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December 2017 Editor’s Picks

Today marks our last batch of Editor’s Picks for 2017. Throughout the past twelve months, we’ve seen our writing community grow, not only in size but in spirit. More writers than ever are reviewing each other’s work and leaving a steady stream of encouraging words in the comments sections. Your brilliance and individual growth has not gone unnoticed! And the proof of how amazing all of you are can be seen in the responses to three of our recent prompts: “Fernweh,” “Ten Words to You,” and “My December.”

“Fernweh” asked you to think about a concept that can not quite be expressed by a single word in the English language. The word fernweh, for instance, is German for being homesick for a place you’ve never been to. In the pieces below, you’ll find a bevy of words that writers created to describe the (currently) indescribable. And who knows, if we all start using these words, they might become part of the official English lexicon!

“Trepsomnis” by AJ Robinson (Canada)

“Tacitagrim” by JCWriter (US)

“Yatra” by sKRUwriting (India)

“New Words!” by WhiltiernaWolfLord (US)

“the words I need” by Shanti (India)

The final month of the year brings with it a palpable feeling of nostalgia. In your responses to the prompt Ten Words to You—which asks writers to pen a piece about their home country in only ten words—we could feel the weight of these final few weeks of the year. Some writers, like the ones below, used this prompt as an opportunity to reflect upon  their home country, covering topics like social injustice and economic inequality.

“United States of American Contradictions” by abigailholder (US)

“Surroundings” by Jacob Hickman (US)

“Winnipeg, Manitoba” by Gabe Krawec (Canada)

“Albania” by Patt (Albania)

Other responses were lighter, reading more like love letters, resplendent in rich descriptions of landscapes and musings about weather patterns:

“Jersey, Darling” by Rachel A. (US)

“Home” by raindrops (South Korea)

“Japan” by IzzyRE (Australia)

“Just a grey town in Wales” by Rosie (UK)

“Embrace” by darlingdrizzle (UK)

To round out our Editor’s Picks, we’re thrilled to share a few of our favorite responses to the “My December” competition. This December, writers from around the world wrote about the rituals and traditions that define the final month of the year in their corner of the globe. We learned about December in the sweltering heat from our friends in the tropics, and December in sub-zero temperatures in places like Canada. Despite the differences in physical location, however, a constant theme prevailed: December is about family and friends and setting goals for the new year. Here, we’ve listed some fabulous “My December” pieces, as well as photos to accompany each piece from the authors themselves.

“A Christmas Far Away From Home” by theMGCpage (Netherlands)

“Quickly” by nd360 (US)

“The End of the Old The Soon to be New” by Natalieshift13 (Malaysia)

Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year from everyone at Write the World!

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November Editor’s Picks

This National Novel Writing Month, we received an unprecedented number of Novel Writing entries. Some of our favorites include American writer Maybeeso’s suspenseful tale set in an eerie country town, while Ellen W’s piece transports us to a melancholic hospital waiting room. Inspired by our “Birdsong” prompt, writers used onomatopoeia to describe the calls  of birds, as well as the sounds they emit as they fly. Our Write the World community was also treated to a number of stunning responses to prompts like “The Art of Specification”. Maggie Mills, for instance, used realistic descriptions of a man’s face to illustrate the hardships he’s encountered throughout his life. Read on for more of our favorite pieces from the past month.

“Raven’s Hurrah” by Skyward Bound

Cheep-cheep ceases, Birdsongs fade, Throbbing-thumping-thunder, Oaks-and-Pines swayed.

In “Raven’s Hurrah”, Skyward Bound uses onomatopoeia to deftly describe a “bleak-black-bird” also known as a raven. But what makes this piece so captivating  is Skyward’s use of alliteration—“Throbbing-thumping-thunder”—which gives the poem a tangible burst of energy and rhythm.

“Hummingbird” by Aspen Gray

Trill! Tremble! Trace the starving air with all the force of a tiny hurricane! Thirst! Thrash! Thread the air with rhythmic dance! Heartbeat thrumming—like thunder never pausing for breath.

Aspen’s vivid descriptions capture   the ferocity of the hummingbird’s flight, it’s tiny heart beating“like thunder, never pausing for a breath.” Reading Aspen’s piece is like watching a David Attenborough  documentary on the big screen—a miniature world magnified for us in brilliant technicolor.

“The Falcon’s Flight” by HollyDays

Sweep and zing—Falcon snatches squealing prey, swept away, eagle zips

through high skies, and searing sunlight blinds— Falcon lands— nest scratches, rustles, and what scuttles inside: soon to be fierce hunters, in their first homes squack and hack—prey slips off Falcon's claws and beaks snap-shuts, a drip-drop,   blood-stained earth.

HollyDays dabbles in the macabre with her thrilling snapshot of a bloodthirsty falcon, mid-flight, trying to snatch its next meal. HollyDay’s piece both thrills and delights in its palpable darkness and doom.

