In perplexity,
we make lists
in order to not admit to ourselves
that we’re slaves to our
failing memories,
wishing to not escape convenience.
And forgetting the list
illustrates the primary principle:
we can’t be what
we can’t conceive,
and it mustn’t have been
important if we didn’t
bother writing it down.
Essentially, passing the blame
on to something
profoundly and confoundingly
pointedly pointless.

by Norb Aikin

I love lists. I have all sorts of lists. I have to-do lists, and bucket lists (yep, plural!), and project lists… Lists for home, lists for work, lists for Writing.com… Lists of things I want to write, lists of books I want to read, lists of prompts I want to answer… Truly I’m just about at that point where I need a list of all my lists! Ha ha!

So, I thought I’d share my writing bucket list with you. This was inspired by a senior moderator on Writing.com who gave some really helpful guidance on creating a writing bucket list:

• Continue to add to your list
• Never delete a task from your list
• Complete tasks as life permits
• Update completed tasks
• Shamelessly copy ideas from others

It’s that last point that makes me want to share mine with you.  Because then you can steal what works for you, and build your own writing bucket list.

I created my writing bucket list in 2015. Quite a number of tasks relate back to Writing.com, because that’s where I do the vast majority of my writing. I’ve given links where possible, so you can go and check out what the contest or challenge is all about. Some of the links might be only visible to site members, but if you want to sign up, it’s easy and free.

Personal writing
Write a short story based on one of my ancestors
Write a short story based on my own life – Safely Forgotten (I want to do another one, based on my actual memories, rather than a story someone else told about me)
Write a poem about Boxing Days – Boxing Day
Write a poem about my dad – Play it again, Sam
Write a poem about my mum (I wrote one about a hospital visit she had, but obviously that’s not what was intended by this task)
Write a poem about my older sister
Write a poem about my younger sister – Ties of Blood and Water and Childhood Memories of a Younger Sister
Write a poem about my husband – Sweet As, Desideratum, In my sleep and From verbose to succinct
Write a poem about my son – Parental Time Warp
Write a poem about my daughter – My Chirpy, Chatty Invalid
Write a poem about my father-in-law
Write a poem about my mother-in-law

Learn
Complete the Comma Sense class at the New Horizons Academy (Everyone can use more lessons on those pesky commas!)

Step out of my comfort zone
Complete The Challenge (A list of tasks that include writing, reviewing and interacting with other Writing.com members)
Complete a project at the Merit Badge Projects (Writing to a particular theme or genre, where you choose from a limited number of possible themes or genres)
Complete a challenge at a very Wodehouse challenge – Biff Belfry (Tasks specific to a particular theme or genre, where you don’t know the theme or genre until after you’ve signed up)

Endurance challenges
Complete NaPoWriMo (Writing one poem per day for 30 days in April)
Complete the October NaNoWriMo Prep Challenge (A series of challenges to lay the background work for your NaNoWriMo novel)
Complete NaNoWriMo (Writing 50,000 words of a brand new novel in 30 days in November)
Complete my children’s fantasy novel Grand and Epic Adventures
Edit my children’s fantasy novel Grand and Epic Adventures (Obviously I can’t do this until I’ve finished it!)
Complete an ‘I Write’ challenge (Writing at least one poem, short story or novel chapter and one review per week for three months)
Complete a full month of the Construct Cup (Writing a poem every day for 30 days, utilising ridiculously difficult and constraining prompts)

Newsletters
Write an editorial for the Writing.com Action/Adventure official site newsletter – Epic Journeys and Adventures
Write an editorial for the Writing.com Comedy official site newsletter – Performing on Command
Write an editorial for the Writing.com Contests/Activities official site newsletter – Read The Rules and Something For Everyone
Write an editorial for the Writing.com Drama official site newsletter – Bringing your drama to life
Write an editorial for the Writing.com Fantasy official site newsletter – Fantasy For The Uninitiated
Write an editorial for the Writing.com For Authors official site newsletter – Stepping out of your comfort zone
Write an editorial for the Writing.com Horror/Scary official site newsletter – Darkest Verse
Write an editorial for the Writing.com Mystery official site newsletter – Life’s true mysteries
Write an editorial for the Writing.com Noticing Newbies official site newsletter
Write an editorial for the Writing.com Poetry official site newsletter – A Perpetual Poetry Pupil, Expanding My Horizons, What makes a winner? and It’s not true!
Write an editorial for the Writing.com Romance/Love official site newsletter – What is a romance novel?, Heroes and Heroines with Impairments, LGBT in Mainstream Romance, Romance in Real Life and Paranormal Romance
Write an editorial for the Writing.com Short Stories official site newsletter – Fact is stranger than fiction
Write an editorial for the Writing.com Spiritual official site newsletter – Learning about other religions and A Burden Shared
Write an article for the Writing.com Blogging Bliss unofficial blogging newsletter – July 2015 Blogging Bliss Newsletter

