[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Probably the best thing about living in Portlandia is that you get snow days even when you’re a grownup.
That’s right, folks, an inch of snow and the whole city shuts down. That’s why I’m sitting in a comfy chair in my jammies drinking hot buttered rum and writing this post on Thursday afternoon instead of rushing to finish it Friday morning. Heck, I don’t even know who’s going to win the popular vote yet, so good luck everyone…
But it’s not all about the popular vote at yeah write, folks. We also have our editorial staff picks to hand out. See, while there’s a popular vote winner every week, we don’t always give out a staff pick. Picks are based on writing quality, how successful the author is in conveying information, and just plain style. Some weeks, the editors will comb through the grids and nothing really stands 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 the details of both elements – structure and storytelling – to earn a staff pick. The great part is that we don’t have a finite number of picks to hand out. That means that if two, three, five, or even all the works on one grid are fantastic, we can give them all kudos.
On weeks when the grids are unmoderated, you can check out the Roundup, where I try to identify trends and troubles that show up for more than one writer on the grid. If you’re curious why there’s no pick, there’s usually a clue in the Roundup why that post you liked didn’t make the cut. Then keep scrolling down to check out who won the popular vote on both grids. 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 #295
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nonfiction
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]About ten years ago, I used to date this guy named Larry. Larry’s a great dude – we’re still friends – but the man cannot follow directions, nor can he give them. The months he spent as a pizza delivery guy must have been an actual nightmare. Sure, if he’s gone someplace a thousand times he can probably get there again, but heaven forbid he have to deviate from the route he knows by so much as a block, because he’ll be lost in his own hometown before you can say… no, actually, he’s probably lost right now. Sorry, Larry.
The same thing goes for your essay. It’s great to take a meandering, scenic route to your so what, but remember that your detours are supposed to be just that: detours. Not “getting lost on the way to 7-11 for a Diet Coke.” Like a real detour, it helps to signal occasionally along the way that you haven’t forgotten where you’re going, and renew your promise to your reader that they’re on the right road after all. That way, when they reach their destination, they’ll be expecting it and not, well, lost.[/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]The devil is in the detail(s). Ever hear that saying? It means that a story or fact may seem simple, but when you look more closely it becomes infinitely, fractally, complex.
You know what isn’t in the details, though? Your story. It’s great to include rich detail in your writing. It can add a layer of complexity, anchor your reader in time and space, and give your writing an almost tactile quality. On the other hand, don’t get so bogged down in giving the reader a wealth of details that you impoverish them in plot. Something needs to happen in your story. Sure, you could write 750 words of incredibly dense, lush detail but if at the end of the day your main character has taken three steps toward a brick wall, stared at it, and then turned and decided to go home, your reader will be just as bored as if you’d never written any detail at all. Balance detail and plot and you’ll have what you set out to write: a lush, engaging story with just the right amount of devilry.[/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, so let’s move on to the popular vote results. 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 #295
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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