Young Writers Society

They are! Just had to put this in really quickly. If you have any questions, ask Lucre but if she is not on, I'll answer to what I know

Also I have to say, @Messenger I am sorry. Really did think it was one week. I guess I'm mixing up the Squills and featured member up.

I did the list thing because there is at least one pro in everything. Plus it helps others see your point and the point of others. (Something I made up)

yeah i understand.

Wow, I love that we're talking about this and hearing everyone's opinions! @lostthought, thanks so much for answering on my behalf! I was reading these posts from my phone and it was killing me that I couldn't respond, but I was a bit busy ("quality time" with my mom... ugh). Anyway, getting to the point...

Messenger wrote:Well we already have a Featured Member every two weeks. And we have the spotlight which gets a lot of writers plenty of attention and we have squills articles with some of those writers. I just think it's an unneeded addition that isn't very original.

@Messenger, I'm going to have to (politely) disagree with you. Here's why:

1. Featured Member is very, very different from Writer of the Week. Featured Members are people that are active all over the site, for the most part—particularly in the literary section (with reviewing) and the forums. I love Featured Member and everything it represents, but there's also something kind of unattainable about it for new members or people that don't have the time to be as active on YWS.

Writer of the Week is much more attainable, because the only thing you have to do is write, and most of the members on here do that anyway. XD But seriously, I think FM and Writer of the Week are different but will complement each other nicely... if that makes sense.

(Also, FM doesn't put much of a focus on writing and writers but rather the YWS community and people that have done a lot to make this site even better... Writer of the Week, if successful, will be showcasing only the writers of YWS and not reviewing/activity in the forums/clubs, et cetera.)

2. The Spotlight is also very different from Writer of the Week because featured works are just that—works. Writer of the Week is a chance to focus on the author behind those works. Another thing is that there's been a lot of talk lately about how the Spotlight is... well, I hesitate to use the word "unfair," but it's a little uneven. Only works with Likes get featured, which means barely any shorts and rarely ever novel chapters get featured because, for some reason, poetry gets way more Likes. There's plenty of great chapter and short writers on here that never get to shine, even if they have ten glowing reviews, because people don't "Like" their pieces. Writer of the Week is a chance for writers of all genres and types to get the recognition they deserve.

I'm not sure how or why you think this idea is unoriginal, but I don't. I do think it shares some similarities with the Spotlight and FM concepts, but that was my intention—to complement both of those without making it too similar. I also considered doing a Reviewer of the Week, but put that on hold because of time restraints and also, it might be too similar to FM.

However, I love the fact that you told me what you think of this very honestly. I really admire honesty, because I myself would probably never be bold enough to share my thoughts on something if they're less than positive (I'm always worried about offending people or coming off as mean). So thank you very much, and if you have any further constructive criticism to give, feel free!

There really isn't anything to debate about. I like Lucrezia's idea and I gave her the okay to do this. She and I agree the voting was a bad idea, hence why it won't be happening again. Writer of the Week is something unique; I haven't seen it done before. It gives everyone a chance to be in the spotlight, since Lucrezia will be basing her judging on all writers, not just her friends or her boyfriend or people in the Literary Spotlight... right, Lucrezia? Anyways, it's a good idea, and I'm willing to see how it works out. So should all of you.

Thanks Iggy! Yes, I'll definitely be keeping the voting fair in the future and won't pick anyone based on personal opinion. That's very, very important to me.

Pros:
1) More author focused.
2)It's nice to feel recognized.
3)It could promote reading of literary works (and reviewing).
4)Fun little weekly event.

Cons:
1) (from what I've seen here) it's a lot of voting for friends. Like the reasons are valid, but what about the newer member with no friends to vote? I.e. It's a bit biased.
2)While it's more author focused, it's very similar to the 'featured work's section.
3)A week is a very short amount of time, and it would lose a lot of the-importance- I guess.
4)I don't think any of the writing of that actual week has anything to do with who can and cannot be voted for.

Some things I'd suggest:
1)Have the Writer of the Week be based on the writing of that specific week. (If it's not already)
2)More time than just a week would make it more significant.

Personally I think it would work better as a squills article than a stand alone event. Well that's my two cents, anyways.

