Happy valentine’s day to those of you who aren’t crusty and bitter about such shenanigans. To those of you who are, please don’t spoil it for everybody else even if this is the Internet, and ruining other people’s happiness seems to be the price of admission.
We don’t have a lot going on in my household today—Q and I exchanged gifts last week, and my kids have spent their whole lives with Mom the holiday Scrooge, so they aren’t into it that much. I’m saying all that to say I’m fully available for yeah write today as usual. If you’ll be spending the day at Tiffany’s, I totally understand. We’ll see you next week when you return showing off your blue box bling. Everybody else: let’s get it on.
Valentine virgins!
Anybody considering linking up for the first time? Some handy tips for you:
[stextbox id=”custom”]follow @yhwriteme on Twitter. Not because I’m follow-grubbing, but because Twitter really is the water cooler of this competition where friendships are made and conversations reveal us to be all in this together[/stextbox]
[stextbox id=”custom”]visit the FAQ so you’ll know what to expect[/stextbox]
[stextbox id=”custom”]study the field guide to writing a pretty good yeah write post[/stextbox]
[stextbox id=”custom”]sign up for the weekly email blast so you’ll be one of the first to know when yeah write opens each week[/stextbox]
Writers who blog, bloggers who write
You valentine veterans are pretty awesome yourselves. Those of you who understand exactly what is it we’re doing here make it all worthwhile, and I really appreciate the encouragement, kind words and word-of-mouth publicity as you’re spreading the gospel about yeah write, the most welcoming WWBBWW community on the Interwebs.
Closing at 50
These days, we’re closing pretty early during the weeks we’re hitting our limit of 50 bloggers on the grid. For example, instead of closing to submissions at Wednesday 9 p.m. US eastern standard time and opening for voting, we’re closing at 50 bloggers sometime early Wednesday. It’s good because that gives us more time to read all the entries before voting closes Thursday at 9 p.m. US EST [-5 GMT], but it can also lock out some pretty good bloggers whose Tuesdays may not have been as loving to them as ours were to us. By the time they show up bright eyed and hopeful on Wednesday, the linkup is closed.
What to do? Increase the allowed entries to 75, the next available increment offered by the Inlinkz app? Who has time to read 75 blogs in two-and-a-half days while fulfilling other obligations such as paying attention to their own blogs, throwing dinner on the table, walking the dog and fighting cubicle wars? Nobody, so that’s out.
I’ll have to ask a favor: if you’ve already basked in the glory of another blog event specifically designed to bring readers to the same exact post you’re thinking of linking up with yeah write, please consider leaving that spot open for someone else. You can still read and vote and hang out with us, and I’ll give you a permanent spot on my list of good peoples until you try to kidnap one of my kids or something. The next week, someone will leave a spot open for your winning yeah write post, rewarding your good sportsmanship. I’ll also let you steal my dog for being so considerate to your fellow yeah writers. It’s a win-win.
Yeah write #44 is open.
I’m a Valentine’s Day cynic. And I hope I’m not screwing up your 50 entries only by entering a post I’m linking up with someone else too. Forgive me?
You’re good, mama! Thanks for linking up.
Well color me happy! The streak continues! Maybe Q will like my food post this week!
Q is taken.
I love the steadily building energy here. Keep it going, y’all!
Thanks, Julie!
Erica, you’ve turned this into a cottage industry! I’m impressed. Thanks for the chance to share my post more widely.
Awww…once I hit the Google for the definition, I was even more thankful for your kind words:
Cottage industry: a small, loosely organized, yet flourishing complex of activity or industry
You’re awesome.
Woohoo! Big Yeah Write fan here! Happy Valentine’s Day!
Woo hoo! Happy valentine’s day!
OMG I linked up twice. I’m sorry. This is just such an important topic to me, awareness of my nephew’s ‘difference,’ that I thought it was the perfect opportunity to get my word(s) out. I promise I will never do that again (and never have). If you would prefer I can remove my post to leave my spot open.
I feel awful.
~Me
Don’t feel awful. It’s gonna take awhile for some bloggers to even notice that I write stuff above the linkup and make requests of them. It’ll sink in once I start deleting the most egregious of request-skippers 🙂
Your nephew is a cutie.
Happy Valentine’s Day! I love this day 🙂
Happy valentine’s day, Jen!
My second week linking up! So excited to be a part of this fabulous group. My post was inspired, in part, by this lovely group. As I read through all of the wonderful posts last week, I was struck by just how much reading and experiencing other’s viewpoints through blogging has changed me over the last year.
I’ve never been made to feel so welcome in a community before. It’s really so amazing and supportive, and I appreciate that so much. Online groups can be very cliquish sometimes, and I didn’t get that vibe from here at all.
Thanks, Erica, for providing this safe haven for the “smaller blogger.” It’s appreciated!
You are so welcome, Katie! I love the safe haven compliment. As long as everyone is committed to improving their writing and blogging each week, I’ll keep providing the space.
Thanks, Erica! You’ve really created something special here. I love that it’s a linkup with dignity. That’s a rare thing!
I removed my link. It was written for a writing prompt, and although the linkup I entered it in was a tiny one, the post has already basked in some lovely attention. Things are filling up fast around here, and I would hate to miss out an awesome post that hasn’t gotten as much love.
Happy Valentine’s Day. I’ll still be reading and sending my love in the form of comments, and I’ll definitely be back to play next week!
That’s really considerate of you, Katie. Thanks for sticking around for the reading, commenting and voting.
Aaaaaaand, I linked it back up myself. Thanks for saving a spot for others. I think we’re good, thanks to you and others like you, Katie.
Aw, thank you so much, Erica! That’s awesome of you.
Well I still intend to read and comment on your blog anyway.
I had such a difficult time choosing between two blog posts for the one I wanted to link. One I wrote with the intention of placing it on here; the other turned out much better than I thought last night. I chose the latter.
Such difficult decisions! C’est la vie! Good luck everyone and Happy Valentine’s Day.
Happy valentine’s day!
I’m being a “good sport” and linking a previously non-linked post.
Read it. You’ll get it. 🙂
I really appreciate that, Eric. I can’t wait to read it!
Good morning and Happy Valentine’s Day. Not linking up today. I think three posts in one week (a lot for me) and a head cold that put me in bed for two days did me in and this week I got nothing… blank… no ideas. So this week I will be a Yeah Write stalker and that is just as much fun. Also ( and yes I live under a rock when it comes to staying up on the in blogging stuff) What’s this blue box thing Tiffany is doing (I actually do know who she is). To me it’s about loyalty. If I had anything I’d be here!!! xoxoxoxox -LV
Tiffany’s the luxury jewelry store uses a signature blue box for packaging. If you have plans with Tiffany the singer, that’s completely awesome and weird. 🙂
I am sitting this one out Erica because I have basked in the glory of linking up the post I would share, but just want to say Happy Valentine’s Day and I will be lurking and reading in the background (not in a creepy way, in the Yeah Write way!).
You are awesome and sportsmanlike, Shannon. Thanks for still hanging around with us this week!
I linked your non-basked post, Shannon. Such inspiration should be shared.
Thanks lady! You are too kind.