Brain Fog
Yesterday, while I was making dinner, I had an idea about what I would write here. Today, less than 24 hours later, that particular brilliance eludes me. I am a logical person, a scientist, with a good memory, at least historically, with one particular exception. My memory failed me spectacularly twenty-two years ago when I was in a chemotherapy-induced fog. The thing is, I feel EXACTLY like that now but without the drugs. I don’t think it’s any one thing this time though. I think it’s a combination of divorce-brain and the horror of what’s happening in the United States right now.
I can’t effectively read or write. But one thing that helps is to just put thoughts on the page (or screen). Maybe if you do that, you’ll have a story for the grids. Maybe you won’t. But the process is bound to be gratifying, at least in some way, no matter what.
–Stacie
[Ed’s note: Journaling or writing for yourself (I’m not *quite* sure what the difference is only that it really does feel different to me) is a great way to stay in practice. But it’s not the same as writing an essay. Here are some tips for turning that introspective “get something on the page” writing into an essay that will hook and keep your reader’s interest! /RBG]
Welcome to Week 494
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 sleep. Are you not getting enough? Do you love it? Must you have a wind-down ritual or are you great at crashing out any time, any place? Did you fantasize about it in the months after your kid was born? Tell us! Or tell us about something else; we promise we won’t fall asleep reading.
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 mailroom clerk
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: eating a bundt cake
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
Super Challenge #18 (flash fiction!) is coming! Make sure you 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.
