Word Guilt
Whenever my therapist asked me how my week went, I would always mumble to him about how I hadn’t written anything. He found it interesting that I measured my week by the words I DIDN’T write.
He asked me how many words I thought I had generated in a week, and then he challenged me to keep track of it all: at work, my personal journaling, YeahWrite submissions and blog posts, emails, social media posts, everything.
The next meeting we went over the numbers.
Let me tell you, my guess was WAY UNDER my actual word count. In that moment, I realized that my lack of motivation for writing after generating literally tens of thousands of words for work and YeahWrite was completely justified.
That conversation took place over 2 years ago. I finished 2019 down on myself again for “not writing enough.” So my 2020 resolution is to track my writing. Nothing too formal, just checking in and being aware of all of the writing I do. At the end of the year, I ‘ll have a record, so I won’t be able to fall into that guilt funk. I can celebrate my accomplishments. Plus, I’ll have a gauge to balance my work and personal writing and prevent burn-out.
Do you get down on yourself for not writing as much as you think you should? Maybe tracking your writing would help you, too.
*copies/pastes this intro into a word counter to track it*
–Nate
Welcome to Week 457
We’re kicking off the week in style at YeahWrite with 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: 20/20 Hindsight
For 2020 we’re looking back at stories. Well. We will for the rest of the year, anyway. This month your challenge is to write the story or essay you’ll be looking back at, and re-envisioning in creative ways. Sound interesting? Check out our 2020 workshop right here.
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 an early memory. One of the most interesting challenges in nonfiction is balancing what you know (and how you write) now with what you perceived and how you spoke as a child. See what balance you need to strike on this week’s grid, and have fun!
Fiction|Poetry Mandatory Prompt
January’s prompt is about plotting. Here’s how it works: We give you a decision point in which a character (probably your main character) must make a decision, and you set up and follow through on the consequences of that decision. Think Choose-Your-Own-Adventure!
For example, say the prompt is “A character must decide whether to take the dog for a walk or continue watching tv.” As a source of conflict in the story, you could put your MC’s leg in a cast. Does the MC avoid using their leg and continue watching tv? If so, have them slip in the dog poo on their kitchen floor. If not, have them fall into a creek in the park because their dog darted for a squirrel.
This week’s decision point is:
The main character (MC) sees someone about to commit a minor crime. Do they use their superpower or not?
Your story must contain a point where the main character either uses or consciously does not use their superpowers. The minor crime and the superpowers are up to you. Good stories will build significance to the decision made, invoke emotion from the consequences of the choice, and not end before the decision is made.
Poets: Check out our technique-based January slam, then explore that technique to write a poem of your own. Or write a different style of poem incorporating the prompt above. Or both, we’re only mostly the boss of you.
Poetry Slam - This is Just to Say
In 2020, we’re turning from “how to write a poem” to “what is a poem?” with technique-based slams. This month, deconstruct line breaks with William Carlos Williams, and use them to good effect in a short poem. There’s even a bonus round! Check it out.
[Ed’s note: If you’ve already done a “This is Just to Say” style poem, you should definitely try extending that technique to your own style poem, stretching the limits and looking at how line breaks affect your words. Try it in a sonnet. Try it in a string of couplets. You know, now that you’ve got the hang of it.]
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, and are looking into alternative services. Thank you for your patience!
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Our tiniest challenge with the biggest bang is open the first Saturday of every month for exactly 48 hours.
YeahWrite Super Challenge
Registration is now open for Super Challenge #15! We are heading back to the realm of flash nonfiction this time, so make sure you take advantage of the discounted rate through January 22. 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.
