Don’t Think. Just Do.

Right now, there are four empty cans of Coke Zero, an empty can of seltzer, a whole bunch of Twizzler wrappers, and a bottle of purple hair dye. I’ve had the dye for a few weeks now, but I haven’t used it. I still can’t decide if I should. On the one hand, I really want to do it. On the other, I have to go to the office Monday and Thanksgiving is next week and what if it’s TOO purple? On the other, other hand, if all my grays are purple, those would be some really cool highlights, right? Often I’m too cautious, leaving myself wishing I could be spontaneous and have the things I want in life. Being cautious also leaves me afraid to hit publish on some things I write. Sound familiar? Let’s throw caution to the wind this week and just do what we want to do. What say you?

Welcome to Week 345

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.

Looking For Microprose?

Our tiniest challenge with the biggest bang is open the first Wednesday of every month from midnight to 10 p.m.

Nonfiction Challenge

Face the truth

One of my dear friends just bared her truth in front of the entire United States, on national TV, 20/20 with Elizabeth Vargas. Her son has a genetic syndrome that makes his face look different. Have you heard of the movie Wonder? He’s a real version of the Wonder boy, Auggie Pullman. And he is my son’s friend. His truth is harder than most and his story is extraordinary because of it. Sometimes the most difficult stories to tell are the best stories to read. I want to hear those stories from you, IF you are ready to tell them.

Nonfiction Know-How: Rhythm

Writing – like music – demands a strong sense of rhythm if you want to get and hold your audience’s interest. Learn how to drop the beat from Rowan in this month’s Nonfiction Know-How.

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!

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Fiction|Poetry Challenge

Truth

Did you know Sojourner Truth, the famous abolitionist and advocate for the rights of all women, grew up speaking Dutch? As a child, she was enslaved on a Dutch farm in New York state. She didn’t learn English until she was separated from her family and sold to an English-speaking landowner. Despite being illiterate, she gave speeches professionally and managed to get her autobiography written and published. I need to think of the challenges she overcame the next time I’m staring at an empty screen.

November Poetry Slam: 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.

The universe gave Cyn a very strong message in her post Nothing But Net. This week’s prompt, taken from her essay, is: “I stopped the rolling ball with my foot.”

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!

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YeahWrite Super Challenge

The final round of our sixth Super Challenge is officially underway! Best of luck to all our participants as they anxiously await the final results. 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.