Sketch Me If You Can
I was just reading an article about the inception of the television show Schitt’s Creek. In it Dan Levy, the writer, producer, director, and actor of the show, talked about the experience of collaborating with his father, comedian Eugene Levy:
“We spent probably two weeks writing out the biographies of each and every one of the characters,” says the younger Levy. “That was one of the greatest gifts my dad gave me, because I really wanted to just write [the scripts], and he was the one who said that we needed to take the time to figure out who the people are first, and that the writing was last, the icing on the cake.”
I’m sure you can see why that quote stood out to me. Character sketches can give depth and authenticity to your characters. Just because they aren’t necessarily publishable does not make them a waste of time.
–Nate
Welcome to Week 445
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. You might have noticed that our editors are in costume this week (well, our user icons are anyway), so … tell us about a time you dressed up. In costume, or for a fancy party, or heck, the first time you had to figure out what to wear for a job interview. Or tell us something else entirely: we wanna know!
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. In September, we focused on writing active character sketches. This month, we’re switching back to complete 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 #442 Fiction|Poetry winner, Lisa, is: Dr. Ronda Karion, the kleptomaniac university professor.
The setting, from YeahWrite #443 Fiction|Poetry winner, Laura, is: a parking garage.
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!
Loading InLinkz ...
Loading InLinkz ...Looking For Microprose?
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. Registration ends Wednesday, October 23. 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:
As a professional editor and writer, Nate has published his work in numerous English and history textbooks and in online reading programs. In February 2014, he found his way back to creative writing and began submitting to YeahWrite. Soon after, he became an editor of the Fiction|Poetry challenge. You can read his work at northwest journals, a blog that has been recognized by WordPress Discover, Five Star Mix-tape, Genealogy á la Carte, The Drabble, and BlogHer’s Voice of the Year. He lives in Chicago with his partner and a mini-Bengal tiger.
