[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Here in the Pacific Northwest, summer can’t make up its freakin mind if it’s coming or going. Two days ago it was an actual hundred degrees out; today it’s cool and raining. Makes no difference to my commute, though. Folks either have the sun in their eyes or can’t see through the rain.
Speaking of collisions and trainwrecks, though, how did you feel about your writing this week? Did it flow smoothly? Crash and burn? Did you pick up a new co-pilot in the coffeehouse? (It gives me happy goosebumps when you do that, guys – just remember that you’re supposed to be working as hard on your critical reading skills as you are on your writing, or you’re not going to be much help! If you’re not sure how to do that, hit me up! We have some great resources on reading and feedback skills.)
All those skills together can drive you to the top of the grid, and that crowd fave badge! But it’s not all about the popular vote, 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 both 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? Both our challenges 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 #269 weekly writing challenge staff picks: fiction|poetry
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a rookie no more by shannon
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]I think all of Shannon’s strengths were in full force in this story. Within the first two paragraphs a sensuality is established that adds tension to Nate, Martinez, and Vivian’s relationship. Shannon’s stories tend to have a central figure that we get to know through the eyes of the other characters. Martinez’s fantasy about Vivian and the phrases Shannon uses to describe Vivian’s establishment give her an air of nobility. And phrases like “hold court” and “nakedly gaping,” tell us mere mortal readers that Vivian holds all the power here. We get a complete short story–beginning, middle, and end–but just enough mystery lingers in the air where she stood that we, like Nate, are drawn inexorably after her into the next room.[/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][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Rowan’s roundup: yeah write weekly writing challenge #269
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nonfiction
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]When there’s a big news piece and you have some thoughts about it, you can go two ways. One is “timely” and the other is “timeless.”
For a “timely” story about the news piece, remember you’re essentially writing an op ed. So you need to do the things an op ed does: set the hook early with a unique and powerful viewpoint. Otherwise you’re just more noise. Don’t try to be a journalist unless you actually are one and you have something new to report. Don’t repeat all the facts of the story – link to a good article in case your readers are unfamiliar with it and give your spin on what a few of the most important (to you) facts mean.
For a “timeless” story, you’re essentially using the news as a prompt to write about something personal. In that case you need to treat it as a prompt, and keep the thing itself out of your story. If you want to write about gorillas or parenting or rape that’s great, but saying “this news article about X reminds me of the time that I personally…” makes your story feel clunky and dated. A well-told story stands on its own, and trust me: the news will be as fresh in your readers’ minds as it is in yours. They’ll make the connection.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”29344″ alignment=”center”][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]
fiction|poetry
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]You know when you come home and your roommate or spouse or kid is making all this mouth noise about “and then that happened and then the other thing happened” and there’s really no punchline or point to it? Like maybe they went to the grocery store and they’re giving you a play-by-play of walking down the aisle and you spend half an hour waiting for them to at least say a box of cereal fell off the shelf and landed on them but not even that happened? And you’re like… why are you even talking?
That’s a story without a plot. And a story without a plot isn’t a story at all, it’s just words that are happening to you.
And you can do that with elves, and with ghosts, and with dragons and antique cars, because no matter how much pretty stuff you put on the page, if nothing happens it’s not a story. When you’re done writing, take a minute to re-read your work and ask if anything happened or if you’re just showing the reader the writer’s equivalent of a… oh man, you guys probably aren’t old enough to have ever had to sit through a distant relative’s slideshow of bad vacation pictures, but it’s that. It doesn’t matter how nice the landscape is, if you’re not there and you have no reason to care about anyone there, you’re gonna get bored real fast.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”29345″ alignment=”center”][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][vc_column_text]That’s it for 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 didn’t get a pick this week, read back through the roundup to see if you can use some of this week’s tips and tricks.
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, and don’t forget, our weekend grid opens tonight at 6pm Eastern US Time![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Congratulations to the crowd favorites at yeah write #269
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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