“Old Man” by Maggie Mills

The man’s shoulders had thinned along with his hairline, and his face drooped like stretched taffy. Even the shadows under his eyes looked different, deeper, and dark enough that, from a distance, the man had no eyes at all, just blackened sockets.

For our “Art of Specificity” Prompt, writers were asked to describe something three times, getting more specific with each description. Maggie Mills’ piece starts with, “The old man looked very tired.” She then works her way up to the stunning description above. Zooming  in on the finest of details of her character’s face, Maggie gives the reader a clear picture of not only how tired this man is, but how utterly exhausted every fiber of his being had become, so much so that he was barely alive.

“Unresponsive” by Ellen W

The smoky yard, devoid of life apart from a mother uttering reassurances to her sobbing toddler and a row of solemn, faded yellow ambulances, filled her with a strange comfort that she couldn’t quite place. She told herself again that it was merely the echoes of other grieving families that made her hate the waiting room so much, and not the uncertainty of her own affairs. She was not quite sure she believed it.

Ellen W lands us in a hospital waiting room, its atmosphere thick with uncertainty and agitation.Ellen expertly sets the stage for a larger body of writing. As the scene unfolds, the reader is left hanging off every word, trying to figure out what’s next for this cast of characters.

“The Odd Adventures of Leo Wyle” by Maybeeso

“...Leo’s uncle lived far out in the country, with nothing but farmland and trees for miles around. In short, it was picturesque, and Leo had never hated it more.”

In The Odd Adventures of Leo Wyle, Maybeeso employs the use of a sarcastic, third person limited narrator. The narrator’s tone mimics that of the main character, Leo, who is less than thrilled to be visiting his uncle out in the country. The action is slow burning but comes to an eerie halt when, at the end of the piece, Leo’s uncle says something that confirms Leo’s suspicions. We love how Maybeeso uses tone and suspense to draw in the reader.

“With my Last Breath” by Flower Petals

On the last day of the world   I will walk   till my feet ache I will fall to the shaking ground   only then will i look up   at the stars their gentle light   pulsing goodbye   and with my last breath   I whisper   thank you

“With my Last Breath” is hauntingly beautiful in its simplicity and depth. The piece is both a lovely ode to mother nature’s majesty and a soulful exploration of what it means to say goodbye to a world that’s given you so much.

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October Editor’s Picks

On October 20th, we celebrated the National Day on Writing with our annual "Why I Write" prompt. We received hundreds upon hundreds of responses, making this prompt (which you can still respond to here) our most popular in Write the World history! As part of our October Editor’s Picks, we combed through the inspiring pieces to share some of our favorites. Today, we’ll take a closer look at pieces like “Writing Addict” by Malaysian writer Ari27, who waxes poetic on the ways in which writing transports her to worlds she never thought possible. We also get to know members of our community more intimately through the responses to the Flash Autobiography prompt. HollyDay’s wintry piece “Into the World”, for example, is guaranteed to plonk you in the middle of a snow globe. And finally, this batch of Picks is rounded out by some of our favorite Interview Competition pieces from writers like Princiology, who not only conducted a fabulous interview, but also used the process as an opportunity for personal growth.

Into the World by HollyDays (Japan)

My world right there could have been compressed into a snowglobe. My footprints in the snow, a lamp post, my parents' car, and a bench

In this stunning “Flash Autobiography” response, HollyDays recounts a first experience of seeing snow. Holly’s dreamlike descriptions transport us to a winter snowscape—a universe all it’s own, where time seems to stop for a moment.

“Incomplete” by Alex Riley (United States)

With wide eyes, I was enthralled as Mrs. Pemble, a short and portly woman who loved history and Hawaiian pizza, explained the elements of storytelling. Our next assignment: write a short story of our own.

Alex Riley’s take on the “Flash Autobiography” prompt offers a snapshot of a young girl whose love of writing is ignited, in part, by a teacher she admires. We love how Alex highlights the idea that writing is a lifelong pursuit and that our work as writers is never done.

“The Airplane Ride” by aLittleBirdy (China)

I breathed in the last few hours of American air I would breathe for God knows how long. Tears came unbidden from the corners of my eyes and trickled down my chubby cheeks. America had not been the kindest home, but it was my only home.

aLittleBirdy’s “Flash Autobiography” astounds in it’s simplicity. The author writes about leaving the United States and moving to a new home across the world. With each passing phrase, we feel aLittleBirdy’s vulnerability and nervousness intensify.

“Why I Write” by The Rebellious One! (South Africa)

I write as an act of of rebellion.

South African Writer, The Rebellious One!, writes not to escape but to be present. We love the boldness this rebel wordsmith writes with, and how she doesn't shy away from challenging systems of oppression with her words.

“Writing Addict” by Ari27 (Malaysia)

My pencil is like a gateway, A gateway to my special place, A place where there are no Mondays, And I can float around in space

If you weren’t already convinced of the otherworldly powers of writing, you will be after reading Ari27’s piece. Ari27 expertly employs the use of metaphor to demonstrate the ways in which writing can consume your imagination and take you to places you never thought possible.

