Let it snow
It snowed at my house this week. Before anyone jumps up to say that that’s nothing special and I’m only excited because I live in the Pacific Northwest where it’s more likely to rain than either snow or be sunny, I need you to know that I was also this excited when I lived in a place with three months of guaranteed snow and temperatures well below zero whether you measure in Celsius or Fahrenheit so there. Yes, every time. Yes. Even when I had somewhere to be. Even when it had just snowed the day before.
I just frickin love snow, ok? And winter? And dark nights with twinkly lights? And fires in fireplaces? And if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere or closer to the equator than me IM SORRY OK I WOULD SHARE THIS IF I COULD.
Look, snow is like my favorite tropes. It doesn’t matter how often the white stuff falls from the sky or there’s only one bed or they’re roommates (oh my god they’re roommates). I’ll take it every time. That’s something to remember when you’re writing, actually. <- smooth segue, yeah?
We spend so much time trying to be unique, or trying to do something nobody else has ever done, or respond to a prompt in a way nobody else is going to. But we could also be leaning into our comfort zones. Writing is hard enough. Love your tropes up this winter. Nobody else is going to write them like you do, so go ahead and embrace that practice. Like I was saying over on the Discord the other day, even just rewriting scenes from your favorite movie or book from a different POV is good practice (just don’t try to publish it, because it’s also plagiarism). Whatever you can do to lower the effort threshold and focus on what you love right now? Make that your [insert holiday of choice] gift to yourself.
~Rowan
This Week’s Writing Prompt is:
MICROPROSE: Complete a story beginning with this line in in 100 words or fewer.
If the star hadn’t fallen, I would never have known the truth about my mother.
This week, your job, should you choose to accept it, is to write a story or essay incorporating the above prompts. Stuck? Check out our post on word and phrase prompts, and our tutorial on microprose!
Because this isn’t an official competition, no-one is here to enforce the 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 if you are writing fiction (nonfictioneers, use it as a jumping-off point. See if you can stick to the hundred word count!). 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 December, we revisit and review our year-long workshop series. We’ve given you a ton of detailed information about the editing process, and we know that it’s impractical to hire an editor for every stage. However, there are times when you just can’t do it yourself. So: what can a writer do on their own, and when should they bring in outside help? Check out our December post and then tune in to the live talk with your questions!
This month’s meeting will take place on (NOT THE USUAL TIME) Sunday, December 18 at 2pm US Eastern time. Sign up for a membership today to join the Scarlet Quill Society and automatically receive the Zoom link and password for every meeting. One-off monthly 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 #26 - Fiction
Congratulations again to all the writers who made the Super Challenge #26 shortlist and good luck as you wait for your final round results on December 23!. Miss out on registration? Be sure to sign up for our mailing list so you don’t miss out on any future Super Challenge updates.
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.
