Introducing The Spring Novel Writing Marathon!

Brought to you by Bradley Ramsey and Hazel Allen

Image: Elisabeth Jurenka via Unsplash+

Hello, fellow writers! Depending on where you live, winter has ended, and spring has, for lack of a better term, sprung. Many of us, myself included, have some sort of novel, novella, or other work-in-progress (WIP) collecting dust on our hard drive/Google Drive. If that’s you, go ahead and raise your hand. I realize I can’t see if you’re doing it, but just humor me.

Come on…

Just do it, please….

Thank you. So, now that we’ve established that we’re all behind on our big (and admittedly scary) projects, I would like to present the first-ever (to my knowledge) Spring Novel Writing Marathon, or #SpriNoWriMa for short(ish)!

#SpriNoWriMa? What About That Other One?

I know what you’re thinking. Isn’t there already a well-established fall novel writing challenge each year? Yes, but here’s the thing: the organization behind it recently came under fire for some very serious allegations.

Can the event happen without them? Sure, but the fall is a busy season for many people, and holidays are stressful. To say nothing of the fact that seasonal depression can seriously affect many people’s desires to write (and rightfully so).

That’s why Hazel of Hazel Allen Writes and I decided to revamp and reframe this age-old writing challenge. Let’s make it more accessible! Let’s make it easier to participate! And, most of all, let’s make it fun!

So, that’s how the Spring Novel Writing Marathon was born!

3-Tiers, 3 Cash Prizes, 1 Month of Epic Writing

The Spring Novel Writing Marathon is designed to welcome writers of all levels and projects of all sizes. That’s why we’ll be offering three tiers for writers to choose from:

• Tier 1 - Overall Goal of 10K words

• Tier 2 - Overall Goal of 25K words

• Tier 3 - Overall Goal of 50K words

You can choose to enter into any tier you like based on how much writing you’re trying to get done over the course of the month. The challenge will run from March 15th to April 15th, 2025, which means you’ll have two weeks from this announcement to think about which tier is best for you.

Now, I hear you asking, “What’s all this about cash prizes?” and to that, I say, “How did you know about that?”

Oh, the header! I should really read those after I write them.

Well, yes, there are cash prizes associated with each tier! One winner will be chosen for each level and receive a digital gift card to a bookstore of your choice (not Amazon) for $10, $25, and $50, respectively.

When the event is finished, Hazel and I will randomly select a winner in each tier to receive a digital gift card! Now, we know this kind of challenge isn’t easy, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll need the community’s support to see it through.

Don't worry; we’ve got that covered, too.

Community Events and Checkpoints Ahoy!

During the course of the challenge, we will post weekly activities and mini challenges designed to help inspire and excite you to continue working toward your chosen word goal! These include:

• Featured Excerpts: Shared snippets from your WIP based on a theme or word that appears within it.

• Character Introduction: Post bios for your main character or the POVs in your project so we can get to know your characters!

• Mid-Challenge Checkpoint: Everyone posts screenshots of their word count to hype each other up!

• Pitch Events: Pitch us your project and include a mood board so other writers can like, comment on, and share each other’s work!

Now, let’s get to the part you’re all waiting for: how to enter!

How to Enter

To enter the challenge, all you need to do is subscribe to this publication and fill out the registration form, which you can find by clicking the button below:

The challenge begins on March 15th. In the meantime, stay tuned for a few pre-challenge events where you can get ahead by brainstorming or outlining your project (you know, if you’re one of those plotters or whatever).

In the meantime, let us know if you plan to join the challenge and what project you’ll be working on in the comments!