Reviews
Do 30 book reviews at Angel Product Reviews
Do 7 item reviews each month for three consecutive months for Writing.com’s Paper Doll Gang

Contests
Write and submit an entry for the Short Shots: Official WDC Contest – Short man on a power trip
Write and submit an entry for the What a Character! : Official WDC Contest – A Dark Art
Write and submit an entry for the Rhythms & Writing: Official WDC Contest – Rise Up
Write and submit an entry for the Journey Through Genres: Official Contest – Knowing Her
Write and submit an entry for the Try Something New Contest – A Haunting Sweetness
Write and submit an entry for The Prompt Me Contest – Flower prompt
Write and submit an entry for Picture a Story – Striking A Chord
Write and submit an entry for Dark Dreamscapes Poetry Contest – Time Is Slipping Away
Submit an entry to Shadows and Light Poetry Contest – The Scene Is Set
Write and submit an entry for the Monthly Poetry Contest – Christmas Magic
Write and submit an entry for The Weekly Quickie Contest
Write and submit an entry for the WDC Teen Contest –
My Job Is Done
Write and submit an entry for The LGBT Writing Contest – The Phoenix
Write and submit an entry for Honoring our Veterans – Waiting
Write and submit an entry for Precious Gifts Contest – Caitlin
Write and submit an entry for Three Prompts
Write and submit an entry for the Paradise Cove Writing Challenge
Write and submit an entry for the Night & Day Poetic Prose Contest – Waiting
Write and submit an entry for the Verdant Poetry Contest – The Scene Is Set
Write and submit an entry for the We Write for Kids Contest – Thunderstorm
Write and submit an entry for The Writer’s Cramp – This Night
Write and submit an entry for the Magic Words Contest
Write and submit an entry for the Rebel Poetry Contest
Write and submit an entry to Distorted Minds Contest
Write and submit an entry to Bite Size Poetry Contest
Write and submit an entry to No Dialogue Contest
Write and submit an entry to DreamTime Dragon’s Contest
Write and submit an entry to Supernatural Writing Contest
Write and submit an entry to Decade Dash
Write and submit an entry to Pretty Pesky Prompts
Write and submit an entry to Folklore Monthly Writing Contest
Write and submit an entry to Mysteries of the Mind Contest
Submit an entry to the Support a Fellow Poet Contest
Write and submit an entry for the Write From the Heart Story Contest
Write and submit an entry for the Tales of Seduction
Write and submit an entry for the Zodiac Contest
Write and submit an entry for the Fabulous Fantasy Contest
Write and submit an entry for Elizabeth’s Poetry/Short Story Contest
Write and submit an entry for A Story Poem Contest
Write and submit an entry for Open Expressions: A Poetry Contest

Blogging
Catch up on my outstanding 2013 blog entries
Catch up on my outstanding 2014 blog entries
Catch up on my outstanding 2015 blog entries
Catch up on my outstanding 2016 blog entries
Catch up on my outstanding 2017 blog entries
Write a blog entry for Blog City and submit it promptly – I’ve always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library
Write a blog entry for Blogging Circle of Friends and submit it promptly – Childlike Wonder
Complete an official month of the 30-Day Blogging Challenge
Participate in a full month of unofficial camping activities with the 30-Day Blogging Challenge
Complete a full month (20 or more entries using prompts from a single month) for Welcome To My Reality

Handwriting
Fill a journal with writing.
Send a snail mail letter to my sister in England
Send a snail mail letter to my godson in Australia
Send a snail mail letter to my goddaughter in Australia
Send a snail mail letter to my grandmother in Australia
Send a snail mail letter to my great uncle in England
Send a snail mail letter to my uncle in Australia
Send a snail mail letter to my my friend Beth in America
Send a snail mail letter to my old nextdoor neighbour
Write and send a snail mail letter, card or postcard to every member of The Snail Mail Group