Writing Quests Framework

Available Rules for Setting up a Writing Quest

Purpose of Writing Quests

Writing Quests provides tools, resources, and a framework to motivate writers and writing groups to articulate their ideas, build worlds, and bring them to life in a supportive way. Our unique framework is designed to ignite the spark of creation in both individual writers and collaborative writing groups.

Embark with us on a creative quest to support writers of all levels, offering motivation and the challenge of achieving a substantial goal to engage your writing community. While Writing Quests is by name geared towards writing, other endeavors can also tell a story. Please consider how this framework can be adapted towards art, illustration and other graphic challenges.

Dive into an immersive experience that encourages you to articulate your ideas with clarity and creativity. With our support, building vibrant worlds and compelling narratives becomes not just possible but incredibly fun!

Whether crafting epic tales or fleshing out intricate backstories, Writing Quests makes the creation process a delightful adventure. Join us in this fun-filled endeavor to turn your imaginative visions into reality, one quest at a time. Let's make writing an exciting exploration of endless possibilities!

About Us

The designers of Writing Quests bring a wealth of experience from their extensive involvement in creative writing communities and events. Their decades of experience stem from roles such as organizers of writing groups and long-term volunteers for an annual international creative event to write a novel in 30 days, National Novel Writing Month.

Our Values focus on helping people tell their stories

Writing Quests aims to facilitate communities worldwide in setting out on a shared adventure of creativity, discovery, and support.

There is nothing more human than telling a story. Stories define cultures, give us identity, explain the world, and help us make sense of our experiences. They can capture us, trap us, or transform us. Considering their power, Writing Quests aims to enable every person to find their voice and tell their own story.

While we believe humans can achieve amazing things independently, we can achieve even more if we work together. A writer does not need to be alone at their desk. We embrace and encourage communities of openness, plurality, and diversity. We believe any form of creativity needs an inclusive and accepting environment to grow and shine. We can all achieve so much more when we support each other.

This framework aims to tell stories of love and loss, injustice, success and failure, beginnings and endings, and hope and despair. It also includes stories of humans, monsters, cyborgs, aliens, animals, and angels. Sad stories, happy stories, tragic stories, and comical stories—any story is worth telling, and every writer deserves a community to support them in their quest.

Objectives

Writing Quests are designed to be flexible and user-friendly, catering to a wide audience while allowing individual customization.

Universality: The Quest Rules are designed to be applicable across various international contexts without being limited by regional or cultural specifics.
Purpose: The Quest Rules support, motivate, and encourage participants and provide a sense of comradery for what is normally considered a solo endeavor.
Conciseness and Specificity: The Quest Rules aim to be concise to ensure they are easily understandable and specific enough to provide clear guidance.
Accessibility: A general version of the Quest Rules will be available as a preview to satisfy all potential participants' curiosity and initial interest.
Customization: The Quest Rules will be tailored to each community’s quest through a Google form, ensuring they are relevant to its specific details and requirements.
Shareable: Writing Quests offers this framework under [Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share-Alike 4.0 Licensing]{.underline}

Suggested Audience

Writing Quests is designed to be a versatile platform that caters to diverse participants, all united by a common passion for storytelling and creative expression.

Individual Writers: Those looking for inspiration and tools to help articulate their ideas and bring their stories to life.
Writing Groups: Collaborative groups seeking a structured yet creative approach to world-building and narrative development.
Creative Enthusiasts: Anyone interested in the art of writing, whether they are beginners or experienced writers, who desires a supportive platform to explore and enhance their craft.
Educators and Mentors: Teachers or workshop leaders who can use Writing Quests as a resource to encourage and guide their students or mentees in creative writing.

Awards

Why does Writing Quest offer digital certificates and virtual badges?

Engagement and retention: Awards can increase engagement by providing writers with tangible indicators of their achievements and motivate them to continue their Quest.
Tracking progress: Writers can see where they are on their Quest with an understanding of what they’ve accomplished and incentive to continue to the next goal.
Validation: Once earned, awards can be shared on social media to celebrate.

