Challenge Dear Diary Challenge 2023

Please check the Reminders Post (following after the index posts) for information specific to this year's challenge. For quick reference, update rules will be similar to last year (2022).

The Dear Diary Challenge was originally created in 2007 by the_wandering_shadow, and made into a yearly challenge and competition by MsLanna. This will be the fourteenth year running! The sock—for those of you who may not know, that is an account created for the purpose of running a challenge--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.

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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: As with the past few years, there will be 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.

Continuing Diaries: This is a noncompetitive category for those diaries from previous years’ challenges that remain works in progress. There will not be a minimum number of required entries (given the noncompetitive nature) but if it helps you to have some reinforcement, we encourage you to write one entry per month, the same as the official challenge.

2)
No posting (or writing) until the clock strikes midnight, your time zone, on January 1, 2023. 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, 2023.

3)
The deadline for posting the first two entries is January 31, 2023.

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, 2023.

4)
The goal is to 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 sock 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!

If you have a diary in the Continuing Diaries section—or the general Out of Competition Category—please PM when you update as well. We will be updating both these noncompetitive sections in the index.

7)
We are the keepers of the documents, namely the Indexers. We try to keep all the entries in the index up to date, but it really helps us stay current if you send a PM to the sock when you update. Since rules are still relaxed this year, we're not keeping a count of when you update, though there is still a total goal of 12 entries (for half-year diaries) or 24 (for full-year diaries).

8)
Since we are tweaking the rules slightly from the past, you are now allowed to miss three total updates throughout the year (and not make them up) without being disqualified.

You can 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)
We are not presently having discussions and mini-challenges, the way we have in previous years' challenges. This may yet change in the future, but for now, we're not planning on it.

10)
Voting for the winner will be in January. Everybody may vote, so invite your readers and others you know here to do so. (For example, a line in your signature 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
Dear Diary Challenge 2018
Dear Diary Challenge 2019
Dear Diary Challenge 2020
Dear Diary Challenge 2021
Dear Diary Challenge 2022

2023 Newsletter Posts:
DDC News - May 2023
DDC News - July 2023

 

2023 Index

Full Year Diaries
Half-Year Diaries


Before the Saga

Cat clan by earlybird-obi-wan. Complete 2023 December 18

Ashaa's Memory by Mechalich. Complete 2023 December 30


Saga

Palace, Forest, Stars: The Journal of Queen Breha by divapilot Complete 2023 June 15


Beyond the Saga

The Diary of Callista Masana by UltramassiveUbersue. Updated 2023 May 20

The Emperors Shadow by Mira Grau. Updated 2023 May 7

Looking Back, Looking Ahead by WarmNyota_SweetAyesha. Complete 2023 December 4

 

2022 Index


Beyond the Saga

Finn Fun, the diary of a Jedi by earlybird obi-wan. Completed 2022 December 20


Non-Star Wars

I Conquer Ba Sing Se and Other Earth Kingdom Adventures by devilinthedetails. Updated 2024 November 17

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Continuing Diaries

The Wrong Side of History by Pandora. Updated 2024 November 7

 

Past Challenge Winners

2007: Under Duress by VaderLVR64

2008: Freedom in Bondage by Alexis_Wingstar and A Mother's Journal by BigFatty

2009: Dear Tam by DarthBreezy

2010: Cherished Moments - Then, Now, and Always by WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

2011: Downward Spiral: The Diary of Syal Antilles by Lane_Winree

2012: Artoo's Frazzled Circuits: The OT Diary by Hazel

2013: Artoo's Frazzled Circuits: TTT Diary by Hazel

2014: The Journal of A Very Married Talon Tantiss by Jedi_Lover (First Place)

The Journal of Jax Pavan by Ewok_Slayer and Journal of a Forgotten Child by Briannakin (Second Place)

2015: Turn Your Face to the Sun by JadeLotus and The God of Second Chances: The Journal of Breha Amidala Solo by divapilot (First Place)

