TLC
I volunteer at a dog rescue place, and one of the puppies was sad today. Normally, this particular shelter is a happy place, unlike the ones in those heart-breaking television commercials [ed’s note: I will never hear a Sarah McLachlan song the same way again oh my goodness don’t google that. /RBG] . But this puppy seemed to be mourning the loss of his siblings, who both got adopted already. He’s a beautiful brindle pup, who definitely won’t linger long. I gave him some extra TLC (tender loving care) and told him not to worry, that his forever family will come for him soon.
Sometimes our writing needs a little TLC too, or at least mine does. My early drafts are usually not very good. Sometimes, a winning story comes from sitting on a piece of writing for a week or two until I have a better idea of how to best tell it. Beta readers can also be invaluable in pointing out what works and what doesn’t, so don’t be shy about solicitng a beta reader in the YeahWrite Coffeehouse on Facebook! But the main point is that just because you wrote a story this week, that doesn’t mean it’s ready. And that’s ok. Taking the extra time to get it right, to proof it one more time for errors, is always worth the wait. Not that I’m trying to discourage you from submitting to the grids this week. Au contraire, I want you to! But it’s also ok to incubate something just a bit longer.
-Stacie
[Ed’s note 2, because apparently I just can’t quit: Remember, thinking time counts as writing time. Sometimes my first draft is just “that time Nan yelled at us” and then I spend a week thinking about what made that moment important, write the whole thing in my head in the shower, and then frantically try to transcribe my moment of brilliance while half-wrapped in a bathrobe, dripping onto the keyboard. Talking it out, too, can be an important part of writing. Your betas (and friends) can save you from making mistakes before Word One hits the page or screen. So if you’ve got something you’ve been considering for a while? Maybe it’s time to write it down. /RBG]
Welcome to Week 422
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 Saturday 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.
Technique Toolbox: Year of Fearless Writing – Your Bio and Website
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. This year is our Year of Fearless Writing, where we’re going to focus on the craft of writing, not the art, to take you from “I write” to “I’m a writer.”
In May we’re talking about you and how you can get more people to do that. That means having a meaningful bio and website. You’ll need to tell people who you are and what you write, and what’s better than having all that information at your fingertips any time you want it? Plus, the next time someone asks “what do you write? would I have read it?” at a cocktail party you can shrug and say breezily “oh, it’s all on my website” and hand them your card with the URL on it. Wait… you do have cards, right?
Nonfiction: Optional Prompt
The nonfiction grid has no mandatory prompts. However, each week, we will give you an optional prompt in case that helps your mostly-true story juices flow. This week’s prompt is rain. Got a flood story? Grew up in a desert? Your favorite smell is petrichor? Tell us all about it!
Fiction|Poetry Mandatory Prompt
Prompt Up is our mandatory weekly writing prompt for the fiction|poetry challenge! Here's How It Works!
It’s May, and we’re sticking to the two-prompt format. The first will be an object; the second will be a setting. Both prompts are mandatory for short story submissions.
The object prompt, chosen by our YeahWrite #420 fiction|poetry winner, Josephine, is: a hot air balloon. The degree to which you incorporate this object into the plot is up to you, but objects that are integral to the story are more likely to impress the editors.
The setting prompt, chosen by the YeahWrite Editors, is: the planet Hoth, near the centre of the Milky Way. The setting doesn’t have to be the only place the story happens, but it must be integral to the story (obvs).
Poets (and microprose fans!): May’s form reminds me, Nate, of how the genie in Aladdin describes his lamp: “Phenomenal cosmic powers . . . Itty bitty living space.” The lune will have you telling epic stories in just 13 syllables. Read up on how this form differs from a haiku. Or you can bypass the featured form and write a poem that incorporates either of the short story prompts.
Poetry Slam - Lune
If National Poetry Month has you a little worn down, don’t worry: May’s poetry slam is worn down to only 13 syllables!
Unlike many short-form poems, which were invented in other languages and only nominally work in English because they lack the layered meaning available when you can (for example) write the same sound three ways, the lune – a 13 syllable, three-line poem – was invented in English to take advantage of its linguistic flexibility. So get your counting fingers out and join us on the grid this month!
A QUICK NOTE REGARDING OUR GRIDS: Inlinkz, which supports our grid format, is currently upgrading its offerings and may not be able to support image-based grids for a brief period of time. Don’t be worried if your link and other links appear as text over the coming weeks (or perhaps even months) during this transition. Thank you for your patience!
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Our tiniest challenge with the biggest bang is open the first Wednesday of every month from midnight to 10 p.m.
YeahWrite Super Challenge
Super Challenge #12 (fiction!) is now officially underway! Good luck to all our competitors as they anxiously await their first round results. Did you miss out on registration? Make sure you also sign up for our email blast so you don’t miss 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.
About the author:
Stacie joined YeahWrite as its Fiction Editor in early 2013 before becoming YeahWrite’s Executive Editor in 2016. She blogs at Stacie’s Snapshots and Tidbits and was thrilled to be honored as a 2015 BlogHer Voice of the Year (VOTY) for this post. Before retiring, Stacie’s career involved developing new medicines for cancer and autoimmune diseases, work that resulted in more than twenty publications in scientific journals. Now, she enjoys daily hikes with her dogs and spending more time with her youngest son while her oldest is off at college.
