[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Voice. It’s what’s in our heads this week.
From our nonfiction opener to Christine’s realization that she now talks like her main character, we’ve been paying attention this week to the ways we choose to convey information, as well as the information that’s conveyed. Voice can tell you a lot about a character – or about the writer. It’s something to keep an eye out for as you read actively: what does the voice add to the story? Would Lovecraft’s work be as fascinating if it was written by Zane Grey, even if the events in each story were exactly the same?
Speaking of reading, you read all the grids this week, right? And you voted, and now you want to know the results? Me too. So, just like every Friday, I’m going to give you the results on all three of our grids – nonfiction, fiction|poetry, and microfiction – right here!
But it’s not all about the popular vote winners, folks. We also have our editorial staff picks to hand out. Every week our editors comb through your submissions looking for their favorites. Picks are based on writing quality, how successful the author is in conveying information, and just plain style. If you got a staff pick this week, grab your badge from the sidebar and wear it with pride!
Once you’re done reading through the staff picks (and congratulating the winners in the comments), keep scrolling down to check out who won the popular vote on all three grids. If you earned the highest number of votes in any challenge, you are this week’s crowd favorite! If you came in first, second or third, you get “top three” honors. Grab your badge from our sidebar!
Looking for your badge? The fiction|poetry, nonfiction and microstories challenges all have the same winner, staff pick, and top three badges. It doesn’t clutter up our sidebar, and they’ll still look pretty on yours![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Yeah write #249 weekly writing challenge staff picks: nonfiction
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abandon your life in five simple steps by the unraveling yarn
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Told in second person, this dryly humorous essay takes the reader through life’s epiphanic moments that signal it’s time for a change: that moment in a work training meeting, for example, when you realize the only interesting thing you can say about yourself (and it’s a lie) is that you are learning to play the harmonica. You can hear the author’s voice as she plays with sentence structure, timing, shifts in scenes.
What struck me most about this essay, however, is how she trusts the reader to follow those shifts, not indulging in lengthy descriptions about why she needed a life change. We are told, instead, about a sunflower doodle that “sneers up at you.” This sneering flower doodle is the metaphor telling the author and us that it is time to get moving. What she lets go: friends, work, the sunflower-shaped balloon she was given by colleagues. What she gains: a green light. (An aside: and what’s not to love about those Aussie words, like “fossick” and “lamington”? I had to Google them but it was worth it. I want to use “fossick” everywhere now.)[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”21950″ style=”vc_box_circle” title=”meg”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][vc_column_text]
That’s it for our staff picks this week! Remember, we don’t always give out a pick on every grid; if we were impressed by several posts on one grid, we’ll give them all picks, and if nothing really stood out for us on another grid, we’ll hold off.
If you’re lost in the middle of the grid and wondering how you can get a little more feedback on your posts, check out our membership perks!
Everybody: before you go, please take some time to leave your favorites a little love in the comments.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
Weekend moonshine grid opens today at 6 p.m. eastern time
Not interested in “voice” as much as “The Voice?” Natalie’s hosting karaoke this weekend down at the moonshine grid. Stop by starting at 6pm today. Bring your awkward drunken posts and we’ll clap kindly as they stumble their way through “Dancing Queen” and “Baby Got Back.” Just leave the commercial breaks at home.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Congratulations to the crowd favorites at yeah write #249
The thumbnails are now sorted in order of most votes to fewest. Ties in the overall number of votes are broken by number of editor votes.
Congratulations if you’re at or near the top! Writing well is hard work, and we’re honored you’ve chosen us this week to showcase your entry.
If you’re at or near the bottom, don’t be discouraged. You’re in the right community for learning and growing as a writer, and we are always available with resources for those who ask nicely.
To our readers and voters: thank you! See you next week.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
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