Yellow Box Addiction

Hello. My name is Kristi and I’m an addict.

(Everyone in unison now…Hello, Kristi!)

I have an addiction to little yellow boxes.

You see, I’m a writer. I write because I enjoy expressing creativity. I write to honor Jesus Christ. I write because my mouth can’t keep up with what my mind wants to say. I write because if nobody wrote anything, what on earth would we read? I write because it’s in my blood, baby!

The thing is, we writers rely on readers to regularly read our writings. There’s something supremely satisfying in seeing someone savoring our scribblings.  (Say that ten times fast!)

Allow me to annotate without alliteration.

Writers need somebody to read their work! We thrive on feedback from others, whether they enjoyed or destroyed our work. The little yellow boxes provide that fix.

I’m getting ahead of myself.

A couple years ago I got involved with a website called FaithWriters. Aptly named, FaithWriters (henceforth known as FW), is a site for Christian writers. FW is quite possibly the coolest place on the web. You can check it out here.

After more than a year of being distracted by everyday chores, I found my way back to the FW site and joined up as a platinum member. FW has a weekly writing challenge to help writers discipline themselves to write to topic, within a certain word count, and by a set deadline.

The Official Writing Challenge is now back from its quarterly hiatus, and all of us at FW are salivating like stray dogs in a butcher’s shop! I’ve already written my piece and submitted it. Now I wait.

Wait for what? The yellow boxes! Once the weekly contest ends, all of the pieces are brought online anonymously for FW users to read and critique. The little yellow boxes are what pops up when someone has given you feedback. Those boxes are just plain addicting, like chocolate is to a premenstrual woman!  Little yellow boxes are what keep us going until the judges announce the winners and the new topic.

If you have even the slightest inkling to put pen to paper, it’s worth your while to check out FW. Come wait for little yellow boxes with me! Bring your own chocolate—I need mine.

And yes, I can quit any time I want. Really.