Also, what Ig said. ^^^^^^ maybe a group of people with different tastes and interests could form some sort of panel.

Thank you, @HighTop! That was exactly what I needed to hear. Your suggestions are very helpful to me and I really appreciate them!

A few things—as I said above to Messenger, Writer of the Week is pretty different from featured works. But I see what you mean about all of your cons and will a hundred percent be taking them into consideration.

Furthermore, I've already put in place a panel of judges I can trust to be totally unbiased in their voting (trust me, I'll be keeping a close eye on them). We're going to be doing the voting in a form of a private, request-only club, and I'll be quick to veto any Writer of the Week suggestion that I suspect is nominated for more friendly reasons than legit ones. I'm really happy with the panel so far and can guarantee the voting will be fair.

Okay! I guess that's everything. Sorry this was long, I just wanted to clear some things up so that people understand where I'm coming from with this. If anyone else has any criticism or advice they want to share, I would love to hear it. You can post it here, or PM me, whichever.

Keep voting, guys! (And voting fairly!)

Sorry, didn't mean to offend. I was kind of just joking. :-/

(And I was a bit surprised anyone would actually answer that poll with that answer. It just seemed a little mean and weird to me, but I guess I'm the only one who thought so).

I think pros and cons are a great idea, and a great way to give constructive criticism. Everyone that answered that this was a dumb idea should definitely explain why they think so.

OK @Lucrezia that was a good reply. I see now that it will be quite different then FM (which I do understand focuses on the whole site versus just plain awesome writing) and yes I myself and very opposed to the spotlight. So I think my views are changing. If you'd like I could help you do the interviews for Squills? I've been looking for something to do the weeks where I don't have an FM to interview.

@HighTop you had an excellent response. Thank you all for keeping this nice and friendly. Hopefully everyone's opinions are fine and no ones feelings are hurt

@Cosette4Ever no offense taken, that is a pretty harsh vote to take, and I explained my reasons earlier, but I think Lucrezia has shown me more of the usefulness of it. This is why she was featured. . . . She's so cool, smart, and doesn't get upset.

Wow I feel like I just walked in on mummy and daddy fighting
I'm putting my vote for @GoldFlame her writing and use of words is just is brilliant.

Cheetah: 1 vote

AlexSushiDog: 1 vote

TriSARAHtops: 3 votes

Cirute: 1 vote

FatCowsSis: 1 vote

AnnieBauthor: 1 vote

Strange: 1 vote

yubbies21: 1 vote

SecreteJournalist: 2 votes

thomasmkraus: 2 votes

BlueAfrica: 1 vote

fortis: 1 vote

Purple: 1 vote

Pompadour (I came so close to writing "pompous" by mistake... lol): 1 vote

GoldFlame: 1 vote

Even though this current voting system is riddled with holes, I have to say that everyone I see up on the scoreboard so far deserves to be there. Well, okay, some of their works I haven't read (bad me, I know), but from the portfolios I have checked out, they all are pretty amazing writers and I'm glad people are voting for them. ^_^

OK @Lucrezia that was a good reply. I see now that it will be quite different then FM (which I do understand focuses on the whole site versus just plain awesome writing) and yes I myself and very opposed to the spotlight. So I think my views are changing. If you'd like I could help you do the interviews for Squills? I've been looking for something to do the weeks where I don't have an FM to interview.

I'm glad to hear you're coming around a bit! I probably should've made all that clearer in the opening post of this thread, but I was a bit tired (read: spacey) when I wrote that and got too caught up in the actual voting to focus on what this is all about.

I would really, really appreciate it if you could help with the interviews. In fact, I'm leaving town next week and would love the help, if you're willing (and have the time). Thanks for offering.

I vote for @AnnieBauthor

That is,
if the polls haven't closed yet.

*grins sheepishly*

@Lucrezia I'd be glad to help.If you can chat me up or pm me later on this week with some more details I'll see what I can do.

I just wanted to point out a few things.

