In the Beginning…
Rain and Jen's friendship began in the summer of 2022, then blossomed just in time for NaNoWriMo’s big November writing challenge: 50,000 words in 30 days. Both writers were nervous and support-system-less, so they banded together to cheer each other (and eventually a Discord of 40) on for the month. It was an amazing ride, and though the Discord eventually went dormant, Rain and Jen have been supporting one another ever since!
But, after concerns in 2023 and 2024 regarding NaNoWriMo, neither felt good about participating in a challenge they couldn't confidently stand behind. And yet, both still wanted a challenge, and more importantly, the community that came with it.
This got them thinking…
Why not build a new challenge? And a community to go with it!
Very quickly Rain and Jen's goals became three-fold: 1) writing challenges for motivation, 2) a community space for accountability, and 3) fundraising opportunities so as they and other writers bettered themselves they could collectively better the world at large. And just like that (over several multi-hour Zoom calls), the idea for Pathfinders Writing Collective emerged.
Why Pathfinders?
Creativity—the how, the why, the way—is unique to the creator. In more specific terms, there's no right way to write. And thus, no right way to “writing challenge.” Each individual must walk their own path… with friends cheering them on, of course!
As such, you—a path-finder/ builder/ maintainer/ explorer/ sharer/ etcetera—ought to be able to pick your own path, your own pace, and how to define and track your progress while still participating in fun community events. To honor this, Rain and Jen have opted for customizable challenges, rather than implementing a hard "50k in 30 days" approach.
Drum Roll Please… #PaWriCo's Very First Challenge!!!
Pathfinders Writing Collective's very first, totally-custamizable writing challenge, #PaWriCo24, was a smashing success!! Our 3-month-long challenge brought over 3,000 writers together and as a group we raised over $2,000 for charity. Not to mention, it was so much fun! New writers started (and some completed) their very first drafts! Seasoned authors published their books! And who knows how many new friendships were made? (A lot, we know it was a lot.)
And Now... More Challenges!
To keep the good times rolling, Rain and Jen have decided to host 4 challenges a year: The PaWriCo Challenge from November through January, PaWriCo’s March Madness in March, Scribble Swap in April/May, and a 6-week Bookish Bootcamp Challenge in June/July. Learn more about our challenges here.
How to Participate:
Honey, you're here, you made it! *Hugs* To “join” join, check out our Instagram page where members are actively sharing their updates and supporting one another via comments and story swaps. And/or hop into our Discord full of fun, active channels for writers to discuss everything from helpful editing resources to strategies for overcoming writer's block. Then, if you've got a little change to spare, consider donating to our current charity. Learn more here!
Wait, But Who the Heck Are Rain and Jen?
Meet your co-hosts!
✨Rain Sullivan✨
Rain's a queer Seattle-based author who likes her SFF with a side of the dark and twisties. She's repped by Des Salazar of Metamorphosis Literary Agency, and has three short stories published in Elegant Literature Magazine and an essay published in Writerly Magazine read them on her website. Rain found the bulk of her writer besties through her Writer-Instagram, @Write_as_Rain_Sullivan, and will support that community until the day technology outpaces her. In her spare time (phrase used lightly) she enjoys backpacking through the Olympic Peninsula with her partner and playing brainy tabletop games. Her academic background is in biology and she works in health and wellness.
Personal Statement:
“I remember who I was before I started writing and…I never want to be her again. She's not bad, Old Me, she did cool things and accomplished a lot, but she continuously denied her creative self and chose to live a life that was “less than.” It took things getting really bad and really painful for her to become Me, for her to pick up a pen and write her way out of the shadows…
This beautiful, wild, oftentimes unhinged endeavor has completely 180-ed my life. Writing’s not only kept me from making harmful choices and from feeling trapped in a world that’s got a knack for pushing in from all sides, it’s given me vibrant joy and an inexplicable sense of purpose. When I write—be it creating characters, building worlds, or fashioning conflicts and resolutions—the passion I feel is so big and so bright it actually floors me. How I ever lived without it, I do not know.
But now that I've found that passion, I want to share it with others. The stroke of genius that hits on your way home from work. The moment you hold your first manuscript. The zingy, boundless, life-saving elation of telling a tale no one but you could have told. So, that's why I'm doing this. To create a space for writers to find their passion, to encourage and support passion in others, and to uplift and fund future writers who haven't yet picked up their pen.”
✨Jen Woodrum✨
Jen's a midwestern indie author and mental health counselor who loves telling stories that break your heart a little. Her favorite things are mind-bending sci-fi, tragic-yet-somewhat-happy endings, and stories that show the complexity of being human. When Death Is Coming the first book in her YA dystopian fantasy series, won the 2024 Sci-Fi Realm Award—the sequel hopes to someday have a shiny award, but for now it's content to just be in readers' hands. She loves hanging out with her cat (and her husband…), chronically hopping between too many hobbies (crochet, drawing, writing songs…), and is currently making her inner child happy by taking piano lessons.
Personal Statement:
“Growing up, I often felt like the “weird kid”—the one looking from the outskirts, feeling like my peers had something figured out socially that I never quite got. But in these little moments in my backyard, at recess, in my room late at night, I began to put pen to paper. It's where I came to know myself. From a young age, creating stories and dreaming up worlds became a way to both escape from the world while simultaneously grounding myself.
Even though I've been writing for so much of my life, imposter syndrome has hounded me into adulthood. Being an author was something I dreamed of since I was little but never felt qualified to do (and sometimes still don't). Before finding this community, I was holding those insecurities alone. Now, I carry those same feelings with a collective of writers who ALSO face self-doubt and fear in the midst of our crazy dreams… but we face it together. We still. keep. writing.
Writing lives in my bones. A lot of us are here because we cannot NOT create. Characters present themselves from glimpses into strangers' lives. Wild realms unfold from the boring little moments of day to day life. We pull inspiration from everywhere, channel our deepest fears and emotions into our characters, and create stories that heal us. My hope is that Pathfinders can be a way for more writers to feel less alone. We can be a bunch of weird kids with imposter syndrome together.”