Despite the isolating process that writing can be, some writers continually curate ways to build deeply rooted communities around that common experience. One such way is through creating and participating in writing groups. On Pacemaker, we’ve created our own version of these collaborative spaces, and they are known as Challenges or Challenge groups!
What are Challenges/Challenge groups on Pacemaker?
On Pacemaker, you can create Challenges/Challenge groups where multiple participants can take on writing tasks together, tracking progress and stats for the entire group in one place.
Challenges can be set up to track individual goals (everyone has their own goals), shared goals (everyone has the same goal), or a combined goal (the group is aiming for a target overall). You can even create tournament style challenges where the larger Challenge group is organized into teams which are competing against each other to achieve a particular goal.
Challenges actually pack quite a punch, so check this out to find out more, and don’t be afraid to play around with creating a Challenge of your own!
Joining a Challenge/Challenge group
There are two ways to join Challenges/Challenge groups on Pacemaker.
- The Challenge leader or other challenge participant may share a link to the Challenge group with you. Simply click that link or copy and paste the url into your browser’s url bar, and that will take you directly to the Challenge page.
- Joining from our Community pages.
Joining from our Community Pages
If a Challenge group leader has asked us to feature their Challenge publicly on our site, it will be featured on our Community pages. Access this by clicking ‘Community’ in the toolbar at the top of the page, then ‘Join a Challenge’, then click the Challenge group you’d like to join.
Challenge Rules
The key consideration when attempting to join a Challenge group is understanding the Challenge rules. These guidelines, set by the Challenge leader, define the eligibility requirements for participation. To join, you must either already have a plan that meets these criteria, or create one that does.
Let’s use the Novelry’s The Big Write Challenge as an example here.
The rules in this case specify a certain date range (9/8/2025-12/16/2025), goal measurement unit (words) and max number of plans per user (2). Any user attempting to join this Challenge, must have a plan, therefore that:
- covers the stated date range
- measures its goals in words
Potential challenge joiners must also be mindful that they are only allowed to enter a maximum of 2 plans in this Challenge group.
If you already have a saved plan which conforms to the set rules, you can go ahead and click ‘Join This Challenge’, select your plan from the drop-down menu, then click ‘Register’.
If you don’t already have a plan which conforms to the Challenge group rules, simply create one– just keep the rules in mind when you do (you could also edit an existing plan so that it conforms with the rules)!
And that’s it! You’ve officially joined the Challenge group! Simply update your progress as necessary and your stats will be reflected in the Challenge group alongside those of all the other participants. You may even top the Leaderboard!
You’ll be able to see all Challenge groups you’re a part of on your dashboard. Access this quickly by clicking ‘Group Challenges’ in your left sidebar, then the ‘Challenges’ tab.
Ultimately, Pacemaker Challenges provide a structured and collaborative framework for achieving your writing goals. By aligning your plan with the Challenge parameters and contributing your progress alongside others, you benefit from both accountability and shared momentum. Whether your objective is to increase productivity, meet a specific deadline, or strengthen professional discipline, joining a Challenge group offers an effective and supportive way to stay on track!