Movin’ On Up
I made it from NJ to CA!! To say we are unsettled still is an understatement, but I’m already feeling the inspiration of new surroundings. How many times have you driven somewhere that you always go only to find that when you get there, you don’t really remember the drive? That used to happen to me all the time. Now, I actually have to pay attention. It’s got good side effects though! If you can’t move yourself and your family across the country just so you can get some inspiration, try going to a new park or coffee shop. Anything that gets you out of your comfort zone is likely to help you find new things to write about. So go do something fun! See you on the grid!
Welcome to Week 383
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
Water, Water, Everywhere
Look, it’s supposed to be summer here but the weather isn’t cooperating, especially on the weekends. We are in for at least three days of rain, which is not only atypical, it’s putting a damper (so to speak) on outdoor socializing. Sure, we get thunderstorms, but usually they roar in and out quickly. This summer has been the rainiest since I moved to the Boston area four years ago. I guess the bright side is that my water bill should be lower. And maybe the rest of you stuck inside will decide to write a mostly true story this week! No prompts are required on the nonfiction grid, but if you need an idea, please don’t write about the weather (just kidding, you can write about whatever you want). If you need some inspiration, feel free to ask for an optional prompt in the YeahWrite Coffeehouse on Facebook. Happy writing!
Technique Toolbox: Summaries
So you’re fine writing your story or personal essay, but when it comes to that summary for your title page or authorial pitch, you freeze up? This month’s Technique Toolbox is ready to come to the rescue! If you missed last year’s class, never fear: you can still learn about the two summary structures. And if you’re looking for a little more in-depth instruction, the class video is still archived and accessible for a small fee!
Nonfiction Challenge Grid: Basic YeahWrite Guidelines
Loading InLinkz ...Fiction|Poetry Challenge
Never-Ending Story
Despite being the depths of winter in my part of the world, it feels like everyone I know has suddenly decided it’s time to be social. I’ve been braving slippery roads and decidedly dodgy driving to venture to the furthest reaches of my city to visit old friends. As much as I hate driving around in the wet, catching up with people I grew up with has been a delight. There’s a special kind of joy in shared history — it’s a little like not having to establish the background of characters, or do an exposition of history in a story before you launch into the latest chapter. Like writing flash fiction, you can step into the story in the middle of the action. When a group of us gathered this week, all the stories of our childhoods were rehashed, all the stories of our current lives in different parts of the world were unfolded, and we marvelled at the way the connections our parents made with each other have morphed into the ones we now share. Regardless of distance, personal relationships, work, children and rapidly changing lives, our stories continue to unfold.
August Poetry Slam: Diminishing Verse
Summer (or winter, depending on where you are) is shrinking away, and so is our August poetry form. This month we’re learning how to write a diminishing verse, a form of poetry where the last word of each line is a little shorter than the one before it. Join us!
Prompt Up!
Prompt Up is our mandatory weekly writing prompt for the fiction|poetry challenge! Here's How It Works!
It’s August and time for a new round of prompts! This month we’re giving you a What If prompt that will allow you to explore alternate possibilities and timelines, and a second prompt that might be a character trait, a prop, or an emotion. The What If prompt is designed to generate ideas for an alternate world or timeline. It should not be used exactly as written. Plot, genre, setting, and voice are all up to you!
The prompt, from YeahWrite #381 fiction|poetry winner KJ Hunter, is: What if music didn’t exist? Incorporate this prompt into your setting or as a plot device. Do not use it word for word.
Your second prompt is a character trait: gregarious. Again, don’t use the word exactly as is. Instead, have one of your characters embody this trait. Convey a sense of the word, perhaps through how other characters react to them. We intend gregarious in its “social”, “outgoing” or “sociable” meaning. You can check out these links for further definitions: click this link to go to the Cambridge English Dictionary definition, or this one for the Oxford English Dictionary definition, or this one for the Merriam-Webster definition.
Poets: Write a poem that includes “What if music didn’t exist?”, or that incorporates gregarious, or write a diminishing verse (or combine them).
Fiction|Poetry Challenge Grid: Basic YeahWrite Guidelines
Loading InLinkz ...YeahWrite Super Challenge
The final round of Super Challenge #9 (nonfiction) is officially underway! Good luck to all our participants as they furiously finish their essays. Did you miss out on registration? Make sure you sign up for our email blast so you don’t miss out on any Super Challenge announcements.
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 YeahWriters.
YeahWrite in the Wild
You read their words every week, but it's not often you get to see the people behind those words. Browse through our gallery and see if you can spot regular contributors or editors.
If you'd like to be featured in the gallery, simply head over to our Swag shop, make your purchase, then when it arrives send us a photo of you in/with your YeahWrite swag to editors@yeahwrite.me.
About the author:
Michelle submitted her first entry to YeahWrite in March 2012 and was brought on staff shortly thereafter. Over the years, Michelle has been an integral figure at YeahWrite, but in 2016, we were thrilled to have her step into the role of Editor-In-Chief. Personally, she has worked in the insurance/employee benefits industry for over twenty years and also fills her time as a freelance writer. 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.
