OK.  Maybe “frequently” is too strong a word, and maybe no one has actually asked me anything, but these are questions.

Q: What is Januwordy?

A: Januwordy is a month long writing challenge created by Scott Isaacs.  With the intent of building a daily routine that includes putting words to paper (or screen), each January day Januwordy participants write something and post it.  Remember to use the hashtags #januwordy and #januwordy2021 if you want to make it easy for people to find.  You can also tag @januwordy on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.  You don’t have to post online, or share with anyone at all, but it would be cool to see what you’ve written.

Q. When is Januwordy?

A: Januwordy takes place throughout the month of January. Post your first Januwordy writing on January 1st and your last on January 31st.

Q: Where is Januwordy?

A: Januwordy happens wherever you are.  As long as you have a notebook or keyboard, you’re in the right place.

Q: Is this a contest?  Are there prizes?

A: No, this isn’t a contest.  There are no prizes.  Unless you count the satisfaction of cementing new creative habits into your daily routine as a prize.

Q: What about the daily prompts?

A: Each day in January, there will be a different writing prompt — a word or two to get you thinking.  They’re just suggestions, though.  If you don’t like that prompt, write about something else.

Q: I’m not a professional writer.  Is this for me?

A: Absolutely.  I’m not a professional writer either.  This is for anyone, of any age, with any occupation.  The whole point is is to provide people that enjoy writing with a reason to write more.  This is definitely for you.

Q: Where did the idea come from?

A: I saw online that some friends of mine who enjoy art were participating in something called Inktober, which is a similar challenge for artists.  I’m not in to drawing, but I thought the idea was cool.  I enjoy writing, but have let other things get in the way of staying fresh.  The name Januwordy was the obvious choice when I shamelessly decided to build a similar community for writers.

Q: Who are you?

A: My name is Scott Isaacs.  I am not a professional writer or editor.  I am a self-employed software consultant.  Several years ago I did write a book on software development.  I’ve also written tons of technical documents and several thousand words on various technical and non-technical blogs that may or may not exist any more.  I write long sentences (often with a parenthetical or two), I prefer straight quotation marks over curly ones and I am undecided about the Oxford comma.