Now what?
Writing the thing is the first step; editing and polishing it is the next. That’s why this year we’re running a workshop series all about editing! Our new Scarlet Quill Society is the place to go for any writer who wants their work to be the best it can possibly be—and isn’t that all of us? We’ll post free monthly technique and resource articles (the first one is already available, and focuses on figuring out what different kinds of editors do: Whose Pen Is It Anyway?) followed by live discussions and Q&A every Second Sunday (mostly) with Rowan, our Managing Editor, along with other YeahWrite staff and some amazing guest panelists. We’ll even record the sessions in case you can’t make it!
Our first live session is this Sunday, January 9, at 2pm US Eastern time, and it’s free! (Future live sessions will charge a nominal $5 fee.) Sign up here so we know where to send the Zoom details—they won’t be posted publicly. Recordings are always free (or tip-what-you-can). Finally, you can sign up for monthly memberships that give you access not only to the sessions, but also a private Discord channel where you can chat directly with YeahWrite staff about your editing questions. And if you can’t make a session you’re signed up for, you can ask us online and we’ll answer in the session!
We’re really excited about what comes next. I hope to see you there!
~Christine
This Week’s Writing Prompt is:
What happened next was totally unexpected.
This week, your job, should you choose to accept it, is to write a story or essay incorporating the above sentence. It doesn’t need to be the first or last line, but it does need to appear exactly as written somewhere in your story. Stuck? We’ve gone into detail about unraveling this sort of prompt style in this Technique Toolbox post on word or phrase prompts.
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: Scarlet Quill Society (Free Workshop w/ Optional Paid Benefits)
Welcome to the secret back room where the Scarlet Quill Society meets. In this year-long workshop, the YeahWrite editors will help you hone your own editing skills so that you can feel confident that the work you are submitting is at its absolute best. We’re experimenting a little with our workshop format in 2022, and offering a couple add-ons to our always-free posts that we think you’ll find exciting and worth a few bucks a month: The Scarlet Quill Society will have actual face-to-face (okay, virtual) monthly meetings to delve into the topics and answer your questions, and an editorial backroom on Discord!
January’s topic: Editorial roles
What are the different kinds of editors? What do they do, and how do you ask for one? What can you do yourself, and what should you get help with? We cover it all. Check out the post, and don’t forget to sign up for our live session on the second Sunday of the month!
Super Challenge #23 - Flash Creative Nonfiction
Super Challenge #23 is now open for registration through February 9! Join us for one of the best competitinos for creative NONfiction and personal essays out there. You’ll get a unique and (we hope) interesting essay prompt, tons of great feedback, and you may even win cash prizes! Sign up for our email blast to get notified when registration opens, or keep an eye on our website.
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:
Christine Hanolsy is a (primarily) science fiction and fantasy writer who simply cannot resist a love story. She joined the YeahWrite team in 2014 as the microstory editor and stepped into the role of Editor-In-Chief in 2020. Christine was a 2015 BlogHer Voices of the Year award recipient and Community Keynote speaker for her YeahWrite essay, “Rights and Privileges.” Her short fiction has been published in a number of anthologies and periodicals and her creative nonfiction at Dead Housekeeping and in the Timberline Review. Outside of YeahWrite, Christine’s past roles have included Russian language scholar, composer, interpreter, and general cat herder. Find her online at christinehanolsy.com.
