#296 Me Against the World with Rebecca Heyman

This week, we're running a takeover in collaboration with Reedsy freelancer Rebecca Heyman! The winner of Rebecca's contest will not only be awarded $250 — they’ll also receive a special bonus prize: personal feedback from Rebecca herself. For your chance to get insight from one of Reedsy’s very own professionals, read on! Here's Rebecca:

Hi, writers! I’m Rebecca Faith Heyman, longtime Reedsy editor and creator of First Line Frenzy®, an ongoing community learning project for writers. You can check out my profile and thousands of other professional freelancers’ profiles on Reedsy’s Marketplace here.

Over the years, I’ve hosted dozens of first-line critiques with Reedsy Live, and the most popular request I get from all of you is: “Can you look at more? One line isn’t enough.” Well, the opportunity has finally arrived.

No matter what genre I’m reading or editing, compelling, complex characters pull me in and keep me turning pages. Some of the most memorable characters in literature are those who fundamentally struggle to navigate the world: socially, like Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice; physically, like Katniss in The Hunger Games; mentally and emotionally, like Aza in Turtles All The Way Down. These characters are in constant conflict with the world as it is, but they can’t simply submit to the status quo. Their journeys require constant negotiation between being true to themselves and conforming to the wider world.

This week’s prompts invite you to explore some of the ways a character can be in conflict with the world. I’ll be on the lookout for stories that accentuate the tension that arises when a character struggles to be who they are in a world that doesn’t readily make space for those who don’t fall in line.