Write a Book in a Day

Write a book in a day was a one-day event run by the Kids Cancer Project. It was an initiative to write, illustrate and publish a book in a day. With a given prompt, teams created a picture book to be read by children who are going through the hardship of cancer and to brighten their days. It was also a competition for those volunteering their time and effort to this cause.

The day started off with receiving our prompt and parameters, each team getting a different one from which we had to imagine creative unique stories. We brainstormed and organised certain aspects, such as allocating roles to finish on time. This included illustrators, writers and formatters.

Here are a few thoughts from the day:

“WABIAD was an experience that I really enjoyed. I was in a team with the prompt of ‘another world’ and we created an intriguing story that explored the journey of a personal diary. The deadline and ideas coming from everyone was really stressful, but a rewarding experience at the end of the day. The teamwork and collaboration from everyone was inspiring and I hope that anyone who reads this book gets a smile on their face.” - Reina C (9H)

“For me, I enjoyed creating crazy stories. I think we struggled with the short time limit, as we didn’t leave enough time for illustrations, and forgot about the word count until the end (where I panicked and wrote 400 words in a Message of Goodwill to try and hit it). At the end, the day was hectic, and full of chaos, as we worked together to publish our story.” - Amelie T (9J)

“I honestly could never write for a long time at once and lacked the inspiration to continue a story that I had started, but I enjoyed writing fictional tales that led an imaginative character to unknown adventures. WABIAD was a fun competition that helped me to appreciate the creative aspects of writing. Working within a team of 6 people helped us to also develop our communication skills and have an overall fun time in the competition. Although the day was filled with loud chatter, chaos and, towards the end, even dead silence as we put the finishing details to the story, it was also one that was also packed with laughter, definitely a different experience that brought joy to a normal school day.” - Richa S (9J)

Overall, Write a Book in a Day was a rewarding experience that went to a great cause. Those involved really enjoyed it and we hope that our stories bring joy to all the children who read them.