Young Writers Society

You should've received this in your e-mail, but just in case...

THE YOUNG WRITERS SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

BERTIE THE LONG-EARED BUNNY EDITION
http://www.youngwriterssociety.com/

October the 15th of 2006

TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Editors Note
II. Flash Fiction Contest
III. Gee Whiz! Games
IV. Getting Out Of A Writing Slump
V. NaNoWriMo
VI. YWS' Birthday
VII. Top 10 Signs The Ghosts In Your House Just Don't Care Anymore
VIII. Submissions


I. EDITORS NOTE

Dear YWS Members,

The Young Writers Society is beginning to experience some rapid growth so it's more important than ever that you spend some time each week reviewing another person's writing. So far, it looks as if most everything is getting at least two reviews, but it's important for a number of reasons for everyone to get out and review even more. For one, it improves your own writing and forces you to read critically. For another, there's nothing quite like it for an author when he or she receieves their first review.

However, writing reviews is tough. Fortunately, Snoink has written a ton of articles about this subject and all can be found in the Writing Tips forum. Here's a short list:

How to Write Critiques by Snoink
viewtopic.php?t=4559

How To Make Reviewers Hate You by Snoink
viewtopic.php?t=5730


And for those of you trying to get more reviews...

How To Get A Review by Nate
viewtopic.php?t=5288

Au revoir!
Nate


II. FLASH FICTION CONTEST

It's the first contest since YWS reopened! Your submission must be less than 500 words and the topic must have to do with Halloween. It can be a horror story, or maybe even a story about trick-or-treating, but it must relate to Halloween in some way (note that if it's a horror story then it's automatically Halloween related). Your submission must be in by October 31st. To submit, post your story in the new "Monthly Contests" subforum underneath the "Contests" forum.

The winner shall receive a notebook with the YWS logo on it, and second place will get a bumper sticker with the YWS logo on it. Pictures of both will be provided soon.

Also, YWS will be holding a writing contest every month with similar prizes.


III. GEE WHIZ! GAMES

This is a shameless plug by myself, but I have no problem with other people e-mailing me to include a short description of their site in the newsletter.

Anyways, Gee Whiz Games is a new games site I've created. It's based on the YWS forum format, and there are 30 games, with more coming, along with a message board. Check it out at:

http://www.geewhizgames.com


IV. GETTING OUT OF A WRITING SLUMP by Nate

Fortunately enough, writing is addictive; once you start, it can be hard to stop. Unfortunately, not writing is also addictive, especially when you're in a writing slump.

I think that the question "How do I get myself writing again?" is the most common question in the Writing Tips forum at YWS, and there really is no simple answer. For some people, the answer is just a warm bath, but for others it requires a myriad of tricks, none of which always work. Some famous authors even had specific routines that they did to get themselves in to the writing mode.

Now, I'm one of those people who seems to always get stuck in writing slumps. These slumps can last for weeks, even months sometimes when it's really bad. So I've devised a bunch of techniques that I always try:

- Exercise: A lethargic body leads to a lethargic mind, so it's important for any writer to keep themself active. Plus, exercise tends to clear the mind and makes you feel better. However, it's also important to not over exercise; that is, going for something like a run may make you too tired to even think about writing. In fact, a 15 to 30 minute walk is best in most cases as the point is to invigorate the body, not drain it.

- Music: Playing music can cause the neurons in your brain to start firing like crazy and stir up the creative part of your mind.

- Do Something Else: Sometimes the problem is that you're just thinking too much, so go out and do something else. It could mean shoveling snow, doing homework, watching TV, playing video games, or running around the house screaming. But get your mind fixated on something other than writing.

- Notepad: I always keep a small notebook nearby that I jot ideas in whenever they come to me. Sometimes this happens during the night (although I almost always have no clue what I was thinking about when writing the notes), or sometimes it happens on the subway when I see something strange. In any case, it's good to just jot down daily observations, which you can always use in a story.

If none of those tips work for you, it may be that you just need to take a break from writing for a while. Leave your stories alone for a while and revist them in a week, or a month. The most important thing, though, is to not get fixated on what to write. The best stories come to you out of the blue.

V. NANOWRIMO

That's right, it's almost November and that means NaNoWriMo is coming up! Like last year, YWS will have a forum dedicated to NaNoWriMo. After the month is over and your novel is finished (hopefully), there will be a place on YWS where you can feature it. Specific instructions will be coming in November.

Also, don't forget about your novel for the YWS Novel Writing Year. If you're participating in it, try using that for NaNoWriMo and get your novel done a month early.


VI. YWS' BIRTHDAY

YWS will be two years old on November 14th! Like last year, there will be a lot of events going on so be sure to come on over and check it out. There will be a variety of contests, activities, and new stuff to play around with.

VII. TOP 10

It's almost Halloween, so here's the top 10 signs the ghosts in your house don't really care anymore from David Letterman.

10. There's a Post-It on freezer that reads "boo."

9. Message in blood on mirror reads: "Please get HBO."

8. When you're away, ghosts answer phone, take messages -- don't give them to you.

7. Mysterious voice tells you to, "Get out now...or don't...it's really up to you..."

6. They give you tape of "The Shining" to watch while they summer in Hamptons.

5. They pick up pace a week before Christmas, hoping for a tip.

4. Spirit asks if he can use you as a reference for job interview at Disneyland.

3. Only thing they can think of is to ring your doorbell and run away.

2. The only things they make disappear are the sodas in your refrigerator.

1. Always the same excuse: "We don't have to do anything, we're dead."


VIII. SUBMISSIONS

Over 1,000 people receive the YWS newsletter, and if you'd like to have a piece published here, simply e-mail it to webmaster@youngwriterssociety.com. I'm looking for book reviews, writing tips, and satire. Articles on current events are also welcomed, however no opinion columns will be accepted.


Thanks for reading!
Nate