Never Say Never
When I left my last full time job about two years ago, I swore I’d never take another. Being in business for myself seemed like the best idea. I mean, who wants someone else telling them what to do, when to do it, and all that? I certainly don’t. But then an opportunity came my way that I coudn’t pass up, so I agreed to let someone, once again, tell me what to do and when to do it. I’m actually kind of looking forward to having someone take the reins for a bit once. Maybe I didn’t need to swear off traditional employment, but rather just take a break.
Breaks are good for the soul. When you’re weary because of whatever, don’t be afraid to take a break and change course. Change is important, but it doesn’t happen until we’re willing to admit that it’s what we need. I half expected someone to call me out and say, “But I thought you loved freelancing!” in the face of my about-face. There was even a little part of me that almost didn’t take the job because I was being stubborn about loving freelancing.
If fear is the thing that holds you back, ditch that. (I know, easier said than done.) If it’s pride and stubborness, I suggest you ditch that, too. (Yes, also easier said than done.) One look around at the current state of the world and it’s ever more apparent that life is too short to let negative emotions rule. Why not just do the thing you want to do instead of giving any more time to fear or pride? This week, give that a try. What have you got to lose?
–Michelle
Welcome to Week 492
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.
They say it’s not the story but who tells it. For September we’re exploring how the story is told and how that in turn affects the reader’s perception. Explore your story again by telling it with a different voice.
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 to write about pride. Pride can be a positive or a negative emotion: it can keep us motivated and satisfied, or it can hold us back for fear of failure. Tell us about something you’re proud of, or about a time you had to overcome your pride, or something else entirely if that’s where your mind is this week. Have fun, but don’t forget your so what!
Fiction|Poetry Mandatory Prompt
September’s here and we’re in the last third of the year. It’s the home stretch, y’all! If you squint, you can almost see the end of the year up ahead. This month, we’re giving you two mandatory prompts.
The first prompt is a character. The given character does not have to be your main character, but does need to be identifiable and integral to the story.
The second prompt is an action. The action can be done by any character in your story, but must be easy for your reader to locate and must be integral to the plot. For example, if the prompt is “find a coin” the story could be about someone literally stumbling over a pile of gold coins, looking for pirate treasure, or holding onto the lucky coin they found in order to do well on a test. A character digging through their purse and finding two pens, a quarter, and a movie ticket is going to be considered tangential to the plot, unless they then use that quarter to break out of jail or something.
This week’s two prompts are:
character: a tour guide of a major international destination spot with astraphobia
Remember: this character does not have to be the main character, but must be described well enough that they’re easy to identify, and should be integral to your story.
action: knitting a scarf
Remember: any character may perform the action, not just the main character, so long as the action is important enough that the plot would be very different without it.
Poets:
In September, we’re shifting our gaze from the poem to the subject in a type of poem called persona, narrated by a chosen person or object (Check it out here). Write a persona poem, or use one of the above prompts (hey, look, a character!) in a poem of your choice.
Poetry Slam - It's Personal
In 2020, we’re turning from “how to write a poem” to “what is a poem?” with technique-based slams. In September, we’re shifting our gaze from the poem to the subject. To really know someone, you should supposedly walk a mile in their shoes. These quarantined days we don’t get out that much, but we can still walk in each other’s shoes in a type of poetry called persona where each poem is narrated by a chosen person or object. See whose shoes you’ll walk in (or write a poem from the POV of your own shoes) in this month’s slam! 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
The final round of Super Challenge #17 (nonfiction) is officially underway! Good luck to all our participants as they anxiously await the results! Miss out on registration? 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.
