Finished!
I’ve been rebuilding an old scooter all summer (or at least that’s what it feels like, although summer hasn’t technically started yet). First it was just a matter of siphoning out the old gas and adding new. Then it was replacing the battery. By the time I was putting the carburetor back together I felt pretty good about my new skills (still didn’t run, though). One improvised manual choke later I… had a running scooter with a flat tire. The wheel went back on yesterday, which involved a lot of learning about brakes that I didn’t mean to have to know. BUT. Last night I put my helmet on and went for a nice long ride.
Writing’s like that, too. I know I’ve used this metaphor before but honestly all I’ve been doing is writing and rebuilding a scooter. I promise to be more interesting in a week or so. Anyway, sometimes what you think you’re writing turns out to be something entirely different. Or in fixing one problem (dialogue?) you run into another (who’s doing what to whom now?). It’s worth taking the time to fiddle and adjust, though, because in the end your story will run as smoothly as you want it to, all the way to the top of the 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 #374
What got you started writing? What gave you the confidence? Was it a prompt? A question? A teacher? The right encouragement at the right time can get anyone into writing, and as an established writer once told me when I was getting into the game, there aren’t a finite amount of words and stories in the world, and I won’t use up the ones she needs, so why wouldn’t she encourage me to be a writer too?
Now that you’re a writer, be the encouragement that another writer needs to see. Find someone who hasn’t written in a while and ask what they’ve been up to! The next time you’re sitting with a friend and they’re telling you a story about that thing that happened on Wednesday, be the one who says “you know, that would make a great essay.”
Shameless plug: If you’ve been wondering how to get from “that prompt’s in there, I guess” to “this story seamlessly and effortlessly integrated a complex set of prompts” have we got a class for you. Registration is already open for YeahWrite Tier 2 members, and will open for nonmembers and Tier 1 members on Monday! As an added bonus, you’ll learn how to give and interpret constructive criticism, and come away with a few ideas for where to submit your final product.
Not a shameless plug, but a handy writing tip: When you’ve finished writing a story, ask yourself which character your audience is likely to identify with the most. Are you asking them to put themselves in the shoes of an essentially unsympathetic character? Consider adding more complexity to the character’s motivations or interests. Remember that your audience will be most responsive to “peril” when it involves a character they can identify with, so – look, I haven’t had a lot of sleep, is “make sure they care before you scare” catchy or horrible? Honestly if it helps you I don’t mind you thinking it’s awful.
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 #374
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.
