Important announcement below

Hi there! Normally I like to start things off with a quick anecdote or some witty way of telling you we have rules we want you to follow. Not today. Today, I’m all business with my very business-like face and my business-like typing. If only you could see me.

The challenge grid, for as long as I’ve been around and then some, has always opened on a Tuesday. Next week, with the official kickoff of our fall writing season, that all changes. The challenge grid will open on Mondays. That’s right! Beginning next week, the grid will open on Monday, September 15.

If you haven’t already done so, please sign up for our weekly email blast. In addition to keeping you up-to-date on all the latest happenings at yeah write, it will also serve as a reminder of next week’s big change.

Staying the same… for now

This week is the last week without a moderation queue for awhile. We’ll explain more about moderation in next week’s post, but for now, once you submit your post it will appear automatically on the grid. Posts will be monitored for adherence to the basic guidelines such as word count (500 words plus 100 words grace, as always) and date of publication (no later than September 7, 2014).

We may or may not let you know if we spot a typo or grammar error. We probably won’t let you know if your piece has structural errors. Rest assured, though, that if they are there, we will see them. We’ll definitely let you know next week in the form of a love letter, so make it routine to rid your piece of them before you submit to the grid.

Next week, in addition to the above, we will be strictly enforcing the other guidelines that are a little more subjective. Your post needs to have a so what. Your reason for telling the story needs to be evident. You need to engage us and make us care. If you haven’t been thinking about these things, now is a good time to start.

The good news

Guess what? It’s all good news!

That’s right, moderation is a great thing and here’s why. When the grid is moderated, it brings the level of competition up. When you know you have to work harder to get on the grid, you bring it.  And when you know everyone else is going to have to go big or go home, you’re more likely to try to go bigger. That’s the spirit of competition. The editors have seen it time and again. And don’t forget, this here is a competition.

So this week is like a scrimmage before the big game. We can’t wait to see what you have in store for us and look forward to having you hang out with us in the weeks to come.

Is this your first time here? Welcome!

Did you follow the link from the badge on a friend’s blog? Welcome! Please check out our submission guidelines, then jump right in. We’d love to have you.

Did you land here out of curiosity because you saw a whole bunch of hits from yeah write in your wordpress.com stats? Welcome! That means somebody at yeah write stumbled over your post, thought it was a good fit for us, and submitted your post for consideration. We hope you don’t mind!

If you like, please grab the challenge badge from our sidebar, install it using the HTML view of your post, then visit the other entries on the grid. Did we mention there will be a vote for the best submissions on Thursday? That’s the fun part. Please stick around.

The invitational grid and editor picks will be unlocked at 30+ entries on the challenge grid

In weeks where we receive at least 30 submissions, the special invitational grid opens. The editors will select the cream of the crop, who will go on to compete for the coveted jury prize. Spread the word because your word of mouth can get those submissions up! Just make sure to tell your friends to bring their best work.

Kevin the kiwi and Comment Bob: yeah write community spirit awards

Do you remember Kevin? He’s that stylish kiwi with the scarf and hat, rooting around for an exceptional post on the grid. When we have fewer than 30 posts in the challenge grid, Rowan G, our submissions editor, will send Kevin home with her favorite post. If we open the invitational with 30 or more entries, Kevin will gladly sit this one out. Comment Bob flies through open windows at night and leaves pom-poms under the pillows of the readers leaving the most thoughtful comments on each entry on the challenge grid. Just kidding. Penguins can’t fly. He has a jetpack.  The part about the pom-poms, though, is completely true, so please make it a point to participate in our community as a writer, reader, voter and commenter. We call it a challenge for a reason, and making the rounds to all the other blogs is a very large part of it. Remember, a good comment is more than “great work,” it’s a thoughtful response to the post you just read.

Voting on the challenge grid opens Thursday: more entries means more votes

The crowd favorite is determined by a moderated popular vote. That means it’s never a clicking contest. We expect our readers to vote for the best on the challenge grid based on technical and artistic merit. here’s the scale:

• 01-10 submissions: one vote
• 11-20 submissions: two votes
• 21-30 submissions: three votes
• 31-40 submissions: four votes
• 41-50 submissions: five votes

The more submissions, the more votes. Write a blurb beside your yeah write challenge button inviting your friends to join us. Send a personal email. Talk us up in your writing circles. Stumble over a blog post you think would be perfect for the challenge grid? Email us the link, and if it’s a good fit, we’ll add it ourselves.

Odds, ends, reminders

• The badge you will need to add to your planned submission is over in the sidebar
• This immediate past Sunday is the earliest your submission can be dated
• Your post can be no longer than 600 words: it’s 500 words plus 100 words grace
• Personal essays or traditional blog anecdotes only
• There are no mandatory weekly prompts; the topic is yours. Be compelling
• The grid is open from Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. to Wednesday at 11:59 p.m.
• There is voting. Voting will take place Thursday from midnight to 10:00 p.m. US eastern
• The challenge grid is limited to 50 bloggers
• The winners’ post will be published by noon on Friday
• No commercial, sponsored or self-promotional posts are allowed on the yeah write grid, including those containing links to other blog events and Internet contests

Voting is open at the gargleblaster! If you have a chance, stop by, read all the 42-word entries, then vote on the best three of the gargleblaster grid. It’s yeah write’s newest challenge, and we’re quite proud of it! Yeah write #178 traditional challenge grid is open right here…

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