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National Writing Day 2020 #247Challenge Highlights

17 July 2020 //  by First Story

The fourth annual National Writing Day took place on 24 June 2020. In the context of a global pandemic, activities necessarily shifted online. We framed the day around a mass participation creative writing exercise, the #247Challenge. As a call to action, it proved to be incredibly popular, with thousands of stories and poems shared online. Here we have collated just a few of the incredible submissions we read.

The #247Challenge was a fun proposition with a deceptively simple premise: write a story or poem in just seven minutes, using only 24 words, starting with the prompt ‘One day…’. Take a snap of your piece (or even record a video) and share it to social channels with the hashtag #247Challenge.

Happy National Writing Day! Appleton students and staff have put lots of effort into their 24 word stories today to celebrate National Writing Day. Well done everyone! ✨✏️📚@FirstStory @AppletonAcademy #247challenge #NationalWritingDay pic.twitter.com/y8G125Iksr

— Appleton English Department (@AppletonEnglish) June 24, 2020

More fantastic contributions to National Writing Day 2020 from the Class of 2026! @writeday #247challenge @dixonsma_2026 👍 pic.twitter.com/6OVTB0u2vb

— DMA English (@dixonsma_eng) June 25, 2020

Although this year’s National Writing Day focused on engaging schools to take part, people of all ages responded to the #247Challenge. We saw an array of themes coming up too, from dragons to inventive nonsense poems, even stories from the point of view of the Mars Rover! We soon saw common themes trending, including lockdown and the Black Lives Matter movement. Scrolling through the tagged stories, really gave a sense of events and how the nation was feeling.

What follows is only a small sample of the stories and poems tagged on Twitter (though you can read more here.) We haven’t included the many stories shared on Instagram, Facebook, by email and via messaging apps, or the many stories that forgot to include the hashtag. There were just so many stories!


Lockdown

Unsurprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdown and containment themes came up many times. The #247Challenge writing prompt was ‘One day…‘ and so many stories looked forward to the day when the pandemic would be over.

#NationalWritingDay #247challenge 😉 pic.twitter.com/o9h7uoRITj

— onjali rauf (@OnjaliRauf) June 24, 2020

#247challenge I don’t write things but love the idea of this challenge – so here’s mine pic.twitter.com/2D1iHWS3BL

— Sloe (@whichdoctor58) June 24, 2020

There were a few stories about the freedom that has come out of lockdown too…

One day I’ll lose my locked down freedom. Then returns the tight chested, anxious too muchness of ‘normal’ life.
I need a new normal. #247challenge #nationalwritingday #autism pic.twitter.com/F1bP6nOlz2

— zoe 🙊 (@zoblerone) June 24, 2020

Black Lives Matter

The subject of equality and responses to the Black Lives Matter movement featured in a huge number of the #247Challenge stories we read—reflecting events, demonstrations, and conversations happening at this time.

Gave it a go@writeday #247challenge #nationalwritingday
I nominate @ZedTrafficker @faz791 @Nirpy_B pic.twitter.com/zqJs5XRitS

— nsikak affia (@nsikak_affia) June 24, 2020

Some outstanding #247challenge entries from our Year Six children as part of National Writing Day. There’s still time to join the challenge so I’m get your entries in. 24 words, in 7 minutes. What will you come up with? @writeday pic.twitter.com/u10G2efSps

— Shakespeare Primary (@shakespeareLS9) June 29, 2020

I'm not going to do an emoji review of this one. it deserves to stand on its own. incredibly powerful. https://t.co/k6mWNCLVvF

— mark haddon (@mark_haddon) June 18, 2020

It was National Writing Day and our challenge was to write a story with only 24 words! #247challenge pic.twitter.com/BI1f3Lh5Qw

— Christ the King Catholic Primary (@CTK_thornaby) June 26, 2020

And in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, on 25th May 2020, a number of #247Challenge stories referenced oxygen and being able to breathe.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CB9PLn1lJOO/
https://twitter.com/laurenranson97/status/1275824782852882432

Family

The theme of family, in some form or other, features prominently in a lot of writing by participants in First Story’s Young Writers programme. Perhaps because of the lockdown, forcing distance between families and loved ones, we saw an abundance of creative writing dedicated to our respective nearest and dearest.

#247Challenge #NationalWritingDay @writeday #uno @realUNOgame
One day she grew old,
She became frail,
But always kind.
She is ill,
Cannot walk,
But brilliant at Uno.
She is my Nan. pic.twitter.com/rHyfxGlvOL

— OakleyS (@OS47012064) June 24, 2020

For #Word2020 #WellConnected we took the #247challenge:

One day last week I had a lovely surprise, a visit from my son and daughter-in-law. Good to have a long chat. And haircut. – June@FrancescaBeard @WordIslington @FirstStory @writeday @isgiv @IslingtonLife @Islingtonlibs pic.twitter.com/rtUnlT7hWi

— All Change (@allchangearts) June 24, 2020

Our project manager Hen has packed so much emotion into her 24 word story #NationalWritingDay #247challenge @writeday pic.twitter.com/3L4q04288u

— Literacy Trust (@Literacy_Trust) June 24, 2020

#247challenge for National Writing Day – write and share a story of 24 words and tag 3 friends …. ⁦@writeday⁩
⁦@feastsandfables⁩ ⁦@eberlin⁩ ⁦@ortonioni⁩ pic.twitter.com/nwXS6Q1IBr

— Harry Watson (@HarryWatson63) June 24, 2020

Hugs

Perhaps in response to the isolation of lockdown, many wrote about missing hugs, or not being able to touch loved ones.

