Squills 2/10/25

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Thu Oct 02, 2025 9:22 am

SquillsBot says... · Thu Oct 02, 2025 9:22 am

Welcome to Squills, the official news bulletin of the Young Writers Society!

What will you find here? Tons of interesting news about YWS, including but not limited to: articles about writing, art, and the world of humanities; interviews with YWS members; shameless plugs; link round-ups; and opinionated columns. And where will all of this come from? Take a look at our fantastic creative staff!

If you have feedback on this edition of Squills we'd love to hear your thoughts over at the Squills Fan Club .

CREATIVE STAFF

Spoiler

Editorial Team
alliyah
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IcyFlame
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Liminality
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Friendly Neighborhood Robot
SquillsBot
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Literary Reporter
floodlights
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Community Reporters
looseleaf
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alliyah
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Creativity Reporter
FruityBickel
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Poetry Enchantress
alliyah
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Resources Reporter
Available - PM Squillsbot if interested

Roleplay Reporters
DungeonMaster
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Code Master
Spearmint
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Associate of Pruno
canopy
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General Reporters
foxmaster
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redcarnation
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EllieMae
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NadyaStatham
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Staff Chef
LadySpark
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SquillsBot

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Thu Oct 02, 2025 9:22 am

SquillsBot says... · Thu Oct 02, 2025 9:22 am

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. REVIEW MONTH INTERVIEWS
2. WRITING PROGRAMS
3. FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW: BUNBUNZU
4. SHAMELESS PLUGS
5. SUBSCRIBERS

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Thu Oct 02, 2025 9:26 am

SquillsBot says... · Thu Oct 02, 2025 9:26 am

REVIEW MONTH INTERVIEWS

written by Liminality< PM: >

September has been an amazing Review Month. 848 reviews in a month is truly incredible! To capture the magic of RevMo, I interviewed YWSers around the middle of the month to record some of their RevMo experiences. I had the pleasure of interviewing @Messenger, @CATSRULETHEWORLD387, @thehoplessromantic, @lalalucky, @Wolfi, @Cheerio and @AlexWrites.

Squills: What about your Review Month experience so far has been surprising (or not)? c:

Messenger: Umm I haven't struggled nearly as much as I thought i would? I decided to do Team Tortoise for the first time.ever to complete the triple crown of my last blue star, tortoise, and revmo colors. I found a current novel by @RatHat called Eternal Beauty so it's been something I do every morning.

CATSRULETHEWORLD387: I was so surprised that @thehoplessromantic had written so many reviews! I was also thrilled when my points reached over 10000!!! I was so proud of myself
I also really liked that my review count reached 120.
@AlexWrites...I admire him because he can gain so many points from so few reviews...currently trying to improve mine.
In short...it's been going great!

lalalucky: I guess what's been surprising is that I really managed to write all of those reviews within a week, especially considering I've been falling behind when it comes to writing reviews for weeks. While I wasn't able to be as active for the next week of September, I guess knowing that I actually got so many reviews done for the first week before the deadline means something! Thanks for the question!

TheHoplessRomantic: How much gratitude from when I review! I was so surprised that people actually liked hearing what I had to say about their work!

Wolfi: I'm enjoying reading and reviewing @yoshi's new novel NYLON! I really, really appreciate it when authors reply to reviews, and yoshi gets an A+ in that regard with super thorough replies.

Cheerio: The most surprising thing for me was realizing that I wasn’t doing it for the points or rewards. As I kept reviewing, I found myself genuinely wanting to see the authors learn and grow. I wanted to encourage them, just like some of them have encouraged me. In the end, the most unexpected part of Review Month has been discovering how much I truly enjoy supporting others and cheering them on.

AlexWrites: It's certainly been very exciting! I've been enjoying myself thoroughly.

The coloured usernames are such a fun way to promote overall reviewing. I'm specially torn between turquoise and golden, so why not both? I do prefer to use turquoise but the bragging rights of a hidden golden are quite tempting.

The badges are my personal favourite though , they're so beautifully designed! I haven't any this far so I'm particularly eager to bag a few. I've been team tortoise before (and going for it this month too) but the extra motivation sure helps!

I'm also participating in this year's banner contest. I've literally used it in every review I've written this month, like the reviews almost feel empty without the banner now. XD

As someone still rather green to YWS culture, it's so heartwarming to see writers come together to give others the feedback they need on their journey. The fact that we have a whole month dedicated to reviews says so much about how much we value the growth and improvement of the writers on the site. This community feels like a big close knit family. I've also received my fair share of reviews on my poetries this RevMo, and they always end up making my day!

Kudos to the people who made RevMo 2025 possible! Reviewing has been made fun and rewarding, thanks to the tireless efforts of our unsung mods and admins. We're all extremely grateful!

I hope you have all had a wonderful RevMo, enjoyed the pretty username colours around the site and read some fantastic works!

SquillsBot

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Thu Oct 02, 2025 9:27 am

SquillsBot says... · Thu Oct 02, 2025 9:27 am

WRITING PROGRAMS

written by theromanticchemist< PM: >

As writers, we all start in a blank Google doc, don't we? It's by far one of the most popular writing programs among YWSers and the general public alike. Known for its simplicity and ability to access the program from many devices, Google Docs has long since reigned in terms of accessibility.

But as Google's reliance on generative AI grows, and censorship policies become more clear, it might be time to move to a new site. Because when you put something onto Google Docs, Google can delete it if it doesn't align with their views (see: this Wired article and anecdotes from writers ). For most on YWS, that's months, possibly years of work, and so many words. This has already happened to people, and while the risk is low, that combined with many new generative AI features may give some pause.

