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Greetings Earthlings!
You ever have that dream where you’re walking the halls at school or work, late for everything and wearing nothing but your own skin, and then David Bowie shows up and brings you a birthday cake? What? I mean, no, me neither. Still, as writers, we all know what it’s like to feel naked in a crowd.
This week – and every week – we’re asking you to lay it all on the line. Bare your soul, bare your body, whatever it takes. Let yourself be vulnerable. This is the best place to do it. We promise to be kind and to take you seriously, even if you’re out looking for laughs. Don’t let fear get in your way; don’t shy away from trying a new perspective . I’m giving you 42 words here. Wrap yourself up in them and tell your story.
Stories from Comic Con
You’ve been patiently waiting, and now they are finally here! Our Long Beach Comic Con recap is live. Meet the writers who bravely took on our microstory challenge, answering our ultimate question in 42 words on-site. While you’re there, you can read a little about the editors’ experience and watch a video of our panel discussing The Future of Digital Storytelling. Want to add your two cents? Hop on over to the coffeehouse and tell us what the future looks like for writers, bloggers and storytellers.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Answer the ultimate question in exactly 42 words: why are you naked?
Here’s what we need for a good answer: you must show us that you are naked (literally or figuratively), and you must provide the cause or reason for your nakedness. Were you sleepwalking? Was a lifetime of lies exposed, leaving you vulnerable? Be creative, but please answer the question.
Don’t get disqualified on a technicality
READ THE SUBMISSION GUIDELINES. Take us seriously so we can take you seriously.
COUNT YOUR WORDS. Use your eyes, not your word processor. Your post may not be eligible for voting if you go over or under 42 words. And remember, any words surrounding your microstory — explanations, references, footnotes, shout-outs, etc. — will be counted against your 42-word limit. (The only exception is photo credits.)
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.
ANSWER THE QUESTION. We try to give you some basic guidelines with every question; pay attention to what we’re looking for. 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.
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][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! Participation is the key to making this community work.
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.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Submit to the yeah write microstory challenge
The yeah write weekly writing challenge is now open for microstories. You can check out the submission guidelines and join us with your 42-word microstory using the button below.
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What else is happening around here?
We’ve got the nonfiction challenge opening on Mondays, the fiction and poetry challenge on Tuesdays, the microstory 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]
