Editors Are People Too

Hi! As you know, I’m the Editor-in-Chief here at YeahWrite. Of all the editors, I’ve been hanging around these parts the longest (though I haven’t been editor as long as one other – bonus points* if you know who has been editor here longer than me). I started as a participant in 2012 and worked my way up the ranks over the years. When I first started, one of the things I loved most was getting comments on my work. I loved knowing people read my essay and really appreciated the time taken to leave a thoughtful remark.

Guess what’s changed? Nothing. Well, except that I don’t write on my blog much. But when I do, I crave those comments. We write to be read and we submit to the challenge grid to be read. We’re all busy. We all have limited time, and I know that leaving those thoughtful comments does take time. I see many of you making the rounds each week on the other posts, but I know some of you don’t get to it, at least not by Thursday when I’m usually reading.

Since you have to read every post thoroughly in order to vote, why not take an extra minute or two to leave a comment. Tell the writer what really worked for you, what really resonated. If they have the concrit badge inviting you to leave more feedback, don’t be shy! We all want to get better, right? Just because you’re not a professional editor or writer, you ARE a valuable reader. If something’s not working for you, there’s a good chance it’s not working for someone else. You do have valuable insight and experience. Share it with your peers, and we all get better together.

So why did I start out talking about editors? Well, we love comments, too. And we love your concrit when we’ve got that badge showing. We aren’t special, mythical creatures; we’re just regular people sharing our work. For some of us, what we put on the grid might be an experiment with a new style. We could be trying a whole new genre or form. When we participate, we want to know what you think, for reals. Tell us, please.

Go make the rounds this week in comments.

*There are no actual bonus points. It’s just an expression. We don’t really use points here, you know?

YeahWrite Super Challenge

Our fifth Super Challenge is officially underway! Good luck to all of our contestants as they await their Round 2 results. Did you miss out on registration? Sign up for our email blast so you don’t miss out on any announcements for our Super Challenge #6. Next time, we head back to the land of fiction!

Who’s on Fourth

This month we invite you to learn more about Margaret Shafer! The interview will publish Monday at 12pm ET, but in the meantime, head over to her page and catch up on all of her awesomeness.

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: Emotional Misuse

As essayists, we like to give our readers All The Feels. But sometimes too many feels can get in the way of the reads. Learn how to balance the emotions in your writing to produce more complete and accessible works and to make strong emotion stand out in this month’s Nonfiction Know-How.

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.

Trish took us to her childhood in South Africa in her essay Running Away From Home. This week’s prompt, taken from her piece, is: “We never knew when they would arrive.”

July Poetry Slam: Palinode

This month’s Poetry Slam features the palinode, which Greek for “counterpoem” – retract your own ideas or join Team Petty as we recycle and revise poetry that needs a second look. Learn more from Rowan 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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