Slice of Life Story Challenge

DAY 1 OF THE MARCH SOLSC! #SOL21

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Write. Share. Give.

It’s my honor to welcome you to the 14th Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge! We have hundreds of participants from six continents signed up for this year’s month-long writing marathon. It’s a thrill to gather to share our stories today!

Please fill out this year’s Participant Information Form if you haven’t completed it yet. Like last year, we’re asking participants to register and commit to this Challenge no later than 11:59 p.m. EST today (in order to be in the running for prizes). This form will close tomorrow morning, March 2nd. In keeping with the spirit of a month-long challenge, it is important to participate fully all thirty-one days.

Each day you’ll find a section called “BE INSPIRED,” which will follow each day’s announcements. That section will include something like a link to someone’s slice of life story and/or a quote about writing.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

I’ve streamlined the essential information into a slideshow so the daily calls for slice of life stories aren’t cluttered with text. Even if you’re back for your 14th challenge, please read through the essential information before checking out today’s writing inspiration or leaving the link to your slice of life story.

A special welcome to the first-time Slicers who are joining us this year! Amy Ellerman and Kathleen Sokolowski will be using the participant information form you filled out (Click here if you haven’t filled it out yet.) to match you up with a member of our Welcome Wagon, which is a group of returning members of our writing community who welcome newcomers to the Challenge.

The daily call for slice of life stories goes live at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time daily. Since we have participants on six continents, we consider the day over at midnight Eastern Time. Hence, comments can close as early as 12:00 a.m. (the following day) since the post has been live for 24 hours. Often, the daily call for slice of life stories will stay open until the next morning since our co-author team is usually sleeping just after midnight (since most of us live in the Eastern Time Zone). If you are posting the link to your slice of life story after 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, then you should go to the next day’s call for slice of life stories and leave your link there.

BE INSPIRED

This year is Terje Äkke‘s 11th year of participation in the March SOLSC. Therefore, she’s learned a thing or two about how to get ideas for things to write about. Anytime you need to get unstuck this month, check out Terje’s list of “10 Ideas for Writing.”

QUESTIONS

Need to contact a co-author with a question? Please email us rather than leaving your question within your comment (below). Thank you, in advance, for your patience with us. We receive a high volume of emails during the first few days of the challenge. We will respond to all emails as soon as possible.

If you have questions about the individual challenge, you may contact one of these co-authors.

  • If your last name begins with the letters A – F, please email questions to Amy Ellerman at ellermanamy[at]gmail.com.
  • If your last name begins with the letters G – L, please email questions to Betsy Hubbard at betsymhubbard[at]gmail.com. 
  • If your last name begins with the letters M – Q, please email questions to Beth Moore at beth[at]elizabethmoore.work.
  • If your last name begins with the letters R – U, please email questions to Melanie Meehan at meehanmelanie[at]gmail.com. 
  • If your last name begins with the letters V – Z, please email questions to Stacey Shubitz at stacey[at]staceyshubitz.com.

If you have questions about the Classroom Challenge, which will take place next month, you may contact Kathleen Sokolowski at mrs.sokolowski[at]gmail.com.

Please note: We’re unable to respond to challenge-related questions via Facebook and Twitter.

299 thoughts on “DAY 1 OF THE MARCH SOLSC! #SOL21

      1. Thanks, Glenda! I appreciate you letting me know. I saw your comment on my blog before I saw your comment here. So I am now giving you credit for being the “Someone’ who noticed my broken link. Thank you for poking around on my blog until you found the post!

        Liked by 1 person

    1. I enjoyed this story because it reminded me of my own journey with writing. I feel like it has always been buried deep inside me and even though I feel confident and talented with it, I always feel someone out there is better. Writing is interesting that way. It was nice to hear of someone having the same experience. Looking forward to reading more of your posts!

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  1. Each year, I write a poem for the students in my school to help them get introduced and inspired to using their writer’s notebook. This year, I wrote this poem for them. It also seems appropriate for Day 1 of my 11th year of committing to this challenge. Let’s hope the words roll this month!

    SOLC 1 of 31:Words Roll

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    1. Your words resonated so deeply. I pledge that #SOL21 will be these things as well:
      “I will deepen my roots by resisting the judgement of myself and others… and I will absorb the much needed nutrients of the soil found in the support of this writing community.”

      Thank you for your words today.

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    1. When you are ready to come by and take down our christmas lights, please let me know – I heard the greatest quote this weekend – It doesn’t matter when you take them down, as long as you are not the last one to do it 🙂

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  2. Participating in this challenge is pushing me in more ways than I initially realized. What I initially viewed as a guilt-free opportunity to spend time doing something I love, is evolving into an opportunity for me to grow and learn as a writer.

    Newbie Nerves

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    1. The most essential part of the post is that YOU are okay. My heart sank as I read your narrative. It’s so good to have hope in something bigger than ourselves when we are struggling. Thanks for sharing such a personal story.

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  3. Friends!

    Back for year 3, it’s been the longest year and the shortest year. Glad to be here again with so many talented writers, looking forward to being inspired once again.

    This one’s a fortnight’s journey into quarantine:

    Ebb

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