# Write story or pay $250 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 7, 2019, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/write-story-or-pay-250/830676 "2019-03-07T07:38:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/write-story-or-pay-250/830676/1 "2019-03-07T07:38:28Z")
I have started a bet. If I _don’t_ have a draft of my children’s story done by the end of May, I have to pay my friends $250. 🙂 This idea is from the video “Seven Habits of Highly Effective Artists” by Andrew Price: [The Habits of Effective Artists - YouTube](https://youtu.be/vM39qhXle4g) . One of the habits he mentions is doing work daily. I am doing this as well… May is coming… ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/write-story-or-pay-250/830676/2 "2019-03-07T08:19:00Z")
I think you can do it, **Sunspace**. I don’t know if you ever participated in any of the Flash Fiction contests hosted by **Le Ministre** , but if I could win a couple of awards in them, in 60 hours or fewer, you can too. Especially if you have three months. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/write-story-or-pay-250/830676/3 "2019-03-07T13:10:11Z")
Ummmm…can we get in on that action? ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/write-story-or-pay-250/830676/4 "2019-03-07T13:18:49Z")
You’ll write under those conditions, but as for the quality… But hey, whatever works. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/write-story-or-pay-250/830676/5 "2019-03-07T14:28:51Z")
By May? I will sell you the current draft of my “Tubby, the Lazy Tunicate” story for $75 today. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/write-story-or-pay-250/830676/6 "2019-03-07T14:37:27Z")
I have a thought or 2. Do you need inspiration? Just let me know. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/write-story-or-pay-250/830676/7 "2019-03-07T16:11:56Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I have a thought or 2. Don’t sell yourself short! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/write-story-or-pay-250/830676/8 "2019-03-07T18:05:37Z")
All you have to have is a _draft_? I have made some pretty pitiful _draft_ documents in my life. It’s a pretty low bar. Keep that in mind. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/write-story-or-pay-250/830676/9 "2019-03-07T23:27:10Z")
Well, it’s an illustrated and laid-out draft… 🙂 I have to nail down the character design, among other things… ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2019, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/write-story-or-pay-250/830676/10 "2019-03-08T00:49:22Z")
Sounds terrifying to me, but I write novels. (Very very very slowly, I write novels.) I have no idea if that’s a reasonable timeframe for a children’s book. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2019, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/write-story-or-pay-250/830676/11 "2019-03-08T01:56:20Z")
Just write Screw Flanders over and over again until you get to 500 words. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2019, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/write-story-or-pay-250/830676/12 "2019-03-08T02:06:58Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > I have no idea if that’s a reasonable timeframe for a children’s book. Neither do I! 🙂 OTOH, I did work as a technical writer for ten years, and I’ve studied story design and character design, so it doesn’t seem un-doable. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2019, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/write-story-or-pay-250/830676/13 "2019-03-08T06:51:07Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Just write Screw Flanders over and over again until you get to 500 words. _All work and no play make Jack a dull boy all work And no play. Make Jack a Dull boy all work and no play make Jack a dull boy All work and No Play make Jack a dull Boy All work and no play make Jack a dull boy all work And no play. Make Jack a Dull boy all work and no play make Jack a dull boy All work and No Play make Jack a dull Boy All Work All work and no play make Jack a dull boy all work And no play. Make Jack a Dull boy all work and no play make Jack a dull boy All work and No Play make Jack a dull Boy ALL WORK AND NO PLAY make jack a dull boy All work and no play make Jack a dull boy all work And no play. Make Jack a Dull boy all work and no play make Jack a dull boy All work and No Play make Jack a dull Boy…_ ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/write-story-or-pay-250/830676/14 "2019-03-11T20:20:57Z")
Hope it’s coming along! If you’re not aware, the next [#PBpitch](http://www.pbpitch.com/) will take place on June 20, 2019. It’s like a [#pitmad](https://pitchwars.org/pitmad/) exclusively for picture books, where you pitch your books to agents and publishers on Twitter. If the book’s not revised and polished by then, the following one should be sometime in September. Happy writing!