Sha na na na na

When it’s time to change, then it’s time to change. (Brady Bunch earworm, anyone?)

The Bradys got it right though: It’s not just for the seasons, it goes for everything. And it’s time for yeah write to make some changes. I am probably one of the most change-averse people I know, but when changes give way to growth, opportunity and excitement, I can go along for the ride. We hope you’ll agree.

So, what are the changes?

They are kind of big.

First, moderation is a thing of the past effective…now. The grids will be open submissions, which means that if you submit, you’re on and your post will be a part of the voting round. No more wondering if you’re getting a love letter – you’re not. Don’t think that means you’re off the hook for quality writing though. There’s still a popular vote on Thursdays and the editors are still looking for standout pieces.

Next, the votes will no longer be hidden. Once you vote for the three very best pieces on the grid, you’ll be able to see where all the posts stand. We vote on merit here and we expect you’ll not vote for yourself, not campaign for votes, and tell your friends to read all entries and vote for the best. The same standards still apply!

Give us your very best work. That’s all we’ve ever wanted.

Farewell to the microstories challenge

For the past two years, we’ve hosted a popular challenge where we asked you to answer a question and tell us a story in exactly 42 words. It’s with mixed emotions that we’re announcing we are discontinuing this challenge. Thank you for welcoming it and for eagerly participating. We know it will be missed. But I’ve got two “buts” for you.

1) But… if you like the challenge of writing in a short (ahem, micro) format, do it! The word count limits on the other grids aren’t like speed limits (minimum suggested speeds). You do not have to hit them! So if you can tell a complete story in, say, 100 words, go for it. We’re not going to stop you. Short pieces are hard work and they can be a fun challenge.

2) But… we are making room for something that we really think you’re going to love. In order to grow yeah write, to offer more challenges, writing support, and services, we had to curtail something else. And while we’re not quite ready to unveil those new things quite yet, we do hope you’ll stick around and continue to play along on nonfiction and fiction|poetry. It’ll be worth it. Trust me.

Everyone wave hi to Christine

Maybe you noticed me sneaking in here, but Christine is the usual author of this post. She also opened up the microstories grid each week. Christine is still here! She’s taking a break on the kickoffs and letting me have a spin for a bit, and she’s in the back with the other editors cooking up another amazing something-or-other for us all to enjoy soon. You’ll see her around, don’t you worry.

The basics

Yeah write gives you two competitive challenge grids — nonfiction and fiction|poetry — both of which are unmoderated. Everyone gets to the voting round on Thursday. (Remember, your post must be dated appropriately, not be offensive to our audience, and cannot be over word count.) 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.

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.

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: writing emotion without crutches

Writing about the most difficult – and exhilarating – times can be cathartic. Sometimes it’s easy to get bogged down in the emotion of it all and we “tell, don’t show” or rely on crutches to convey our feelings. It’s those times when we don’t do that when our work stands out. This month, Rowan offers up some advice on avoiding those crutches and really showing the reader how you feel. Fictioneers, there’s some good stuff in here for you, too, so don’t miss this one!

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.

Marcy told us how NOT to ride a horse in her post Cantering: As Easy as Falling Off a Horse. This week’s Prompt Up is: I looked at the horse standing a few feet away, twitching its ears at me.

May poetry slam: the rondeau

We don’t usually do two similar forms back-to-back, but this month we’re building on the bop with another “song” poem, the rondeau. There’s a few more rules to the rondeau, some rhyming and some scanning you’ll have to do, but it’s a lovely and lyrical form that uses skills you already have and then shakes them up in fifteen lines and a refrain. Give it a try! If you’ve been feeling intimidated by the poetry slams, this is a perfect time to get your feet wet and get some feedback with the unmoderated grid.

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.