[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I just had an idea for a nonfiction piece. Yay! But boo, it’s Friday, and the grids are done for the week.
Should I wait until next week’s grid opens to start writing? It is my usual practice to wait. Is that smart? Nooooo. I write best when I give myself time. Start it now, so that when the grid opens I have time for editing, for landing that (sorta) perfect ending. And one of the wonderful things about yeah write? If you just can’t wait to post your story, you can jump onto the weekend showcase grid when it opens later today. [Ed’s note: the weekend grid is also a great place to showcase that amazing post from last year, the listicle that’s been roaming around in your brain, the first three chapters of your novel, or the really awesome thing you got published/paid for/an award on from another site! /rbg] But first, let’s get to why you’re here right now: who won?
But it’s not all about the popular vote every week, folks. We also have the option to hand out editorial staff picks. 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 we don’t give out a staff pick on a grid one week, it means nothing really stood out for us. Maybe the best stories had a bunch of typos or the grammatically perfect ones didn’t have much there there. You’ve really got to nail both elements – structure and storytelling – to earn a staff pick.
If there isn’t a staff pick one week, check out Rowan’s Roundup. Probably there’s a clue in there why that post you liked didn’t make the cut. Then keep scrolling down to check out who won the popular vote on each grid. If you earned the highest number of votes in either 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? Our challenges share 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]
Rowan’s roundup: yeah write weekly writing challenge #272
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nonfiction
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]You know, when you write fiction it’s hard because you put a bit of yourself into the writing and then you get your feedback and you wonder if people hate you and blah blah blah. But you also know that when you write nonfiction you put a whole lot of yourself into your writing and it’s really out there, guys. That’s you, standing in the aisle at Target having an existential crisis, and now the whole world knows it.
When you’re exposed like that, one of the hardest things to hear on your writing is… wait for it… no, not negative feedback… dead silence. But you don’t have to anticipate the silence. Ending your story or essay with a “well what do you think about [question I kind of tangentially raised here]” can rob your writing of impact. If you’ve done your job as a writer, your reader is already thinking about that. Trust yourself, trust your reader. And trust that one of the things I love best about this little community of ours is that as we take the time to read the grids each week we also take the time to give that feedback to each other. [Ed’s note: I’m the actual worst this week because I was on a business trip for three days. I have no idea what time it is and I read the grids last night at 30,000 feet somewhere over the Rockies. Praise be to Meg for setting up the post so all I had to do was write the roundup. /rbg]
Writers reading writers is the best thing, y’all![/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
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Quit while you’re ahead.
It’s good advice, right? And it’s advice that folks really took to heart this week on the fiction|poetry grid. I love seeing work that doesn’t ramble on beyond what’s necessary to convey the image or scene. That doesn’t mean you can’t work in a gorgeous turn of phrase or use Victorian vocabulary if you want, though. In fact, shorter pieces can be a great way to showcase your “murdered darlings” from other works, where ornate phrasing won’t overwhelm the reader. Just remember to stop when you’re done![/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 #272
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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