Building better worlds
As many of you know, I write science fiction and fantasy. I read science fiction and fantasy, and I prefer to watch it on TV. I have friends who don’t get it – they’d rather read and write about real people, places, and events. That’s just fine, but I’ll be honest: sometimes the real world sucks.
What I love about writing science fiction, especially, is that it gives us the chance to build a better world. A world where people care about each other, take care of each other. Believe in each other. I don’t mean a utopia – stories without conflict or change aren’t all that interesting to me – but a world where, at the core, people matter, and society reflects that, or is working towards it. We aren’t obligated to recreate the ills of current society, or even to follow them on their seemingly inevitable downward spiral. Science fiction lets us create worlds where a person’s value doesn’t depend on the color of their skin, who they love, how they interact with the physical world around them. Where we can explore how the injustices around us could be prevented, what justice really is, what meaningful community support looks like, and where even if a singular tragedy drives our plot it’s just that: singular, and a tragedy, not “an ordinary Tuesday” that we’re destined to forget about almost as soon as the thoughts and prayers leave our lips or fingertips, because there’s another Tuesday coming along right behind it.
I’m a science fiction writer, but I’m also a mom and a human being in the world that exists right now. At its finest, sci-fi shows us what we are capable of. It gives us something to strive for. It lets us hope that somehow, someday, we can build a better world.
~Christine
This Week’s Writing Prompt is:
Genre: hopepunk
Action: disembarking from a flight
This week, your job, should you choose to accept it, is to write a story, essay, or poem combining the two prompts above. Stuck? We’ve gone into detail about unraveling this sort of prompt style in this Technique Toolbox posts on element-based genres, action prompts, and combination 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!
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, May 15. The link to the recording can be found on our YouTube channel once it’s posted! Sign up for a membership today to automatically receive the Zoom link and password for June’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
The first round of Super Challenge #24 is officially underway! Good luck to all our participants as they anxiously await the results of Round 1. Miss out on registration? 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 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:
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.
