Hello all, it's me MagicalJoey here, reporting live from the ProjectDFC desk of all desks. We have a situation on our hands folks! A DIRE situation! Oh the HORROR, the GORE, the REVOLTING SMUT! Wait, that was October...but you get my drift!


Do I hear thee utter this question? Oh poor souls, how could you not know> Never fear, I shall tell!

DFC stands for December Forms Challenge and is a challenge that has been running for many years now. It takes place from 00h00 December first until 00h00 January first and is a poetry forms challenge, where you are provided with different fixed forms of poetry to write on. It is a poem, and a form, a day for 31 days!


This means the following: YOU (yes you, and you, and the one behind you with the Micky Mouse ears) are hereby challenged by everyone you know, well, basically yourself, to write a poem a day for December 2015. There will be a chart that will become available closer to the time telling you what form goes with what day...and I have heard from a cute little cannibal kiwi-damnation that this year's chart will be off the charts and chock-to-the-block with hits!


It's meant to be a challenge (hence the big capital 'C') that broadens your knowledge of poetry forms and things like rhyme, meter, syllabic counts, refrains and all the other jargon us posies like to throw around. It's a good way to broaden your horizons and thresh out some basic things which you will hopefully come back and edit in January to make them supercallafragalisticexpialladocious!


I've heard rumours that sometimes quantity doesn't equate to quality. Whereas in many cases this holds true, the beauty of the quantity of this challenge is that you will have certain days, and forms, where you have tons of quality. It's these gems you hold out for and then prune and preen during the editing process, which happens after. Think of this as WordWars for poetry, kiwi-damnation style.


These can all be found in their custom widget on the left side of our main page, but I will post them here to help you!

1. What is DFC?

DFC is a poetic forms challenge called the December Forms Challenge that runs annually for the entirety of December. It features one poetic form for each day of December. They are weird and difficult and fun.

2. What is DFC going to involve this year and how do I know what forms to use?

The key to DFC is the form chart, a pdf document made about a week before the challenge starts. It maps out what forms are being featured and gives an explanation and example of each so that you can easily write your pieces. The form chart for this year is in the thumbnail below.



3. I can see it has world regions. Do I choose which one to write and can I use one more than once?

This year is about world regions, with 5 major regions with 6 forms each and a wild card with 1. That totals 31. When a day is allocated to a region, for example "The Middle East", you can choose from the 6 presented. Once you have used that form though, you can't use it again.

4. Where do I upload my pieces and how to I participate as part of the group?

Submit your pieces as normal, but also submit them to our DFC 2015 Gallery Folder. There we will collect your pieces to showcase and to feature for future years of challenges.

5. Can I do DFC outside of December?

Yep. Use it as a resource for inspiration. Our challenge parameters and any prizes allocated in December don't apply but it still serves as something healthy to do.

6. So it starts on the 1st?

12am GMT Dec 1st to the same time Jan 1st.


Previous years charts are here for you to peruse and practice look at to get some idea of the amazingness that is coming your way!

Like with previous years we will have a Chat Room available for use during the process. Come and brainstorm with fellow participants and get your write on!


This year, with the arrival of our new Admin betwixtthepages we have an exciting partnering with another group of Beth's, mainly LitRecognition. Under foundership of chromeantennae and with a brilliantly vibrant cast of writers on staff LitRecognition promotes writing and writers with a daily (barring the weekend) feature of prose and poetry works from new and old writers alike.
How Is This Good?
In betwixtthepages 's own words:
"Okay. So, we'll be doing daily cross posts between the groups called something like "Today at a Glance."  These posts will include a walk-through of the day's poetry form, the prompts or challenge number and we'll include a few examples  of the form, and will be featuring each of the previous day's prompt responses."
What Does This Mean?
This means that the two groups are partnering to feature participants in the DFC through special features over at LitRecognition.

BLOG/JOURNAL/PROMOTE/ENTER

Yesh, that's exactly what we want you to do - spread the word. Tell your watchers in a journal on your page, tell your group members in a promotional group journal/blog, tell your friends and get them to come to DA to participate in this AWESOMENESS!!


Still don't know what to write? Got any questions? Please, ask them here or note the group ProjectDFC with any questions you have. We will be happy to answer them and give you any details I may have missed in this journal.

Happy Holidays, Thankgiving-time and such stuff. I know you will all be preparing yourself for this excellence that is DFC 2015 coming this December to a DA near you!


MagicalJoey