Day Three
It’s my third day alone in the house and I’ve gone the genteel kind of feral that has me subsisting on liver-pate-and-egg burritos and rum raisin ice cream bars. Protip: microwave the takoyaki before toasting (don’t @ me, I don’t have a kitchen right now and it’s my own fault but I can’t wait for this remodel to be done and what was I thinking buying natto when I can’t even make rice?). I’m not a total monster, though. I’ve done several loads of laundry, even if I can’t remember whether I’ve washed myself, and I’ve read the grids even if I haven’t written for them in… my neglected blog says almost two months. I did help get the new poetry slam and Year of Fearless Writing posts up, though. Maybe next week I’ll have myself back together enough to strive for that popular vote?
Besides the popular vote, we also have the option of handing out an editorial staff pick to any post on our grids. 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 #433
Start your story where the story starts.
Sounds simple, right? But it’s not. You may think your reader needs to know all about where you went to school before they understand why you’re up in that tree waiting to see if the branch breaks, but trust me: they don’t. Not in the first couple sentences, which are often all you have to grab the reader’s attention. You can work these details into the story later, but don’t start with them. While YeahWrite has a wonderful cadre of committed readers who’ll go through the entire piece to give you thoughtful feedback, not everywhere does, and you want to build (not bounce) your readership.
Once upon a time there was a Super Challenge round where an author had set their story in a small town in a less-populated state. It probably seemed like a safe enough setting to choose. Only one problem: it was the next town over from one of the judges’ hometown, and they were intimately familiar with the street layout that the author hadn’t bothered to look up, as well as the culture of the town which the author had failed to convey, instead putting in a generic “small-town hick” cast of characters which were out of place for that town.
Point is, do your research. One of our editors is still salty about a piece many years ago that gave a bird the wrong kind of feet (perching vs walking). This could have been resolved with a simple Wiki search. But there are times when that’s not enough either. For example, to write cultures and mythologies that aren’t your own you need a more than passing familiarity with the material. And to write characters with different backgrounds from yours convincingly, it’s important to talk to (and maybe trade beta-reading with) people who grew up that way. After all… you never know who’s reading.
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, next week’s challenges kick off at midnight tonight!
Congratulations to the Crowd Favorites at YeahWrite #433
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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