Writing Help
Looking for a few extra tips and tricks or craft hints? You’ve found YeahWrite’s Writing Help archive. Below, you’ll see a collection of the posts we think you’ll find helpful. Besides our monthly Nonfiction Know-How and Poetry Slams, we’ve included posts from past workshops, guest authors, classes, and the times one or another of our editors added some in-depth knowledge during a routine weekly post. Be sure to check out our favorite post: the one that defines the “so what.” Whether you write fiction, nonfiction, or correspondence, your reader should never be left asking… so what? We’ve also collected our best of the best posts about constructive criticism in one place, because writing help is also about helping each other write. Good luck, and happy writing!
Be the dog your person thinks you are
Emily Dickinson said that "dogs are better than human beings because they know but do not tell." But sometimes as authors we find ourselves wanting to tell the stories of dogs. This month, to celebrate the "dog days" of summer, let's discuss how to create,...
The doggerel days of summer
[vc_row][vc_column width="1/1"][vc_column_text]Ah, summer. The dog days thereof, in fact. The science fictioneer in me gets excited for the conjunction of the sun and Sirius, the Dog Star... but the rest of me is too damn hot and sweaty to care all that much. When...
This Page Intentionally Left Blank
I'm gonna say something, and I want you to relax before I do. Relax. Bear with me. It'll be okay. Everything will be fine. I'm going to talk about Shakespeare now. Aw, crap. Now you're all tense again. It's okay. I promise. No sonnets. No sonnets. We already did...
I’m a lover, not a fighter
Rah rah ah-ah-ah. Roma-roma-ma. Ga-ga ooh-la-la! That's right. Romance Love it, hate it, or love to hate it, romance is popular. Over 50% of paperback books sold in the USA are romance novels. The romantic comedy rules Hollywood. From Jane Austen to...
Dróttkvætt: It’s Norse for swagger
[vc_row][vc_column width="1/1"][vc_column_text]Swagger. Game. Confidence. No matter what you call it, you know you gotta have it. Even the Old Norse were into swagger. Just check out their poetry. Edda after edda of braggadocio. In fact, they were so into the concept...
Focus on Fiction: Historical Fiction
[vc_row][vc_column width="1/1"][vc_column_text]Good morning. Or afternoon. Or whatever time it is where you are. Speaking of time, let's speak of time. History, to be precise.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/4"][vc_single_image...
Five is the loneliest number
Raise your hand if you're tired of spending more time trying to find the right rhyme than you did coming up with the idea for your poem in the first place. Keep it up if you hate trying to check your scansion. For those of you who die a little inside every time you...
Writing help: Who sonnet first?
Does the word "sonnet" scare you? Are you already having flashbacks to Shakespeare and a thousand bad readings at awkward weddings that have already gone on way too long by the time someone compares thee to a summer's day? Well, never fear. We're here to demystify the...
yeah write #175 weekly writing challenge is open for popular voting + a few words on literary devices
It's time to vote! You'll find everything you need down at the bottom of this post: the grid, the voting guidelines, etc. A little reminder: if you posted, please take the time to read all the entries and to vote. It's more than a courtesy to your fellow yeah writers...
yeah write #175 weekly writing challenge: the 2014 summer supergrid is open for microfiction, essays, and short fiction
The 2014 yeah write summer series continues! Check out Christine’s weekly kickoff post to find everything you need to know about the guidelines, format, and lounges for the last week of our summer series. You'll find the grid and posting guidelines at the bottom of...
Yeah write #175 weekly challenge: what’s the big idea?
This is it! It’s the final week of the 2014 yeah write summer series. Before you get all maudlin, remember you’ve still got time to participate. Check out the weekly kickoff post to find everything you need to know about the guidelines, format, and lounges for our...
yeah write #174 weekly writing challenge is open for popular voting + a few words on microfiction
It's time to vote! You'll find everything you need down at the bottom of this post: the grid, the voting guidelines, etc. A little reminder: if you posted, please take the time to read all the entries and to vote. It's more than a courtesy to your fellow yeah writers...
yeah write #174 weekly writing challenge: an honest talk about cheating
Have you checked out the lounge communities? The coffeehouse? The summer supergrid? Before we dive into this wonderfully uncomfortable topic, let’s review, shall we? You all have made the yeah write 2014 summer series a huge hit. Somehow, you have kept your energy up...
yeah write #174 weekly writing challenge: the 2014 summer supergrid is open for microfiction, essays, and short fiction
The 2014 yeah write summer series continues! Check out Christine’s weekly kickoff post to find everything you need to know about the guidelines, format, and lounges for our third summer series. You'll find the grid and posting guidelines at the bottom of this post....
Yeah write #174 weekly challenge: your prompt response is requested
Two. No more than two. That's how many weeks are left in the 2014 yeah write summer series! The 2014 yeah write summer series continues! Check out Christine’s weekly kickoff post to find everything you need to know about the guidelines, format, and lounges for our...