Ready, Set, Go!

Throughout May, writers of all ages and stages will join the Pen to Paper Challenge and write to raise money for the Sydney Story Factory, which works to improve reading and literacy levels in young people who are experiencing difficulties in this area.

This creative challenge has been gaining momentum over the last few years with the likes of well-known authors Jackie French, Benjamin Law and Michael Robotham previously lending their support.

To get started, simply visit the website and there you’ll find a variety of challenges that you can take on. If you’re new to writing then ‘New Creatives’ is the category for you, but there’s also an opportunity to write non-fiction, poetry or a short story. The topic remains a mystery until May 23rd when all will be revealed and the challenge must be completed by May 26 – 3,000 words for fiction and 1,200 for non-fiction.

That means a weekend dedicated to writing! There is only one hard and fast rule and that is you must include the 2019 challenge theme and the set tasks for those undertaking the New Creatives challenge that will also be provided when the topic is announced. 

The primary objective is to raise funds so that more marginalised young people can take part in the amazing programs that The Story Factory run throughout the year. It’s also a great way to have fun and perhaps discover a hidden talent.

After choosing the category for you and checking out the requirements, the next step is to set up a fundraising page via everyday hero – the website takes you through this process step by step. After that, spread the word to your network that you’re taking on the challenge and ask them to donate. 

The target for this year is $60,000 which is enough to start year-long creative writing residencies in two Western Sydney schools with up to 200 kids who would otherwise not have the opportunity to work with The Story Factory.

There is also a very exciting prize up for grabs that will go to the person who raises the most money – bestselling Australian crime writer Michael Robotham, will name a character in his next book after the winner. If you’re taking part in this as a family this may not suit, but there are a range of great prizes so get writing!

The Story Factory will also be your support team during the challenge by providing a Survival Pack, inspirational SMS tips, community connection via social media and two live events – the Saturday Salon and the Sunday Soiree. 

Kids can participate in the fundraising, however they will need an adult to set up and supervise the everyday hero page as this can’t be used until 16+. Rest assured all content will be family friendly, so budding writers as young as 12 can participate. There are also options for teachers to register a class and you can find out more via the website here.

The Pen to Paper Challenge is great way to get behind a wonderful organisation and it would also be a lot of fun to do it with your kids and write together, while raising vital funds for these much-needed programs. 

Learn more about The Story Factory in our previous post: Storytelling Changes Lives: Story Factory Igniting the Spark of Creativity