On 8/26 Day (August 26), 826 Valencia will host a writing marathon to support their free student programs. Saddle up from noon until 8:26 PM for the third-annual Write-a-thon, a great excuse to get some work done.

Here’s how it works: first, download and print out your pledge sheets. Contact your friends, family, and social media strangers and ask them for support. Every bit helps, because on top of supporting the programs linked to above, and inspiring you to write even more brilliantly, the pledges you receive will earn you prizes. The grand prize? Your very own reading at 826 Valencia during the Lit Crawl.

The day starts with a workshop from The Grotto (there’s a suggested donation of $25 for this part), focused on their new book 642 Things to Write About. Of course, you’re welcome to come with a work-in-progress or an idea you already have. Then it’s a nice long stretch of writing, with surprises and, I believe, snacks throughout the day.

To register for the Write-a-thon, email writeathon@826valencia.org with your name, email address, and time you plan to start writing.

Registration begins at 11am, the workshop is at noon, and writing begins at 1pm. See you there!