The actual worst
I have written approximately zero words this week except for this paragraph. Instead, I’m editing. My work, other people’s work, editing. So much edits. Do not make me look at more words please. Just scroll for the vote. Please. (If this paragraph was not relatable, this is your reminder that you should be editing or at least beta reading more frequently, it will make you a better writer.)
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 #461 Weekly Writing Challenge Staff Picks:
Nonfiction
If you haven’t been a sailor by Kathunk
Drawing a reader into a topic they’re unfamiliar with can be tricky. In her essay, Katie hooks the reader from the first line by posing a question that also sets a scene. We’re invited to imagine the peacefulness of the stereotype of a ship at sea at night. With that image established, Katie then sets about showing all the ways in which it isn’t accurate. She takes us through the often hidden, less salubrious aspects of life on board a seafaring vessel, and breaks down the myths about life on the sea. Katie shows us the contradictions of living in what is both “a very large house and a very small city” with no reprieve, she shows the push and pull of isolation and crowding, solitude and noise. At the end of the essay, she shows us how habits formed from living under such conditions have carried over into her life today. Finally, the reader is invited to consider the complex ways in which she (and by extension, we all) can both miss, and also not want to return to, a particular experience.
Rowan’s Roundup: YeahWrite Weekly Writing Challenge #461
This week I want to take something that folks did very well on the nonfic grid and just… extend it a little. The good news first: when you write about something you care about, that comes through. There’s a clear and in some ways unforgiving tenderness (does that make sense?) to this week’s grid, an examination of what we care about and why. Now the hard part: can you bring those skills to something that doesn’t excite you? If you can, you’re well on your way to being a great essayist. Finding a hook that you can care about for any topic–from aardvarks to zithers–means that you’ll have a better chance of finding that hook for your readers.
I wanna talk about math. Specifically, the math of voting. Like the US elections, InLinkz doesn’t do ranked-choice voting. There are many weeks when I wish it did: we could have a deeper, more meaningful vote if you could give 5 points to your favorite story and 3 to your second. And in reading your score, you’d have a much better sense if people thought your work was close to the top or far from it. But that’s not how the software works, which means that sometimes you’re left staring at a huge gap in the vote numbers even though your story might have been a VERY narrow second choice for someone. And that’s hard on my ego, I don’t know about yours. But one of the most important parts of having a writing practice is just that: writing. There are a lot of ways to get feedback, and I often think that the strictly numerical ones are the hardest on us whether we win or lose, because we have no way of knowing what we did right or wrong, to repeat or fix.
One of the things the editors have been discussing behind the scenes as we noodle with our prompt schemes is how to clearly explain the prompts without sounding condescending or having to write a whole story ourselves for example. So we’re occasionally going to take advantage of a really excellent prompt hit in the first couple weeks of the month to say YES THAT, THAT IS WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR.
So, yes, The Bridal Shower. That’s what we’re looking for this month. Look how Laura lays out the elements of the prompt and then makes them matter. The gift. The expectation (the dress) and the actual (no spoilers, go read the story). And there are consequences embedded in the plot elements. We understand and empathize with why it matters that Alyssa gets what she gets. And see? You can be creative with a prompt like this still: when we wrote it, we envisioned disappointment, not excitement, at the unexpected gift. But this is hardly a letdown ending, and we loved it.
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 challenges kick off at midnight tonight!
Congratulations to the Crowd Favorites at YeahWrite #461
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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