[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]
Greetings Earthlings!
This one time, at band camp*, I found myself stuck in the middle of a fight. There were nine of us in a drafty A-frame – it would have been ten, but Melissa couldn’t handle the pressure and left after three days. Four of the girls played electric violin; the other four were learning ajuitar. (It was a progressive band camp.) I was the odd man out, so to speak, being a violist, and so they left it up to me to decide: in the final number of the concert (“Mandy,” of course), which instrument should get the solo, the electric violin or the ajuitar? (Oddly, they never considered offering it to the viola.)
I didn’t really relish the idea of choosing sides. After all, I shared sleeping space with all of them. So I did what any jealous musician would do: I smuggled in a fifth of Ol’ Janx Spirit and got them all drunk on gargleblasters the night before the audition. The solo went to a beautiful euphonium player from Hoboken and she never even thought to thank me. There’s brass players for you: all shine and no polish.
* Only some of this is true. Dare you to guess which parts.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
Yeah write observes daylight savings time
Please take note that this week we have sprung forward. If you’re in a time zone that doesn’t participate in this clock-changing nonsense, please grab your phone and find out what the time difference is so you don’t miss a grid opening or voting closure. Here’s what Google tells me: Eastern Daylight Time is UTC/GMT -4 hours.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]
Answer the ultimate question in exactly 42 words: whose side are you on?
Sometimes you’re stuck choosing sides whether you want to or not, and that’s what we’re asking you to do. This week’s question requires two things for a good answer: two positions, embodied by characters, and a choice. Notice we’re looking for a who here, not a what. Would you choose the electric violinist over the ajuitar player? Are you siding with the wife in your friends’ divorce? Please note that the verb tense of the answer should match the verb tense of the question. We want a current situation, not one in the past or future.
And please, for the love of Beeblebrox, don’t write about that dress.
A few other reminders:
PROOFREAD. Nothing is easier, and nothing will get you bumped from the voting grid faster than typos, spelling or punctuation mistakes, or grammatical errors. You’ve only got 42 words; mistakes stick out.
Keep in mind that your post has to make sense if your reader doesn’t know the question. Don’t use the question as your title or anywhere else in your piece. And remember, any words surrounding your gargleblaster — explanations, references, footnotes, shout-outs, etc. — will be counted against your 42-word limit.
Need a second set of eyes? Find yourself a writing partner over in the yeah write coffeehouse.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]
The top 42 entries will be open for voting on Thursday
You may enter only one gargleblaster microstory. Submissions are moderated. All entries will show up on our submissions grid, and up to 42 entries will be moved to the voting grid, which opens on Thursday. Everybody: read, comment, vote!
If you don’t make the voting grid, don’t despair – you’ll get a detailed love letter from our wonderful submissions editor, Rowan G., letting you know what needed improvement. Email us or head over to our pages on Facebook and Twitter with any questions.
Winners will be announced on Friday
Look for Friday’s combined winners’ post to see the crowd favorites and editors’ picks from across all of our challenge grids.
What else is happening around here?
We’ve got the nonfiction grid opening on Mondays, the speakeasy for fiction and poetry on Tuesdays, the gargleblaster micro challenge on Wednesdays, and the come-one, come-all moonshine grid for the weekends. We’ve also got a great hangout space over at the coffeehouse. Make sure you subscribe to our weekly e-mail blast so you don’t miss out.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]
Whose side are you on?
The yeah write #204 weekly writing challenge is open is open for micro-stories: fiction, non-fiction, haiku, whatever. Answer the question in exactly 42 words by clicking the link below.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
