Eating an elephant
The old adage goes; how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. When the task of writing and submitting work for publication feels too daunting, breaking that down into more manageable chunks helps me immensely. I can tackle each smaller task pretty easily. Each step of the process feels less intimidating, less elephantine. So, how do you break this seemingly enormous job into smaller, bite-sized tasks, Asha? Well, I’m delighted you asked! Have you joined us at The Scarlet Quill Society? Yes, it’s about editing your work, but you know that editing starts even before you commit words to the page, right? Join Rowan for next month’s session to see what steps you can take, even before writing your first word, to present your best possible work, whether for publication, or gifting, or enjoying yourself. The next post in the series drops Tuesday, and the February meeting will be on the 13th, so consider it a Valentine’s present to your favorite character!
~Asha
This Week’s Writing Prompt is:
Image via @NappyStock
ID: A dark-skinned bearded man with short-cropped hair, wearing light coloured sweatshirt, pants and running shoes, sits cross-legged in profile on rocks facing left of screen. His hands are not visible but his posture, back slightly bent, suggests he is holding his left calf. He wears a small silver hoop earring in his left ear and his head is slightly raised, eyes open and looking into the distance. In the background, grass and rock covered hills rise up. The sky is grey and overcast.
This week, your job, should you choose to accept it, is to write a story or essay using the above image. Stuck? We’ve gone into detail about unraveling this sort of prompt style in this Technique Toolbox post on characters – images.
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!
In February we’ll be discussing what you can do before you start writing to make your or your editor’s life easier later.
Are you ready to pick up your red pen? Come take a look!
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:
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.
