By EMMA LAUS
Aardvark Authors, Beloit’s student-run writing club, held their biannual 24 Hour Writing Challenge starting at noon on Nov. 9. The event was held in the basement of 840 Hall and students could be found making themselves comfortable in armchairs throughout the room. The space was quiet; the writers were focused, occasionally chatting with a neighbor or getting up for snacks.
The event is a great opportunity to dedicate time entirely to writing, which can be difficult in a college student’s busy daily routine. Attendees worked on anything from personal writing projects to school work. The event also correlates with National Novel Writing Month, making it the perfect time for authors to add to their word count.
India Davis’25, founder of Aardvark Authors, planned the challenge her sophomore year. She believes the uniqueness of the event draws people to it. Current president Vanessa Skildum‘27, adds that the event’s accessibility is also a factor in its success. “[You can choose] your own time to stop by, so it works really well with people’s schedules, and a lot of people can come that don’t usually get to come,” she says. According to Skildum, it is the first Aardvark Authors event for many attendees.
Historically, the night has been a medley of productivity and fun. “I enjoy going crazy throughout the night. Last year, I vlogged myself doing it and all my friends kept saying ‘your eyes just kept getting bigger and bigger,’ but I wrote 20,000 words so the productivity is definitely satisfying,” says Davis. While also finding it productive, Skildum fondly remembers a 3 a.m. line dancing session when she attended last fall.
Elisa Turner’27, who stayed up all night working on a variety of assignments, found it to be a productive 24 hours. However, according to Turner, “it was a little brutal.”
While it may seem counterintuitive, sleep deprivation can benefit the writers. “It’s a time where you end up doing ideas that normally might sound crazy cause you’re so tired, so it’s a great way to test and explore ideas that you normally might not do, and there’s sometimes little gems in there,” says Skildum. “It’s just really fun to see what people create during that time.”
Featured Graphic by Sophia Nitsche’25
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