[divider_header_h3]managing editor’s pick[/divider_header_h3]

[image width=”125″ height=”130″ align=”left” lightbox=”true” caption=”” title=””]https://yeahwrite.me/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Erica_profile.jpg[/image]

managing editor’s pick by Erica M

The Cake That Killed My Dreams by Liz of Shiftless Mommie

I never was a spreadsheet voter until I forced all the contributing editors to use them this week. Shiftless Mommie’s The Cake That Killed My Dreams earned a perfect 12 out of 12 from me,  a person who usually chooses a favorite from her gut: Liz had an inviting intro, a so-what, a detailed narrative and a strong conclusion while avoiding cliches. There are few themes that handle graphics correctly, and her theme is not one of those. The position of the cake photos bugged the hell out of me and, without the scoring sheet, I would have chosen another entry. This is why objectivity is our friend. Her post had all the yeah write storytelling elements, and I would have missed them otherwise. Congrats, Liz, on the pick.

Quick piece of fun trivia: I have known Flood, our submissions editor, a very long time. She’s known me longer than my husband has, so it was hilarious to me when she delivered Liz’s custom photo with my name displayed as Erica H (my maiden initial) instead of Erica M. Family-free week, indeed, Floodie. Family-free week, indeed.

Liz, click to enlarge, then download. Congrats again!

[divider_header_h3]contributing editors picks[/divider_header_h3]

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editor’s pick by Kristin W

Maria’s Husband by Michelle Longo of The Journey

Michelle Longo’s post Maria’s Husband was a gripping story of Michelle’s landing in the middle of a crisis. Easily relatable (who hasn’t heard shrieking or a crash but shrugged and returned to email?) and then quickly turning into a nightmare scenario of neighborly relations, it kept my interest and provided a character about whom I really cared. We are introduced to Maria as someone who often creates drama, so the slow response at her screaming is natural. However, our narrator becomes an active part of the scene when she witnesses this: “Maria stumbled confusedly back toward her house, stopping in the middle of the street. ‘I need help!’ she wailed.” A disturbing image of vulnerability.

I think the post could be even stronger if it trimmed a few dozen words. Sentences about exchanging numbers and “I’m not a doctor” aren’t needed. I’d cut them out completely, leaving what remains as more stark. Also, watch the use of trouble words like “further” and “trepidatiously.” Misusing is awkward, and the latter complicates a simple description to the point of confusion. 

 Congratulations on a fantastic story.

Michelle, click to enlarge then download. Congrats!

[image width=”125″ height=”130″ align=”left” lightbox=”true” caption=”” title=””]https://yeahwrite.me/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Reedster_profile.jpg[/image]

editor’s pick by Cindy R

City Kitty by Bill Dameron of The Authentic Life

Bill Dameron’s City Kitty is like a walk down a New York street on a summer day—not the New York of movies, mind you, but the New York of a native. So evocative of place, his creative turns of phrase bring us “rat shape suggestions” that are easily stepped over without a thought, and a Moroccan hairstylist whose cutting room floor feels a bit like home. It takes a skilled writer to allow a tale to meander while not digressing, and in Bill’s sure hands we are led securely from place to place, from dialogue to internal dialogue, from action to memory. While I wished for a final line that tied the post back to its beginning, this was minor. The story, for this former New Yorker, was near-perfection.

Bill, click to enlarge and download for your blog. Congrats!

 [image width=”125″ height=”130″ align=”left” lightbox=”true” caption=”” title=””]https://yeahwrite.me/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/jeffrey_profile.jpeg[/image]

guest editor’s pick by Erica M’s husband Q

Phoneless: an undercat miracle by Larks of Maybe I Should Blog

Sometimes life can get in the way of yeah write. Because of that weird phenomenon, Jen W has had to step away from us as a contributing editor. My husband Q stepped in as the last minute and, boy, was I glad it was family-free week. Men can read only so many posts about toddler separation anxiety and playdates. As he was halfway through scoring the grid entries, he laughed aloud at Larks’ Phoneless post, and I knew he’d found his favorite. He never really thinks the world is going to end when he forgets to charge his phone, but, man, let me take a nap or leave my phone at home, making me unavailable for more than an hour. He holds the world record for sending EMTs to my front door.

Congrats, Larks, on the win. My hubs felt your pain.

Larks, click to enlarge then download for your blog. Congrats!

[divider_header_h3]jury panel winner[/divider_header_h3]

Highest score from all yeah write editors

IA Soup Mama

Her stories may be leaning towards fiction these days, but here’s a fact: Courtenay at IASoupMama’s doing a damn fine job of it. She takes the jury win this week for Debit Card. This entire story takes place in just a few short moments in the check-out line, but in that brief span of time, Courtenay captures perfectly the frantic unraveling of a mind in the grips of Alzheimer’s. “There were grapes I wanted to eat. I was sure about that.” And there is plenty more we want to read. We are sure about that, too.

Courtenay, enlarge and download for your blog. Congrats!

Win-Win

The thumbnails are now sorted in the grid from most editor points awarded to the least. The top row five badges will return the first challenge week we fill the grid with 50 bloggers. For this week, because the grid had 25 entries, the array highlights the top row three. Oh and don’t forget, the week we return to 50 bloggers will begin a four-week challenge to earn a $100 Amazon gift card for writing materials and inspiration. 

In the case of a tie, the thumbnails are additionally sorted by page views. Do not be discouraged if your blog has landed near the bottom of the grid; it is always a tight race. The fun lies in getting better exposure for your blog and in the spirit of competition as incentive to improve your writing and blogging skills. It’s a win-win for everybody involved.

Thanks again, everybody, for linking up, for reading, for accepting the weekly challenge. And for making yeah write the most welcoming spot on the Interwebs for writers who blog and bloggers who write.

Yeah write #74 opens Tuesday. Bring your virgins and your best stuff. Until then, please stop by Flood’s speakeasy for even more posts to read and enjoy.

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