Join the Two Marks in their most audacious challenge yet to get the world writing

WELCOME TO THE 200 WORD CHALLENGE

#200WordsADay

SUBMIT YOUR WORD COUNT

(NOT REGISTERED?, PLEASE SIGN-UP HERE BEFORE SUBMITTING)

MARK DESVAUX'S TOP TIPS

#1: TRY TO GET YOUR 200 WORDS DONE EARLY

Bank your words as early in the day as possible. Writers who leave it late in the day risk losing their word count.

#2: STUCK WHAT TO WRITE?

Just write! Write anything. See what happens. 200 words is still better than a blank page!

#3: STUCK ON YOUR BOOK?

Write 200 words about a character outline, a plot idea, non-fiction chapter headings, a back-page blurb. You don't have to add directly to your story.

#4: RECORD YOUR WRITING STREAK

We all fall off the writing wagon from time to time. Don't beat yourself up but have some fun with this by recording your Writing Streak (WS) - this is the number of consecutive days you write before you missed a day. Managed three weeks? Your Personal Best (PB) is now 21 days. Your challenge is to beat your new PB! Think of it as your own Writing Olympics!

GOT MORE TIPS?

Email me here!

GOT A QUESTION?

PLEASE VISIT THE FAQ HERE (FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS)

WRITE. EVERY. DAY

What Writers Are Saying

Mark my words, you will complete that novel within twelve months.

A napkin in a café, frantically scrawled in sand at the beach; wherever you are, no matter how busy your life is, you will find a place to get that daily word count down. Mark my words, (this is a long testimonial because I'm including it in my word count), you will complete that novel within twelve months.

Andrew Chapman, UK (author of The Accidental Scoundrel)

I've built up a good habit to carry me forward

I've built up a good habit to carry me forward and turned off my compulsive inner Editor to get that word count done. I highly recommend the Writing Challenge to anyone who is struggling to just "get it done".

Sandra A Hunter, Canada

Having difficulty writing every day? Do this challenge

I really enjoyed this. Any writer having difficulty writing every day… do this challenge.

Debbie Clifton, Canada

If you want to build a long-term writing habit, 200 words a day is a good way to do it!

An enjoyable, low-pressure experience that helped get the creative juices flowing. If you want to build a long-term writing habit, 200 words a day is a good way to do it!

Julian Barr, Australia

Better than other writing groups and challenges

I thoroughly appreciated taking part in the Challenge, a helpful and fun motivator. Better than the writing groups and challenges I’ve tried.

Richard 'Bat' Brewster, UK

I was writing more words each day without thinking it was an effort

I found the challenge a great way to pick up momentum again as my writing was in a real slump. Towards the end of the week I found I was writing more words each day without thinking it was an effort. I think being accountable was the real clincher for me, as I work much better to an imposed deadline, and setting my own has never been particularly helpful.

Jac Harmon, Cambridge, UK

10x WORD COUNT

It was great to see my word counts climbing through the week, and to see my weekly total end at almost 10x the previous week.

Sage, South Africa

A huge confidence boost

The writing challenge was a huge confidence boost. A simple idea, yet it reaped huge benefits, motivating me to write off piste. It provided me with a sense of achievement.

Rachel Howells, UK, Author of Wode House

Really showed the value of holding yourself accountable

The writing challenge was awesome. It really showed the value of needing to hold yourself accountable. I enjoyed this experiment immensely.

Jonathan Lyster, British Columbia

Kick start you Writing Habit

Great way to kick start a writing habit, especially if you're not sure how to begin.

Robyn Sarty, Canada

The Challenge is in Open-Beta.

With your help, it will remain all-inclusive.

As the The 200 Word Challenge is in Open-Beta, we want it to be free for students, those on low income and those who want to "try before they support."

However, you know us... we LOVE a good experiment! If you can contribute to the running of this challenge, we have an interesting twist... We call it the "Gym Membership Effect". Research shows that when people commit financially, they have a much higher success rate.

Once you have tried the Challenge and see the benefits, we'll invite you to pledge a nominal amount to help support and grow the project and also receive some wonderful goodies in return.

INSPIRE THE WORLD TO WRITE

Your word count contributes towards our Community Challenge to collectively write ONE BILLION WORDS! To make this a reality, encourage your writing friends to join in and ask them to sign up today.