Here comes the rain
I’m a sucker for words. Precise, delicate words are all winners in my book: petrichor, liminal, coruscate, even diatribe. But this week I think my two favorite words in the English language are marine layer, the cool, blessed wad of damp air that’s shoving its way in from the coast to drop temperatures a full twenty degrees overnight and downgrade our local AQI from “fourth worst city in the actual world” to “you know, I think I’ll go to the gym tomorrow now that I can breathe around the pneumonia scarring in my lungs.” (Kids, stay up to date on your tetanus vaccine, it has the whooping cough vaccine in it and you don’t want that one – ask me how I know.) It’s been hard to focus on anything while I could barely see across the street and the sun was hanging low and red in the sky pushing temperatures halfway to boiling. Maybe next week I’ll even get something on the grids, to chase that ever-elusive 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 #384
Y’all really rose to the challenge this week! From Donna-Louise’s metaphor to Danielle’s laid-back reminiscence (seriously, are you feeling ok, because you’re usually as stressed as I am) the nonfiction grid was packed. I loved seeing the different directions everyone went with this prompt, and it looks like you did too! In fact, I’m hard pressed to come up with a roundup other than I MISSED YOU ALL AND I’M GLAD YOU’RE BACK, STICK AROUND IT’S ALMOST THE BEST SEASON!
So, this week’s prompt was actually harder than it looked, wasn’t it? The folks in the Deconstructing Prompts class could have told you that! Here’s today’s tip, borrowed from an in-class question: You don’t have to write away from the prompt. In fact, don’t second-guess yourself. You’ll spend more time trying to come up with a “fantastic, dazzling, unique” take on the prompt than you will writing the first story that comes to mind, which gives you less time to write a fantastic, dazzling, unique story. And it’s all about the story, in the end.
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 #384
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.
