Thursday 13: We Want You!

Thursday 13 is a custom in the blogging world where folks put together lists of 13 things they're interested in. The only requirement is that there be 13 of them. It could be anything from 13 Reasons Why I Hate Opera to 13 Recipes for Quince. Whatever catches your fancy will be sufficient (but keep it PG-13, please). Pictures are event better, and if you can come up with a list of 13 pictures that interest you - perfect! If you're still stumped about what it's all about, try visiting the Thursday 13 page and reading up on it. Then, send us your lists! We will publish one list a week on Wednesday night by 8:00 P.M. Central time, so put on your thinking caps and get writing!

To kick off the festivities, I've prepared a list of 13 Reasons to Write Thursday 13 Lists! Enjoy!

1. Lists help you to write by "priming the pump." Since there doesn't have to be narrative, we can get our juices flowing without having to be intimidated by a long story idea.

2. 13 is a good number for coming up with a nice thorough list, but not so much as to be overwhelming. Some weeks you might just list 13 links. Others, 13 pictures. Still others, you might like to list a whole big narrative list explaining each section.

3. It's good to have a disciplined structure to write to, and having to come up with 13 things is one such way to coming up with a structure.

4. It's a fun way to explore a new topic. Say for example you're buying a house. You could do a TT (Thursday Thirteen = TT) on 13 tips for new home buyers, 13 places to research home prices, 13 pitfalls to avoid when planning to remodel a home, 13 tips for selecting an agent, or even 13 pictures of homes you'd like to own.

5. You will join a community of other writers and curious people in writing the lists, and might make some new connections.

6. You get practice writing to a specific requirement, which is useful when working to publish our work.

7. You build exposure to your "brand," or your pen name.

8. You build an audience of people interested in what you have to say.

9. You build up a repertoire of topics you can write about. For example, say your current project is based in London, England. You could do a TT on London, where you share the thinks or facts that you've collected - and you can use it as a chance to learn more.

10. We can get to know each other better, through our TT's. After all, what one chooses to write about says a little about them, so it's a way of getting better acquainted.

11. It's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. (No, really, it is.)

12. It's a better pastime than most network television.

13. The number one reason to write a TT is that you join the growing Evanston Writers Workshop community! Submit yours today to ShopNotes!

Happy TT!