[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I don’t often post-mortem the grids. Not publicly, I mean.
It’s not fair, right? I have access to all the inside information. J/K there’s no inside information- the editors read every piece with an eye to skill, technique, communication and relatability, just like (hopefully) you do. But this week I’d like to make an exception.
There was a lot of new stuff on the grids this week. And I don’t mean new writers- I mean yeah write veterans trying something new. When I see your work week after week, it’s pretty obvious when you start experimenting. This week it paid off for all of us with some really strong grids. If you took a shot at a new technique this week and didn’t place as well as you thought you would, don’t be discouraged. There was some powerful, experimental writing on all three grids. The couple folks I can think of that have been plagued with technical grammar issues lately have put in a ton of work, and it shows. Writers whose work was lapsing into “more of the same” have branched out in new directions.
I guess what I’m saying is, keep it coming. Trying something new won’t always work out for that piece, but it’ll always make you a better overall writer.
So now you want to know the results on those great grids, right? Me too. So, just like every Friday, I’m going to give you the results for nonfiction, fiction|poetry, and microfiction right here!
But it’s not all about the popular vote, folks. We also have our editorial staff picks to hand out. I know, right? I get excited when that happens, too! 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 #253 weekly writing challenge staff picks: nonfiction
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a reason to cry | the write melony
big and little | that cynking feeling
just another day | the chrome phase
where is my resilience? | chef’s last diet
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]I’m not trying to play Oprah Winfrey—you won’t find any car keys under your seat—but, yes, I’m calling out these four essays for my editor’s pick. It was a fabulous week on the nonfiction grid with each entry stepping up the game to present stories that are relatable, moving, and solidly written. Each avoids overwrought adjectives. Each contained that elusive “so what” – an element that made the reader care. But what struck me most is how each took some kind of risk.
In “A Reason to Cry,” Melony shared a fragile childhood memory written in the second person, giving the author a profound distance from the subject matter. CynK took a step back to her college years, reflecting on a study-abroad experience in which the nicknames of two companions give weight to America’s unhealthy obsessions in “Big and Little.” In “Just Another Day,” Dana convincingly reflects—writing in the first-person, present tense—her reluctance as a young person to share the pain of being bullied, just as that same pain led to a classmate’s suicide the day before. Finally, “Where is My Resilience?” by Nancy shows restraint in what could be a navel-gazing exercise by naming her losses and contemplating the long recovery that is part of every life. Well done, my friends. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”22653″ style=”vc_box_circle” title=”meg”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Yeah write #253 weekly writing challenge staff picks: fiction|poetry
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swimming lessons | that cynking feeling
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]I love the poetry slam; I love learning the rules of a new poetry form. But the thing I love most is smashing those rules to suit my own purposes. I thought Cyn’s choice to break the form of a Spenserian sonnet to talk about being comfortable in one’s own skin was perfect for her tone. If this poem had remained traditional, the rhyme would have gonged at the last word of every line, making it sarcastic. Choosing blank verse instead made each line stand on its own for me and it added more tension to my reading because I was waiting for the rhyme to kick. Instead I could focus on the small splashes and inhales of a swimmer doing her thing.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”22650″ alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_circle” title=”nate”][/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
I know we’re taking risks this week, but wear your helmet and strap on your kneepads before you get on your skateboard or bike or skis or WHATEVER, and come on down to the moonshine grid this week. Natalie’s opening the doors to this safely padded lounge full of bubble wrap, where we promise to take the best possible care of all your posts no matter how fragile they feel – unless theyre commercial. Those guys can take care of themselves.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Congratulations to the crowd favorites at yeah write #253
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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