for writers who blog and bloggers who write
What time is it?
My favorite time of day is between 2:00 AM and 6:00 AM. No one else is awake and the world is still. I can think without interruption. It’s a beautiful thing. The worst part? I never see it.
Life doesn’t let me sleep all day and stay up all night. For a while, I was getting up at 4:30 to write before the day started but I couldn’t sustain the schedule. I’ve been sleeping through my best writing time. It turns out being overtired is as bad for my soul as not writing.
I haven’t found a solution to this problem yet. How about you? Do you have a favorite time of day? Have you found a way to actually enjoy it?
Yeah write super challenge!!!
Have you been under a rock the past few weeks and missed our big announcement? Well don’t fret! You can read all about it here. If you’re looking for a nonfiction essay challenge to really up your game, this is it. We’ve got prompts and prizes. Really, what more could you ask for? Early registration ends June 30 and the contest kicks off July 8.
Who’s on fourth
This month we invite you to learn more about Lisa and her blogging home at Pryvate Parts! The interview will publish Monday at 12pm ET, but in the meantime, head over to her page and catch up on all of her awesomeness.
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.
Melony discussed people’s misconceptions of the links between appearance and health in her vulnerable post, Beauty Standards. This week’s prompt up taken from her essay is: It all still itches something fierce.
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.