BYE FOR NOW
Kidding. Sort of. The video game I’ve been waiting all year for is FINALLY HERE and I’m about to disappear into the computer for the weekend. I’m stocked up on cola and crumpets, my friends know they’re not going to hear from me for 72 hours and not to worry, and my WHOLE BODY is ready for this game.
What?
You’d rather it was a book?
Listen, it’s 2019 and we have access to so many vectors of storytelling. AO3 has a Hugo award. Plot-driven games with deep character development are available. We have podcasts and audiobooks, e-readers and screenreaders and good old paper and ink – which we can print on demand and if that’s not living in the future I don’t know what is. I don’t care what your favorite way to consume media is. I care that you care about the quality of the storytelling. Engage with it. Demand more of it. Look for characters who are like and unlike you. Look for whole characters. Action doesn’t mean you don’t have that. Genre doesn’t mean you don’t have that. Do you like fantasy worlds, gunfights, train robberies? Those aren’t exclusive of excellent plot, characterization, and representation. You can have all that and a quest for Mushy Snugglebites’ missing badonkadonk, is all I’m saying.
Now get out there and consume some stories. I’m gonna fire this thing up while you check out the results of this week’s 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 #439
Writing is personal. Right until it’s not. That is, when you write for publication there are at least two people involved at all times: you and your reader. As you read back through your work and edit, remember your reader. Who are they? Are they just like you? If they’re not, is there something in your writing that’s going to strike them as a little… off? An assumption you’ve made or a phrase you’ve used that will jar? Will they love long introductions, or do they want to dive into the story? How much do you need to share with them before they understand what you’re saying, and what can you leave implicit, trusting them to pick up what you’re putting down? Um. I wish I could answer these questions for you quickly and easily, but if you’re struggling to answer them for yourself, I can only suggest having your work read before you you publish – a reader will, after all, be able to point out what you missed.
When you’re working intensely with a character, the things you know about them should inform the way they interact with the world around them. Sometimes that’s explicit: a character with one arm will be able and unable to do certain things. Sometimes it’s implicit: a character with a specific trauma may have difficulty interacting productively with things that evoke it (for the cheap seats, while this applies to that Tragic Rape Backstory, it’s not in the least limited to it – consider other traumatic experiences like childhood poverty, eviction, the loss of a friend in a senseless accident, or living without a safe space for years). You will – or should – always know more about your character than what makes it onto the page, even in a character sketch like the one you may be considering for the grid this month. Show the spaces that your knowledge takes up by letting the character interact in ways that are natural to them, letting the reader infer some of the why.
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 #439
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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