Coping skills
A coping saw has a tiny blade and is used to make intricate cuts. I mention this because “coping” these days can feel like dealing with the thousand tiny parts of ourselves that are being cut away, the good with the bad. I don’t miss a commute. But I have friends who would take that commute back in a second if it meant they had a little space from some very bored and frustrated kids. Also most of my personal coping skills involve getting another piercing, which I can’t do right now, so what I’m saying is I totally understand why the bright color dyes were sold out at the drugstore yesterday when I ventured out to pick up my dog’s medication. And some bean dip, because as long as I had to be out, I was going to get comfort food.
All of these little bits get cut away, and one of them might be the storytelling bit. It’s hard to tell stories right now because the Big Story is taking over our brains. And it’s not particularly comforting (to me at least) to fantasize about having more power over the situation (magical cures, healers) or to write any of my usual post-apocalyptic… uh… you see where I’m going with this. And that’s ok, but I just wanted to share that writing something little and fluffy and NOT ABOUT ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR this week helped me hang onto my identity as a writer. Strict prompts are good for that: you have to solve a puzzle, not come up with an idea in your exhausted and stressed out brain. Give it a shot as you settle into this new normal for a few weeks or months, ok? And hey. If you need a little something good in your life, there’s always that shot at winning the 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 #467
So what?
If you had to sum up the point of your essay in a single sentence, could you? That’s your so what, without which your reader is left, well, asking “so what” after they’re done. Having a clear, concise so what in mind will also let you clarify your hook early. The hook is what makes your reader WANT to read (you know, after you leave this wonderful community and its captive audience) and if you don’t sink that hook in the first couple sentences, it’s likely your reader will wander off no matter how good the rest of the essay is.
You don’t necessarily have to know your so what going in. That’ll just bog you down (unless you’re like me and you come up with one perfect clear sentence in the shower and then have to build an essay around it, which is its own whole set of problems). But you should be able to identify it after you’ve written. Then in your first round of edits, get rid of everything that doesn’t serve your so what. Your second round of edits is for smoothing out, adding back the digressions that aren’t distractions, and getting all your language and word choice flowing together. Then you’ll have an essay you can be rightfully proud of, and your readers will be thinking about for days.
I guess this week’s roundups are all about storytelling. So here’s something for both fictioneers and poets:
Do not – and I cannot stress this enough – be afraid to leave things on the cutting room floor.
Sometimes you need to write for a while before your story or poem starts showing up. That’s fine. What you don’t need to do is make your reader read what you wrote while THEY are waiting for the story or poem to show up. It’s always tempting to put your backstory, your blocking, your explanations and descriptions, all at the front end of what you’re doing. But you don’t have to! The next time you write, try cutting the first third of whatever you wrote out, and see if you really needed any of it. (This isn’t empty advice, folks, the first 10,000 words that Christine and I wrote on our first novel will never see the light of day and they don’t need to, but we needed to know those things about the characters and world before we could write the actual story.)
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 #467
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.
