Happy Merry Bah Humbug
Whether you observe religious celebrations at this time of year or not, it’s still a busy time. The end of the calendar year is often when contests are winding up, submissions windows are closing, and rejections or acceptances are flying through the ether. Regardless of where you’re at with your writing, this is your gentle reminder to be kind to yourself. In a season when we’re wishing each other light and joy, I wish you a lightness of spirit and joy in your writing. Remember that your art, your writing doesn’t need to be perfect to be worthwhile.
Come and join us on Facebook or Discord and let us know what about your writing is bringing you joy right now!
~Asha
This Week’s Writing Prompt is:
a black-eyed clerk (Character) + predicting the weather (Action) + fear (Emotion)
This week, your job, should you choose to accept it, is to write a story or essay incorporating the above prompts. These prompts come from the YeahWrite Super Challenge #6 and here’s a little extra information:
A black-eyed clerk
(NOTE: This may mean black eye as in the color or the injury.) This character need not be the main character but they must be described well enough for you to identify them.
Predicting the weather
Any character may perform the action, not just the main character.
Fear
Any character may experience the emotion, not just the main character. However, the emotion must be clearly exhibited by whatever character it is assigned to. Do not use the emotion prompt word (or a conjugation or declension thereof) to describe the character’s emotion. That is, if the prompt is “Anger” you may not write “I felt angry.” It is permissible but discouraged to write “I felt rage.” Try to avoid the use of cliches like “a single tear rolled down my cheek” to convey the emotion.
Still stuck? Check out our post on combination prompts!
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)
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 took place on 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
WIP Write-Ins, AKA Co-Working Hours
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
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.
