Let's get right to the rules of the YWS Mystery Theatre! I won't preface it with any clever ramblings or what-nots, we'll just dive in and get them right out into the open.
1. Do your absolute best to write one story a week and share it on YWS. We won't kick you out if you don't, we'll just nag and beg. Those are the consequences of breaking Rule 1. Nagging and begging.
2. Be supportive and constructive. That's not to say you have to tell everyone you like every story they like. I just ask that you do your best to build people up by pointing out where they are weak and offering ways for them to fix it. The punishment for being a Negative Nelly, nothing. I don't expect any of you to be mean or cruel. We are all YWSers after all!
3. Never be afraid to share your writing. We are all friends here. For this rule, I will share an anecdote. I am a white belt in BJJ at the time these rules are being composed. In BJJ, our goal is to take our opponent to the ground and submit them with techniques that attack joints and chokes. At the start, I could not do a thing. I flopped on the ground and went home exhausted. As time progressed, I avoided rolling with higher ranks and getting submitted. I didn't get better.
If you don't throw your stories out there and expose them, you won't learn where you need to improve. If you don't roll with the best, you will end up picking on white belts for the rest of your life, but never being a good grappler. Do not be afraid to share your writing, because everyone else is to. We are just here to help each other improve and put out good fiction!
4. Review other mystery stories. You don't have to start reviewing mysteries and mysteries alone. Just start making it a point to review more mysteries. This rule serves two purposes. A) You are reading the craft, you are learning the craft. B) You are helping your friends improve.
5. Write what you love, love what you write. This is the rule I live by. If you want to write a Naruto Noir, do it. If you want to write a mystery about a transvestite shape-shifting sleuth in the 18th century, by all means, write it. And just because you feel like what you are writing 'isn't good enough', don't worry. Write because you love to write. It will get better as time goes by!
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