It’s National Take Your Dog To Work Day!
In my life, it’s always take your dog to work day, since my office is in what used to be the living room back when I still had the illusion that I had friends who might come over and sit on the couch and drink a glass of wine. Nowadays my friends live on the internet and the computer is in the living room so it’s basically the same thing, right? Also, have I mentioned my dog is kind of terrible? She’s burying a rawhide in my purse as I write this. If you leave any kind of bag out and open she will fill it with her toys. It’s cute until you’re in a job interview and you pull out a Greenie(tm) Brand Dental Treat instead of a pen to take notes.
Speaking of taking notes, I’m gonna skip straight to the roundup for a second: y’all, both grids, proofread. See, besides the popular vote, we also have the option of handing out an editorial staff pick to any post on our grids. That final round of proofing or editing might not affect your place in the popular vote, but it can cost you the staff pick. Our editors comb the grids to find, not just the best writing on this grid this week, but what we think is pretty darn great writing anywhere anytime. Picks are based on writing quality, how successful the author is in conveying information, and just plain style. 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- and we’d love to, so keep that great work coming!
On weeks when we don’t award a staff pick, keep an extra close eye on the Roundup. That’s our rundown of trends we see from week to week. We try to highlight the good stuff and point out problems that more than one writer is struggling with. There’s probably a handy tip in there for you right now, so check it out!
Once you’re done reading through the Roundup, 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 grids have the same Winner, Editorial Staff Pick, and Top Three badges. It doesn’t clutter up our sidebar, and they’ll still look pretty on yours!
Rowan’s Roundup: YeahWrite Weekly Writing Challenge #323
I often write about good nonfiction connecting the personal to the universal, and this week’s grid certainly played that out. You don’t have to know Nancy’s friends to understand the nuances of being around other people for extended periods of time, it doesn’t take a crying baby to remind you that at some point in your life you got a piece of advice that didn’t make sense.. until it did, and you don’t need to stand naked in a room full of strangers to understand the feeling of agreeing to something and then discovering that you’re completely out of your element (although maybe you should try that at some point; saunas are great). When you write, remember to think of your essay on two levels: what story am I telling, and what is my story about? The second point isn’t a summary, it’s a reminder to check back in with your audience and make sure you’re including them in the universal experience that your specific story is part of.
Never stop trying new things. Whether it’s writing a micro if you’re ordinarily a longform writer, using a sliding perspective, or working on a poem or song when you usually write fiction, trying something new – even if it doesn’t work out – will teach you more about your old writing than writing more-of-the-same will. You’ll add new tools to your toolbox, maybe discover something you’re good at, and hey, if you slap that concrit badge on the piece, you’ll grab some useful, nuanced feedback, too!
That’s it for this week! 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! If you’re more the self-help type, remember to scroll through our writing help section for tips and tricks. Even if a post isn’t directed at your favorite grid, there’s probably a handy hint for you in there anyway!
Everybody: before you go, please take some time to leave your favorites a little love in the comments, and don’t forget, the Weekend Writing Showcase opens tonight at 6pm Eastern US Time!
Congratulations to the Crowd Favorites at YeahWrite #323
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.
Loading InLinkz ... Loading InLinkz ...About the author:
Rowan submitted exactly one piece of microfiction to YeahWrite before being consumed by the editorial darkside. She spent some time working hard as our Submissions Editor before becoming YeahWrite’s Managing Editor in 2016. She was a BlogHer Voice of the Year in 2017 for her work on intersectional feminism, but she suggests you find and follow WOC instead. In real life she’s been at various times an attorney, aerialist, professional knitter, artist, graphic designer (yes, they’re different things), editor, secretary, tailor, and martial artist. It bothers her vaguely that the preceding list isn’t alphabetized, but the Oxford comma makes up for it. She lives in Portlandia with a menagerie which includes at least one other human. She tells lies at textwall and uncomfortable truths at CrossKnit.
