Challenge Diary Challenge 2019 - Voting for 2018 Diaries Now Through 1-25

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 twelfth year running! 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.

There are changes to rules 2 & 4 for the years 2018-2019.

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: Since last year's experiment went well, we're keeping the half-year diaries. (Our thanks again to @mavjade for coming up with the idea!) As with last year, 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, 2019. 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, 2019.

3)
The deadline for posting the first two entries is January 31, 2019.

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, 2019.

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.

For 2018 and 2019, we're going go by the rule that you can have three missed updates out of your total 12 (for half-year) or 24 (full-year) at the end of the writing period. However diaries that do not update for three turns in a row will still be disqualified from competition.

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)
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.

However, if you miss your monthly post and don't update after the extended 7 days then you're out of the competition portion of the challenge.

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)
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 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
Dear Diary Challenge 2018

 

2019 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

Written in Sand by CaraJinn. Completed 2019 December 25

The Journal of Ronen Syndulla-Jarrus, Jedi Action Hero (or Something) by Raissa Baiard. Updated 2021 January 1

Beyond the Saga

Diary of a padawan by earlybird-obi-wan. Completed 2019 December 19

Corsec notes from Rostek Horn by earlybird-obi-wan. Completed 2019 December 19

Sequel Trilogy

Non-Star Wars

"Truth in a Whisper" by WarmNyota_SweetAyesha. Completed 2019 December 1

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

Out of Competition

The Diary of a Miscreant by moosemousse. Updated 2019 March 13

There is Something in the Void by Anedon. Updated 2019 July 30

The Searcher by Cowgirl Jedi 1701. Updated 2019 October 5

Reawakening of The Force by RX_Sith. Updated 2019 September 19

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

Dead Diaries

Darkest Journey: The Journals of Vydel Dir'nul and Kardem by Volund Starfire. Updated 2019 January 29
To the Last Star by divapilot. Updated 2019 February 25
Agents of Thrawn by starbuck_archer. Updated 2019 August 20
Pre-Flight Checks by Volund Starfire. Updated 2019 September 10

 

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

(none)

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
(none)


-----
Out of Competition

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

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

The Backpack by mavjade. Updated 2018 May 8

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

Just Pan by Briannakin. Updated 2018 February 28

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

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

-----------

Dead Diaries

 

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).

 

Reminders

(Mostly copied from last year, so thanks to Pandora.)

*If you are writing a diary inspired by a recent Star Wars film, remember to observe the boards spoiler policy. It's worth checking if it was released in the last year or so, because sometimes the spoilers thing applies for some time.

*While you are welcome to link to the opening post of your diary, please send all subsequent updates via PM only. Note for everyone that we're seriously considering making update PM's mandatory again, mostly because so many of you are writing now! That is a good thing but it makes it difficult to comb through every story every week for updates. We'll let you know, and would appreciate your input if you have any.

*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.

 

Current Discussion (copied from 2018 thread here: https://boards.theforce.net/threads...r-new-challenge.50047167/page-6#post-55506695)

The most recent posts in the other thread can be found here for reference: https://boards.theforce.net/threads/dear-diary-challenge-2018-new-year-new-challenge.50047167/page-6

It’s that time again: the year is rapidly moving towards its close, and we are beginning to turn our thoughts towards the next year, and the next year’s challenge. 2019 will be the twelfth year for the Dear Diary Challenge. That’s a long time (in internet time, it might well be a century) for a challenge--and much has changed here on the boards since the_wandering_shadow put up the inaugural thread on December 19, 2006. The days when the index would be filled with over forty diaries at the end of January are in the past.

The Half-Marathons have been quite successful, and we plan to continue with those in 2019. But besides that, we need to consider the options for continuing to mix up the challenge, if it is to continue to be viable.

---

The Full Year Challenge

While we have no wish to do away with the full year diaries—that is, after all, the original challenge—the fact remains that we are finishing up 2018 with only two such entries, down from an original three. So we’re taking a survey to gauge interest for the full-year diaries: if anyone out there is planning to go with the original option for next year, please let us know.