Notes for when you are older by Kahara (Second Place)

The Chronicles of I-5YQ by Ewok_Slayer (Third Place)

2016: Letters Never Sent by Ewok Poet (First Place)

The Journal of the Former Emperor's Hand by Carlos Danger (Second Place)

2017: 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)

2018: Full Year Diaries: Memory Logs by Lady_Misty (First Place) and Team guy by earlybird-obi-wan (Second Place). January-June Half Marathon: "Raising the enemy" by AzureAngel2 (First Place) and Sibling Snark & Sweetness and Long & Winding Path by WarmNyota_SweetAyesha (Second Place). July-December Half Marathon: Shaman, Traveler, Oracle: Journal of an Exile of Lasan by Findswoman (First Place) and Crisis of Faith by TheRynJedi and (Not) The Ballad of Ronen Syndulla-Jarrus (and Noemi Bridger) by Raissa Baiard (Second Place).

2019: Full-Year Diaries: Written in Sand by CaraJinn. July-December Half-Marathon: The Journal of Ronen Syndulla-Jarrus, Jedi Action Hero (or Something) by Raissa Baiard.

2020: Diary of a Very Sympathetic Padawan by devilinthedetails and Realizing my Heart's Fondest Dream by WarmNyota_SweetNyesha.

2021: Full Year Diaries: Emergencies by earlybird obi-wan (First Place) and Hither & Yon: An Eventful Sojourn in Middle-Earth by WarmNyota_SweetAyesha (Second Place). First Half- Marathon (January-June): Bylines by Thumper09. Second Half-Marathon (July-December): My Game Plan, Actually by WarmNyota_SweetAyesha.

2022: Full-Year Diaries: Finn Fun, the diary of a Jedi by earlybird obi-wan

 

Hi everyone, apologies for the late posting -- as you can see, it was a quiet 2022 on this thread, but in part because of that we can start with one fantastic announcement: we have a challenge winner for 2022!

Congrats to @earlybird-obi-wan , whose diary Finn Fun, the diary of a Jedi was completed in December 2022. Since it was the only diary finished in its category, it wins by default. Congratulations on finishing the diary and doing a lovely job of it, @earlybird-obi-wan !

 

Side note, but because things worked out with so few diaries, I just wanted to add my personal congrats to @earlybird-obi-wan and say that your diary was wonderful and I'd recommend it to readers. The cast of characters, the humor, and the world-building were all loads of fun to read.

And congrats also to @devilinthedetails and @Pandora -- I enjoyed your diaries as well and thanks very much for participating!

 

So just wondering, is it possible to start as a Half Year Marathon then possibly upgrade to a full year in June, depending how its developing?

 

@Mira Grau , from what I remember that should be fine! We've had people continue diaries from past years. So extending a half-year to full-year seems pretty similar.

 

I have started my fun diary cat clan

 

And the first bit is up of The Emperors Shadow: Diary of old Sheevs Cousin
Have decided to go for a full year diary from the start.

 

I have posted the first entry of Ashaa's Memory. This will be a full year diary (of a non-motile machine intelligence).

 

Let's see if I can remember how to post a link:
Palace, Forest, Stars: The Journal of Queen Breha

HA got it. Only took 6 edits.

I'm thinking this is a six-month diary.

 

DDC News - May 2023​

It's late May and we're quickly approaching the second half of the year. Congrats and appreciation to all of our participants thus far! If you'd like to write a July-December marathon, now is a good time to start brainstorming and outlining.

Since this thread can be pretty quiet during the year and writing a longer fanfic can be a lonely process, we'd like to bring back some kind of activity here by adding a little newsletter each month for the rest of 2023. If anyone has suggestions for tweaks to the format or things they would like to see, feel free to comment or PM and let us know.

In the future, we'd like to feature some little blurbs on what you added to your diaries each month if you so wish. So if you want to participate in this, make a little comment about your updates at the end of each month in this thread and we'll compile it into the next newsletter. 1-3 short to medium length sentences about your updates would be ideal.