Waited all day for Kate in Y8 to enter. Her talent for poetry is fantastic #247challenge
One day they said
Sports will kickstart
Hugs will be a thing again
Restaurants will be full once again
One day is not faraway@writeday @FirstStory #NationalWritingDay pic.twitter.com/2U4BBDB99v

— OA Shafton (@OutwoodShafton) June 25, 2020

One day we will be able to hug and have sleepovers. We would be mask-free and filled with glee. We will stand together forever.#NationalWritingDay #247challenge @Dulwichhamlet Marina Y4

— Elena Marchevska (@elenam) June 24, 2020

Absolutely living for those hugs! Who could have foreseen that all we’d ever really want is to hold our friend and families close. The humble hug is our greatest prize.#247challenge https://t.co/57wXyUfOAO

— First Story (@FirstStory) June 24, 2020

And another attempt by Mrs Hendra for @WinstanleySch #247Challenge #NationalWritingDay

One day, we will see and hug our loved ones tightly; move freely without fear and feel love from the whole world. One day.

Just 24 words in no more than 7 minutes! #SHINE pic.twitter.com/dHnAfrBfe1

— English at Winstanley (@WinstanleyEng) June 11, 2020

Sweet, sentimental… aaand alarmingly overbearing! 🤣

Jokes aside, I think we all feel like that right now, irrespective of whether we're bubbling or just feeling well and truly deflated! Hugs solve everything*!

*DISCLAIMER: Nearly everything…..#247challenge https://t.co/3altD1dw2K

— First Story (@FirstStory) June 19, 2020

My attempt at the #247challenge – I’m a few words over 😬 I got carried away when thinking about the joy of a hug! @FirstStory great idea to get us writing. #NationalWritingDay pic.twitter.com/FHYLepwj76

— geeta pendse (@geetapendse) June 24, 2020

It’s #NationalWritingDay and time for a #247challenge @writeday @FirstStory @RivermeadSchool Here’s mine:
One day, touch will no longer be that forgotten sense. One day your hugs will be welcome. One day, I won’t smell of anti-bac.

— Jacinta Read (@Jacinta_Read) June 24, 2020

So missing hugs, it’s coming out in all the writings #247challenge #NationalWritingDay @writeday pic.twitter.com/u2S2j1s0rO

— Vic Leeson (@GuiltyTherapist) June 24, 2020

The Sun

On a lighter note, the sun—or sunsets, or sunrises—was mentioned more than a few times in the #247Challenge. (To be fair, the 24th June was a warm summer day!)

It's #NWD @writeday – here's my #247challenge (24 words, 7 minutes, starting "one day")

One day, Barney lay,
each bristle of whisker
a filament of sun.

Beneath, ants
were having
a festival on a leaf.

Birds were headlining.

☀️🐜🐦🎶 pic.twitter.com/LmLu5StrMX

— Caleb Parkin (@CalebParkin) June 24, 2020

National Writing Day Entry: Griffin
One day, it was blazing hot. I invented a fan big enough to cool the world. But, it blew the whole world away. Oopsie.#nationalwritingday #247challenge

— Riversdale Primary (@RiversdalePS) June 24, 2020

Happy #NationalWritingDay everyone! Feel like getting involved? Try the #247challenge – 24 words, in 7 minutes starting with the words 'One day…'
Here's my attempt, the first thing I did after waking up this morning (And then rewritten for legibility…!)@FirstStory pic.twitter.com/2hhYjznloI

— Edmund Hurst (@Edmund_Hurst) June 24, 2020
https://twitter.com/thrift_teacher/status/1278636095358603264

Excellent work from Alex in 9X1. #247challenge #NationalWritingDay #OAFREnglish
One day isn’t enough.
To say goodbye,
Or start again
But, if you persevere,
Short nights begin to warm,
Dream of the setting sun.

— Outwood Freeston (@OutwoodFreeston) June 29, 2020

…and the Moon

There was a fair bit of writing about the moon too!

My daughters have been wondering what I’ve been up to with these #247challenge so today I asked them to take part @FirstStory. These are two very different entries from Ameera and Raya @ChipsteadPri @sirabbey pic.twitter.com/QjU210D4FT

— Samarra (@SamarraHC) June 19, 2020

Late to the table with this… ivy (14) @MarysaDowling @anniebee7 @FirstStory #247challenge pic.twitter.com/cKpTaTS3wD

— Sarah Carne (@SarahEJCarne) June 28, 2020

One day, the moon nearest my house wasn't looking and somebody rearranged our stars.

When it turned around again, it's face froze in shock.

— Sam Windrim (@samwindrim) June 25, 2020

These snapshots represent only a tiny sample of the volume of creative writing inspired by this year’s National Writing Day. As a nationwide celebration of the pleasure and power of creative writing, NWD2020 was the most successful to date. We now cannot wait to do it all again in June 2021—although we can’t imagine what the trending themes will be then!

Category: National Writing Day, News

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