Fuel up at yeah write
The best writing advice I ever heard came from my mom, who is not a writer but is very smart about the important things. She said fledgling writers should not get jobs in bookstores or teaching English, in editing or anything else that seems vaguely related to writing. She said those jobs burn the same fuel you need to write, fuel that shouldn’t be squandered on something silly like viable employment. “Just get a stupid job and write,” said the lady who sacrificed to fund my education. She may be the only mother in the history of mamas to advise her kid to get a stupid job over a good one, and I love her for it. This week, think about what puts fuel in your writing tank and let us know in comments; we hope the yeah write community is one of those things.
Challenge v. the speakeasy v. the invitational
The challenge grid is where we want to see your personal essays and traditional blog anecdotes. Choose moments and stories that will show off your writer’s voice, and come back to vote for your favorites on Thursday. If the challenge grid hits thirty submissions, the editors will add the best posts to an invitational grid and award a jury prize to the best of the best. Submit your short fiction and poetry over at the speakeasy. In the mood for anything goes? On Friday, the moonshine grid has just what you need.
Virgins, come on in
Welcome, virgins! Please read our beautiful new “how yeah write works” page and you’ll soon be cranking out yeah write posts like a veteran. The word count for a challenge grid post is 500 words and we’ll forgive an extra 100 if you must. Hint: your editors love shorter posts. Therefore the invitational grid loves shorter posts. Get it?
Grab your badges
Badges for both the challenge grid and the speakeasy are now available in the sidebar, right underneath the “be the first to know” yeah write email blast subscription box. They contain the codes needed to satisfy the backlink requirement of the Inlinkz app. Be sure to paste the code into the html-view of your post before publishing. Your post cannot be dated earlier than April 28th.
Odds, ends, reminders
- Your post can be no longer than 600 words
- Your post can be dated no earlier than April 28th, the day the yeah write #107 badges were officially posted
- The grid is open from Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. to Wednesday at 11:59 p.m.
- It is limited to 50 bloggers
- Voting will take place all day Thursday from midnight to Friday at midnight
- The winners’ post will be published at noon on Friday
- Our new weekend moonshine grid will open Friday at 6 p.m. and close Monday by 12:01 a.m.
- No self-promotional posts are allowed on the yeah write grid, including those containing links to other blog events and Internet contests
- Combining your yeah write post with other blog events meant to maximize your exposure and minimize your effort is a no-no
Bring us your best stuff. Bring your friends to read, write and vote. What fuels your writing in comments…
Sometimes, I run out of writing fuel, and I stare and stare at blank pages. But then I read a really good short story or watch a well-directed, well-acted character-driven film, and I am all pumped up for the written word all over again. God forbid, however, I am forced to unload the dishwasher before I am able to capitalize on the inspiration. Which happens quite often. I am filled with excuses.
P.S. The new “how yeah write works” page really is beautiful. And “even more of how it works because some people need extra help and we respect that” cracked me up and made my heart happy. You guys are amazing.
Aw Louise, I love your Mama too!
What fuels my writing tank is living. If I don’t make an effort to go out and do or try new things I find that my writing becomes bland. Writing gives me a great reason to go and try that new restaurant or take my kids someplace potentially disastrous (like the library, apparently), or to put pictures of my half nakie bod in the newspaper.
That’s what fuels me.
Dawn, I loved your library post. And what you said is true for me also, although I sometimes have to force myself out the door because I’m a homebody at heart.
I love your mama, Louise! What puts fuel in my writing tank? Mental space. Mental space that is so often taken up with the to-dos of the day, the ferrying of children, the demands of the job. When I have to keep a reminder list in my head of all the things I need to remember to run the household, the part of my brain that gets inspired, that observes, and that dreams up clever turns of phrase goes to sleep.
I need more mental real estate!