Discussions and Mini-Challenges

If you forgot all about these, that’s understandable—so did we. Unless there is a good deal of interest, we are probably not going to continue doing them for the upcoming challenge.

Free-for-All

Is there anything else you would like to discuss, or see clarified? Do you have an idea for the challenge? A crazy idea even? Let us know.

 

1. Love it how my birthday is still the update example date.

2. I can't wait to see the winner who's not me, for a change!

3. Still ruminating obsessively on my 2019 DDC idea.

 

I'm tossing around an idea for a Star Wars diary (gasp). It's a little non-conventional (I might break a rule and have a few entries not from the POV/"author"). It will be a half-year diary (because there's no way my brain is doing a full year). But given my epic fail of diaries in 2018, I'm a bit skeptical of my ability to complete anything. Plus my January/February/March is going to be crazy. But I'm going to see how I feel in January. I want to write this story, but I'm not sure if a diary is the best narrative form. A DDC would, however, force me (maybe) to write and finish it.

 

A diary is the only writing I will be doing in 2019, being busy with therapy.

 

Firstly, I would like to thank everyone--@Ewok Poet, @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha, @Lady_Misty, @Findswoman, and @Briannakin--who responded with their thoughts and ideas regarding the challenge, and where it’s going.

Fasten your seatbelts, everyone—I’m going to try to get to all the points in this one post. If I miss anything, or if you have any questions, just post and ask.

---

I have compiled a list of all the previous years’ winners, yes, all of them—all the way back to the winning 2007 diary, here. I have also included them at the tops of the relevant indexes in the previous years' threads (all save those for 2015, 2014, 2012, and 2011, which the sock doesn't have permission to edit) but this way, they are listed in one convenient place.

Speaking of those past indexes: I have gone through all the ones that the sock can edit—with the exception of the 2007 thread, which predates the sock’s existence—and fixed up the indexes. That included editing in all of the dead diaries for those years—and yes, I’m afraid I do mean all of them, I have a life and this is what it is—which were cut off in the truncation after the 2012 board move.

While many of these diaries were posted before that move, the shorter length of many diary entries means that they are more likely to have been spared much of the truncation. So if you ever wish to take a stroll through the diaries of the past, they are now easily accessible.

---

As you can see from the opening post, we shall be continuing on with both the original full year challenge, and the two half-marathons.

@Ewok Poet: I...just thought of a wacky thing that barely makes sense: what if a diary starts off as a half-year and turns into a full-year one? How would that be handled?

That does seem like a reasonable possibility to me. As for handling it, I suppose it could just be as simple as changing its color designation from a half-marathon to a full-year one. But for now, I think we will wait to see if this situation arises, and deal with it from there.

--

As for the discussions/mini-challenges: It looks as though a decent number of you are still interested in having these. The only problem is that—as should be evident by the fact that we had only three of these last year—the way we have been doing them is not working out for us. So that said, we’re open to submissions for either the discussions or mini-challenges. Everyone is welcome to do so—you needn’t be participating in the challenge this year. Just PM them to the sock.

@Ewok Poet: One thing that might help: it could be specified that, for people taking a break, they can jump into the discussion as their previous years' diarists!

That’s a good idea, so: what she said.

@Lady_Misty: Even though I don't plan on doing a DDC next year would it be possible to create a post and tag everyone doing the DDC when a new Discussion/Mini Challenge is up?

We can certainly do that.

--

As for the free-for-all, @Briannakin sort of sums matters up here: So I think the challenge for you guys as hosts now is to mix up the challenge so to inspire people who have completed this multiple times, while still remaining true to the challenge.

Of course, now we have to figure out how to do that.

There are only so many ways we can play with the challenge--while there are as many ways to write a diary as one’s imagination allows, I would suppose that if you do the challenge enough times (I have three unfinished diaries to my credit, for what that’s worth) you will, eventually, sort of exhaust the things you want to do with the form. And there’s not much to be done about that.

My idea (and it is probably a crazy one!, but I did say we were open to those, so) has a different focus from the one I quoted above—I have been thinking lately, though without any concrete ideas, about how to include those diaries from previous years that are still works in progress. Of course, they wouldn’t be eligible for voting—they have already had that chance—but they would still have some sort of part. I have a reason behind this—there is so much focus on starting brand spanking new projects (nanowrimo, anyone?), and, I think, not near the same support towards finishing them once the limited time period is over. Maybe we can change that up a little here.