Certificates

Writing Quests offers a high-quality digital copy of a printable certificate that can be shared online as a testament to the participant’s hard work and completion of the Writing Quest.

Badges

Writing Quests offers participants a virtual badge system as a digital recognition program that celebrates and showcases writers' achievements as they complete various milestones within the quests.

Each badge will have a unique design, representing the specific achievement visually. Participants can display their badges on their profiles or share them on social media to celebrate their progress and accomplishments in the Writing Quests community. This system motivates participants to engage and progress and provides a fun way to visually track and display their writing journey.

Over time, Writing Quests intends to expand its badge library to align with additional quest types and milestones.

Tiered Badges showcase milestones and the winning badge when the Writing Quest’s ultimate goal has been met.
Skill-Specific Badges
- Writing
- Editing
- Plotting
- Art/Graphic Art
- Collaboration
Community Engagement Badges

Writing Quest Guide (WCG)

This framework is designed to provide structure to a person or writing group that will manage the Writing Quest. A guide can be anyone passionate about writing and fostering creativity within a community. The role is for anyone who is organized, enthusiastic about writing, willing to guide others through the creative process, and creating an environment conducive to creativity and collaboration.

Experienced Writers: Individuals with a writing background who wish to share their knowledge and experience with others.
Writing Enthusiasts: People who may not be professional writers but love the craft and enjoy encouraging others to write.
Educators: Teachers or workshop facilitators who want to incorporate creative writing into their curriculum or programs.
Community Leaders: Those who lead writing groups or clubs looking for structured activities to engage their members.
Content Creators: Bloggers, authors, or online influencers who wish to create interactive content and engage with their audience creatively.

Participants

This framework invites writers who look forward to a challenge to participate.

Writing Quests are ideal for anyone with

Passion for writing. Whether a novice or an experienced writer, anyone who loves to write and is eager to improve their skills.
Imagination and creativity. Someone who enjoys creating new worlds, characters, and stories.
The desire for community and collaboration. A person wishing to be part of a writing community to share ideas and who values feedback.
A wish for fun motivation. Writing and other creative pursuits can benefit from the constraints of a deadline with the support of other participants undertaking the same quest. Writing Quests are designed with both motivation and fun in mind.

Quests

Required Elements to Establish a Writing Quest

Quest Name

What is the name of your quest?

Host

Who will be administering this Writing Quest? It could be a person or the name of the writing group.

Writing Group Name

What writing group is participating? Please include contact information and who is allowed to participate. E.g., will you welcome virtual participants from outside your writing group?

Time frame

The Quest host selects a period for the Writing Quest.

To ensure everyone gets a fair shot at showcasing their creativity, it’s recommended that any writing quest should ideally last between one and two months. This duration strikes the perfect balance to keep things exciting. Shorter quests make it easier for new members to jump right into the action without having to wait too long. Plus, those who might have fallen a bit behind can catch up or start fresh on a new quest without feeling left out.

Keeping quests concise also helps participants stay focused on the end goal, making the creation process more achievable and less daunting. Imagine being part of an ever-evolving story where you and your fellow creators are always within reach of victory! This way, every quest remains a fun adventure in storytelling, ensuring fairness and enjoyment for all involved.

However, the option for a longer quest is available through the Writing Quest framework for those who want to commit to an odyssey.

A host can also set up a series of Quests for participants. A proposed series may be:

January - plotting for one month
February to March - writing for a month or two
April to May - editing for a month or two

Available Quest Types

Novels, novellas, short stories, flash fiction
Memoirs
Screenplays
Nonfiction works
Poetry
Art/Graphic art

Progress Tracking

Embarking on a writing quest is not just about the creative eruption of words onto a page; it involves tracking one's advancement, which acts as a robust fountain of motivation for those participating. This feedback loop informs writers about their pace towards achieving their literary goal. Those with a competitive spark can channel this energy effectively by juxtaposing their progress with fellow adventurers in creation.

