Schedules are hard
I’m sitting here waiting for a Hot Pocket ™ to cool down from “molten with a lump of still-frozen filling at the center” to “yeah you could eat that” and I suspect I’m going to miss the edibility window and end up chewing my way through congealed cheese. But my schedule’s been a little disrupted lately and this is what I had time to make. Writing can feel a little like that, too: my writing buddy and I had a Series of Life Events happen to us starting late last summer and we’ve been missing our usual evening edit dates because one or the other of us always seems to be on the road or picking up kids or sitting in a hospital (we’re ok, don’t worry!). December is almost always hard, just because of Family Stuff and Holiday Crap. And the end of any month, including January, is always a little tricky as we come up against the deadlines for writing the new poetry slam and technique toolbox posts. We finally got through about half a page this week between us, and were pretty excited to have that much done!
It’s ok to have a slow week or month or even year! Don’t spend the time you could be using to write on beating yourself up for not writing. Just take a deep breath and put some words on a page. You can do it! (Besides, next week is a microprose week. I can’t wait to see what the prompt is, can you?)
Boy, it’s great to see all the new faces around here, though. If you haven’t said “hi” in the coffeehouse yet, why not stop by on your way to the top of the popular vote? Besides the popular vote, we also have the option of handing out an editorial staff pick to any post on our grids. 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 #355
I’ve been racking my brains for a way to explain the difference between a journal entry and a good personal essay for a while now. See, no matter how cleverly or beautifully you write, some things leave the reader asking “so what?” Let’s try this one:
Don’t just tell me what happened, show me why I should care.
Annnnnd poets swept the Top Three this week!
I don’t know, y’all. Even my own poem left me a little flat (awwwwwkward). I’m feeling like when I can’t write anything else I reach for a tritina or that all-important enter key that can turn any sentence into something that looks like a poem. But don’t worry, there’s hope for us! Editor Nate is going to be teaching a really-truly class in poetry, starting just about on the Ides of March and running through National Poetry Month. With all those exercises, ideas, and games, I’m sure to get my creative juices flowing, and maybe I can shake out of this rut I’m in and start feeling like I’m a little more competent at the content, not just the mechanics, of poetry!
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 #355
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.
