All Hail the Internet!
Did you know that today is National Internet Day? I’m assuming this is a U.S. based “holiday” but since the Internet is global, we can all celebrate! Without the glorious Internet, YeahWrite wouldn’t exist. I wouldn’t have the same beautiful network of support I have. I wouldn’t know you wonderful writers and you wouldn’t know me. The fast-paced world we live in can surely be overwhelming at times, but it brings so much good with it and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Moderation Is Back!
That’s right! For one week, we’ll be moderating all grids. If you’re new to these parts, moderation means that once you submit your work, our submissions editor, in conjunction with the editorial team, will evaluate your work. Only the best essays, stories, and poems will stay on the grid for the popular vote. Everyone else will get a love letter filled with useful feedback on why your piece was removed. Don’t think of it as a rejection, think of it as a valuable (and free) critique from a highly qualified editor (if we do say so ourselves). Good luck!
Welcome to Week 342
We’re kicking off the week in style at YeahWrite with both our competitive challenge grids in one post, plus prompts, tips, tricks and more. You asked, we answered! Keep scrolling down cause it’s all right here.
Submissions for this week’s challenges open on Monday at 12 midnight and close on Wednesday at 10pm ET. Voting will then open immediately thereafter and close on Thursday at 10pm ET. The winners, as always, will be celebrated on Friday.
Having trouble getting started? Hop on over to our quick guide. And don’t forget to doublecheck the full submission guidelines before you hit that button.
Microprose Challenge Opens Wednesday
This week has the first Wednesday of the month, and you know what that means: our tiniest challenge will be open for under 24 hours, starting Wednesday at midnight! Every microprose challenge has different rules, so you’ll need to keep your eyes peeled and your fingers fast. Need a quick link to the challenge? This one goes live when the microprose grid opens.
Nonfiction Challenge
WWWonderful
I have a friend whose bookshelves are lined with the many volumes of Encyclopedia Brittanica. He’s sentimental, I guess; he used to sell them, back in the day, before the Internet existed, before the world wide web. Finding answers to questions was much more cumbersome back then and many were never settled. Now we can ask anything online and have a wealth of information, albeit not always well-vetted, instantaneously at our fingertips. It feels miraculous to those of us that spent decades of our lives without the Internet, smart phones, and all the other devices that allow us to connect. Best of all, we get to share our stories here. Start writing!
Nonfiction Know-How: Foreshadowing
“No spoilers” is the perennial cry of the TV viewer. But spoilers can be your best friend in writing. Learn how to effectively fore (and five) shadow in this month’s Nonfiction Know-How. Get your Nonfiction Know-How right here.
Remember: you’re due for a new Nonfiction Know-How on Wednesday. We’ll be talking about rhythm for November’s workshop, so stay tuned. Or if you can’t stay tuned, click this link Wednesday morning!
Nonfiction challenge grid:
Basic YeahWrite guidelines: 750 word limit; your entry can be dated no earlier than this past Sunday; nonfiction personal or persuasive essay, creative opinion piece or mostly true story based on actual events.
Check the submission guidelines for our full set of rules. If you’re not sure how to link up, hop over to our quick tutorial for getting started at YeahWrite! Otherwise, click that blue button when the challenge is open, and good luck! Come back to vote starting Wednesday at 10pm, and check out our winners on Friday!
Loading InLinkz ...Fiction|Poetry Challenge
WiFight Online Friendships?
The internet can move like a whirlwind, can isolate, and cause stress and anxiety. It can also provide a diverse community, bring us new friendships, and provide strength and support in unimaginable ways. This week I’ve experienced a little of both. I’m overwhelmed, buoyed, and humbled by my extraordinary online friends. In this particularly difficult week, I’ve been shown more steadfast care and love than I can adequately describe. I’m especially grateful for the wonderful YeahWrite community.
Poetry Slam: The Cascade Poem
Techtober’s not over yet: If you’ve ever wondered what the difference between first, second, and third person is – and why you should care – October’s technique post is for you. Learn about points of view, narrative style, and when to use which from Rowan this month!
Our new poetry slam kicks off November 1, so we’re giving you a sneak peek with this hint, and a link which will go live on Wednesday. This month you’ll try your hand at a cascade poem. A cascade poem has no required rhyme or meter scheme, but is built on a simple structure that recycles lines from the first stanza into each succeeding stanza, dictating both the length and content of the poem. Learn more about cascade poems and how to structure them from Rowan.
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. 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 it down to other territories.
Jdmzephyr discussed the link between all of our individual rights in the post, Perfection is the enemy of progress. This week’s prompt, taken from the essay, is: “There is a lot to unpack here.”
Fiction|poetry challenge grid:
Basic YeahWrite guidelines: 750 word limit; your entry can be dated no earlier than this past Sunday; fiction or poetry only.
Check the submission guidelines for our full set of rules. If you’re not sure how to link up, hop over to our quick tutorial for getting started at YeahWrite! Otherwise, click that blue button when the challenge is open, and good luck! Come back to vote starting Wednesday at 10pm, and check out our winners on Friday!
Loading InLinkz ...YeahWrite Super Challenge
The second round of our sixth Super Challenge is officially underway! Best of luck to all our participants as they furiously finish their submissions. Did you miss out on registration? Sign up for our email blast so you don’t miss out on any announcements for the next Super Challenge.
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 last Friday’s winners’ post. Leave the winners some love in the comments. They will love you right back, we guarantee it.
Last call: This week’s Weekend Writing Showcase is still open for business until the challenge grids start at midnight! 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.
About the author:
Michelle submitted her first entry to YeahWrite in March 2012 and they haven’t been able to get rid of her since. After nearly 20 years in the insurance/employee benefits industry, she decided to give it all up to pursue writing full time. Her work has been featured on The Huffington Post and xoJane, as well as several local sites near her northern NJ home. She blogs at Michelle Longo.
