Pause.
The word solstice is derived from the Latin sol (“sun”) and sistere (“to stand still”). Whether it’s the longest or shortest night of the year where you are, this is the moment when the sun’s declination pauses before reversing itself. Take your own pause today to examine your work, see where you’re at and what tidal changes you might consider between now and the next solstice. That’s 26 weeks of grids for you to experiment on here at YeahWrite, folks. 26 weeks to tweak, play, and adjust your writing until it ends up with one of those elusive badges from our popular vote!
But it’s not all about the popular vote at YeahWrite, 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. Our editors comb the grids to find, not just the best writing on our 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. If you got a staff pick this week, grab your badge from the sidebar and wear it with pride! 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.
The other benefit of the editors’ pick, of course, is that unlike the popular vote we’ll tell you why we liked that post. So don’t just skip reading the blurb if it’s not about your post; you’ll pick up some handy pointers about what makes good writing great that you can apply to your own work. For more of that critical feedback, keep an eye on our Roundup for a quick rundown of trends we see each 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 Editorial Staff Picks and Roundup (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 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!
YeahWrite #349 Weekly Writing Challenge Staff Picks:
Nonfiction
This post is only two paragraphs, but it has everything you need to know. We get a glimpse of the narrator in her youth – we see her friends and we can feel the angst. Then, we see that same narrator, older and, maybe, wiser. She sits as her mother once did, outside the school, and watches her own daughter. It’s the same but it’s not. What’s so right about this is that we’re not beaten over the head with what’s different and how times have changed and how the narrator has changed, but rather we are shown those differences. And then, without fanfare, the essay ends and lets us do with it what we want. It’s a portrait of three generations and we can place ourselves inside it anywhere without being forced to identify with any one person.
YeahWrite #349 Weekly Writing Challenge Staff Picks:
Fiction|Poetry
Stranger in the Living Room by Anusha
This week, in another strong grid, Anusha gets my pick. This was a carefully paced work that allowed the plot to unfold gently, while keeping the reader engaged with rich imagery. The mix of dialogue and exposition helped draw the reader into the lives of the characters, while the child’s POV allowed the reader to excuse a glossing over of less prominent characters. Anusha struck a good balance between curiosity, distrust, and disinterest in her narrator’s voice. This story was also notable for what was not in the text. The interaction between the narrator and Abdul was filled with subtext and emotion, as was Abdul’s sudden, unexplained departure, and the surprise phone call. The ending, because the threads weren’t neatly resolved, allowed the reader to continue the story off the page.
I loved the way Unfoldingfromthefog used dialogue to build two distinct characters. Lieutenant Jackson was a maverick and his language reflected that. The lines “Are they packing?” and “Plants can’t talk.” are so blunt and off-the-cuff; they contrasted significantly with the perfunctory language of the Tripod. Unfoldingfromthefog was also smart to allow one tight scene with specific details of the alien planet to represent the macrocosm. Giving the Poly-Viv a believable way to communicate and dedicating the last scene to its power were fantastic techniques to inform the reader of the very dangerous world the characters find themselves in.
Rowan’s Roundup: YeahWrite Weekly Writing Challenge #349
You can use the text to share the year (“It was 2007…”) or you can simply make the year your header. You can be vague and hint at the past using details such as clothing or what you were doing to signify the time. You can use a physical divider like asterisks or a line to create that distance. The possibilities are practically endless. The most important thing you can do is make sure you reader is able to understand the passage of time or the flashback, as well as the purpose for it. There needs to be connection – whether a similarity or a complete juxtaposition of ideas. Without that connection, you’re just telling two stories in one space and your work will lack focus.
Go back and look at some of the posts from this week, paying special mind to the time jumps. See what works for you and what doesn’t. Consider trying a new technique in your next piece.
Our editors’ picks this week are fantastic examples of strong world building that doesn’t overwhelm the story. Look at the way Anusha attaches Abdul’s grimy appearance to the capital-c Camp – we can immediately draw conclusions about his situation – or how Margaret uses short interjections against a backdrop of more elaborate description to move the central conflict forward. But the grid was full of great world building this week. Remember, whether you’re exploring outer space or reliving distant memories, the devil, as they say, is in the details. Take a tip from microprose, and leave lengthy exposition behind. Use your details – the color of a man’s blood, the particular smell of a sickroom – to set the stage for you, and focus on the story.
That’s it for this week! Remember, we don’t always give out a pick on both grids; if we were impressed by several posts on one grid we’ll give them all picks, and if nothing really stood out for us 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, the Weekend Writing Showcase opens tonight at 6pm Eastern US Time!
Congratulations to the Crowd Favorites at YeahWrite #349
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.
Nonfiction Challenge
Loading InLinkz ...Fiction|Poetry Challenge
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.
Thanks for the pick! I really appreciate it. Looking forward to reading everyone’s holiday writing next week!