Practice makes…
…perfect, right? Isn’t that how the saying goes? But it turns out that’s not quite true, is it? See, recent studies have shown that mindful practice improves your work a lot faster than just repetitive practice. What’s true for music is true for writing, too. Yes, you’ll get better at writing if you just keep putting words on paper, but not nearly as fast as if you try new things, get feedback, adjust your writing, and focus on improving the way you tell stories, not just whether and how many stories you tell. Take Michael, for example – I’m going to pick on him because he’s taking home both a staff pick and the popular vote today, so he can handle it – really go back through his blog sometime and look at what he’s done and how he’s adapted as a writer to the feedback he hears, finding the things he’s so good at (one of the editors remarked this week that we might as well have chosen the prompts with him in mind) and really honing them into finely crafted stories. That kind of practice and focus will get you to the top of 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 (yes, yes, congratulations to Michael 😛 ). 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 #405 Weekly Writing Challenge Staff Picks:
Fiction|Poetry
Those of us who are familiar with Michael’s serial stories have already met Constance the angel. We were hooked into this tale wondering what hijinks she was going to sort out for the other supernatural characters. Newer readers to Michael’s work, however, got the enthralling opening image of a woman walking through a battlefield and rendering all weapons useless. As usual, he used comedy as a tool to further the story and not as a sidenote to an otherwise dramatic storyline. Anyone who wants to learn how to write comedy or how to tell a complete short story (this one is only 477 words) need only read Michael’s work.
Rowan’s Roundup: YeahWrite Weekly Writing Challenge #405
Weeellllllpppppp 2019 isn’t starting off any easier than 2018, is it? I feel you. I’m currently working on a client project that’s… yeah. Sometimes the topics we want to tackle are heavy, laden with emotional impact and meaning to us – the writers. We have important things to say, and we want to be heard. But as writers, we can’t just browbeat our readers into seeing our point of view; we need to draw them into the story with us. (And yes, personal essays are first and foremost stories.) Think of it this way: when you’re reading a story, do you want to be talked at or conversed with? The best essays don’t just tell the reader how we’re feeling; they invite the reader to explore what they are feeling. Sometimes that means not holding yourself at a distance from the essay, too.
Fictioneers, I’m going to tag-team your advice with nonfiction this week and talk about holding your reader’s attention once you’ve gotten it.
So what are some of the things that can distract your readers? Pacing and flow are key: when you insert too much exposition into a dialogue, you run the risk of derailing the conversation altogether. It’s like grabbing the reader’s arm and taking them out of the room to tell them about the story, instead of leaving them there to see it happening. Word choice is another culprit: when you use words that don’t mean what you’re describing, the reader has to decide between what you’re showing and what you’re telling. Don’t make the reader stop to figure out what you meant to say.
That’s it for this week! Remember, we don’t always give out a pick on each grid; 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 next week of challenges kicks off tonight at midnight US Eastern time!
Congratulations to the Crowd Favorites at YeahWrite #405
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.
