Celebrating November Writing Month on Digital HQ
Last month, the UNE Life Digital HQ hosted a November Writing Month challenge. From the 1st to the 30th of November, UNE students undertook the challenge of writing daily, setting an overall goal for the month.
The challenge saw 25 participants with goals ranging from 150 to 15,000 words across a range of topics and mediums. Some students were preparing for their PhD literature review, whilst others worked on songs and scenes for a musical. Writing goals weren’t limited to English either, one student worked towards writing a short essay from memory in Japanese.
UNE students from all around Australia took part, with all states being represented except for Western Australia.
Weekly writing prompts were posted on the Digital HQ MyLearn site, helping participants break through writer’s block and warm up before tackling their projects. In addition, weekly group writing sessions were also hosted on the Digital HQ to foster a sense of camaraderie for those undertaking the challenge.
All writers who undertook the challenge will receive a limited-edition Digital HQ pin themed after November Writing Month. Participants who achieved their writing goals went into the draw to win a $50 voucher to The Shop.
Student Casey Morgan shared her experience from the challenge:
“Attending the Monday night writing sessions has given me back the urge to keep pushing with my novel, a desire I’d lost for MONTHS! Reaching my word count goals for the night is an immensely rewarding feeling, especially when surrounded by Digital HQ staff who guide and support you the whole way through. My favourite aspect of the challenge has been to consciously sit down and dedicate my time to nothing but writing with distractions ever present!” – Casey Morgan
To wrap up our writing celebration, we were joined by 3 experts within various fields of writing. Our panellists included multi award-winning author Sophie Masson, UNE Senior Lecturer & Graduate Research Academic Dr Prashneel Goundar, and TuneFM’s Programs Coordinator Ash Taylor.
The conversation covered various topics including getting published, writer’s block, the role of identity in writing, and character building across both creative and academic writing.
It was a thrilling conversation and an insightful way to end the month’s festivities with the recording now being available for all students through the Digital HQ MyLearn.
Throughout December, live readings of the works written in the challenge will take place through our daily radio show HQ Now. Celebrate the talents and efforts of your peers and listen in on Mondays to Fridays, 5 – 6pm, on TuneFM. Can’t make it live? Recordings are available to listen to here.
Congratulations must go to the participants of this year’s November Writing Month Challenge. Regardless of whether you achieved your goal, the commitment shown to your individual projects was inspiring. Thank you for being a part of the challenge.
Interested in joining more challenges like this? The Digital HQ hosts numerous competitions, events and challenges throughout the year. No matter where you study from, the Digital HQ is the online hub for UNE students. Check out the Digital HQ MyLearn site or contact our team at digitalhq@une.edu.au.
