Whatever gets you through
Hey, did you know they make energy drinks that are also coffee but they’re still energy drinks? I’ve got a dozen or so backed up emails I can’t even bring myself to look at, the fancy blueblocker “stop getting migraines from your screen” glasses won’t arrive till next week, and lately my “game break” has been duolingo, because I can’t figure out how to shift out of productivity mode, so I’m just walking around whispering “uyu” to my milk. When I’m like this, it feels like I’ll never be able to write for pleasure again. But my writing buddies have my back: they keep sending me little paragraphs about things our characters are doing, so that I’ll be able to slip these stories on like a cozy bathrobe. Some time in March. I hope.
In the meantime, though, I get to see what everyone else is writing, which has been lovely. I don’t always comment, but I do make it through the grid (I have to, I write the roundups!), and I’m always excited to see who won the popular vote.
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 the trends we’re seeing. 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 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 #404 Weekly Writing Challenge Staff Picks:
Fiction|Poetry
Rowan’s Roundup: YeahWrite Weekly Writing Challenge #404
I talk a lot about the “so what” as a way to connect with your reader, but not as much about the “so what” as an editing tool. But it is: once you write, and you figure out what you were writing about, an easy way to cut some words and let your piece breathe a little, or give yourself some room to develop that theme, is to carve away most of the stuff that doesn’t move you towards your so what. Marie Kondo your essay: thank your digressions and diversions for enriching our life and giving you joy, highlight them, and let them go.
When I’m looking at a grid as diverse as the one this week (fiction! poetry! all kinds of focus on different times and places!) it can be hard to think of a piece of advice that works for everyone, or even for just the majority of folks. But here’s an oldie but a goodie: when you hand your piece over to your beta reader, let them know any issues you’re aware of in your writing, or things to look out for. For example, you can say “Thanks for reading my story, Daham- I know I struggle with getting my verb tenses right so if you can keep a special eye on those I’d appreciate it!”
Congratulations to the Crowd Favorites at YeahWrite #404
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.
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.
