blazing laptops

The Blazing Laptops Write-a-thon is THE big annual fundraiser for San Diego Writers, Ink (SDWI). On May 21, 2023, writers will write in person at Lestat’s Hillcrest from 9 AM – 3 PM. Writers seek pledges from sponsors to help raise money for San Diego’s favorite literary arts organization. We provide the space and writing prompts for those who want them. All of our participants write the day away! Additionally, incentives and prizes are given for people who raise the most money for SDWI.

Anyone who pledges $150 and is eager to spend a day writing is welcome to join in! Of course, we would love for you to show your support by becoming a member of San Diego Writers, Ink. There are a lot of perks to being a member, including discounted class fees and free submission to our annual anthology, A Year in Ink.

In addition to the fundraising incentives, we’ll have swag bags, raffle prizes, a silent auction, prompts, and more! Most importantly, participants have a day to concentrate on their writing while supporting the writing community.

This year’s event will be held on the second floor of Lestat’s Hillcrest. When you enter the building, turn right and pull open the sarcophagus to go upstairs! Food and drink will also be available to order at the downstairs counter if you need some extra blazing fuel. 

• 9 AM: We will begin by calling in the muse and giving a primer for how the rest of the day will go.
• At the top of every hour: The San Diego Writers, Ink team will lead a writing exercise or provide prompts to fuel your imagination.
• 12 PM: We’ll break for lunch, which will be available for purchase from Lestat’s. We will reconvene at 12:40 PM to touch base and give special thanks to everyone for their donations, dedication, and enthusiasm.
• 2:40 PM: We’ll say our goodbyes and announce raffle, silent auction winners, as well as which group and individual raised the most money.

Personally, we were surprised how flattered our friends were to be asked to contribute to an organization so dear to our hearts. Here is a list of fundraising tips and ideas for participants that offers suggestions for easy and fun ways to approach sponsors:

• Don’t forget to make your plea personal; let people know how San Diego Writers, Ink has contributed to your growth as an artist, writer, reader, etc. You can use this donation letter template HERE as a starting point!

• In addition to blanketing friends, family, and followers on your email list and social media accounts, don’t forget the people with whom you work; have they come to you asking you to buy Girl Scout cookies, sponsor a fundraiser, or pledge money for a charity walk? Remember, it’s okay to ask!

• When you send out your request by email or chat with friends and co-workers, make connections to their lives. You are as passionate about your writing community as they are about their community of friends or organizations that they support.

• In your email solicitations, in addition to sending a link to your Write-a-thon pledge page, be sure to include an additional link to the San Diego Writers, Ink home page. Once they see all the wonderful program offerings, they are SURE to contribute to the cause!

You can also try these fun incentives to encourage folks to GIVE BIG! For example…

• Anyone who contributes $25 ($50? $100?) or more will receive a personalized poem or piece of flash fiction, signed by the writer (you); you might also ask your patron to give you a theme, subject, genre, etc. to get you started.
• When you go around asking for pledges, carry a beautiful container and tell folks that contributing “x” dollars earns patrons one of the fortunes you have inside the box. You can write these on nice slips of paper ahead of time, predicting wonderful things for each person’s future.
• It’s amazing how far some people will go for chocolate! Carry around a batch of your special brownies, some unique truffles, mini candy bars, or kisses to reward your special patrons.

You can sign in to your current SDWI Account and access Peer-to-Peer Fundraising from the drop-down menu, or you can begin your registration here. Not sure if you already have an account with us? Try resetting your password to be sent your log-in credentials.

Everyone is invited to participate. Minimum sponsorship is $150 in pledges, which can come in all amounts, $5 to $500 or more. You can even sponsor yourself! Please note that your personal information will be stored securely, and we’ll never share it, rent it, or sell it.

Getting sponsors is easy. Ask everyone you know to support you in your commitment to write for six hours. Even $5 minimum pledges can add up; all it takes is 30 people at $5 each to reach the minimum sponsorship. But we know you’ll want to set your goal even higher. Ask your co-workers, family and friends, your hairdresser or barber, your mail carrier, your kids’ teachers, your clients, your favorite store owners, and others in your life! Some companies will also match their employee donations; ask your company to match your pledges dollar for dollar. We also encourage you to try our list of tips and incentives on the “What if I’m not totally comfortable asking my friends for money?” tab!

Know someone who is participating? Or want to find out who is? If you don’t want to participate in the marathon on May 21 but want to donate to someone who is, you can back the goal of any of our registered supporters. Some writers offer fun incentives and other offers to get people to donate to their fundraising page for SDWI.

You can print the sponsor form, write a check made out to San Diego Writers, Ink, and give it to the marathoner you’re pledging support to. You can also mail your check and the above sponsorship form to the following address:

San Diego Writers, Ink
2730 Historic Decatur Rd.
Barracks 16, Suite 204
San Diego, CA 92106

Please Note: If you are mailing the check to us, please make it out to San Diego Writers, Ink and indicate that it is for Blazing Laptops 2023. If you are sponsoring a writer, please include the sponsor form here with the name of the writer you are sponsoring. Please also email us at info@sandiegowriters.org to let us know that your check is coming in the mail. Thank you!