Dystopian Fiction
I dunno, y’all, do you still read dystopia? It’s starting to lose its charm when I can just open up the Washington Post.
In other news, a giant meteor missed us, so those of you on Team Giant Meteor 2020 need to work harder if this is all you can get out for the primaries. See? Truth really is as strange as fiction, and vice versa. That’s why we have a fiction and a nonfiction grid for your voting pleasure.
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 #389 Weekly Writing Challenge Staff Picks:
Nonfiction
I tried to pick just one, but this week, I couldn’t. And here’s why.
At first glance, Margaret’s and Anusha’s pieces couldn’t be more different. Margaret picks out a single moment where she was reminded that love need not be romantic to be true. Her tone is light and clear, and she makes her point through the actions of the players. Anusha’s essay is more introspective, full of lush imagery and language, until the last paragraph anchors her thoughts in something tangible. As I read, it struck me that the authors are telling the same story: how to capture something beautiful in an ordinary situation, and this is what makes both pieces instantly relatable. We are all looking for beauty in the everyday; Margaret and Anusha give us two different ways to find it.
Rowan’s Roundup: YeahWrite Weekly Writing Challenge #389
I think I’ve said before (and hope not to say again but it seems inevitable, doesn’t it) that 2018 is a hard time to be an essayist. I can’t think of a country that’s not struggling with its national identity right now, unless maybe Iceland? How ya doin, Iceland? We cool? But as this week’s winners showed us, we can still focus on moments of beauty when we need a break. And that’s not a gift that we’ll get from fiction, those reminders that even while we struggle with frustration and injustice it’s okay to appreciate joy as it comes. So keep writing, folks.
Poets: I’m sorry to see the golden shovel go, too, but I think you’ll be excited for next month’s slam, which is in a similar vein.
Fictioneers: The one thing I’m seeing stand between you and your coveted ed pick with this month’s sentence prompt is consistency. That is, the pace or voice of your story often shifts between the part right next to that sentence and the end of the story. While changing pace can be a good thing, shifting from detailed sedate conversation to a summary of what could have been the plot of a longer story can be jarring. Likewise, shifting between colloquial and formal “voice” in your story can make it seem like you didn’t edit carefully, or have a good idea what your character or narrative voice should sound like going in.
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 #389
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.
