Welcome to the challenge!
If you weren’t able to join us for the live, please enjoy the replay, which explains all the details of the challenge above. Note that I said there wouldn’t be open comments in the video, but I have decided to leave the comments open by emailing the PDF of the bingo board to paid subscribers. For anyone who chooses to upgrade, I will add a download link to the bingo board in the Reference library, which is linked from your welcome email when you upgrade.
This way anyone can ask questions in the comments who needs to.1
Here is your Bingo Board:
Full details of the squares, from left to right, then top to bottom:
New craft: try a craft you haven’t done before, or a very different way of applying that craft — for example, if you knit, but have never made socks or a sweater, this would count.
Full album: listen to a full music album, without putting it on shuffle, all the way through in one go. Fine to do other things while listening, but the listening should be done in one session.
Visit a museum or gallery: preferably one you’ve not visited before OR to see a show there that is new to you.
Take a class: Take a class or workshop that you’ve wanted to study more. This can be online or off, but complete the class before writing up your square.
Read a different genre: Pick a book that’s outside your usual section of the library/bookstore and is different from your usual choices in a meaningful way. You can also change subgenre: for example, if you generally read romance, try queer romance for a change, or horror romance etc.
Call don’t text: try calling the people you want to contact instead of texting for a meaningful interval of time (at least one day) and report your experience.
Try it with others: Do something you normally do alone (for example crafting or reading or writing) with other people: find a group in your town, or gather some friends.
Book event: Attend a live book event in person and support an author with your presence.
Make instead of buy: Try a DIY approach when you need something new. Reuse something you already have, or make it from scratch: this could be clothing, food, reusing existing items for organizing your space, or however you can interpret the prompt. It’s ok to purchase supplies, but not a finished item.
New music genre: listen to an album in a genre you rarely (or never) choose to play.
Write in a new form: try writing in a way you never have before: perhaps a poem, screenplay format, or short story. Perhaps you have never written fiction: try a scene. You an also take writing you have and rework it: transform a novel chapter into screenplay format, for example.
Tech-free day: spend at least 12 hours without using any tech. If you need to be reachable by phone and only have a mobile, brick or block every other app on your device to complete this challenge.
New route / transport: take a different route than your usual to a common destination. Even better, try using public transport if you normally drive, or cycling if you normally take transport (and can get hold of a bike.)
Try it alone: Do something alone you normally do with others. Solo cinema date, restaurant meal, even a day trip. Make it something that challenges you, but also pick something safe (don’t go rock climbing or do physical activities that require a second person for spotting).
Try it outside: in both the heat of summer and the cold of winter, I’m guilty of hiding away from intense weather. If you’re the same, doing something you almost always do inside out of doors will hopefully shake up the inertia. (Just remember to dress sensibly for the experience)
Visit a new area: Check out a new neighborhood in your city or visit a new nearby town. Bonus if you’re going on holiday and try a place entirely new to you.
Write a letter: Send a letter to a friend or family member when you’d normally email or text. Stationery lovers: let’s use that pretty paper we’ve all been hoarding!
Live music: Go see a concert or musical performance in person.
Buy it used: Pick a used item if you’d normally purchase new.
Book — new country: Read a book set in a country you haven’t visited that is written by an author who is originally from / lives there. (As in, not a British / American / Canadian on holiday somewhere you haven’t been) Fiction, Nonfiction or Poetry all welcome.
Mend it: Mend something you would normally replace. Ideally, mend it yourself, but if you’ve never had shoes repaired, finding a cobbler and taking a pair in counts.
Photo series: Try taking a series of images of the same subject OR take a photo of the same view over a period of time. (This one is most fun over longer, so you may want to start early in the season and continue on til August ends)
New recipe: cook or bake something you haven’t made before
Book — translated: Read a book in translation, either from another language into English OR read something translated into another language you read. The key is to read the book in a language other than the original language it was written in.
Rules of the challenge:
In order to cross of a square, you must:
Do the activity from the square.
Write a note or post describing your experience and LINK to THIS POST. Also tag me, Caroline Donahue.
No combining squares — you must pick one square per activity. For example, if you took a new route to a concert, this would count for New Route / transport OR Live Music, not both. Same if you buy a used book in translation; that would count for Book in Translation OR Buy Used, not both.
To win:
Email admin@carolinedonahue.com after you have five completed squares2 and include:
Links to each of your “square” posts or notes — list the bingo square name and then paste the URL of your note or post next to / below it in the email.
The email address you use for your substack subscription.
ONLY EMAIL ONCE AFTER YOU HAVE COMPLETED ALL SQUARES3
Free subscribers win two month’s access to the paid substack after having completed a bingo of squares.4
Paid subscribers get a two month extension to their paid subscription and are entered in the draw to win the following prizes:
Paid Subscriber Prize Draw:
A copy of my friend Daisy Buchanan’s gorgeous new novel, All Grown Up, a modern re-telling of Little Women. One prize copy available!
A copy of my book Writing through Fear. Two prize copies available!
A Book Witch session with me — a new offering where I help writers get unstuck mid-manuscript. Have you lost focus or enjoyment writing your book? Through completing a manuscript self-assessment, an in-person meeting with me, with access to ask follow-up questions, you’ll be in the writing flow in no time. One lucky winner will receive this session!
Surprise prizes to be added each month of the challenge!
Please read this post thoroughly before posting a question in the comments. If a question is already answered in the post, we will refer to asker back to the instructions posted here.
Or four squares plus the free space in the center.
Please note I run this substack alone, with part-time help from my assistant. We can only manage the admin of one email per complete entry. Any emails sent with one post that completes one square will be deleted.
We will be adding the paid subscriptions all at once AFTER the challenge wraps during the first week of September. We cannot grant paid subscription access willy nilly through the length of the challenge as we are a small team.
If you upgrade to paid, you will win an extension to your paid subscription, also grated in September, and you’ll be eligible for additional prizes, so please consider that if you want paid access sooner.
