Dance Whether Someone’s Watching or Not
I’m sure you’ve seen the posts on Facebook where one person (and then about 35-55% of your feed) posts a question on a cute background so everyone can answer and play along. I saw one not too long ago asking people to name a song that they have to get up and dance to every time they hear it. There were lots of popular songs named from a variety of eras. I specifically recall seeing Whitney Houston and Prince on the list. I’m not a dancer, so I had nothing to contribute. I almost felt kind of bad about myself but then realized I really am OK with my non-dancing ways.
But later that day, the ice cream truck was driving by playing its little song. It doesn’t even matter what song YOUR ice cream truck plays, I’m sure it still has that distinctive ice cream truck sound. Anyway, before I even knew what was happening, I was dancing to the song. It turns out THAT’s the song I have to dance to when I hear it. Then I noticed that the same thing happens when my washing machine cycle stops and it plays a little song. Another favorite? The little tune that comes out of the self-checkout at my local Ralph’s that reminds me to get my receipt.
What’s the point? I don’t know. I guess it’s that you get to decide what kind of music makes you want to dance and you can enjoy the hell out of that song and dance if that’s what you want to do. Now go extrapolate that into some sort of writing lesson and get to work.
–Michelle
Welcome to Week 496
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.
Get into character—or into your story—in a different way in October by exploring the scenes you set and the people in them via… poetry? That’s right. This month, we’re turning prose into poems. Get ready to dive deep into the emotional impact of your story or essay and explore some ways to make a reader care.
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 takes its cue from Michelle’s introduction to the week: write about dancing. Or don’t, we’re not your supervisor.
Fiction|Poetry Mandatory Prompt
It’s October and time to get out your Halloween decorations, enjoy a little pumpkin spice, and brace yourself for the changing season. Whether the days are getting shorter and cooler where you are, or longer and warmer, we’ve got two new mandatory prompts to get you through.
The first prompt is a first line. The given line must be used without any changes as the first line in your story. You may not change tense, number or sentence structure, and you may not add or subtract words. You may, however, add quotes around the text if you’re putting it in dialogue. This is a good opportunity to practice writing in a different voice or style to match the line we give you.
The second prompt is a photograph. You may use the photograph as the setting or main character for your story, or you may want to work the image into your story in some other way. However you choose to use the image, it must be easy for your reader to locate and must be integral to the plot. Remember to credit the image if you use it in your blog post.
This week’s two prompts are:
first line: She knew he was terrified of small spaces.
photograph: You can click here, or on the image itself to download a copy to use in your post.
Image by Přemysl Čech on Unsplash
Because it’s October:
You may be thinking about writing horror stories. That’s great! (Rowan will be so excited.) However. Not everyone loves a horror story. [Ed’s note: Or you could be me. I love horror but I hate werewolves. /RBG] This is your reminder to include an appropriate content warning if your work merits one. And don’t fall back on lazy writing and tired tropes that can turn off your readers. You’re not going to shock us. We really have read it all. (That’s not a challenge. We’ve read that response too.) Put as much thought and care into crafting a horror story as you would any other kind of writing: don’t be racist, don’t include things that don’t advance the plot, and remember there are other character motivations than sexual assault. It’ll pay off.
Poets:
In October, we’re taking a word-level look at our poetry by examining and deliberately recycling words with more than one meaning or spelling. (Check it out here). Write poem using these words, or use one of the above prompts (oooh, an image prompt!) in a poem of your choice.
Poetry Slam - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
In 2020, we’re turning from “how to write a poem” to “what is a poem?” with technique-based slams.
No matter whether you’re a spelling bee champ or can’t remember which witch is which, October’s technique is going to be interesting (and, we hope, fun). We’re talking about words that are the same—or almost the same—and how to re-use them in your poetry in different ways. Plus we’ll learn what the different pairs of words are called! You don’t have to memorize these, but it’s nice to be able to name what’s going on in a poem. It makes you sound smart, but more importantly, it ensures that you’re on the same page. Paging all editors: this goes for you, too. If you can’t tell the writer what they’ve done, you’re going to have a hard time helping them do it better. 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 (our very first MICROfiction competition) is now open for registration! Registration caps at 40 so get in while it’s hot! 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.
