Another Writing Metaphor
This morning, just like I do every day, the first thing I did when I sat at my desk was check my email. Overnight there were over 50 new ones. I sifted through, checking off for deletion what I didn’t need. When I was done, there were only four left. Some of it was straight up junk, the kind of stuff that really should have landed in the junk folder. Much of it was unnecessary correspondence that resulted from some purchase I made. Some of it used to be useful but isn’t anymore, and I just haven’t gotten around to unsubscribing. A few things sounded good initially and turned out to just not work for me.
Cleaning my inbox is kind of like editing and revising. Some of what you may need to let go of isn’t “bad writing.” It might have worked when you first started, but by the end of the draft it no longer fits or isn’t necessary. Sometimes it’s too much detail – telling where you should have been showing (or worse, telling after you’ve already shown). Some of your darlings seem like the perfect lines, until they aren’t and have to be killed. And, yeah, some of it probably just isn’t good. The bottom line is that we have to look at our writing objectively as we revise and edit, cleaning up our prose as we would our inbox: until we’re left with the stuff that actually matters.
–Michelle
Welcome to Week 444
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 – Don’t Quit Your Day Job
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 October, we’re exploring that old, tired advice, “don’t quit your day job.” But should you take that advice, or is there a day job (or combination of day jobs) that’s right for you as a writer? Could writing be your day job? If not, how can you fit your writing life into your daily life?
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. Since Rowan is sick this week, we’re going to taunt her by asking you about comfort food. What’s yours and why? How do you make it? When did someone make it for you? Or write about something totally different: the (rainy) sky is the limit!
Fiction|Poetry Mandatory Prompt
Forget pumpkin spice lattes; this fall is gonna be all about CHARACTER.
It’s October and the second half of our twofer (two for one) deal. [Ed’s note: WOGO? Write one get one? /rbg] In September, we focused on writing active character sketches. This month, we’re switching back to completed short stories with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
The two mandatory prompts are a main character taken from September’s Fiction|Poetry challenge and a setting. Your job is to use the featured character below to some degree in your own completed story. Make that character’s actions and reactions in the given setting true to the original. Age them up; age them down. Put them on an alien planet or floating down a river. Just keep the character as similar as possible.
You may just write to one or two of the character’s traits, if you wish; we give a summary of the character below to focus you. Or go whole hog on the exercise by plopping the exact character into the new setting.
What’s the point of this, you ask? Well, experimenting with other writers’ styles helps us develop or define our own.
This week’s main character, from YeahWrite #439 Fiction|Poetry winner, Allison, is: Trish, the indecisive Starbucks barista.
The setting, from YeahWrite #442 Fiction|Poetry winner, Lisa, is: a public beach.
Poets: We’re exploring elegies over at the poetry slam. Write an elegy for the prompt character, or from their point of view, or write one for a different real or imagined loss. If you’re not in an elegiac mood, our nonfiction grid also welcomes poetry that expresses your truth.
Poetry Slam - Elegy
Halloween is in the air at YeahWrite, and what better time to explore funeral poetry? Come write an elegy with us, focusing on a real or imagined loss in your life and using your poetic vocabulary to share why it matters to you or your fictional narrator. See you on the grid?
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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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 #14 (fiction!) is now open for registration! Our next contest kicks off in October so sign up today to ensure your spot. Make sure you also 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:
Michelle submitted her first entry to YeahWrite in March 2012 and was brought on staff shortly thereafter. In 2016, she stepped into the role of Editor-In-Chief. Outside of YeahWrite, she is a freelance writer working with a variety of corporate clients, primarily in the insurance and employee benefits space. Her work has been featured on The Huffington Post, Cosplay Culture, and xoJane, as well as several local websites near her former home in northern NJ home. She now lives in Southern California, enjoying the sunshine. She sometimes blogs at themichellelongo.com.
