Taking What I Can Get
If there’s one area of my life this COVID situation hasn’t upended, it’s my inability to write. I was having trouble before this started and I continue to struggle. On the rare occassion that I’m not super busy with work (really thankful to even *have* work, of course), I’m spending more time with my family (this is a good thing), cooking my 17th dinner of the week, putting away the dishes (how are there more to even wash already?!), or doing another load of laundry (we’re not going anywhere so why is there so much laundry?). When I finally sit down, my brain is fried. However, in all of this, I’ve had little snippets of inspiration. You can find the evidence of this on little Post-Its strewn about my desk and in emails I’ve sent to myself, subject line: book. One of these days, I’ll gather it all up and try to put something cohesive together. Until then, I’ll probably just go do more dishes, waiting for that next ripple of inspiration.
If you’re writing, and I hope you are, be sure to share it on the grid, okay?
–Michelle
Welcome to Week 472
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. Didn’t get a chance to write one in January? That’s fine: jump in whenever you can.
If you have a story or essay to work on, tag in: April’s challenge is to rewrite your story using only dialogue.
Check out this month’s challenge and some suggestions for how to succeed 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, we’re turning to our Hindsight challenge for inspiration: Write an essay that includes dialogue. Or don’t, the prompt is optional!
Fiction|Poetry Mandatory Prompt
For April, we wanted to keep things light and simple, maybe provide a bit of escape. So we’re going to give you a prompt (just one now) based on the characteristic of a genre of fiction.
We’re going to what now?
So, all genres have many or several or at least a few characteristics that define them. Just off the top of my head here: Fantasy stories have witches. Action Adventure stories have flinches. Medical crimes stories have stitches. Got it? Instead of giving you a prompt like “Mystery” and making you come up with a story that invokes all or most of the characteristics that define the genre, we are just going to ask you to meet one of the characteristics. Examples include: Write a story that includes a witch. Write a story that includes a bomb explosion. Write a story that involves surgery. See what I did there?
Okay. Now for the prompt:
Write a story where something or someone interrupts the main character’s average day in a big way.
Tell us how that comet falling through Anthony’s garage roof affected his marriage or how Daphne reacts when three cop cars skid onto her lawn. A MAJOR DISRUPTION to a normal day is a plot device often used in an action adventure story, so make it big and dangerous!
Poets: For National Poetry Month, we’re playing with metaphor and micropoetry in a slam that should stay fresh all month for you. Check out our technique-based April slam then explore that technique to write a poem of your own. Or write a different style of poem incorporating at least one of the prompts above. Or both? You might be able to do both.
Poetry Slam - 13 Ways
In 2020, we’re turning from “how to write a poem” to “what is a poem?” with technique-based slams. It’s National Poetry Month, and we’re investigating micropoetry and repeated metaphor through the lens of Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird. Check it out.
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
Super Challenge #16 is now open for registration! This time, we’re heading back to the land of flash fiction. Sign up today! 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.
