Welcome to YWS!
Before entering into the various topics and posting, please read through our policy for posting here.
The YWS is a mixed workshop. Dedicated, experienced writers who have spent months and years studying their craft meet at this forum with those who are just beginning their journey into the realm of poetry and writing. Some of us are college students enrolled in courses on writing. Some of us are junior high and high school students who are just now being exposed to the form. In any case, there is a large audience for you to sharpen your skills with here. While the former group of users tend to be a harder crowd to impress, there is almost always a nice balance.
While we're not headliners at the Dodge Poetry Festival here, we're serious about what we do. If you are new to writing, proceed with caution--and do have a look at the Writing Tips section under the Community forums.
I. Getting Started
In order to post messages you will have to be a Registered User. You can apply for registered user status at the Register link on the right hand panel of the YWS Main Page. You will get a response almost instantly. You will be required to provide information about yourself, including your age.
As you set up your account here, you will have the chance to create a profile with a photograph and some information about yourself and your interests. You may include a link to your own website or blog. If you choose to link your site to the YWS, we ask that you adhere to the same standards on it that you would when posting on our forum: mature internet manners, and especially no ad hom attacks on individuals associated with this board (members or staff).
II. What To Post
When posting, please use the same courtesy that you would show when speaking face-to-face with someone. Flames, insults, and personal attacks will not be tolerated. We can--and do--delete these kinds of posts, occasionally resulting in the suspension or expulsion of habitual offenders. It's fine to disagree strongly with opinions, ideas, and facts, as long as respect for all persons involved is maintained. Also, note that messages posted on the YWS express the thoughts of the individual writers, not the board, its moderators, or any other users.
It makes for an interesting thread when comments in a critique thread both agree with and diverge from prior critiques. It is, however, generally considered bad form to attack a prior critique--it's much better practice to simply offer your dissenting opinion.
And before we go any further, please understand that this is a workshop, and it is important that we keep it a place where people feel safe in posting work in progress. It is strictly forbidden to copy anyone's poem posted here and paste it into a post anywhere else on the internet without its author's permission. The same thing goes for posting a link to a poem up for critique here.
On the Poetry and Prose topics, the work submitted for workshopping should be written by the member submitting it. Because the YWS operates on an exchange of critiques by members of our forum, it's not OK to post a poem by a friend or a family member and expect it to be critiqued here. However, you may create a Blog for this kind of material, where you may post the work of or links to works by other authors.
As a final posting note, remember always to rate your work accordingly; you can refer to this thread for our guidelines on rating works.
III. Enough--and Too Much!
The YWS is one of the most active online poetry boards on the web. Resources for offering critiques are limited, and posting no more than one or two poems per week is considered good manners. Doing so will also increase your chances of having someone respond to your poem. Likewise, posting the URL of your homepage and asking people to critique your entire collection of poetry and/or short stories is considered boorish.
Comment on someone else's poem occasionally. That's probably the best way to get someone to comment on yours. A good rule-of-thumb is to comment on at least three poems for every one you offer.
IV. Tough Critique?
The YWS is, in part, known for its honest, often blunt, critiques. If you don't like a critique you receive, please do not take it personally. Keep in mind the fact that it is your work that is being critiqued, not you.
To get an idea of the quality of writing that has appeared on the YWS and received favorable review, you should visit and browse the poetry forums. This is without a doubt the best way to get a feel for the kind of response you will be receiving.
V. A Final Note To New Users
You will find some impressive poetry and prose being polished in our workshop. We like it that way. That said, there are some real stinkers floating about. When you choose to post your work here, please be selective--don't just throw the most recent thing you scribbled in your notebook up for us to read. An honest, enthusiastic request for critiques on your work will always gladden the heart of our users. How do we know it's honest? When you take the time to return to and revise the piece in question. However, if you post work which you are not interested in improving, you will find it very difficult to garner serious reviews.
This is not meant to scare any of you off--far from it! It is meant to demonstrate the seriousness and commitment the users of the YWS have made to writing. As long as you show the same maturity to your own work, you will find many of the advanced writers more than willing to lend you a helping hand.
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