Masquerade balling
We’re right in the middle of Djeran in my part of the world. The days are getting shorter, and cooler for the most part, though we still get the occasional “surprise, it’s shorts weather!” days. Flying ants are getting into everything; gardens, houses, hair, nostrils (cue loud sobbing). Gulli trees are spreading red-fringed limbs in greeting, and the sun is filtered through a patina of smoke from prescribed burns for bushfire risk management. Between the smoke and the pollen, it’s usually a tough time to be asthmatic, but one of the few positives to come out of the global pandemic has been the normalisation of wearing masks. Hooray for silver linings, right?
~Asha
This Week’s Writing Prompt is:
Genre: Magical realism
When writing your story, there are three elements you must include:
- a realistic, real-world setting,
- fantastical elements (these can be events or characters), and
- an acceptance of the fantastical elements by the author and the story’s characters as if they’re perfectly ordinary, everyday occurences. Note: THIS IS NOT URBAN FANTASY. Look that up if you want to make sure of the differences.
Your goal is to write a story in this element-based genre. Want some pointers on how to really nail it? We’ve gone into detail in this month’s Technique Toolbox on Navigating Prompts.
There are no word limits. You can write fiction or nonfiction (trust us on this one- you can do it); you may interpret the prompt any way you like. Share your response in the Coffeehouse, located both on Facebook or Discord, by linking your blog post, Google Doc, or other file. Check out your fellow YeahWriters’ responses, and don’t forget to leave them some love in the comments!
Looking for our weekly grids? After nearly ten years, they’ve been retired. Read more about the latest changes to YeahWrite in the #500 Weekly Writing Challenge Kickoff Post.
The Schedule
We will release a new prompt on our blog every Friday at 12pm Eastern.
Then it’s up to you! Write your response to the prompt on your own blog or website and share the link in the Coffeehouse, located both on Facebook or Discord. If you prefer to keep your work under wraps (and away from the eyes of potential publishers), you can still ask for beta readers in the Coffeehouse and share your work privately!
Every Monday, we’ll check in to see how you’re doing and what your writing goals are for the week.
Wednesdays are “Work-in-Progress Wednesdays.” Share a few sentences or even a paragraph or two in the Coffeehouse (no more than 250 words, please). Even if you’re not done writing, this could be the boost you need to stay motivated.
Did you publish a book? Do you have a story in a magazine? The First Friday of every month is for self-promotion, where you can share commercial links to your work for purchase. (You can always share the news that you’ve been accepted for publication, though!)
And of course, the entire community is here 24-7 to share your victories and setbacks, challenges and accomplishments. So come on in, pull up a chair, and say hello. We’re all writers here.
Upcoming and Ongoing
Sign up for our email blast so you don’t miss out on any upcoming classes, workshops, or competitions.
Ongoing: Navigating Prompts - Element-Based Genre Prompts (Free Workshop)
In our monthly Navigating Prompts series, we’ll talk you through how to analyze and respond to a specific prompt style. We’ll coordinate the weekly prompts with the monthly post so you’ll have a chance to practice, compare notes with other writers in the Coffeehouse, located both on Facebook or Discord, and get advice from beta readers and YeahWrite editors. You’ll get to hone your skills when you’re not in crisis mode, trying to meet that fast-approaching deadline. And who knows—maybe you’ll end up with a new story or two in your back pocket!
Ah, genre. Those allcaps titles hanging alluringly over the shelves at your favorite bookstore. Okay, fine, maybe they’re just a checkbox in the margin of your online shopping experience, but when you ask most people what they like to read they’ll name a genre first, and then get more specific. And genre prompts are beloved of competitions and anthologies, because they can give widely disparate stories a sense of unity.
In May, we’ll be taking the first of two looks at genre prompts. This month we’re discussing the sorts of genres that break down into lists of elements. You’ll get tips on what’s vital, what’s nice, and how to tell if you’ve hit or missed the mark in writing to a genre prompt. Check it out!
Super Challenge #20
Registration for Super Challenge #20 is now open through May 5! Our twentieth (!!) Super Challenge is a flash fiction competition, and we hope you will join us when the contest kicks off on May 7. Want to be notified for all Super Challenge updates? Make sure you sign up for our email blast.
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. Asha writes flash fiction, short stories, and creative nonfiction. She is published in a variety of places and you can find links to her work at Asha Rajan Writer.
