as follows:

Green= within the updating schedule for the full-year challenge
Purple and Maroon=within the updating schedule for the half-marathons
Red = one month without update, you have 7 days to update, or you're out of the challenge
Blue = Out of competition. Diary is currently still being updated.


Before the Saga


The Saga

Memory Logs by Lady_Misty. Completed 2018 December 31

Long & Winding Path by WarmNyota_SweetAyesha. Completed 2018 June 21

"Raising the enemy" by AzureAngel2. Completed 2018 June 29

Sibling Snark & Sweetness by WarmNyota_SweetAyesha. Completed 2018 June 21

"Even Without a Voice" by Mira_Jade. Updated 2019 September 23

Crisis of Faith by TheRynJedi. Completed 2018 December 30

Shaman, Traveler, Oracle: Journal of an Exile of Lasan by Findswoman. Completed 2019 April 2

(Not) The Ballad of Ronen Syndulla-Jarrus (and Noemi Bridger) by Raissa Baiard. Completed 2019 February 24


Beyond the Saga

Team guy by earlybird-obi-wan. Completed 2018 December 22

The Journal of Marcus Indupar (Son of Talon Tantiss) by Jedi_Lover. Completed 2019 April 10


Non-Star Wars

The Kingmaker by Briannakin. Updated 2018 November 9

Venting Plasma by RX_Sith. Updated 2018 December 9


Sequel Trilogy


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Out of Competition


"The Wrong Side of History" by Pandora. Updated 2024 October 27

Just Pan by Briannakin. Updated 2018 February 28

To Be Married To Leos by Briannakin. Updated 2018 March 18

The Backpack by mavjade. Updated 2018 May 8

I BLURT FOR MY PROUD IMPERIAL FANS, BROUGHT TO YOU BY SPIN by Ewok Poet. Updated 2018 July 31

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Mini Challenges

January: Sunshine
May: Diary Planning
July: Dealing with the Form

Discussions

January: "In the beginning."
May: Parental Being's Day
July: Communication Problems

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Dead Diaries

 

2017 Index

The Winners:

Doaba Ke'demii: The Diary of a Young Comradette by Ewok Poet (First Place)

Memory Books and Personal Logs by Lady_Misty and The Journal of Talon Tantiss: [Part 5]-Secrets Revealed Vol 2 by Jedi_Lover (Second Place)

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The index will be sorted by era and title. The color coding is as follows:

Green= within the updating schedule
Red = one month without update, you have 7 days to update, or you're out of the challenge
Blue = Out of competition. Diary is currently still being updated.


Before the Saga

Memory Books and Personal Logs by Lady_Misty Completed 2017 December 27


The Saga

Healer on Moniron by earlybird-obi-wan Completed 2017 December 18

Doaba Ke'demii: The Diary of a Young Comradette by Ewok Poet Completed 2017 December 24


Beyond the Saga

The Journal of Talon Tantiss: [Part 5]-Secrets Revealed Vol 2 by Jedi_Lover Completed 2018 June 30


Non-Star Wars

[The West Wing] Canadians in the East Wing by Briannakin Completed 2017 December 30


The Force Awakens

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Out of Competition

Teenage Rebellion by Raissa Baiard Completed 2018 June 25

Code Breaker: The Journal of Kash Ferros by divapilot Completed 2017 December 27

[Faraway, So Close!] Watching You Watching Me by Ewok Poet Updated 2017 April 9

Diary of an Angry Hothan by A Blind Prophet Updated 2017 March 24

Not so blind: The Diary of Teafa Phaidraig by A Blind Prophet Updated 2017 March 25

Legitimate Salvage by DARTH_MU Updated 2017 July 23


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Mini Challenges
January: From a Certain Point of View
February: Mush
March: Allergies
April: "All I Have to do is Dream"
May: Very Bad Day
June: "I'm your huckleberry"
August: Mysterious Objects
September: Unleaving
November: Guest Starring...

Monthly Discussions
January: Home is...where, exactly?
February: "Dear Diary: Today was the most embarrassing day of my life" (Part One of The Things We Don't Talk About)
March: Technology
April: Talking about the weather
May: Role Models, Heroes, and Mentors
June: The Dark Side of Your Narrator (Part Two of the The Things We Don't Talk About)
August: Time Travel
September: Changes
November: The Hardest Test
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Dead Diaries

Mirror of the Knowing Soul by leiamoody Updated 2017 January 3
Repentance: The Diary of Tristan Kenobi by JediMaster_Jen Updated 2017 January 8
Yoda in Training by Lea-El Updated 2017 January 24
Phoenix Rising: The Journal of a Rebel Pilot by Volund Starfire Updated 2017 May 23
[The West Wing] The Life and Times of Leo Lyman by mavjade Updated 2017 June 1
[Magnus Chase] Seeking the Past: Diary of Otis the Goat by s_heffley Updated 2017 July 21

 

A Few Reminders:

*We are mixing things up a little for this upcoming year—along with the usual year-long diary challenge, we are also trying out a half-year, half-marathon challenge. The relevant sections covering this are bolded in the “rulez” for your convenience. All thanks goes to mavjade for this idea.

