We Are The Champions
I am a huge fan of American football, and last week, my University of Georgia Bulldogs won the national championship against one of our biggest rivals. It was 1980, before I was even born, the last time this happened, so you can imagine the high I’m riding experiencing this as a fan for the first time.
That 41 years of disappointment got me thinking of us as writers. Writing can be a lonely, solitary journey with rejections coming along far more often than acceptances. But YeahWrite is here to hopefully help cushion those blows, as well as lift you up even higher on those best of days when the news is good. We hope that by sharing these moments with each other, rather than keeping them locked away to ourselves, we can help make this journey a little less lonely for all of us.
So come hang out with us, on Facebook and/or Discord, so when that once in a lifetime day comes along, where whatever dreams you have (be it a national championship trophy, or more likely landing an agent, publishing your book, selling a story to your dream litmag, etc.), you’ve got all of us here to celebrate alongside you.
~Arden Ruth
This Week’s Writing Prompt is:
There’s no cure for a beast like me.
This week, your job, should you choose to accept it, is to write a story or essay using the above sentence as the first line. 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! Don’t forget to come back after the third Sunday of the month to see the recorded club meeting! This month, Rowan answered some questions still lingering about editorial roles. And she didn’t swear once, we’re so proud of her.
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:
Behind the scenes, Arden is currently working on the first novel of her Fated Paths trilogy. She also published a number of short stories and a fantasy anthology which can all be purchased on Amazon. Arden lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband and two rescue pups. To read more of her stories, visit her website.