The journey toward writing mastery is guided by four primary metric systems that ensure fairness and clarity in measuring each participant's achievements. These metrics serve as signposts, directing every writer through the realms of imagination and dedication. Engaging in this friendly competition not only spurs writers to push beyond their limits but also adds an element of excitement to the otherwise solitary quest to bring stories to life.

Word Count: Those embarking on the creative quest of writing can monitor their burgeoning word count as they craft new drafts, ensuring every word toward their masterpiece is accounted for. This brings a sense of fairness and accomplishment to their journey, as each word penned is a step closer to their goal.
Hours:

a. Editing: For those in the realm of editing, the adventure doesn't end with drafting. You too can track the hours dedicated to refining and perfecting your work, ensuring that every edit brings you closer to perfection.

b. Art and Graphic Art: For the brave souls venturing into creating new artwork. Your quest is marked by hours spent in creation, each moment devoted to bringing your vision to life. This way of tracking ensures that every hour contributes palpably towards achieving your artistic aspirations.
Days: Will the quest solidify a new daily habit? Why not dive into the creative pool of possibilities with just 15 or 30 minutes daily. This is not just about keeping time; it’s about writing a thrilling new chapter where consistency meets creation. Whether penning thoughts, sketching, or even learning a new skill, this compact yet powerful chunk of time can transform these moments into a joyful journey.
Percent: For those aspiring to personal achievement, especially in writing and creation, the quest’s goal can be tracked as a percentage of the completion target. Picture this: the mission is to craft an epic tale of 100,000 words. The journey from the first word to the 100,000th is not just about reaching the end but celebrating each milestone along the way. Setting a goal divides the grand adventure into manageable segments, allowing someone to track their voyage through the realm of creativity.

One transforms an abstract endeavor into a quantifiable quest by measuring the current word count against that ambitious target of 100,000 words. This normalization—this magical formula—not only personalizes progress but also introduces an element of fairness when benching one writing’s achievements against fellow adventurers who've chosen to participate in similar quests.

In essence, it turns what could be an overwhelming journey into a fun and measurable expedition toward completing your masterpiece. Through this approach, each writer's path becomes uniquely their own while fostering a sense of community and shared triumph among those navigating their creations' challenges. This method doesn't just quantify success; it celebrates every step toward achieving one's literary dream.

Please feel free to adapt Writing Quest sample trackers for your challenge. There is also a space available for you to personalize the tracker with your group’s logo for hosting the Quest.

Considering these details, hosts are invited to complete this form to generate the rules for their quest using the Writing Quest framework.

§1 [[Quest Name]{.underline}] is a quest (challenge) run in accordance with the Writing Quests Framework rules listed below.

§2 [[Quest Name]{.underline}] is run by [[Host]{.underline}]

§3 Any member of [[Writing Group Name]{.underline}] can participate in the [[Quest name]{.underline}].

[[Writing Group Name]{.underline}] can be found here: [[link to discord/forums/site]{.underline}]

§4 [[Quest name]{.underline}] is [[Quest Type]{.underline}] Quest to [[Quest Activity]{.underline}] [[goal, i.e. 30,000]{.underline}] [[unit, i.e. words]{.underline}]

§5 [[Quest Name]{.underline}] takes place from [[start date]{.underline}] to [[end date]]{.underline}

§6 Participants' progress is being counted in [[sheet/site with link]{.underline}]

§7 Participants’ progress is being noted by awarding badges

[framework for badges]

Sample output of Writing Quest rules:

§1 Winter’s Dark is a challenge run in accordance with the Writing Quests Framework rules listed below.

§2 Winter’s Dark is run by Snow Miser.

§3 Any member of Snow Miser’s Minions can participate in the Winter’s Dark.

