Archive:Monthly Write-a-Thon

What's a Write-a-Thon?

It's a bunch of people getting together on a wiki at a particular time to do a bunch of writing. It's like an online party! Heck no, it is an online party! It's also an excuse for infrequent wikiers to show up and party hardy; to exchange ideas with people we might not "meet" otherwise.

But hey, why not show up in between the write-ins, too!

When?

Write-a-Thons happen the first Wednesday of every month. The next Write-a-Thon is Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008. July 2nd starts on July 1st, 1200 UTC, in New Zealand, and ends on July 2nd, 1200 UTC, in Hawaii. Save The Date! Put it on your calendar! Set yourself a reminder!

Any new article you create, and any edit you make to somebody else's Write-a-Thon article during that time period will count, though to be a bona fide partier, you have to write your new articles when it's that day in your part of the world.

Our first Write-a-Thon took place Wednesday, August 1, 2007 and was considered a roaring good time--we had about 30 partiers creating something like 50 articles, and editing lots.

What are the rules?

Rules? This is a party! There are no rules!

Well, OK, maybe there are a couple rules:

• We'll have a Write-a-Thon the first Wednesday of every month.
• To participate, you only have to do two things: (1) start a new article (even just a stub will qualify, if not too short - and please remember to include the subpages template!), and (2) make a substantive edit (not just a copyedit) to somebody else's new article. Then you can list your name here as a partier. Until then, sign in as a porch-sitter, party-crasher, or total party poop.

This month's Party Theme

Biographies

Bonus points this month for combining this month's theme with last month's "The Olympics". But you'll have to do a super good job, because after all, that's an easy ask.

(You can also be inspired by some of the theme suggestions, below. Or propose one yourself--just scroll down. Or write about something that takes your fancy--or the first thing that comes into your head--JUST DO IT!)

Create an article, already!

Check it out: Start an article!

Now (this time anyway) easier than ever! Stubs are not only permitted they are encouraged!

The Partiers

Supten was greatly surprised to see that Aleta is yet to arrive! Larry has promised ten stubs this month and that sounds good! Anthony had sent a mail to check the color of links. From there Supten took the cue of starting a biography of William Osler. Then he peeked at Computers people needing biographies and started Joseph Fourier. As usual, he filled up at least one entry in each of the subpages linked to each of these articles. After that he thought of breaking for lunch and to give time to the others so that he can come back to edit some other new articles.

Still no one around (4 hours since I had taken a break)! Utmost surprising!!! Supten 05:04, 2 July 2008 (CDT)

Porch sitters--article creators who didn't edit a new article

John couldn't make it back in time from Nara, Nara, Nara, Nara... (help!) John Stephenson 05:08, 2 July 2008 (CDT)

Questions

This month 2nd July doesn't seem to have started anywhere in the world till now! Supten 05:07, 2 July 2008 (CDT)

Previous shindigs

• June 4, 2008
• May 7, 2008
• April 2, 2008
• March 5, 2008
• February 6, 2008
• January 9,2008
• December 5, 2007
• November 7, 2007
• October 3, 2007
• September 5, 2007
• August 1, 2007

Official libations

• Inaugural - beer!
• September - champagne
• October - we were refurbishing the bar and only had coffee!
• November - made up for last month with more vodka than was good for us and plenty of rum.
• December - eggnog and wine
• January - Whisky and the Cocktail of the Month, a pharisee
• February - schnapps and the Cocktail of the Month, the caipirinha (considered the national drink of Brazil)
• March - port wine (which should probably live at port (wine), no? (Someone put that on their list, please....Oh, *someone* did--thanks, Ro) and the Cocktail of the Month, a Dead Aunt
• April - Akpeteshie hot and fresh from Ghana. And cool shandies and spritzers if that took your fancy. Lotsa staggering around the bar after this party!
• May - Was it champagne? No, we were dry, I think.

Write-a-Thon Theme Suggestions

New Suggestions and Discussion

Go ahead and propose one!

Future Theme Schedule

• July - Biographies! The Good, the bad, and the altogether ugly. Also: The Olympics, because I will well and truly have Olympic fever by then!
  • Computer authors please note the list of people needing biographies
• August - Attractions - Someplace you always wanted to go/something you always wanted to see. And/or a local attraction--go ahead and plug something wonderful about your city, county or village. AND...you guessed it...The Olympics!!!
• September - My Favorite Band! - Or your favourite Music Genre...your favourite orchestra...recording artist--their best song (I may shudder, but hey, it's up to you!) If it's musical, and it's your fave, write about it!

See also

• Larry Sanger, Why the Write-a-Thon worked, Citizendium Blog, August 9, 2007
• Weekly Wiki
• Article of the Week
• New Article of the Week

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