I never metaphor I didn’t like
Probably my favorite writing metaphor is working in the garden. Possibly because it’s one of the few times since FEBRUARY OF LAST FREAKIN YEAR that I get to spend quiet time alone with my thoughts and my music. But also possibly because I hate editing plants as much as I hate editing my own writing. It’s easy to yank out unwanted, invasive plants left over from the last homeowner (looking at you, clematis) but not quite so easy to pull out plants I put in that aren’t thriving (I’m so sorry, haskap bushes, I think we can relocate you to a shadier spot). So, to circle back to metaphors, it’s easier to edit someone else’s work than your own. It’s easy to see what’s not working and pull it out if you weren’t attached to it in the first place. And it’s easier to see mistakes (no, seriously, who plants a strawberry tree and a holly within three feet of each other? How was that going to work?) if you weren’t the one making them. After all, if you knew they were mistakes, you wouldn’t have done that, now would you?
Anyway, this is why it’s critical to have good writing partners and beta readers. In an ideal pairing, each person has complementary strengths and weaknesses so that while you may average out to about the same skill level, together you are much stronger. I caught up to my writing partner at one of our summer co-working sessions this week, and we got more done that day than we have in months. If you’ve got a free hour or two, we’d love to see you drop by! Check out the calendar, and we’ll post reminders (and the Zoom link) in the Coffeehouse as sessions come up. It’s a low-key hangout where you can put some faces to names and focus on your work. See you there!
~Rowan
This Week’s Writing Prompt is:
[Image: a slender person in a jacket, long pants, and boots is silhouetted in the foreground. The image is cropped so that their head is not visible. They are standing at the edge of a small body of water, on a weathered wood deck or boardwalk. Steam or fog is rising from the surface of the water. Around the far edge of the water are large hills or small mountains, also in silhouette.]
Prompt directions: Because this character has no face and you must be able to describe them well enough to be identifiable, you must include at least one of: this scene exactly as shown; or the clothing exactly as worn.
Your job, should you choose to accept it, is to write a story or essay incorporating the character featured in the above image. The person in the photo doesn’t have to be the main character, but they should be important enough that their presence affects the story. Stuck? Think about what you can see in the image vs what you can infer from it. The image may give you hints about who the character is, where they are (and/or when), or even what is happening to (or because of) the character. Need more pointers on how to use a character prompt? 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; 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 - Character Image 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!
What does a picture tell you about a person? And how do you describe them in a way that is both honest and respectful? Behind every photograph is a story, and it’s up to us to discover—or imagine—what that story is.
In July, we’re taking a second look at character prompts, this time as image prompts. We’ll discuss the difference between what you can observe in a photograph vs what you can infer, and delve into how to describe characters in a way that is both honest and respectful. Finally, we’ll talk about how to take a static portrait and build a story around it. We’ll even give you an opportunity to practice. Check it out!
Super Challenge #21 - Nonfiction
Super Challenge #21 is officially open for early bird registration! We’re heading back to the land of creative nonfiction, so be sure to register today to take advantage of this discounted rate. You can also sign up for our email blast. so that you don’t miss out on any Super Challenge announcements.
Summer Co-working!
This summer, join YeahWrite editors and writers for a series of laid-back, low-key co-working sessions. We hold 1-2 hosted Zoom calls every week, with an eye to time zones so that everyone will have a chance to particpate. We’ll have a little time to say hello and socialize, and then we’ll buckle down to work on writing (or writing-related) projects. Working on a short story or novel? Updating your author website or scheduling out some social media posts? Or maybe you’re just organizing your writing space. Whatever it is, we’re here for it, and we hope you will be too. Details and a calendar are already available; note that we’ll likely add or adjust sessions based on writers’ and editors’ availability. Learn more here!
About the author:
Rowan submitted exactly one piece of microfiction to YeahWrite before being consumed by the editorial darkside. She spent some time working hard as our Submissions Editor before becoming YeahWrite’s Managing Editor in 2016. She was a BlogHer Voice of the Year in 2017 for her work on intersectional feminism, but she suggests you find and follow WOC instead. In real life she’s been at various times an attorney, aerialist, professional knitter, artist, graphic designer (yes, they’re different things), editor, secretary, tailor, and martial artist. It bothers her vaguely that the preceding list isn’t alphabetized, but the Oxford comma makes up for it. She lives in Portlandia with a menagerie which includes at least one other human. She tells lies at textwall and uncomfortable truths at CrossKnit.
