Are you all sugared up on Halloween candy? Are houses in your street all decked out in spider webs and spooky finery? It’s not a big celebration in Australia, and I really miss it. I miss the tiny children who’d come to the door, dressed as a superhero or a ghost or a fairy. The children who’d be so very brave until they rang the doorbell, and then their voices would desert them and they’d stand shyly, eyes downcast, treat pails thrust forward. I miss the whispered “Happy Halloween” before they’d rush back to their parents waiting at the end of the drive. I miss the wonder in their eyes as they took in each skeleton and gravestone, each witch and ghost that I’d carefully placed in the yard for them. Don’t tell anyone, but my favourite trick-or-treater of all time was the four-year-old Spiderman in the ill-fitting costume who thought Peter Pan and Wendy lived in my house because of the large oak tree that had branches that reached up to the upstairs bedroom windows. Childhood is such a time of unashamed creative expression, of wistful dreaming, of imaginitive worlds and fantastic realities. It’s one of the reasons I love Halloween so much; it’s the celebration where adults can be unabashedly creative and fun-filled. My challenge to you (and to myself) is to bring that Halloween spirit into your writing. Be brave, be wistful, be experimental, and of course continue to be thoughtful, kind, and respectful.
–Asha
[Ed’s note: we’ve got some big news and a few changes coming next week for YW 500, so if you’ve been meaning to get on the grids and just haven’t found the time lately, you might want to take Asha up on her challenge! But don’t worry; the changes are a lot more treat than trick. /RBG]
Welcome to Week 499
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.
This post goes live like, ten minutes before November, so let’s jump ahead: In November we’re playing with how setting affects your characters. You’ll take the same ideas, motivations, and people, and move them to another location (or even another time!), making the changes you need to in their jobs and lives to fit them in. How would your coffee shop conversation go if it took place on the bridge of a starship under attack? What if your fight with your significant other happened in the Land of Oz? What if your Captain was actually a literature professor and the crew were her students? The sky isn’t the limit as we play with alternate universes.
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 a spooky encounter. Does your mom swear she saw a ghost in the house? Ever have an unexplained event? Do things in your home move randomly, and reappear later in a place you know you looked first? Tell us about it! But most importantly, whether you use this prompt or not…have fun!
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: One flashlight flash meant danger, two flashes meant it was safe; but she saw three flashes that night from beyond the bog.
photograph: You can click here, or on the image itself, to download a copy to use in your post.
Image description: Image is of a lone, large three-storey house in the dark, in deep fog. Some windows are lit, others are not. The house is surrounded by a white metal fence. The silhouettes of trees can be seen in the yard around the house. There are no other buildings near the house.
Photo by Ján Jakub Naništa 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.
Since this week spans two months, you’re also welcome to dive into November’s technique, the volta, that encourages you to make your reader re-evaluate everything they just read. Check it out! And make it count: this is our last slam.
Poetry Slam - October AND November?
In 2020, we’re turning from “how to write a poem” to “what is a poem?” with technique-based slams.
With only one day remaining in October, you’re welcome to take one more shot at the October slam. But if you’re ready to move on…
Essayists aren’t the only writers who get to end on a zinger. Poets have been doing it for centuries. Whether you call it a tornada, volta, or just “that thing I did at the end of the sonnet,” there’s a technique that encourages you to make your reader re-evaluate everything they just read. That’s what we’re digging into for November’s slam. Check it out! And make it count: this is our last slam.
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:
Asha lives near the beach in Perth, Western Australia, but hates sand between her toes. She began blogging at YeahWrite in October 2014 with this post, and YeahWrite was lucky to pull her on board as a Contributing Editor in December 2016. In addition to short stories and personal essays, she is currently working on a novel set in the Perth hills. Asha is published in a variety of places including Modern Loss, PANK, Dead Housekeeping, and SheKnows. You can find her inconsistent blogging at Asha Rajan Writer.
