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Write, rest, edit
Welcome to yeah write’s creative nonfiction challenge! I’ve got editing on my mind today. In fact, I’ve rewritten this intro four times already. But editing isn’t exactly rewriting. It isn’t the starting and stopping and scratching and starting over part of the first draft. It’s more elegant than that. It’s the careful, deliberate pruning and shaping of ideas, paragraphs, sentences, words, punctuation.
I used to dread editing. The act of editing acknowledges that the first draft really isn’t perfect. I’m not a genius. It needs more time.
I did learn to love the process. It’s a bit like sculpting clay: you have a blob of material that you shape into something recognizable. I ask, what can I cut away? What is superfluous? What adds to, what detracts from the story? I try to give a piece at least a day to breathe, and then come back to it with clarity, a sharper eye that can see foreground, background, negative and positive space. I look for the things that seem most precious and ask myself if they are necessary. I am kindly brutal to words. It feels a little like grace. Crazy, right?
Please join us on the grid—write something, take a day or two to rest, edit, and then post. You’ve got until Wednesday. Breathe.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Nonfiction theme of the month: flashback
Rowan gives us the skinny on how to write flashbacks. Use it in your essay for this week’s challenge or don’t! This theme is totally optional. Either way though, be sure to read Rowan’s tips. She knows what she’s talking about.
This week’s ultimate question:
Where is the ring?
This optional prompt—in honor of the newly betrothed Arden (woohoo!)—which also serves as the ultimate question for the microstory challenge opening Wednesday, is here to serve as your inspiration for your nonfiction submission. Already have your own story thought up? No problem! The prompt is only there if you need it.
Want more info?
Is this your first time here? Check out Sunday’s post which kicked off the week here at yeah write. If you don’t think you can remember to check back every Sunday, you can sign up for our email blasts directly to your inbox. Our email subscribers can also join us in the yeah write coffeehouse at its new home on Facebook.
If you’ve never taken the time to read them, please take a moment to familiarize yourself with our submission guidelines. The rules are a little different for each of our challenges and we’d hate to have to send back great writing on a technicality.
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Have questions you can’t find the answer to by poking around the site? Email us or find us on Facebook and Twitter and we’ll happily help you out.
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Submit to the yeah write #244 nonfiction challenge
The yeah write #244 weekly writing challenge is now 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.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
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