*There are also a few other minor changes for this year, so be sure to read over the rulez.

*If you are writing a diary inspired by The Last Jedi, remember to observe the boards spoiler policy.

*While you are welcome to link to the opening post of your diary, please send all subsequent updates via PM only.

*And that is all. If there are any questions left, post them here in the thread, or send a PM to either the sock or one of the hosts.

 

YAYYY! I love this challenge and I love how it continues to evolve! And I love this time of year: the brainstorming before the mad rush to write in January (I also just love New Years in general, but thats a different tangent).

Anyways. I had a plan (a diary much like I did this year but, for those unaware of Mav's and my West Wing craziness, the next generation using OCs, basically telling the story of the 2054 Presidential campaign and their early days in the White House from the POV of the President's husband and VP's wife, kinda like an intro into our 'verse that even maybe non fans of the show might get a kick out of, because the President is a Star Wars nerd and the VP is his smarmy best friend) but the whole idea of a half-year diary really interests my muse (even though I have enough material to probably do a full year with 48 entries again). My original plan could easily be split into 2 half diaries, the first one kinda ending with the inauguration, THEN I could pick it back up where I wanted to or if my muse wants more West Wing (after nearly 100,000 words of it in 2017... WHA??) but not continue the diary, I may do a half-diary for the smarmiest bastard in our WW'verse, OR, if my muse decides it wants something else, I do have an *gasp* Star Wars OC I'd like to explore in diary format.

However, I'm conflicted because I do love forcing myself to do one long-fic that lasts the whole year and I could just let my original idea run its course naturally, not worry about an even split and a 'nice' place to end and pick up a SW half-diary in July. I think that's maybe what I'll do.

 

Yay. I think I will do 2 half marathons One in NSW and one in SW.

 

I have a diary project. I've had it for a couple of years, actually, and it's a year-long diary (more like a one-update-a-week diary), and I really, really want to write it... but I think it'll have to wait until 2019. I have a gazillion fics in the process already and the way this December is going I won't have time to work on my outline anyway. But I really want to do it. But...

I chewed my nails to the first knuckle. I hope you're proud of yourself Diary_Challenge_Sock

 

I will hav my Chyntuck fix full of nummies for 2018, I know, what with Noora and Cyberkirk etc., but I really really am looking forward to 2019 LOL

 

Thank you for adopting the half-marathon idea! I love this challenge, but just can't make it the whole year. Half a year is a pretty bit challenge for me apparently.
Last year I had an idea for a West Wing diary but I knew there was no way I'd come up with 24 entries, I may brainstorm and see if I could do 12. Inanimate objects can only write about so much!

 

I'm still for monthly discussions.

And while I have an idea I pitched to the diary sock wearers (tee-hee) and the mods, I'm still not 100% sure. I still prefer the other two ideas I had (a far-fetched AU for a canon character and a new OC diary distantly, distantly related to the rest of my universe and using a canon character's err...remains as a plot device), but...money?! Uncertain future?!

 

(double post...AGAIN!)

 

I might be able to do a half marathon. Or I might not. I am absolutely 100% indecisive about that.

 

AND YOU DIDN'T TELL YOUR BFFS ALL ABOUT IT CAPS LOCK.

Oh, gee. Now I'm toying with this idea, too. For the second half of 2018, provided that all goes well.

 

Happy wriggles. These half marathons look like they will be stellar uber fine. If the potential author list is anything to go by.

 

Yuppers, sponge mode is definitely. Full throttle.

 

Maybe I will do a diary with one of my characters, but I am very busy with moving and caring for my mom

 

What counts as a "diary entry"? I have an idea for a TLJ character but writing a regular diary or journal could be difficult for them given their circumstances. Is it possible to simply have 24 first person internal reflections, or does it have to be in a written down journal format?

 

If we would look at the formats and compare them to what we see IRL, only my diary looked like a classic diary this year and last year and only @Kahara's the year before, so I guess the answer is "yes".

 

Consider what a “diary” could be, too, @gaarastar58. Perhaps your character is musing aloud and his faithful droid is recording everything he says. Or it could be a document discovered years later by someone else. People record their ideas to get straight what’s actually happening, to reflect on what they’ve gone through, to help them improve themselves, or just to have someone to “listen” when they feel all alone.

 

That would work perfectly and it's a good way to explain how the character can recall dialogue and other character's expressions, tone etc. so vividly.

 

i was not going to do one this coming year because i didn't have a character to write it then i was writing a one shot in honor of the cold when I realized that the Cafeaulait (Linza's Race) I was writing the POV for the one shot would be a good voice. I thought it might be fun since to help maintain secrecy the writer uses 'code' words in the place of the names of planets and people. I mean how would an average person in the Rebellion view certain people and what nicknames might they give them?

 

Just posted my first entry!

http://boards.theforce.net/threads/dear-diary-challenge-memory-logs-ocs-mentions-of-ccs.50047774/

 

I decided not to do this challenge this year after all. Too many fics on my plate already, and the idea I have for a DDC needs a lot of planning, which I haven't done. If I manage to clear my backlog of unfinished stories in 2018, I'll do it in 2019 instead.

So I'll be here as a reader instead