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Let’s start at the very beginning
Or not. Every time I write a story I hit a point where I want to just skip through to the end. And sometimes the ending writes itself, and I’m stuck figuring out how to get there.
Writing the beginning is hard; writing the middle can be downright painful. If you ask me, the ending is the fun part. It’s the climax, the fulcrum, the place where all your plot threads and passions come together. It’s the resolution of the chord. It’s the so-what. Wouldn’t it be great if we could just get to the point, already?
But then you miss all the set-up, the building of tension. The details that make a story come alive and the characters worth caring about. You can’t rush this part, no matter how much you want to. The set-up is no less important than the so-what.
And yet, sometimes the story is all in the ending. If you’re struggling to get where you’re going, maybe you’re already there. Those last two paragraphs might be the story. Take a good hard look at that essay, that short story, that poem. How much of the beginning is plain old wandering about, searching for the road? The journey might be necessary for you, the author, to understand how you got from point A to point B, but the reader doesn’t always need to step in your footprints to get there.[/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: phrasing
There are more ways to make your story boring than just having no content. The most interesting story in the world will make a reader’s eyes glaze over if you make every sentence and paragraph the same. Learn to avoid this common mistake with this month’s technique.
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.
Rowan’s reverie of rain won last week’s nonfiction challenge. This week’s Prompt Up is: I don’t know when I started collecting rain.
March poetry slam: haiku
Haiku is not just about counting syllables, and it’s much, much more than 5-7-5. Rowan will teach you to pack this tiny poem with enough imagery and emotion to sustain your soul for days.
This week’s ultimate question: button, button, who’s got the button?
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
This week’s question requires a button – be it the kind you fasten, the kind you push, the kind you pin to your lapel, or the kind you slice up for stroganoff – and the identity of the person who currently possesses it.
Remember: do not include the question in your title or your answer. 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]
