Open submissions for two weeks!

After the high intensity of the fall writing contest and the end of 2014 fast approaching, the editorial team decided everyone could use a little break. So, in the spirit of the season, we’re offering two weeks of open submissions for all challenges. You still must meet the basic guidelines (see below), but that’s it. No love letters will be sent and everyone gets to the voting round.

But don’t let your guard down! While this is a great time to jump in and see how our process flows, we still want and need your very best work. While the editors may not be sending work back, we are still reading and your friends are still voting. This is still a competition, you know.

Is this your first time here?

Yesterday’s kickoff post tells you everything you need to know about all of yeah write. We tell you about the schedule, upcoming events and get you ready for the week ahead.

Have questions you can’t find the answer to by poking around the site? Email us or find us on Facebook or Twitter and we’ll happily help you out.

Just the basics

That link to yesterday’s kickoff post isn’t just for the newcomers. There’s valuable information in that post. Go read it. You might even find a little inspiration this week in our December poetry slam!

Today the grid opens for our nonfiction writing challenge. There is a limit of 500 words plus 100 words grace. The nonfiction challenge closes Wednesday at 9:59 p.m. US eastern. Voting opens immediately thereafter both by our readers and our editorial staff. On Friday, we will publish editorial picks and announce the popular vote winner.

The ultimate question: what’s in the box?

Every week many of the editors end up with an earworm when the ultimate question happens to also be a song lyric. But this week, half of us hear Brad Pitt’s voice and the other half of us vow not to see the movie the line comes from. I’m in the Brad Camp and I can’t stop giggling whenever I see the question. What’s in the box? Aw, what’s in the booooooooox?

(Editor’s note: Seven is a scary and violent movie and the “What’s in the box?” scene is not safe for work.)

(Editor’s second note: I know it’s stuck in your head now, too, and I appreciate how hard it is to think of something else right now, but you have to. We can’t have grids flooded with Brad Pitt. Or can we… No. We definitely can’t. You need to… wait for it… think outside the box!!)

Our microstory challenge opens each Wednesday and in it we ask that you answer the ultimate question in exactly 42 words. But our questions are also available to you as an optional prompt in this nonfiction challenge and our fiction|poetry challenge which opens each Tuesday.

As an optional prompt, you can choose to let it inspire your nonfiction entry or not. It’s all up to you.

The yeah write #193 weekly writing challenge is open for nonfiction: personal essays, creative opinion, mostly true stories based on actual events. You can check out the submission guidelines and join us with your essay using the link below.