main
side
curve
  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Challenge Dear Diary Challenge 2025

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction and Writing Resource' started by Diary Challenge Sock, Dec 28, 2024.

  1. Diary Challenge Sock

    Diary Challenge Sock Jedi Grand Master star 2

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2007
    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 (2024).

    The Dear Diary Challenge was originally created in 2007 by the_wandering_shadow, and made into a yearly challenge and competition by MsLanna. 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.

    -------------

    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.

    2) No posting (or writing) until the clock strikes midnight, your time zone, on January 1, 2025. 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, 2025.

    3) The deadline for posting the first two entries is January 31, 2025.

    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, 2025.

    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) We are the keepers of the documents, namely the Indexers. We endeavor to keep all the entries in the index up-to-date, but it really helps us stay current if you let us know--either by PMing Diary_Challenge_Sock, or posting in the thread--when you update your diaries. Either way is fine with us.

    If we have enough diaries in competition, we will switch back to the original PM only update method as to avoid cluttering the thread--but that is unlikely to happen. In that unlikely event, we will make a post in the thread.

    7) Since rules are still relaxed this year, we won't keeping a count of when you update, but there is still a total goal of a minimum 12 entries (half-year diaries) or 24 (full-year diaries).

    8)On that note, 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.

    Note: As a result of our relaxed rules, we haven't been using the Dead Diaries category. If you want to put your diary out to pasture for good, for whatever reasons, we can always bring it back. But otherwise: we're giving everyone the chance, no matter how far behind their diary might be, to speedwrite back into competition up to the very last moments of December 31st.

    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
    Dear Diary Challenge 2023
    Dear Diary Challenge 2024
     
  2. Diary Challenge Sock

    Diary Challenge Sock Jedi Grand Master star 2

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2007
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2025
    devilinthedetails likes this.
  3. Diary Challenge Sock

    Diary Challenge Sock Jedi Grand Master star 2

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2007
    Full Year Diaries
    Half Year Diaries
    Out of Competition

    *

    2024 Index

    Before

    Cat clan member, the diary of Jarin Keana by earlybird-obi-wan. Completed 2024 December 19

    I Discover Great Deceptions and Truths by devilinthedetails. Updated 2024 May 17


    Saga

    The Diary of a Very Whiny Darksider by gizkaspice. Updated 2024 January 4

    A Daimyo's Diary: The Book of Boba Fett by Happy Sando. Completed 2024 June 16

    Research Notes: The Aquarium by Mechalich. Completed 2024 December 29


    Beyond

    Police reports, the diary of Tarhin Engaron by earlybird-obi-wan. Completed 2024 December 19

    Take a Memo-the life and times of Princess Leia's PA by DarthIshtar. Updated 2024 June 3

    The Diary of Ruthie Wegley by study888. Completed 2024 December 23


    Non Star Wars

    [LOTR] My Indescribably Rewarding Journey by WarmNyota_SweetAyesha. Completed 2024 May 7

    [Virgin Queen] Regal Moves by WarmNyota_SweetAyesha. Completed 2024 May 7

    [Wednesday] Diary of an Over-Friendly Werewolf by devilinthedetails. Updated 2024 November 10
    ----------------------------------

    Out of Competition:
     
    Last edited: Jan 7, 2025
    devilinthedetails likes this.
  4. Diary Challenge Sock

    Diary Challenge Sock Jedi Grand Master star 2

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2007
    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

    2023:
    Full-Year Diaries: Ashaa's Memory by Mechalich. First Half- Marathon (January-June): Palace, Forest, Stars: The Journal of Queen Breha by divapilot. Second Half-Marathon (July-December): Looking Back, Looking Ahead (July-December) by WarmNyota_SweetAyesha.
     
    Last edited: Dec 28, 2024
    devilinthedetails likes this.
  5. Diary Challenge Sock

    Diary Challenge Sock Jedi Grand Master star 2

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2007
    January 2025 Announcements - Voting Begins 1-1-2025

    Hi and happy almost-New Year to everybody! [face_party] If you haven't finished your diary and want to, now is the time to get speeding before the 31st (best of luck! @};-) Voting will be held throughout the month of January for the diaries written in 2024. As always, anyone can vote for their favorite diary.

    A couple of housekeeping items that your thread-runners would like an opinion on:

    1) Do you still want to have voting for the set of diaries that will be written in 2025? Turnout has often been low in recent years, so we want to check if the competition/voting aspect is still of interest to writers and readers.

    2) Would anyone be interested in self-competing categories? For example, setting a goal to update X number of times per month, incorporating a monthly theme prompt, or other self-propelled goals that aren't directly competitive.
     
    Last edited: Dec 28, 2024
  6. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Ultimate Drableteer and Guess Which Mod Winner star 8 VIP - Game Winner

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Oh wonderful. I'll be doing a full year diary with one or more narrators tied together with messages to one another throughout the journal :cool:

    As to the questions:
    1. I think voting per se is good to be phased out but readers could still give a mention in any reading/review type challenge :)

    2. I like the idea of monthly themed prompts.
     
  7. ConservativeJedi321

    ConservativeJedi321 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Mar 19, 2016
    I've had a plan for this for the last year, but didn't want to join before I made considerable progress on my current ongoing project.
    As I near the end I'd love to join the 2025 challenge!

