for writers who blog and bloggers who write
2017 starts now
One of the things I’m tasked with at my Day Job is to help with strategy development for 2017. The main goal is easy: do better, get ahead, succeed. It’s those micro goals that are at issue, meaning we need to know where we are along the way, not simply push through full steam ahead until next October when we’re planning for 2018. Having measurable markers is key. Defining the elements of success is necessary to keep us on track and keep us going.
It’s the same thing I’m doing here at yeah write. Where do we want to be this time next year? What can we do in January to meet that objective? How about February?
It’s the same in my writing. It’s the same in yours. It’s not enough to want to your book traditionally published, or get in that coveted lit mag, or land an agent, or simply be read. You have to know how you’re going to get there. This is the step you do before you make resolutions in January.
So what’s your goal? What are some measurable steps? Your thoughts in comments.
Yeah write super challenge #2
The first round of super challenge #2 is almost complete! Our participants are currently biting their nails down to the quick in anticipation of the results while our judges put the finishing touches on their scores. Wish them good luck in the comments! They deserve it!
Did you miss out on registration? Don’t fret! Just sign up for our email blast so you don’t miss out on any announcements regarding future super challenges.
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: tension
For this month’s nonfiction know-how we’re going to focus on tension. There are two basic reasons that people continue reading a thing they’ve started. One is that they’re curious about something, and the other is that they’re worried about something. Curiosity is a large part of what drives humorous writing; worry is what drives suspenseful writing. I’ll let Rowan tell you the rest.
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. 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.
Nancy wrote a letter to someone who could probably use some empathy right about now. This week’s prompt up taken from her essay is: Anything that goes wrong is someone else’s fault.
October poetry slam: nonet
This month, we’re taking it a little easy on you with the nonet. No scanning! No rhyming! Heck, you don’t even have all the content rules of haiku. Just good old syllable counting. Do you miss our microstory challenge? Then this is the poetry slam for you. Have fun!
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.