The sun’s shining, let’s make hay!
After what feels like a year full of rejections and defeats, I’ve had some big wins recently. There have been some shortlists, a second place, and several acceptances for publication. I’m trying not to breathe too hard, trying not to disturb the molecules of air around me causing a butterfly effect. I know this feeling of impending doom is another manifestation of Imposter Syndrome. I know this. And yet, that doesn’t change the feeling that the other shoe will drop from a great height any minute now. Probably on my head. The cycles of acceptance and rejection are a fixture of writing life so I’m trying to sit in this moment and enjoy the wins that are coming my way. Head over to Discord and let me know what your current wins are — writing related, or not.
~Asha
This Week’s Writing Prompt is:
This week, your job, should you choose to accept it, is to write a story, essay, or poem incorporating the following prompt:
Trope (Hallmark Holiday Movie Edition): From New York to Nowhere
We’re taking a cue from this year’s Scarlet Quill Society and getting some practice incorporating – or subverting – popular tropes. In December, Rowan and Christine are tackling the tropes of Hallmark holiday movies. In keeping with that, this week we’re going to focus on the move from a big city to a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. We’ve all dreamed of escaping the hustle and bustle of big city life for the slower pace of a remote rural location, haven’t we? Haven’t we? The From New York to Nowhere is a fish out of water trope and brings with it all the issues of fitting in to a small tight-knit community where all the inhabitants went to high school together, probably. It allows for the exploration of eccentric characters and quirky situations. If you need more information on the prompt, click the link and check out the description. What will your take be on this trope?
Play with the prompt, and when you’ve got your story down, share your response in the Coffeehouse, located both on Facebook and Discord, by linking your blog post, Google Doc, or other file. Bonus points if you do it on WIP Wednesday! Stuck? Check out last year’s — no, year before last! — series on responding to prompts. While you’re at it, make sure to 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
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Scarlet Quill Society (Free Workshop w/ Optional Paid Benefits)
Check out December’s post, where we finally get around to ruining your childhood ourselves, after months of claiming we weren’t going to do that. That’s right, we’re coming for that charming outrider of white supremacy and heteronormativity, the Hallmark Christmas Movie. Is it the end of heartwarming winter specials, or can we replace this with something just as cheery but more inclusive? Find out in our post, and then come see what our experts have to say for the low low price of $5 (or free with your YW membership). This month’s live discussion is set for December 13 at 2pm PST!
Did you miss November’s post? Hop on over to YouTube to watch the recording and check out what our experts had to say (about monsterfucking) on a pay-what-you-can basis! If you have a good time, leave a tip and we’ll love you forever.
Scarlet Quill Society workshop posts are always free. In addition, we are offering a couple add-ons that we think you’ll find exciting and worth a few bucks a month: face-to-face (okay, virtual) monthly gatherings to delve into the topics and answer your questions, and an editorial backroom on Discord! And for a bonus, if you’re a paid SQS member and you can’t make it to a meeting, you can still send us questions beforehand and we’ll make sure to cover them.
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.
2023 Anthology? WATCH THIS SPACE!
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.
