for writers who blog and bloggers who write
Two-thirds through
I’m a sucker for a first-of-the-month that ushers in a new season. It feels like a good time for reflection. Here in the U.S., it’s back to school. For many, the kids are in class already (though we have another week where I live in New Jersey).
I picked up a few extra school supplies for myself this year while I recommit to my writing goals. With four months left in 2016, I need to get to work if I’m going to finish stuff as I’d intended. How about you? Does the new school year, the start of fall, or the first of the month spark something in you? If you’re outside the U.S. and on a different schedule, what time of year feels like this to you?
Labor Day micro challenge
Also in the U.S., Labor Day is about a week away (9/5/16). We’ll be mixing it up over on the fiction|poetry grid by offering a mico crhallenge, reminiscent of the old days of early 2016. If you’re looking for something new to try or missing our old challenge, make sure you check that out NEXT week. (I’m telling you now so you can cancel your plans and get ready.)
Also, make sure you stay tuned in the coming weeks for announcements regarding our next super challenge. This one will be for all you fictioneers out there so don’t miss out on any updates. Sign up for our mailer today! We promise not to spam you.
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 ET. 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.
Is fiction more your thing?
The fiction|poetry grid opens on Tuesday. Grab a mic and 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.
Hema told us about an experience teaching English as a second language in her post, Helena. This week’s prompt taken from her essay is: She didn’t have the luxury of time.
Nonfiction know-how and poetry slam are back!
Well, not quite, but soon! Keep an eye out on the first of September for their return. In the meantime, you can always check out our archives if you’re needing a little more inspiration this week. Happy writing!
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.