Don’Wanna
Have I mentioned lately that the combination of being freelance plus everyone ELSE suddenly working from home has made days impossible to day? For example, I have a project that’s supposed to drop today, so I took my weekend on Tuesday and Wednesday, and now I can’t weeks AT ALL. I hope it’s Friday today and that you’re heading into ANY respite from the week, even if it’s just not having to listen to one more screaming tirade about why is there homework when we’re already home. But welcome to my normal? Honestly, if it weren’t for having to tally the popular vote, I’d never know what day it was anyway.
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 or commendation. 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.
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!
But we don’t limit kudos to posts: our commentariat commendation goes to a writer who has gone above and beyond to offer help and community to authors with work on the grids. You can check out our Critic’s Guide for examples of what we mean, but we don’t limit the commentariat commendation to posts with the concrit badge on. There are definitely still ways to help and support authors who don’t feel confident asking for robust criticism, and we trust our community to find them. On weeks when we find a comment to commend, we’ll let you know in the Roundup section.
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!
Rowan’s Roundup: YeahWrite Weekly Writing Challenge #474
When we’re introducing controversial opinions, it’s tempting to put a “safety layer” between the opinion and the outside world. Using analogies, hypotheticals, and long prefatory clauses can do that… but it can also contribute to losing your point. Now that you’ve screwed up your courage to say the controversial thing, just say it. Unpopular opinion: Not everything needs to be gently introduced. (There, see how you do that? Just say the thing. Confidently. Because you believe it, or you wouldn’t be saying it gently, either.)
I was hoping for a week with more than one story on the grid to say this, but I’m afraid I’ll forget it if I don’t, and it’s been a consistent theme. So I’m not, I promise, calling anyone specific out here, but naming a trend I’m seeing: if you want a reader to care what happens in your story, there needs to be a reason for them to invest in the outcome. We usually call this “stakes” as in gambling. What is staked on the character’s choices? What consequences would there be if they chose differently or failed to finish the task they’ve set themself? Without stakes, readers have little reason to care how things turn out, because they have no sense that another outcome might be bad for the characters. If your stories are falling flat, don’t raise the emotions; raise the stakes.
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 #474
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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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.
