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Sharing is caring
I’ve got two kids, and somehow I am supposed to turn them into smart, capable, caring human beings. This trite little rhyme is one of many tricks I use* to gently nudge them in the right direction. But does it work?
So far, the jury is out. It’s hard to recognize empathy in a 5-year-old. But here’s the thing: insipid as it is, the rhyme holds a grain of truth, even for adults. (The other one that gets lots of air time in our house is: “You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit.” Come to think of it, a lot of grown-ups could stand to internalize this one, too…)
So, about sharing: I would love it if we could each pick one or two of our favorite yeah writers and share links to their blogs, on Facebook, on Twitter, wherever your friends and fans will see. Let’s show how much we care about our community by sharing each other’s work with a broader audience. How about it?
PS: I’m also sharing with you a picture of my lilacs, because I wish you could all smell how lovely they are…[/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 know-how: inspiration and the 5-minute essay
Time flies whether you’re having fun or not, and there’s an essay hiding in even the smallest increments. You don’t need to encompass your whole life in 1000 words; what if you just focused on five minutes? Rowan gives us some tips on finding your story in among the ordinary moments of your day.
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 in your poem or story and then run with it. The prompt is just a springboard, though: feel free to use it as your first sentence, move it, change it, or float down it to other territories.
Lisa juggled motherhood, alone time, tag-teaming dinner, and a pretty relatable confession in her post Writing While Mothering. This week’s Prompt Up is: There’s this kid who lives next door.
April poetry slam: the bop
Not all poetry forms were invented hundreds of years ago. This month, we’re taking a look at something new. Created by contemporary poet Afaa M. Weaver, the bop is a cross between a sonnet, a song and an essay, and we think you’re going to love it.
This week’s ultimate question: who cares?
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 person who gives a darn about something, and the thing about which they give that darn. That is, you need to identify not only the person, but the thing (issue, object, person) in which that person has a vested interest. Maybe your mother cares about your grades; maybe Trump cares about America; maybe Tiffany cares who wins American Idol. Give us a story about caring.
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]