Though we haven't had any co-authored fics yet this year, if you are looking for an author to collaborate with on a diary in the future (for example, the upcoming July-December marathon) you can PM or make a short post in the thread and your request will be added to the next update. Likewise, if you are looking for beta-reading or someone to help bounce ideas for a future diary or one in-progress, please do the same and we'll add that information. (The All New Beta Readers Index is also a great source if you need a beta reader more generally; we're seeking requests that are specific to the Diary Challenge here.)

We are also interested in doing a mini-interview of three questions with one writer each month. If you have started a diary any time 2023 and want to participate in this, add your name to the list. You don't have to be current on updates or anything like that. Interviewees will be picked via a random number drawing if we have enough people sign up. Otherwise it's first come, first served.

And without further ado, here's the roundup for April 2023! Kudos to all of you for your hard work -- and to those of you that have updated in May too; we'll definitely post those updates in June.

New Updates - April:​

@earlybird-obi-wan updated Cat clan (Before the Saga), a full-year diary

@Mechalich updated Ashaa's Memory (Before the Saga), a full-year diary

@divapilot updated Palace, Forest, Stars: The Journal of Queen Breha (Saga), a half-year diary

 

I'm going to start a half-year diary in July featuring Kyp. I'd like to add my name to the interviewee list

 

I have started: "Looking Back, Looking Ahead", a half year diary featuring Kyp Durron and others.

https://boards.theforce.net/threads...-ddc-half-year-challenge-kyp-others.50059331/

 

DDC News - July 2023​

July is here, and that means the July-December Marathon is beginning! Anyone wanting to write a half-year diary for the later half of the year has from now to the end of the month to start posting. So there's still plenty of time to get started if you have the beginnings of an idea.

As before, if you are looking for a co-author or beta for a diary we would be happy to include your requests. Since this month is unique in that it's one where diaries can start, we will try and do a roundup post of any such requests a little before the month's end.

Finally, there's an interview scheduled for August (thanks to our first volunteer ) and there are places open for September onward. If there are enough signups we'll do the number drawing but so far it's going to whoever signs up first.

Best of luck and inspiration to all of you, and kudos to all who are working on their full-year diaries!

New Updates - May:​

@earlybird-obi-wan updated Cat clan (Before the Saga), a full-year diary

@Mechalich updated Ashaa's Memory (Before the Saga), a full-year diary

@divapilot updated Palace, Forest, Stars: The Journal of Queen Breha (Saga), a half-year diary

@UltramassiveUbersue updated The Diary of Callista Masana (Beyond the Saga), a full-year diary

@Mira Grau updated The Emperors Shadow (Beyond the Saga), a full-year diary

New Updates - June:​

@earlybird-obi-wan updated Cat clan (Before the Saga), a full-year diary

@Mechalich updated Ashaa's Memory (Before the Saga), a full-year diary

@divapilot updated Palace, Forest, Stars: The Journal of Queen Breha (Saga), a half-year diary

Diaries Completed - June:
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Palace, Forest, Stars: The Journal of Queen Breha by @divapilot was completed in June. Many congrats to @divapilot for finishing your January-June Marathon!

 

I posted Entry One on July 15.
@Diary_Challenge_Sock ... is it preferred that I post when I update in this thread or via conversation?

 

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha , I checked with Pandora and we're both fine with posting about updates in-thread for the foreseeable future.

 

Posted an update for my diary.

 

Jira doesn't keep a diary. The only characters that keep a diary are a LotR OC (Talina of Gondor, originally from the village of Pelargir before the Corsairs attacked and kidnapped her parents) and Marida Grady (a Jurassic Park/World OC that was originally a Hobbit character. She found a "time portal" in an abandoned section of Erebor after she had a falling out with her ex-husband, one Thorin Oakenshield, that took her to the tropical island of Isla Nublar on Earth during the events of the first Jurassic World movie. She is now married to Owen and they have gone underground until the island recovers from the volcanic eruption of Mt. Sibo during the events of Fallen Kingdom. I started a fan fic called My Life on Isla Nublar on FanFiction.net about how she ended up on the island and first met Owen, but I haven't updated it in years). Writing Marida's would be easier, since she's an older character (Talina's pretty new. I play her on the LotR Fanatics Plaza, but she's not my main character, more like one of my secondary characters).

