Wedgie
I forgot to put a writing competition into my calendar, and when I got the challenge email this past weekend I realized I had booked myself up and compartmentalized my writing time to an hour here and 20 minutes there.
Honestly, I thought I’d have to pack it in, but it turns out writing in short bursts like that suits me. And having hard deadlines for writing between events forces me to focus. I ended up turning a story in I was good with, even though I didn’t have time to have anyone else read it. Never done that before. Oh well, we’ll see. Have you discovered anything new about yourself as a writer lately?
~Nate
This Week’s Writing Prompt is:
She neatly folded the handkerchief.
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!
One of the least satisfying things that can happen to a reader is watching the characters be puppeted about like cardboard cutouts who are there to make sure the plot goes the right direction. On the other hand, the most satisfying is when a reader really gets to connect with – and see themself in – a character. Check out our August post, where we’ve unpacked the ways a character can be whole and realized–and the ways you can spot when they’re not.
Last month’s meeting was Sunday, August 14. The recording has been posted to our YouTube channel! Sign up for a membership today to automatically receive the Zoom link and password for August’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 #25 - Microfiction
Our summer microfiction challenge is officially underway! Good luck to all our participants as they anxiously await hearing who made the shortlist. Did you miss out on registration? Sign up for our email blast today so you don’t miss any important Super Challenge announcements.
WIP Write-Ins, AKA Co-Working Hours
For almost two years, you’ve all joined the YeahWrite editors (and writers like you) for a series of laid-back, low-key co-working sessions. We’ve chatted, brainstormed, and gotten to know one another, and arguably most importantly, we committed to writing actual words!
Join Christine every Wednesday from 9:00am – 11:00am Pacific Time for regular WIP Write-ins. Other sessions will be scheduled in the future (our editors are all volunteers and we have to play nice with their paid work schedules), 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:
As a professional editor and writer, Nate has published his work in numerous English and history textbooks and in online reading programs. In February 2014, he found his way back to creative writing and began submitting to YeahWrite. Soon after, he became an editor of the Fiction|Poetry challenge. You can read his work at northwest journals, a blog that has been recognized by WordPress Discover, Five Star Mix-tape, Genealogy á la Carte, The Drabble, and BlogHer’s Voice of the Year. He lives in Chicago with his partner and a mini-Bengal tiger.
