Do Your Research
So if you read last week’s voting post, you already know I went whale watching last week. What you don’t know is that when I searched a free photo website for a breaching humpback whale, like the one I saw, I got a whole lotta BAD whale identification. For example, the photo I used said it was a sperm whale, but it wasn’t AT ALL, it was a humpback. Other people labeled humpback whales as fish. FISH!! And this just reminded me of how important it is to do proper research when you write. Sure, it’s possible that up to 90% of your readers will have no clue. BUT for those of us that do, you are pulling us out of the story in a very jolting way, so much so that we might decide not to finish reading. It’s totally ok to not know about stuff. I’m ignorant on plenty of things (though I do know about whales). But please, for the sake of your readers, try to do some homework about what you are writing about if you are less familiar with the subject. This includes biology (animal facts, medical stuff, local flora and fauna, forensics, etc) but also street names and directions if you are driving your protagonists through a real city that readers might be familiar with, regional accents and how to write them well, cultural traditions, time period facts (don’t put a car at a time before they were invented) etc. If you don’t know, consult a friend- or Google! The last thing you want is for someone to be enjoying your story and then stop abruptly because what you write makes no sense to them. Sure it takes more time, but the end result is worth it. I can’t tell you how good it feels, as a biologist, when I read a story where the facts are correct. You got this! It’s just a little more work.
-Stacie
Welcome to Week 434
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 – Pitch Perfect
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 August we’re beginning to put the pieces of the puzzle together, looking at how you assemble “this is who I am and what I write” into a tempting pitch or query for editors and agents. Not even sure what pitching means and how to do it? Stop by!
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 to write about a skinned knee. Are you clumsy? Did your kid slip and fall and terrify you, then bounce back up with a bandaid and a grin? Let us know!
Fiction|Poetry Mandatory Prompt
It’s August, and while it’s not quite back-to-school we’re getting back to work on the fiction|poetry grid.
This month we’ll have two mandatory prompts: an occupation and the first sentence of your story.
You must use our prompt sentence as the first sentence of your story. No changing tenses or punctuation, although you can add quotes around it to make it a line of dialogue.
One (or more) characters in your story must have the occupation, but it doesn’t have to be the main or point of view character.
Stories that make the prompts integral to the story and use them naturally will be favored by the editors. Hint: You may have to change up your writing style to become an author that would write the opening sentence. We encourage that!
This week’s occupation prompt, from YeahWrite #432 winner, Jen, is : convenience store clerk.
This week’s first sentence prompt, from YeahWrite editors, is: In my defense, it was a brilliant idea at the time.
Poets: It’s back to brevity for August with the sevenling. Write this three-stanza, seven-line poem, or write a poem in the form of your choice starting with our first line or featuring the occupation prompt. At least one of these three things is mandatory! But remember, our nonfiction grid also welcomes poetry that expresses your truth.
Poetry Slam - Sevenlings
August’s poetry slam returns to a short form, with strict requirements but not a required meter or rhyme. The sevenling has three stanzas and seven lines, each of which works to affect the meaning of the others. Come play in the sevenling sandbox with us as summer (or winter) draws to an end.
A QUICK NOTE REGARDING OUR GRIDS: Inlinkz, which supports our grid format, is currently upgrading its offerings and website which can sometimes result in a glitch or two. If you upload a piece to the grid and notice it disappears later on, please email us and let us know. This has been happening to one or two pieces each week. We will happily add it manually once we are notified. We apologize for the inconvenience. Thank you for your patience!
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Loading InLinkz ...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!
YeahWrite Super Challenge
Super Challenge #13 (nonfiction!) is officially underway! Good luck to all our participants as they anxiously await the results. 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.
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.