“Life is a Gift” by Afnan jalil (Pakistan)

“Last question, do you feel handicapped sometimes or does this state of imperfection bother you?”

“We are so conscious about how a person externally appears but we forget that our body is just a covering for our soul. I think a person should be marvelous from inside. Our soul shouldn’t become handicapped and I am happy that mine is not. And about imperfection.. I think no one in this world is flawless. So I just have to say that I am imperfectly perfect.”

Afnan jalil’s Interview Competition entry, while fictional, does a great job mimicking a natural rapport between two people. This is best demonstrated by the thoughtful follow up questions her character asks the interviewee.

“The Tragic Goldmine” by PRiNCioLoGY (Nigeria)

Now, many teachers find it pretty hard to get their classroom organized, so I asked how she did hers. And she told me she scares her pupils off sometimes, frowns, shouts; and at other times she jokes, plays with them, laughs, sings and then gets their full attention. She also added, “...when you become close with your students, even if you turn your face somehow, they will understand.”

In this competition entry, Princiology shares not only his interviewee’s responses, but also his own inner thoughts, which gives the interview a dynamic, layered feel. At the end of the piece, Princiology also shares how hard it was for him, a naturally shy person, to approach his friend for the interview.

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August Editor’s Picks

In their prose, poetry and reflections, the authors of this month’s selected works display a deep level of introspection, compassion, and creative nuance. Young American writer siahra, for example, ignites empathy with her piece, “All We Need,” a plea for all of humanity to reject hate and embrace love. Writers Shanti and Katie turn their attention inward as they each grapple with the question of how to fulfill our innate yearning for happiness. Molly Ko shows us that happiness can be something as simple as sitting on a park bench, soaking in the world around you. Read on for more standout pieces from the Write the World community.

“words, to have and to eat” by Shanti (India)

so of course she sought, was seeking a form of sustenance, something which could move her from ordinary woman towards magic...

“words, to have and to eat” chronicles a young woman’s quest for a fuller life. The piece gets its particular flavor from Shanti’s clever use of food metaphors woven throughout.

6am by Katie Phelan (Ireland)

and when the words finally reach her mouth, oh the questions they come stumbling out and they go on and on like - Why am I this way, why are you that way Why aren't I this way, why aren't you that way

Irish songstress Katie Phelan’s song “6am” wowed us with its sincerity and honesty—both in her lyrics and performance of the song. We dare you to not get that catchy chorus stuck in your head!

“Sunset, Sky, Stars” by Vanilla (India)

The sun crouched, the commander of the day. Ready to spring, to clear the way. He turned hotter, redder, furious. Watching the azure, alert and curious.

Vanilla nailed our “Prose Poem” prompt with her stunning story of the sun’s ascension into the sky and eventual descent beyond the horizon. Her use of metaphor and battle terminology gives this piece a dramatic edge.

“All We Need” by siahra (United States)

No one to blame, no name to call. A collective aim, it's the fault of us all. Whoever you frame, it's our downfall.

In a complicated world, oftentimes fraught with hate and uncertainty, siahra’s song offers an impassioned call to humanity: “Teach me, teach me how to be free//I want us to clearly see//that love is all we need.” The words are brought to life by her understated, yet moving, acoustic performance.

Rewind my Time by Kanksha_Chawla (Singapore)

Rewind my time I want to be with myself again Clutch tight. I won’t lose this again.

In Kanksha_Chawla’s own words, the piece urges readers to never give up on their dreams. And with each passing refrain– “I won’t lose this again”–we can feel the urgency of this desire build throughout the piece.

“Self-Proclaimed Royalty” by Molly Ko (United Kingdom)

I named this bench my throne and from it I can see the outlines of every street and every skyscraper, every high street shop and coffee house.

Molly Ko’s description of the view from her favorite bench in Rougemont Gardens in England shows us that the concept of “home” can be more than a physical structure. Home can be watching “the starlings who have claimed the autumn sky” or the familiar pulse of traffic and the cackle of crows. Molly’s languid, sumptuous descriptions of the natural world remind us of the beautiful prose of the great English writer, Evelyn Waugh.

“Hardwood Floors” by OllieOllie (United States)

The first thing to hit me was the smell of fresh paint. I walked to the center of the room, staring in disbelief at the blank walls. What happened to the pictures? I thought. Where are the drawings and the band posters?

Ollie’s first-person, real-time narrative taps into a pain many of us experience at one point or another–the feeling of returning to a place you cared for so deeply and realizing it now belongs to someone else.

One Day, Three Autumns by Kaiyak (Canada)

With one hand, you frame the night sky, finding with dismay that even the stars seem to have left your once-idyllic spot on the hill, blown away with only a gentle breeze.

In response to our “Talking to YOU” prompt, Kaiyak adopts the seldom used second person point of view to tell the story of a man returning to an idyllic spot from his youth. The piece’s unique POV, combined with Kaiyak’s poetic storytelling style, fully engages each of our senses.