A major part of lurking is never actually interacting, so I’m out of my comfort zone here.
While I take my lurking very seriously, it’s only fair that I get to chat with you guys somehow, so I volunteered to introduce the challenge grid this week. Erica’s taking some peaceful, toddler-less time to herself, de-fleaing puppies.
I wrote a list of topics I could share with you, but then I lost the list. When I found it three days later, all the items were pretty boring.
This isn’t interesting, funny or helpful, I told my husband.
He offered: What would Larry David do?
When it doubt, try WWLDD as a prompt. I’ve found it a handy abbreviation that helps me turn nothing into something.
You know the story: Essentially, Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld wrote about their lives in New York as the theme for the show Seinfeld. Then, they wrote about writing the sitcom for the sitcom. In Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David wrote about his post-Seinfeld life while taking a second look at some of the themes from Seinfeld in a more adult way. Basically, his career has been a fictional rehash of his existence. And that’s been the secret to his success.
You’ll find that most winners on the grid share an anecdote from their lives. Simply emoting about the wondrousness of motherhood isn’t going to cut it. Rants about work or family—without any storytelling—won’t get a lot of yellow star clicks.
The joke, both underlying and overt, throughout the Seinfeld years was that the show is about nothing, but each episode of nothing lasting 22 minutes had an introduction, a conflict, a climax and its resolution.
There’s no difference between you and that schmuck Larry David. Just remember three things:
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- Anything, even the drive to work, can be an interesting story if you write it well
- As long as there’s a clear ending, not every resolution has to be satisfying to the main character
- Shorter is better. It may hurt to cut some of your carefully crafted word-gifts, but your keeping it sharp and simple will make for a more enjoyable read. Your selflessness will pay off, then yadda, yadda, yadda, you have a solid, competitive entry
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Welcome to yeah write challenge grid #61. Make us laugh, make us cry, make us think, but bring us your best stuff. Be sure to visit the hangout grid, hosted by Kristin W, for more great reads.
Your badges await
Click the plus sign in the upper right-hand corner of your screen. No, wait, not that high, a little lower. Up and to the right of the row of three social media icons. That plus sign. Click it and the hidden widget will appear. Grab the codes and add them to the HTML view of the post you’re planning to add to this week’s grid.
If it’s before 7 am US CDT and you’re having link troubles
If you’re having problems adding your post to the grid and you don’t get a response from Flood G immediately, either to your tweet, comment or email, simply tweet @inlinkz and Aris will be happy to help you figure it out. Sometimes, Flood G is playing Vexed For Android. Usually between the hours of midnight US CDT and 6 a. m. US CDT [-5 GMT]. Aris will help while Flood G is cussin’.
Helpful links
Yeah write #61 hangout grid is open over there.
Yeah write #61 challenge grid is open right here.
[note_alert] The yeah write #61 challenge grid has now closed at 50 submissions. Please consider adding your post to the hangout grid? Thanks! [/note_alert]
I’m taking a break. I’m in the middle of a project and it wouldn’t be fair for me to enter something when I don’t have time to read everyone else’s.
Thank you for hosting! This was my first Yeah Write and I just finished reading the final challenge post link. Wow! So many different people with so many great points of view. I am kind of humbled by the mad skills everyone has.
I am so excited to be participating for the first time…I’d debated about doing the Challenge or the Hangout (since my post this week is more an homage to my grandparents than a typical sampling of my writing) but when I went to link, I decided to go for it.
Sorry about leaving Comment Moderation on – I did that because my grandparents read my blog and since this post was about them, it would have CRUSHED me for someone (not a YeahWrite reader, obviously, but you never know about those *other* people out there) to write something hurtful.
Next time I link up, I will disable the moderation for sure.
And there will be a next time. Because you people are awesome.
Cheers.
I am going to battle to vote the posts are all so good this week.
Happy to interact Flood G because I always need more Seinfeld in my life. Can’t wait to lay WWLDD on my husband.
So glad Erica is getting a break, but somehow I don’t think her breaks are like other people’s. She seems to be a perpetual motion machine.
Ellen
WOW! that grid filled up fast! Good for YeahWrite … hangout for me!
New to yeah write, referred by Erica M. via twitter. Looks like I missed this deadline, but I did submit an entry to the hangout. (Hopefully I did everything correctly.) Excited to be a part of such a great resource!
Best writing advice ever. Loved this, Flood, and I will take WWLD D with me throughout life now. 🙂
I spend two weeks in the likes of a sleep coma and come back barely recognizing this space. WOWZERS! Looking good, if only I had something witty to write & submit.
Flood, I had a small problem in that I accidentally submitted TWICE as outlaw mama to the challenge grid. It was a total mistake. I don’t know how to fix it. I am new here!!! Who are these people who can submit so early? Anyway, very excited. It’s my maiden voyage.
Christie, I removed the duplicate, no worries! Thanks for joining us!
Christie, it was my first time too. I fell asleep over the laptop keyboard waiting for 11pm central so I could post my link. Now the keyboard is gummed up with sleep drool, dammit! 🙂
Thank you for hosting us this week. I enjoy any chance possible to hear about, talk about, and read about Seinfeld so job well done I say. Perhaps we should all use the comments to discuss our favorite episodes. Or just stick to the topic at hand. Not that there is anything wrong with that! 😉
Lately, I love the Puddy’s face-painting episode. Yeah, that’s right.
okay, amazing. didn’t this grid JUST open? and already 34 people are onboard? are you people literally lining up around the block with your coupons in your grubby paws, like some kind of digital Black Friday or something? Guess we loves us our yeahwrite. Thanks to Flood (you write! you photograph! you lurk! LD would be proud) and I hope that Eric is enjoying her de-fleaing time. : )
I woke up to 44 entries – I couldn’t believe it! Thanks for having me.
So funny you said that, This is my first time posting and I tweeted that it feels like Black Friday! I had no idea how fast it would fill up so I stayed up til midnight (which felt like 4am) and submitted right away!
You were smart to stay up. Welcome!
Dear Yeah Write Leaders of Win and Awesome,
I am obviously needing to go to bed, because I tried to submit my post to the hangout grid first, accidentally.
I don’t think it went through, but if it did, could you please delete my hangout entry?
Thanks!
Looks like everything is okay, I don’t see your submission over there. I like being a leader of W&A, though. Can I put that on my resume?
Thanks for checking that for me!
Oh, and of course the answer is yes. Yes you can. You can even take it one step further and get business cards made. Employers appreciate that take charge attitude, yes?
Haha.