Omicron, oh omicron
I live in a relative utopia. I’m not being facetious, or delusional. For the last two years, as Covid19 and its offspring have ravaged the world, life has been pretty much normal in my state. We’ve barely worn masks, had less than a month total of lockdowns, and nine Covid deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. We’ve gathered in groups, gone to concerts, dined out, met friends and family, enjoyed the beach and lived an astonishingly pre-pandemic life. As the daily case numbers climb stratospherically in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and even South Australia, we watch with unbridled horror. But, when you’ve not faced adversity, a little inconvenience feels like a major blow. Today, with the announcement of case number 1133 (yes, that’s really how few cases of community transmission we’ve had in this state), we move to mandated mask-wearing in indoor public spaces and where social distancing isn’t possible. There are no nightclubs or concerts for the next five days, but we can still dine out or gather in each other’s homes. We’ve got decent double vaccination rates, it’s school holidays, and Christmas isn’t cancelled. There’s both a sense of quiet nervousness and preparedness – we’ve done this before, we’ve got masks and sanitiser, and toilet paper (I know. It’s weird). We’ll be okay.
~Asha
This Week’s Writing Prompt is:
Retelling: Vasilisa the Fair
Image from Vasilisa the Fair by Ivan Bilibin, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
December’s Navigating Prompts article is an overview of all the topics we covered this past year, and so there’s no fixed prompt style for the month. This week, your job, should you choose to accept it, is to retell the story of Vasilisa the Fair in new and unique ways, in ways only you can. If you’re unfamiliar with this story, you can click on the link to go to a well explained version. Stuck on how to approach this prompt? We’ve gone into detail about unraveling this sort of prompt style in this Technique Toolbox post on retellings.
There are no word limits. You can write fiction or nonfiction; you may interpret the prompt any way you like, but you must use it exactly as written. 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 - Annual Roundup (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!
We’re wrapping up our 2021 writing help series with an overview of everything we covered this past year. Refresh your memory and sharpen that pencil – you’ll find everything you need to know about the most common prompt types all in one place. Check it out!
Super Challenge #22 - Flash Fiction
Super Challenge #22 is officially underway! Good luck to all our finalists as they anxiously await the final results (posted later today, Friday, December 24!). Miss out on registration? Sign up for our email blast so that you don’t miss out on any Super Challenge announcements.
WIP Write-Ins, AKA Co-Working Hours
Last summer, you all joined the YeahWrite editors (and writers like you) for a series of laid-back, low-key co-working sessions. We chatted, we brainstormed, we got to know one another, and arguably most importantly, we wrote actual words! Once summer ended, we weren’t ready for co-working to disappear like the hot weather, so starting in October, co-working is back!
Join Christine every Wednesday from 9:00am – 11:00am Pacific Time and Arden every other Friday from 12:00 – 2:00pm Pacific Time for regular WIP Write-ins. Other sessions will be scheduled in the future, so keep an eye on our calendar and we’ll be sure to post announcements of pop-up sessions in our Discord and Facebook groups. See you there!
[Ed’s note: if you add that calendar to your own Google calendar, it’ll change the times to match your time zone automagically. No more searching “what time is 9am Pacific in Warsaw?” You’re welcome. /RBG]
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.
