Comfort Watch
When I get stressed I have trouble taking in new media. In the past (mumble) years the only new media I’ve watched is: Fury Road, The Old Guard, Our Flag Means Death. Yeah. That’s it. When I’m stressed out I reach for the tropes I know, the comfort watches and reads that I understand. And there’s nothing wrong with that. There’s nothing terrible about writing a predictable story, or a story where the good guys win, or a story with no plot twist. It’s fine. As long as you know what you’re writing and what problematic tropes you might be carrying forward from previous media. It’s like breaking the rules of grammar. You should know what they are first, and then feel free to fight them tooth and nail. You can lean into or out of tropes, but you should know what they are. When the dame with the legs walks into your private eye’s office, know what the expectations are. And then choose, deliberately, to embrace or subvert them. See you at “the end”!
~Rowan
This Week’s Writing Prompt is:
A heel turn.
This week, your job, should you choose to accept it, is to write a story or essay using-or subverting-the above trope.
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.
YeahWrite's 11th Birthday!
Please join us on Friday, April 29 and/or Saturday, April 30 for a casual get-together complete with a Q&A and live readings!
We’ll start each session with a one-hour moderated panel where the editors answer your questions, followed by some time to just hang out, listen to fellow YeahWriters reading from their own work, and get to know each other a little better. Wear your favorite evening gown or your favorite pajamas – just come ready to celebrate! Cameo appearances from pets and babies are also welcome.
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 April we talked about pitfalls that could be resolved while you’re writing. In May we’re diving into developmental editing, talking about the things you need to look for to make sure your house doesn’t fall down before you can decorate it. Come take a look, May 1st!
This month’s meeting was Sunday, April 10. The link to the recording is posted! Sign up for a membership today to automatically receive the Zoom link and password for May’s meeting. One-off meeting tickets can also be purchased on Kofi.
At YeahWrite we believe information wants to be shared. If you can’t afford to join us for society meetings, we post the recording about a week later, and you’re welcome to leave the tip you can afford (even if that’s just a nice thank you comment). Check out our YouTube channel for more.
Super Challenge #24 - Flash Fiction
Registration for Super Challenge #24 is officially open through May 4! This time, we’re heading back to the land of flash fiction. Don’t miss out – Register today! And don’t forget to sign up for our email blast so you don’t miss any important 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 Saturday (sometimes Sunday!) from 11:00 – 1:00pm 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]
Spontaneous Writing Challenges
Looking for a bit of inspiration? Missing the grids? Then join the Coffeehouse on Discord (where the stories are made up and the points don’t matter) and head to the #spontaneous-challenge channel. Each day, anyone can post a micro writing challenge (but just one per day!). Share your responses within the thread and earn XP within the server. We hope to see you there!
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.
