Losing is just a statistic
I was at the gym yesterday doing a timed workout with a small class. We had to do a certain amount of work on the stationary bikes, and then a set of movements with dumbbells, three times. One guy was struggling a little, and the class was small enough that it became clear in the first round that unless someone hurt themself, he was going to finish last. Not by a lot, but definitely last. After he got off the bike in the second round he looked at his dumbbells and said “well I haven’t worked out in a couple weeks, I need to ease into this.” The coach suggested that he use lighter weights, or do fewer reps of the exercises. He shrugged and said “nah, I’m gonna go for a run.” You know: something he was already good at. Because he couldn’t cope with the idea that he, personally, was going to be last.
In any group of people when you’re doing a scored or timed exercise, whether it’s mental or physical, someone’s going to finish last. That’s just the way it is. What I don’t understand are the people who guarantee they’re going to be last. The ones who wander off to get a drink of water in the middle of the class or competition, or who skip reading the rules and do a different set of exercises entirely. That one mystifies me, especially as I’ve been putting together the syllabus for [spoilers omitted but the link will give you a clue]. It’s always worth taking a few seconds before turning in your work, submitting to an anthology or competition, or picking up your barbell to make sure you read the exercise right and you’re doing the thing the coach, editor, or judge asked for. Did you change a word in the prompt? Is that sentence in the right place? Are you using the right font? If you’re not, it can cost you. For example, even in an unmoderated week where misusing a mandatory prompt might not cost you a place on the grid, it will certainly cost you an editor’s pick.
See, it’s not all about the popular vote at YeahWrite, folks. We also have our editorial staff picks to hand out. 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. Nobody has to finish last!
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 #373 Weekly Writing Challenge Staff Picks:
Microprose
I will confess to some behind the scenes wrangling over this month’s word prompt. Sapience was my choice. I like it because it’s a nuanced word, describing the kind of intelligence that requires intuition and reasoning capacity rather than mere rote memorization or time. Shannon captured this nuance in their post this week, using 47 words to lead the reader to the precise and subtle definition of the final two in a wry twist. If you already knew what sapience meant, you’d get it. If you didn’t, you’d still get it. That, to me, is the essence of a word prompt; it’s not just thrown in willy-nilly in a list somewhere, with the definition unimportant or an awkward fit for the moment. And as usual, Shannon pushes the edges of social boundary without giving a reader the sense that they threw any part of the story in for shock value. Instead, every nudge at the edge of acceptability nudges their story forward as well.
Rowan’s Roundup: YeahWrite Weekly Writing Challenge #373
Sometimes I describe the “so-what” as a bridge between reader and writer. For example, even if you’ve never climbed a Japanese pepper tree or cut one down, you’ve probably climbed a tree and rooted for an unpopular underdog at some point in your life. The combination of relatability and engaging storytelling catapulted Asha to first place in this week’s vote – look at what she did, and see if you can find it in your own work. If you can’t, consider trying it out. What’s the worst that could happen?
There are two parts to good prompted writing. One is using the prompt. The other is telling a story (or presenting a poem) that a reader is interested in regardless of the prompt. Okay, maybe a third is editing. Once I had a friend try to edit a prompt word out of a story I wrote, and I was like “oh gosh I can’t actually do that, let me give you the list of things that have to be in the story” and we worked together to make sure I could include the words and phrases and images the rules required, in the places they were required, and in the format. As you edit and beta-read, remember to give your beta readers the prompt directions you were asked to follow (or ask for those), so that they can help you check that, too!
Like Christine said, one technically correct but unsatisfying way to see a prompt word is in a long list of other words. This saps the prompt word of its meaning and definition. Is your prompt word “yellow?” Maybe don’t say “the crayons that Jeremy used were yellow, blue, red, green, and purple, and then he colored over his entire picture with black until the page was a single impenetrable square of darkness.” What does yellow add to that sentence? It could just as easily have been orange or grey or puce. Solid inclusion of a word prompt means letting that particular word, and its shades of nuance, add specific meaning to your story. If the word isn’t in your ordinary vocabulary, and especially if the definition is just a synonym or two, go read writing with the word in it. You’ll pick up on nuance and context a lot faster.
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 #373
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 ... 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.
