Don’t Skip This Paragraph
Y’all. I don’t know if your 2018 has been like my 2018, but if it has, then it’s been all over the place, super good, also not so great, stalled and faltering while rushing through at breakneck speed. If you think that makes no sense at all, then you have a 100% accurate impression of my chaos.
The cure for chaos is more, right? Well, to that end, a bunch of editors and our friends are gearing up to make 2019 the most amazing, most balls to the wall, most I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT BUT IT’S GOING TO BE SOMETHING year of our lives. Are you down for something like that? Are you ready to quit holding yourself back and just go for it? I’d say YOLO, but I’m not really the YOLO type. Keep your eyes peeled for everything we have in store for you to help you be the spectacular writer and person we already know you are.
Another cure for chaos is to get rid of things that aren’t working and change up things that need improving. So, with that in mind, this will be the final weekend of the Weekend Writing Showcase. Yes, I know, it’s practically over at this point. It’s been a fun way to share our work without the pressure of the grids or our Super Challenges. The thing is though, we feel like that competition is great for your growth and ours, and time spent on the WWS (we’re all for initials around here) means time not spent giving you more of what you really want. So, if you can, throw something on the WWS grid for old time’s sake, pour one out for a lost grid, and remember it fondly while you work on something for this week’s challenge.
Oh, and prepare to be badass. If you thought our November challenge was inspiring and, um, challenging, hold on to your hats. You’re in for a treat.
Welcome to Week 399
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.
Micro weeks are moderated weeks!
That’s right – with the microprose grid comes moderation on all three grids. That means that on any grid with more than five entries, we’ll be looking for more than just the bare minimum required to meet the submission guidelines. We want to see your best writing, with a strong so-what on the nonfiction grid and smooth prompt integration on the fiction|poetry grid. We’ll also be checking adherence to the poetry slam form, and keeping an eye out for persistent grammar issues in your work. That doesn’t mean you need to write the way your eighth grade English teacher told you, though! That would be pretty boring. Voice is the way in which a writer breaks the rules of grammar deliberately to advance a point. So break the rules – but do it on purpose and know which rule you’re breaking.
It’s not as scary as it sounds! If your writing is struggling in a moderated week, one of our editors will send you a “love letter” explaining where you lost us and making a few editing suggestions. We won’t move you forward to the vote, but you’ll get specific, personal feedback on your writing. And don’t worry. All of our editors have gotten at least one “love letter” on a post too!
So what are we looking for?
- Posts for the nonfiction grid should be anecdotes that contain one clear idea, the reason for telling the story. More than a journal entry, submissions are required to have what we refer to as a “so what.” Posts can also be personal or persuasive essays that give your perspective on the world and communicate a clear idea to the reader. All nonfiction challenge posts must adhere to the basic rules of grammar and punctuation.
- Posts for the fiction|poetry challenge must be self-contained stories or poetry. Chapters or ongoing work can be submitted so long as the submission tells a complete story and does not require knowledge or understanding of the remainder of the work in order to read the individual submission that week.
- Poetry must be structurally sound within the rules of the form chosen; that is, a sonnet must follow the form of a sonnet and not have errors in rhyme and scansion.
- Posts for the microprose grid must adhere to the microprose rules laid out in that month’s challenge.
- And of course, all the ordinary submission guidelines like word count still apply!
Nonfiction Challenge
Surprise Me!
Welcome to my birthday week! My actual birthday is on Wednesday, but why limit myself to one day? I don’t need any material presents, but if you give me the gift of writing for the nonfiction grid this week, that would be awesome. Have you been lurking? Surprise me by submitting something! Are you a regular participant? Please don’t take this week off! I want to read some great stories during my special week. Remember, you can write about anything you’d like, since there are no mandatory prompts on the nonfiction grid. If you’d like a prompt, you can write about a special-to-you gift or ask for a different idea in the YeahWrite Coffeehouse on Facebook. Go!
Technique Toolbox: Prologue to a Year of Fearless Writing
Ready to take yourself seriously as a writer? Not sure how, or not convinced you’re ready? We think you can, and are, and will be. Next year is our Year of Fearless Writing, and we’re going to warm up this December by setting a few resolutions. Share yours with us, and they might make the list!
Nonfiction Challenge Grid: Basic YeahWrite Guidelines
Loading InLinkz ...Fiction|Poetry Challenge
Kill Your Darlings
It’s finally December (has this year felt like the longest marathon ever to anyone else?), and I’m still standing. I have to admit that I love this month. I throw myself cheerfully into baking and party planning; there’s the excitement of the year coming to an end, and the anticipation of a shiny new year about to dawn. I also keep an eye on which publications are still taking submissions. Many don’t accept work during December-January, so this is a great time to review and edit your work for the new year. Why not use this month’s grids to practice your editing skills? Insert the concrit badge (you’ll find it on the right of every post) to receive kind, critical feedback, or ask your beta readers to use our guide to constructive criticism when they’re reading your work. If you haven’t used beta readers before, now’s your chance to post in the Coffeehouse asking for readers. Don’t forget to leave yourself enough time to revise your work based on their feedback before posting to the grids!
December Poetry Slam: 2018 Roundup!
Sad about your sestina? Regretting your rime royal? Don’t worry! You’ve got another shot at all of 2018’s poetry slams this month. If you missed a month, why not jump on in? We’ve got a handy list and roundup of poetry forms right here!
Prompt Up!
Prompt Up is our mandatory weekly writing prompts for the fiction|poetry challenge! Here's How It Works!
It’s December! After the rush of NaNoWriMo or NaNoDoMore and Thanksgiving (for US writers) we’re turning our gaze to the end of the year. Everybody is busy with family, festivities, and winding up the year, so this month we’re taking the pressure off and asking you to include one compulsory single one-word prompt in your writing. You should mention the word itself in your work.
The compulsory one-word prompt, from YeahWrite #397 fiction|poetry winner Rowan, is: prickly
Poets: December is a fun time for you too! This month you can write a poem incorporating the prompt word; prickly, or pick your favourite poetry form from 2018, or try a form you’ve never tried before from 2018. You can find all the poetry forms from this year here. If you choose a poetry form we’ve covered this year, you do not have to include the prompt word (though you can if you’d like to).
Fiction|Poetry Challenge Grid: Basic YeahWrite Guidelines
Loading InLinkz ...YeahWrite Super Challenge
Super Challenge #11 (nonfiction!) is now open for registration! Our next contest kicks off in 2019 so sign up today to ensure your spot. 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.
