Writers Need to Talk
I’m the stuckest of stucks in my writing. I have two major WIPs: First is a memoir I’m supposed to be editing. Second is this thing I’ve dubbed The Fiction Project (TFP) because I don’t know what it is (or maybe I do, but I’m scared to say it out loud). The editing, well… editing is hard, and there’s just nothing to do but sit down and work it. But TFP is a whole other story. Publicly, I’m a nonfic writer. Privately, I’ve always wanted to write fiction but felt maybe I wasn’t cut out for it. I just… I have these stories. So I’m trying to write them and then, BOOM, stuck again.
I was talking with a very wise friend who knows me better than I know myself sometimes, and she asked me who I’m talking to about my writing. The answer, in short, is no one. Between feeling protective of the idea and unsure of where it’s all going and just having those major insecure feels, I’ve gotten more and more stuck instead of talking to people and getting to know my story by actually exploring it. This may seem like obvious advice to those of you who have conversations with other humans regularly, but it was a revolutionary idea for me. Have conversations. Who knew?
How about you? Have you bought into the myth of the writer in solitude or are you out there chatting up other folks about your work? Tell us in comments!
YeahWrite Super Challenge
Our fourth Super Challenge is only open for registration for a few more days! For this challenge, we’re heading back to the land of fiction so don’t miss out! Registration is open until 11:59pm ET on April 19 (this Wednesday!). Please be sure to also sign up for our email blast so you don’t miss out on any announcements for the upcoming challenge.
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: Constructive Criticism Part II
Ever hear “it’s better to give than receive?” Well, in the case of criticism, it’s certainly easier to give than receive. For part two of what has now turned into a two part post, we’re going to dive into receiving criticism. Because you know what? It kind of sucks, but it’s good for us as individuals and as a community. Like vaccines. Learn even more from Rowan here.
Is fiction more your thing?
The Fiction|Poetry Challenge 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 announce a sentence prompt from last week’s winning nonfiction post. It’s your job to use that prompt in your story or poem in some way. Feel free to use it as your first sentence, move it somewhere else, change it, or float it down to other territories.
Lisa reminded us what instant attraction feels like in her post, A Crush. This week’s Prompt Up is: “Stand there at the sink eating maraschino cherries.”
April ‘Poetry’ Slam: Microprose
Charles Dickens was paid by the word, and it shows. I mean, if you’ve ever read Oliver Twist, we bet you found yourself wondering if all those words were really necessary to move the story forward. It’s a question we should all face every day while editing our own work, to be honest: why all these words? How can we tell our story without forcing the reader to slog through a whole bunch of extra text and without losing the essence or the voice? This month, instead of looking for ways to flesh out your writing, we’ll be talking about ways to trim it down – just in time for the first grid of our monthly microprose challenge! Learn more from Christine here.
Winners’ Round-Up
In case you missed them, you can find last week’s YeahWrite 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 yeah write Weekend Writing Showcase 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.
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