for writers who blog and bloggers who write
Jumping hurdles
When I was in the early stages of writing my memoir, I got to a certain point and I couldn’t move. It was my own life story and yet I couldn’t figure out how to tell it. It wasn’t a lack of words or inspiration. I just kept focusing on the same parts, over and over again, and I couldn’t write new parts. I was a stuck needle on a scratched record.
Then, one morning as I sat at my desk, staring at the same screen for a long time, it hit me: I didn’t have the right paper. I went out and bought a ream of printer paper, printed the pages I’d written so far and opened up a new document to start writing the next section. Lickedy-split, I got the first draft done. (Fine, it took another year.)
I’m working on something else now and I got stuck again. Reading my notes and trying to make an outline and using the methods that have worked before, none of it moved my story along. I still had the thing plot with no reasons or backstory. I still didn’t know where it was going. Then I realized I needed index cards. Since I started using this new system, the world I’m writing is starting to fill out. The characters have some depth. I am making progress for the first time since I came up with this idea a year ago.
It’s silly that printer paper and index cards are the things that held me back. Maybe they only represent fear of writing or the unknown or some other thing. I guess it doesn’t matter if I’m writing, right?
Your zany hindrances in comments, please.
The basics
Yeah write gives you two competitive challenge grids — nonfiction and fiction|poetry — both of which are unmoderated. Everyone gets to the voting round on Thursday. (Remember, your post must be dated appropriately, not be offensive to our audience, and cannot be over word count.) Got a question? E-mail us, tweet us, ping us on Facebook, or visit our online community, the yeah write coffeehouse. You can learn more about yeah write in our FAQ. Please make sure you are familiar with our submission guidelines before you enter. We don’t have a lot of rules, but we do enforce them across the board. We’d hate to see anyone get disqualified by a technicality.
Bring us your personal essays and creative nonfiction!
The nonfiction challenge grid opens on Monday at midnight EST. This is the best place on the ‘net to showcase your best writing. Make us laugh, make us cry, make us think, and above all: make us care.
Nonfiction know-how: editing
When editing a story or essay, think about it on two levels: structural and technical. The structural side is “what is this story I am telling and how am I doing it.” Technical editing is more about commas, spelling, grammar, and word choice. Of course there’s some overlap between the two.
Whether you’re writing a new piece or touching up an old one, though, here’s what you should be looking at, at a bare minimum. Let Rowan tell you more. Fictioneers, this applies to you too, so don’t miss this one!
Is fiction more your thing?
The fiction|poetry grid opens on Tuesday. Grab a mic and join our monthly poetry slam or check out our weekly prompt up!
Prompt up!
Prompt up is our optional weekly writing prompt for the fiction|poetry challenge! Here’s how it works: we choose a sentence prompt from last week’s winning nonfiction post and announce it in the kickoff. It’s your job to use that prompt as the first sentence in your poem or story and then run with it. The prompt is just a springboard, though: feel free to keep it as your first sentence, move it, change it, or float down it to other territories.
Jan told us about regret and family bonds in her post Beautiful Boy. This week’s prompt taken from her essay is: For a long time no one went to see them.
June poetry slam: the asefru
This month, it’s all about the asefru! If scansion isn’t your cup of tea, then this might just be the form for you. Don’t think you’re getting off the hook though! Like all our poetry slams, there are plenty of rules that need to be followed. Rowan tells you all about it here.
Winners’ round-up
In case you missed them, you can find last week’s yeah write staff picks and crowd favorites all laid out for you on Friday’s winners’ post. Leave the winners some love in the comments. They will love you right back, we guarantee it.
Weekend writing showcase
The weekend’s not over: the moonshine grid is still open. Have something to add? Old posts and new are welcome. No moderation, no voting. It’s a laid-back relaxed kind of place. Just leave your commercial or sponsored posts at home. Drop by, share your work, and while you’re there, visit your fellow yeah writers.