Learning how to write on Typetrigger

In the past five months, I have read almost every piece of writing on Typetrigger, and I have written a few dozen. I knew that the tool of Typetrigger would be a good chance for me to tighten my writing, but I didn't know what particular lessons I would learn along the way. Every day I realize something new about writing and about my expectations as a reader. We at Typetrigger want everyone to make their own discoveries through participating, but we also think there is so much we can share with one another so that we who write here (and elsewhere) can continue to improve our work.

So what have you learned? Or how do things you already knew come into play on Typetrigger? What are the strengths of the word limit? How do you apply what you do in short form to longer form work? Are there lessons that translate? We would love to hear from writers and readers about what you have learned or relearned on Typetrigger. In the coming months we will work on ways to spread these tips so that newcomers and old hands alike can benefit. Email us {info (at) typetrigger (dot) com}, comment here, or start a discussion on this blog.

Typetrigger + Seattle Reads this Spring!

Typetrigger is a great community of writers and readers, and we are excited to work with other organizations on reading and writing projects in 2011. First on our list is a collaboration with Seattle Reads, a wonderful program put on by the Seattle Public Library.

Each year, SPL selects a new book that the city is assigned to read. This year's selection is Little Bee by Chris Cleave. For two months Seattle readers will be able to participate in all kinds of events around this book, culminating in a three day visit in May from the author.

We want to bring some of the book discussion online, and we will be discussing the book here on the blog in April and May. We will also invite readers/writers to share responses to the book via some special Little Bee triggers. We hope that Typetriggerers around the globe will join us as we consider what makes a good read.

10,000 likes and counting

Here's a Typetrigger milestone we'd like to share with you: this week we passed the 10k mark on the number of likes members have given one another on the site since we launched! And to know that there are many of you who read regularly but hide in the wings without clicking that button: the number in the hearts and minds of Typetrigger members must be at least double that.

Congratulations to all of the great writers on creating words that resonate.

We will be sharing some more interesting stats with you all next week!

Launch Party Pictures!

For those of you that missed, it here are some pictures of our launch party last night at Seattle's Sole Repair Shop. The crowd was great, the doughnuts were beautiful (thanks Top Pot!), Shenandoah Davis was lovely and the writing was rad. Thanks much to Ray Page for these pictures. If you have more to share with us, send them over to info (at) typetrigger (dot) com!

The crowd downstairs at 8:30 p.m., before the writing events kicked off.

Posters of Typetrigger writings lined the walls upstairs, giving guests a gallery of writing to read as they sipped. It was great to see members discover one another while finding their writing on the wall!

Shenandoah Davis played us a few songs from the balcony. You can see the overhead projector on the wall, where it says "Write Now" (you can't read the trigger in this pic, which was "world music pants guy")

After the trigger was selected, guests wrote responses in 30 words or less on index cards, which they taped to the wall for everyone to read.

Typetrigger Grant Program Starting March 1

Good Morning! Or, afternoon. We can't tell because we are still tired from last night's amazing launch party at Sole Repair in Seattle. It was great to meet many of you and to feel the incredible excitement about what is going on with Typetrigger. It was fun to put faces to names and to see people talk who had previously only known one another by their writing.

For our live trigger writing contest, we had guest write trigger suggestions on overhead projectors. Once the winning trigger (world music pants guy) was selected, people wrote trigger responses in 30 words or less and taped them to the wall for a live action mini Typetrigger experience.

The biggest news of the night:

The Typetrigger Grant Program

This June, Typetrigger will award our first $500 grant to a member whose writing inspires and amazes us. This program will be open to all members, writing in all genres. We will begin accepting applications on March 1, 2011.

Here's how it will work:

In order to apply, you will need to throw your hat in the ring. A simple application (no fee) must be submitted by May 1st, 2011. Application details will be posted on March 1st.

To qualify, applicants must participate on Typetrigger for the quarter leading up to the award by writing 3 or more times a week (we might make some small exceptions). This is not a word count requirement, but a post requirement of about 32-40 submissions over a three month period. On June 1st, we will review all applicants and a panel of writers and artists will come together to make the final decision on the winner, which will be announced in mid-June.

The grant is open to writers in all genres. We love that we have fiction writers, memoirists and poets here on Typetrigger, and we love to see when writers experiment with form. There is no penalty in this program for genre jumping. The winner of the first grant will become a panel judge in the next go round, allowing writers to pay it forward. Grants will be awarded again in September and December of 2011, and it March, June, September and December of 2011.

At the end of the year, we plan to publish an anthology of the year's four grant winners, and their work will be featured prominently on Typetrigger throughout the year.

Stay tuned for more details!