[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
What’s in a name?
Names are important—not just for people and places, but for things. Are you using the right word at the right time?
Rowan talked about this in her voting post last week—which you all read, of course—but it bears repeating. The thesaurus is your friend, but not always a trustworthy one. The wrong connotation of a word can completely alter the flavor of your story. This is most apparent in microstories because of the restricted word count, but it matters in longer pieces as well. So how does one learn to pick and choose from among the myriad possibilities? Your best bet is to read. Read a lot, read a wide variety of genres, and read actively—that is, pay attention to the language the author uses, not just the story itself.
Harper Lee just passed away this week. Several of you have mentioned that her writing was an inspiration to you. Who else informs your writing? Whose language do you admire? Swing by the coffeehouse and let us know. Bring us a favorite quote or two—consider it open mic night.
Tomorrow: Who’s on fourth?
Tune in at noon on Monday for the next edition of Who’s on Fourth. This month, Arden interviews one of our favorite long-time participants: Tina of Not Just Another Mother Blogger.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
The basics
Yeah write gives you three competitive challenge grids — nonfiction, fiction|poetry and microstories — all of which are moderated. Check them out below. Submissions that meet our guidelines will be moved to the voting grid; those that do not will get a personal love letter from our submissions editor explaining why. Got a question? E-mail us, tweet us, ping us on Facebook, or visit our online community, the yeah write coffeehouse. You can learn more about yeah write in our FAQ.
The rules
Please make sure you are familiar with our submission guidelines before you enter. We don’t have a lot of rules, but we do enforce them across the board. We’d hate to see anyone get disqualified by a technicality.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Bring us your personal essays and creative nonfiction!
The nonfiction challenge grid opens on Monday at midnight EST. This is the best place on the ‘net to showcase your best writing. Make us laugh, make us cry, make us think, and above all: make us care.
Nonfiction theme of the month: introspection
Sometimes the biggest changes in our lives are sparked by the smallest things. It’s natural to want to share your moment of epiphany, but how do you fit a thousand words into two seconds without becoming pedantic and repetitive? Read Rowan’s post to learn more.
Is fiction more your thing?
The fiction|poetry grid opens on Tuesday. Grab a mic and join our monthly poetry slam or check out our weekly prompt up!
Prompt up!
Prompt up is our optional weekly writing prompt for the fiction|poetry challenge! Here’s how it works: we choose a sentence prompt from last week’s winning nonfiction post and announce it in the kickoff. It’s your job to use that prompt as the first sentence in your poem or story and then run with it. The prompt is just a springboard, though: feel free to keep it as your first sentence, move it, change it, or float down it to other territories.
Meg’s important essay about objectification was last week’s nonfiction winner. This week’s Prompt Up is: I sit on the long, curvy couch because there are no office chairs.
February poetry slam: Spenserian sonnets
When we think of sonnets, Shakespeare usually comes to mind. But The Bard isn’t the only one to play with the form. This month we’re revisiting sonnets, but with a twist. We’ll be writing our 14 lines Edmund Spenser-style.
This week’s ultimate question: Name, please?
Answer this question in exactly 42 words for the microstory challenge, or use it to inspire your submission to the other competitive grids. The microstory challenge opens on Wednesday.
Tips for your microstories
A good microstory this week will include a character with an identity. You may answer from any point of view, but you will have a better story if you build a scene where the question could be asked plausibly. It will be tricky, considering that you are not allowed to include the question in your title or your answer, but I think you’re up to the challenge!
Remember also: do not include extra words – no footnotes (except for photo credits), no explanations, no shout-outs. Do not rely on your word processor or blog to give you an accurate word count. COUNT YOUR WORDS WITH YOUR EYES. Posts that do not meet these standards will not be moved to the voting grid.
Questions? Want to talk it through? Grab a latte at the coffeehouse and chat with your fellow yeah writers.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Winners’ round-up
In case you missed them, you can find last week’s yeah write staff picks and crowd favorites all laid out for you on Friday’s winners’ post. Leave the winners some love in the comments. They will love you right back, we guarantee it.
Weekend writing showcase
The weekend’s not over: the moonshine grid is still open. Have something to add? Old posts and new are welcome. No moderation, no voting. It’s a laid-back relaxed kind of place. Just leave your commercial or sponsored posts at home. Drop by, share your work, and while you’re there, visit your fellow yeah writers.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
