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Say hello to the world
Twenty-three years ago today, my father died. I didn’t get to say goodbye to him. He was shoveling snow and suffered a massive heart attack. Life and death happen like that. We never know, really, what to expect next. When I start to feel frustrated with writing, I try to remember why I do it in the first place. One reason: to say the goodbye I never got to say. Another: to say hello to the world.
Each time you write, you leave a part of yourself for someone to discover, whether it is a friend or a stranger. How do you want to be remembered? What would you say? At the risk of sounding melodramatic—ah, never mind. I’ll let Annie Dillard take that risk with this wonderful quote: “Write as if you were dying. At the same time, assume you write for an audience consisting solely of terminal patients. That is, after all, the case. What would you begin writing if you knew you would die soon? What could you say to a dying person that would not enrage by its triviality?”
Dillard’s advice segues nicely into Rowan’s nonfiction theme of the month. Read on…[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Nonfiction theme of the month: the narrative hook
What are we talking about? Rowan gives us the skinny on how to hook your readers from the very beginning. Use it in your essay for this week’s challenge or don’t! It’s totally up to you. Either way, be sure to read Rowan’s tips. She knows what she’s talking about.
This week’s ultimate question:
When will the icicle melt??
This optional prompt, 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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Submit to the yeah write #247 nonfiction challenge
The yeah write #247 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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