    Don't have a strong opinion on voting either way, but I like the idea of voluntary themed prompts each month.
     
  8. Seldes_Katne

    Seldes_Katne Force Ghost star 3

    Registered:
    Mar 18, 2002
    Would authors be required to add these categories, or would it be optional?
     
    Last edited: Dec 29, 2024
  9. Kahara

    Kahara Chosen One star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 3, 2001
    @Seldes_Katne - optional, definitely! Was thinking of having some kind of achievement category listings that would be posted at the end of the year. (And any suggestions on how to organize that would be welcome; it's been a thought but a vague one! I don't know if people would rather entirely set their own categories to achieve or have a range of preset ones that they can pick from to try.)
     
  10. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    1 voting can stay as it is
    2 competing with prompts will be nice
     
  11. Chyntuck

    Chyntuck Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2014
    I've been wanting to participate in this challenge for years, but 2025 is still not the year it'll happen :( I've had a title since forever and it's a really good title (or at least I think so) but I have no idea what happens in the story, so I'll give it another year to percolate.

    Regarding the questions, I feel that voting is unnecessary when there are so few of us on the boards in the first place. As for extra prompts, how about posting at the beginning of the year a list of prompts that challenge writers to look into various aspects of fanfic writing, with the (optional) goal being to include as many of those in the diary as possible? To give a few examples:
    • Post 4 entries in the same month
    • Write an entry with more/less than/precisely X words
    • Write an entry that is exclusively introspection (no dialogue or reported dialogue, no action)
    • Write an entry featuring the words X, Y and Z
    • Include an element of poetry in an entry
    • Write an entry in which the narrator listens to music
    • Write an entry that double-dips as an entry for another challenge, etc.
     
  12. Seldes_Katne

    Seldes_Katne Force Ghost star 3

    Registered:
    Mar 18, 2002
    1. Choose a secondary character from your story and have the diary writer focus on them for an entry -- their job, their personality, their background, other topics of interest.
    2. Write a drabble-length entry.
    3. Write a single sentence entry

    Perhaps take a look at some of the other challenges offered on the boards. Both the Summer Fanfic Olympics and the Kessel Run have issued interesting writing prompts that could be adapted.

    I also support the idea of posting the additional challenges at the beginning of the year so writers can choose which to use and how to incorporate them.
     
  13. Diary Challenge Sock

    Diary Challenge Sock Jedi Grand Master star 2

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2007
    @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha , @ConservativeJedi321 , @Seldes_Katne , @earlybird-obi-wan , @Chyntuck , thanks so much for all the feedback -- it really helps to know what people are planning and looking for from this thread! :D

    Announcements & Voting - Jan 1, 2025:

    As usual, today is the first day for starting new 2025 diaries, both full-year and half-year January-July. [face_dancing]

    We also have the full list of completed 2024 diaries that are eligible for voting this January. You can vote by sending a PM to the Diary Challenge Sock (@Diary Challenge Sock ). There are no underlines now, since the sock name has been slightly changed for ease of typing. :)

    Here are the diaries for consideration:

    Full Year Diaries:

    Cat clan member, the diary of Jarin Keana by earlybird-obi-wan.

    Research Notes: The Aquarium by Mechalich.

    Police reports, the diary of Tarhin Engaron by earlybird-obi-wan.

    The Diary of Ruthie Wegley by study888.

    Half Year Diaries:


    January-July:

    A Daimyo's Diary: The Book of Boba Fett by Happy Sando.

    [LOTR] My Indescribably Rewarding Journey by WarmNyota_SweetAyesha.

    [Virgin Queen] Regal Moves by WarmNyota_SweetAyesha.

    There were no completed diaries for the July-December period.
     
    Last edited: Jan 1, 2025
  14. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
  15. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Ultimate Drableteer and Guess Which Mod Winner star 8 VIP - Game Winner

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
  16. ConservativeJedi321

    ConservativeJedi321 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Mar 19, 2016
  17. Kahara

    Kahara Chosen One star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 3, 2001
    Yay, it's great to see so many diaries starting! [face_dancing]
     
  18. Mechalich

    Mechalich Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 2, 2010
  19. ConservativeJedi321

    ConservativeJedi321 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Mar 19, 2016
  20. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    Kahara likes this.
  21. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Ultimate Drableteer and Guess Which Mod Winner star 8 VIP - Game Winner

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    I have updated "Coming Together Again" :)
     
  22. ConservativeJedi321

    ConservativeJedi321 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Mar 19, 2016
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2025
    Kahara and earlybird-obi-wan like this.
  23. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
  24. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Ultimate Drableteer and Guess Which Mod Winner star 8 VIP - Game Winner

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Updated my diary on January 21.
     
    Kahara and earlybird-obi-wan like this.
  25. ConservativeJedi321

    ConservativeJedi321 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Mar 19, 2016