 

@Force of Light , hi and welcome to the Diary Challenge thread!

If you're looking to brainstorm ideas for a future DDC story I can put a request for help in the upcoming newsletter. The next time you could actually start one isn't until January but that's all the more time to plan. And we're always glad to have more writers!

 

DDC News - August 2023​

Hello there. It's August and I'm excited to announce that our first writer interview is featured in this issue. Many thanks to @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha for taking the time to answer some questions.

Interview I - WarmNyota_SweetAyesha​

1.

I like stories that involve character growth and relationship development. I want to make sure that whatever choices and sittuations the character is involved in, whether he/she is established or an original character, fits with what I believe matches their underlying personality.

I like introspection because it shows what the character is feeling/thinking, fix-its because they're so much better than the original oftentimes.

Missing scenes give me the opportunity to bask in things behind the scenes.

2.

I like Kyp's struggles and triumph over these with the help of friends. I am looking to incorporate his relationships with fellow Jedi and the AU aspects involve his back story and the challenges he confronted.

I include my original character Sevrina Bendal, a Noorian Jedi who trains under Kirana Ti. I also bring Mara Jade into the story and have her wind up with Luke WAY earlier than in Legends.

3.

Primarily how they start off working together on missions and are acquaintances/friends and how this blossoms into more, how they bring out the best and vulnerable sides in one another. Especially Kyp and Mara who aren't used to being vulnerable and intimate, how they're drawn out and actually welcome and embrace the experience.

New Updates - July:​

@earlybird-obi-wan updated Cat clan (Before the Saga), a full-year diary

@Mechalich updated Ashaa's Memory (Before the Saga), a full-year diary

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha updated Looking Back, Looking Ahead, a half-year diary

Diaries Started: July
​

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha started Looking Back, Looking Ahead, a half-year diary

 

I think I can manage, since I have a few different characters that I can use. I also have a Supernatural character named Lisa WInchester. She's the daughter of Sam Winchester and Eileen Leahy and the younger sister of Dean Winchester the second. As you probably already know, Lisa's grandfather, John Winchester, kept a journal that kind of doubled as a Hunter's Journal. I'm unsure if Sam or Dean ever followed suit, but Lisa might have (since it would be easier than always having to look it up in her grandfather's, and perhaps over time, it simply got wrecked or lost, so then what).

Here's a sample of what one of her entries might look like (from a RP idea I had on RP Repository that involved her dearly departed uncle, but got abandoned since my so-called "partner" never responded to my opening private RP):

Dear Diary:

Today I'm in San Diego, outside the dorm room of 20-year-old Chloe Sanderson. Her former classmate, 22-year-old Charles Donovan, contacted me to help him find his missing five-year-old sister, Kristin, after she disappeared during a family picnic near the abandoned Jurassic Park facility somewhere in the city. Charles is a dino nerd that seemed to have passed it on to his youngest sister (he also has a 12-year-old sister, Lexi, but I'm unsure if she shares this passion as well), so he fears she might have wandered off to explore this facility. Charles first contacted his old classmate, Chloe Sanderson, for help, who suggested my help, since she may be familiar with some of my family (though I'm not sure of how, probably by reputation when her classmate suggested she look into getting someone who investigates paranormal activities, since it seems Charles has an interest in this as well. X-Files fan, perhaps), so I thought that I would help them out (mostly since no other cases have come up, and my parents aren't aware that I've already jumped into the "family business", so I'm kind of dreading getting into this conversation, especially with my dad, since my older brother is also getting into it, so my parents might hope that I'll be spared from it).