I think that doing a writer of the week is an excellent idea. But, if we are, I was hoping it could be someone who isn't in the Literary Spotlight or FM in the past 4 weeks. Since FM is changed every two weeks, I think there should be a break if they are going to be writer of the week and FM. The Literary Spotlight thing is because to me it always seems like a few people are always in the Literary Spotlight for something. I'm sure you know what I mean. Yes, there are people who appear for writing something really good, but others always just seem to reappear.

There are so many good writers on YWS and we obviously can't feature everyone in the Literary Spotlight. What I mean is that there are really talented writers in this site. Some aren't recognized as much as others which is why I think this is a good idea. But, my only concern is that this is going to be kind of like a "these people write so much stuff and everyone likes it and they are always in the Literary Spotlight" thing and they get writer of the week often. (Although I have enough faith to be sure that hopefully wouldn't happen.)

Look, WOTW (writer of the week) is probably the coolest idea I've seen for a while. I just don't want it to turn into a popularity contest because that makes people feel bad. I would think of this as something to take those writers on this site who write really well but maybe aren't noticed as much or maybe they've never been in the Literary Spotlight and make them feel like they've done something they can be proud of.

Some people on this site may think they can't write well. I say this because I took a standardized test fir writing and only achieved the "met" standard when all my friends received high "exemplary's". I know for a fact that several of my friends would say that I write better than them and ask me for writing tips frequently. (I don't think if myself this way, but they have told me) My point in this us that some people think they might not be a good writer because of a test grade or something. Surprise them. Make those people feel special. I'm not saying that people in the Literary Spotlight should never be WOTW. I simply mean that they know and should be happy. Others who don't get works featured may not feel the same way.

Sorry for any spelling errors. I'm on mobile. Thanks Lucrezia!
-Sis

Lots of very goo points that I TOTALLY agree with. I have a chart I use for a small story contest I do with some friends. Lemme put it out and you can tell me what you think of it. It would need to be modified for those who write poetry but it would still work. It's pretty rough but it could help the voters (whoever you are) in deciding whether they think the writer captures these elements.

1. Punctuation and grammar (0-20 of 20) -This also includes story flow. Do the mistakes break up flow?

2. Description (0-20 of 20) -Not over the top, but if you don't think you can envision the scene very well, it should probably get a lower rating.

3. Character development (0-20 of 20) Are they flat? Or can you see their motives, their heart, a clear separation between them and the next person's. Doesn't have to be drastic, but ya know.

4. Endings (0-20) Is the ending of your chapter or poem well done? Does it leave the reader hanging, wanting more of the story? Does it surprise them? Is it a good conclusion?

5, Storyline (0-20 of 20) Was it plausible, and does the story make sense.


Tell me what you think!

Cheetah: 1 vote

AlexSushiDog: 1 vote

TriSARAHtops: 3 votes

Cirute: 1 vote

FatCowsSis: 1 vote

AnnieBauthor: 2 votes

Strange: 1 vote

yubbies21: 1 vote

SecreteJournalist: 2 votes

thomasmkraus: 2 votes

BlueAfrica: 1 vote

fortis: 1 vote

Purple: 1 vote

Pompadour: 1 vote

GoldFlame: 1 vote

@FatCowsSis, I wholeheartedly agree with you, first of all. I've noticed that the Spotlight is something of a Bermuda Triangle—a lot of the same people get featured over and over and over again. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for those people, but I wish it was more of a variety. WOTW is a great way to give others who haven't gotten the opportunity to be featured their moment of glory.

I'm definitely going to listen to everything you say when selecting the next Writer of the Week. Thanks so much for sharing that, it was really helpful.

@Messenger, that's a great system to use! I mostly judge stories on those very same merits when writing reviews. Character development, grammar and punctuation, storyline... all of those are very important to any story (of course) and are great ways to tell a good piece from a spectacular one. Thanks so much for uploading that! It'll be a huge help.

Oh, and I'm not sure if either of you two (@FatCowsSis and @Messenger) would be interested in being part of my judging panel, but if you are, let me know. I'd be happy to send you guys a link to the club and have you join. You're the exact kind of judges I'm looking for—unbiased, honest, and know what you're talking about.

Everyone else, now's a really good time to get your votes in! Remember that next week, you won't get the opportunity to vote so if you have a favorite YWS writer, honor them this time around!

Send the link!

Send me a link too! I'd love to help/join!