Snow Miser’s Minions can be found here: [Snow Miser's minions]{.underline}

§4 Winter’s Dark is a Poetry Quest to write 14 days.

§5 Winter’s Dark takes place from 21 December 2024 to 6 January 2025.

§6 Participants' progress is being counted in [Winter’s Dark Poetry Tracker]{.underline}.

§7 Participants’ progress is being noted by awarding badges from the 2024 Winter Badge collection.

§8 Writing Quests Framework is available under [Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share-Alike 4.0 Licensing]{.underline}

At this point, WQ URLs for tracker spreadsheet, non-embedded badges, marketing, etc. to provide a complete set of tools to support your Writing Quest will be shared.

Please take note since Writing Quest is not collecting host or participant email addresses at this time.

Awarding Badges

The Writing Quest Badge system is designed to celebrate and track writers' progress during the particular Writing Quest.

The badge levels depend on the badge set chosen by the Writing Quest Guide. Guides should choose badge sets that best align with their writing community’s goals and show achievement in a meaningful way.

Guides should review the Writing Quest badge library before making a choice. Depending on the current library, sets with additional badges may be awarded at different achievement levels or for guides, cheerleaders, overachievers, or attendees at specific in-person events.

An example of a 40,000-word Writing Quest with a five-badge set would be:

First word written
Reached 10,000 words
Reached 20,000 words
Reached 30,000 words
Winner - wrote 40,000 words

Initial badges will be embedded within the word tracking spreadsheets to be awarded when each tier is reached. However, due to the flexibility of Writing Quests’ rules framework, further customization may be needed by the Guide. Please refer to The Write Recipe, Writing Quests handbook of tips and tricks for Guides.

Have ideas for additional badge sets or bonus badges? Please see LINK

FAQ

Q: When does writing start?

A: Writing may begin at 12:00 am on the first day of the Quest and ends at 11:59:59 on the last day of the Quest, local time.

Q: Do I need to start a new writing project?

A: Most start a new project, but you may use the Quest to finish another project. Please don’t include work written prior to the start of the Quest as part of your running total.

Q: Can I prep before the start of the Writing Quest?

A: Outlining, planning, and other research are permitted, but no material written before the Writing Quest start date will be included in your challenge word count.

Q: Do I need to write something specific for a Writing Quest?

A: Your writing can reflect any theme, genre, or language.

Q: I’ve written something before the start of the challenge. Can I continue the work in the challenge?

A: Yes, but you should only count the work done during the challenge's timeframe.

Q: How do I validate my win?

A: With the current Writing Quest website, you must track to validate the win. The appropriate tracking spreadsheet will be shared with your Writing Quest Guide - word count, hours, days, or percent.

Q: I want to both edit and write as part of my challenge, can I track this?

A: Both are tracked and evaluated separately. If the guide setting up the Writing Quest enables both, then both can be tracked.

Q: What if I suspect someone of cheating?

A: Please consider Writing Quest to be a self-challenge. We invite you to embark on the Writing Quest as a personal journey of creativity and self-expression. It’s a challenge meant to inspire joy and fulfillment, regardless of the effort required. Remember, success in this quest is unique to each individual - every participant is a winner in their own remarkable way.

Glossary

Framework: The Writing Quest Framework underlies and supports the Writing Quests that a writing group or community would host. It includes challenge rules and supporting materials, including guidelines on how to use the Framework

Participant: someone who participates in a Writing Quest.

Quest: Writing Quest challenges that the writing community participates in

Quest Guide (QG): an organizer from the writing community or group who organized the quest using

Rules: Rules for a specific Writing Quest generated with the Writing Quest Wizard. Ideally, rules should be kept simple.

Write Recipe: Writing Quest’s guidebook for guides with suggestions on how to run a Writing Quest.

Writing Quests (WQ): an association of contributors to the WQ Framework, largely former National Novel Writing Month Municipal Liaisons

June 15, 2024