Not ready yet
This picture is my protest against the summer that is happening to me against my will. I refuse. Don’t wanna. I’ve had the AC on for a week and it’s not even June (although at least we’re past Memorial Day). Just let me hang onto my rain for a minute or two longer.
You know what I am ready for? I’m ready to announce the winners of our 12th Super Challenge at 3pm today. But in the meantime you’ll have to settle for finding out the winners of our popular vote on this week’s free grids.
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 #424 Weekly Writing Challenge Staff Picks:
Nonfiction
In Sonder, Kirsten skilfully takes the reader on a wild ride through the shifting thoughts that can characterise depression. She begins by grounding the reader with a statement or a definition, then she introduces vivid metaphors that pull that safety net away and give a clear impression of her swirling, rapid-fire thoughts, before grounding us again in familiar pragmatism. The repetition of “which is to say” works as a clever device to create a pause and allow a change in pace, tone, and perspective. The structural rises and falls in this poem lyrically mirror fluctuating moods. This is another good reminder that poetry can be non-fiction, and creative non-fiction can be expressed as poetry.
We all have our rituals; they serve as a framework on which to hang the nitty-gritty details of our lives. But we don’t always pay attention to them, or even recognize them, until we’re knocked out of our routine. Sanch’s essay doesn’t just address this topic, it also reflects the experience in its structure. Her descriptions are so familiar—we can all relate—and just when she runs the risk of losing our interest, she too finds herself lost: in the kitchen, ungrounded. By introducing the importance of her parents’ particular ritual, and then her own, she opens the door for readers to consider the rituals in their own lives, the touchpoints that really anchor us.
Rowan’s Roundup: YeahWrite Weekly Writing Challenge #424
Tell me a story. No, really. One of the things that’s critical to story, as any fiction writer can tell you, is a growth arc for the characters. Let your characters (that’s probably you, if you’re writing a personal essay, but it might be your mom, your kid, or your best friend) learn something over the course of your essay. Let them change. Let them grow. Your readers will follow them on that journey and they, too, will come out better.
One of the phrases you hear a lot in fiction writing – or you used to; I’m old – is “willing suspension of disbelief.” As a writer, what you want from your readers is this willingness to come to the world you’re making, to suspend disbelief because it’s more fun that way. Not sure if you can actually bounce a graviton particle beam off the main deflector dish? No big deal; your readers are invested in the starship’s ability to slingshot around that wormhole.
One of the cruelest – and most counterproductive – things you can do to your reader is to interfere with their ability to suspend disbelief. So as you read back through your story (you, um, you do read back through your story before you post it, right? or ask someone else to?) look for inconsistencies. If someone’s able to bend time, but they can’t get to school on time, either provide a reason for that or change the parameters of their power. If someone knows everything but they get surprised by their birthday party? Come up with a reason. Inconsistency in your story is one of the fastest ways to send your reader’s disbelief – and attention – crashing.
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, next week’s grids open at midnight!
Congratulations to the Crowd Favorites at YeahWrite #424
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
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Oh my goodness, thank you so much for the nonfiction pick!