Of course, if I start a story, I have to finish it—if it takes a year, a decade, or even two decades. But I do realize that other people, perhaps even most, aren’t like me.

So I thought I would just throw it out there and see what people have to say.

 

Is it too late to sign up for this?

 

@moosemousse, for 2018 yes but for 2019 no. You can start a half-year diary (either in January or July) or a full-year diary (in January) this upcoming year.

 

Do we have to sign up before 2019 (if so, count me in for a full year) or is it enough that we start the diary and send the link when we are well into 2019?

 

Thinking I might do this. Maybe start with a half marathon and go from there? I have a couple of (wildly different) ideas for diaries.

 

I'm currently thinkig about parttaking as well.
Got a few ideas over the this year that could make intresting diaries.

 

@CaraJinn, as long as you post two entries by the end of January (or July if you're starting a half-year diary in the later half of the year) and let us know that you're writing for the challenge, it's fine. You don't have to sign up before 2019. It's also worth noting that in a pinch people sometimes post their two entries in the same day.

 

Ready steady go - 5 hours left to local midnight and officially 2019 here.

 

Voting for the 2018 Challenge

It is now January 1, 2019 in many parts of the world--which means the voting round is now open for your favorite diaries of 2018. This year, we have a total of eleven diaries, in three categories, to choose from. To quote the pertinent rule: invite your readers, and everyone you know, to participate.

*Send your votes in a PM to the diary sock. You may vote for one story (just one!) in each of the following categories: Full Year Diaries, January-June Half Marathon, and July-December Half Marathon.

*Voting will close on January 25, 2019 at 12:01 AM North America Mountain Time.

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

And now, the eligible diaries:

Full-Year Diaries

Memory Logs by Lady_Misty
Team guy by earlybird-obi-wan

*

January-June Half Marathon

Long & Winding Path by WarmNyota_SweetAyesha
"Raising the enemy" by AzureAngel2
Sibling Snark & Sweetness by WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

*

July-December Half Marathon

"Even Without a Voice" by Mira_Jade
Crisis of Faith by TheRynJedi
Shaman, Traveler, Oracle: Journal of an Exile of Lasan by Findswoman
(Not) The Ballad of Ronen Syndulla-Jarrus (and Noemi Bridger) by Raissa Baiard
The Journal of Marcus Indupar (Son of Talon Tantiss) by Jedi_Lover
Venting Plasma by RX_Sith

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

Finally:

I would like to thank everyone who participated in this challenge this past year--whether in or out of the actual competition. We are finishing up this year without one red dead diary, and that is a first. Whether you kept a diary for one year, six months, or are continuing on with the story of your diary in 2019, this is a challenge of endurance, and a not insignificant fanfictional achievement.

That's that then for 2018. Hope to see you all again in 2019!

 

Happy New Year to all.
I have posted my diaries

Diary of a padawan DDC 2019

CorSec notes from Rostek Horn

 

Oh, we could link directly. Didn't get that part properly.

Here's my contribution: [DDC 2019] Written in Sand

 

Here's mine:

To the Last Star

 

Well, here goes nothing...

Pre-Flight Checks [DDC 2019]

 

Ouch, re:voting. I...barely read anything. If I don't manage it, I apologise to everybody. It's not fair of the winner of the previous two challenges not to vote and I'm aware of it. But I have my first deadline on 22nd and I need to be disciplined. I screwed up my entire job when I used fics as procrastination in February 2015...

...now you also know that.

What have I started? HA!

 

I thought about doing the DDC last year, but never did because fear and laziness prevented me from getting my butt in gear soon enough. But this year I have banished the fear, and, what the hey, I'm gonna jump in the deep end with both feet and try to do for the whole year. Call it my New Year's resolution.

The Searcher https://boards.theforce.net/threads/the-searcher-ddc-2019.50050851/

(I forgot how to do links the cool way)

 

My diary is now live!

The Diary of a Miscreant