Stop Bee-ing A Jerk, 2020
Earlier this week, I landed in the emergency room with anaphylaxis. I’ve had fairly severe local reactions to bee and wasp venom my entire life, so I knew this was a possibility at some point, but 2020 is really trying to go down in history as the worst year ever on every level from micro to macro. Thankfully, I’m fine now. One of my college friends said, after I was better of course, that at least I’ll have the most interesting update for the class notes.
Nobody likes to go through bad experiences (and even with the anaphylaxis being stung isn’t “bad” on many levels, just painful and scary), but it is true that they give you a story you didn’t have before–sometimes lots of stories, depending on how long or complicated the problem was. Writing about a bad day or time in your life can also be therapeutic. So if you’re stuck thinking about something miserable or scary that happened to you, try writing it out as a story even if you don’t put it on the grids (and if you do, remember to put a content warning if your story merits it). If you’re feeling more upbeat, happy or funny stories are great too, and you should definitely upload those to the grids: we could all use a boost this year! Or you can split the difference, and tell about a bad thing using humor, like I just did.
–Stacie
Welcome to Week 486
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.
*Note that our microprose grid now opens on Saturday at 12 midnight and closes on Sunday at 11:59pm ET. You’ve got a whole 48 hours to get your submissions in! Voting will open with the rest of the grids on Wednesday.
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: August’s challenge is to tell your story. No, to tell it, not write it. Intrigued?
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’s prompt is theater. Whether that means a play, movie, cabaret, or class to you, we want to hear about it. Have fun!
Fiction|Poetry Mandatory Prompt
It’s August and we’re powering ahead to take a chomp out of the second half of the year with two new mandatory prompts. The first prompt is a superpower, and the second prompt is a food. Each week this month we’ll give you a specific superpower and a specific food to include in your story. Both prompts must be integral to the plot.
This week’s superpower prompt is: fire generation (click the link to find out more about what this superpower is and how it manifests. You may use any or all of the applications of this superpower in your story).
This week’s food prompt: mustard (the condiment) (Not sure what mustard is? Click the link! You may use any form of mustardseed; seeds, ground, cracked, or creamed condiment, but it must be integral to your plot. And no greens, although they’re delicious!)
Have fun, try something new, and come join us on the grids.
Poets: For August, we’re focusing on words and the sounds they make as ways to play with the form of your poem. Check out our technique-based 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 - Pros and Consonance
In 2020, we’re turning from “how to write a poem” to “what is a poem?” with technique-based slams. In August, we’re falling in love with words again. Explore consonance, rather than rhyme or alliteration, as a way to add sonic structure to your poem and entrance your reader. Check it out!
Microprose Mandatory Prompt
It’s the first Saturday of the month, and that means it’s time for 48 in 48! Here’s how it works: we give you a prompt, and you have 48 hours to write a response in exactly 48 words. Submissions will close on Sunday at 11:59pm US Eastern time. Voting opens on Wednesday at 10:00pm, which gives you plenty of time to read this grid—and the others!—before you vote.
Here’s the prompt: Give us a 48-word story about a person who has stopped casting a shadow.
A few rules:
- We mean this literally: a person who, when a light source is on them, does not cast a shadow. (However: the character may not be transparent.)
- The character must have had a shadow at one point, but no longer does.
- The character must be a human: no supernatural monsters (e.g. ghosts or vampires).
- Your story can be an “origin story” (how Nico lost his shadow) or an explanation of how the person’s shadow went missing, but it does not have to be.
- As always, we are looking for prose, not poetry.
- Surprise us: you don’t have to tell the most unique story ever, but don’t fall back on lazy writing and tired tropes that can turn off your readers.
That’s it! Happy writing!
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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Loading InLinkz ...YeahWrite Super Challenge
Super Challenge #17 (nonfiction) is officially open for registration. 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:
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.