Besides, Google Docs was never really made for writers, was it? For quickly putting in an idea, it serves its purpose, but when it gets to a heavy fantasy novel, it can become unwieldy. With hundreds of pages and a great many chapters, it can even become slow. The good part? There are so many alternatives to Google Docs. While you shouldn't feel forced to switch—like I said, there's a lot of work on there!—I hope to show you some great alternatives with all the capabilities you're used to.

Microsoft Word

You might have heard some YWSers talking about Microsoft Word for their manuscripts. In essence, it's almost exactly like Google Docs, but in the Microsoft ecosystem. It is a paid program if you want the app, but can also be used in the browser! A benefit is its ability to handle much higher numbers in both pages and words, which can be especially helpful for novelists.

While it does have an AI feature, this can be turned off in Settings. However, there are a few downsides—first being that it's paid. Another drawback is that it's not designed for writers in any meaningful way—like mentioned above, it's like Google Docs in its organization. But if you like the interface and extreme simplicity of Google Docs, it is a tried-and-true option.

Scrivener

Scrivener is a popular paid program for writers! You may have seen some YWSers using this as well. It's simple, and it's a desktop program, meaning you don't need a browser to use it. It's innately designed for writers, with spaces for chapters, planning, and plotting alike. In a sense, it's a way to organize everything you've got in your back pocket for that big novel.

Exporting's also super easy. The only downside is the price, though if you have the budget, it's not a bad option. Many professional authors also use Scrivener (though that observation doesn't necessarily mean a lot). It's tried-and-true, a popular choice for many writers.

Ellipsus

Disclaimer: This is what I use!

It's not super popular, but if you're looking for browser ability and a free program, Ellipsus is a great way to write. It's also super easy to add collaborators, like editors or even just friends who want to spy on what you're writing.

It's also super simple and has a built in "focus mode" to make it distraction-free. There are also built in writing sprints! While it doesn't necessarily have the "all-in-one" features of Scrivener, it's a great option for young writers with no budget. Their draft feature is also pretty unique—making it easy to completely redraft a chapter if you don't like it (but if you don't like the redraft, you don't have to commit!).

The best part about all of these options is that (with the exception of Word) they're automatically AI free. Especially in a day and age where AI is trained on authors' work without their consent.

Well, I hope you were able to see some new options! There are definitely more, these are just the ones I 1) have a bit of experience with and 2) are popular among writers. (A good rule of thumb is if more writers use it, the better quality it is.) And if none of these are your style, a quick search in your browser can come up with way more options. Trying them out is truly the best way to figure out what works for you!

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Thu Oct 02, 2025 9:29 am

SquillsBot says... · Thu Oct 02, 2025 9:29 am

FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW: BUNBUNZU

written by Liminality< PM: >

This FM joined us in May 2025 and became FM in June. They have fantastic vibes and are active on the People's Tab and in WFPs. That's right, it's @BunBunZu! I had the chance to chat with them about becoming FM and their novel. Read on below!

Squills: Hi! This is Lim, reporting for Squills - the YWS newsletter!

We do a column interviewing Featured Members like yourself. Would it be alright if I asked you a few questions?

BunBunZu: HI Lim!
I'm fine with being interviewed! Thank you for the offer!

S: Awesome! Could you tell me what your reaction was when you found out you were FM?

B: ^-^! when i found out i was FM, i was soooo shocked! i kept re-checking to see if it was true, and that i didn't miss-read it! lol!

S: FM can often feel like a surprise! Your FM thread mentions your novel 'The Divers'. Could you tell us a bit about what your novel is about? c:

B: My novel, huh? So far the story goes on that four professional divers go out deep-sea diving in the Bermuda Triangle, as its never been done before. While diving, something happens, and they all disappear. But a few months later, my MC 'Angelo' finds a camera that was attached to one of the divers, that recorded what happened to them.
And that's it!! Well more like what i have plotted out for the story so far... but that's the main just of my novel!! (i love talking about it<3)

S: Ooh that sounds fascinating! What would you say is your favourite genre of novel to write/read? Would it be mystery?

B: Thank you! While I do love a good mystery book (Sherlock Holmes i love you!!!), I feel (based off my favorite books) that my favorite genres are "dystopian/utopian fiction", "sci-fi" (along with soft sci-fi), "historical fiction" and I also like the occasional "drama", "adventure" and a "apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction"!

S: Those all sound really cool! :0 Do you have any top reading recommendations from those genres? (On YWS or elsewhere?)

B: Thanks, they are! Ooo~! I love giving book recommendations!

Mystery: Sherlock Holmes, Maze Runner

Dystopian/Utopian: The House of the Scorpion, The Giver

Sci-Fi: The House of the Scorpion, The Giver, The Maze Runner, Steelheart, Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Historical Fiction: The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas, Refugee

Drama: The Outsiders, Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Adventure: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Small Spaces, The Maze Runner

Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic Fiction: The Maze Runner

Historical Fiction: Number the Stars

S: Hurray, those all look like great recommendations! Lastly, what advice do you have for your fellow YWSers?

B: They are great books! Some advice, hm?
Don't push yourself to hard, take things one step at a time, and it will pay off! Even if you don't like how it turned out, be proud of yourself for working hard on it!

S: That sounds like great advice! Thanks so much for doing this interview and congrats again on FM!

B: Thanks so much for thinking of me for the interview! And thank you!
Have a good day, evening, night!

If you have yet to do so, join us in congratulating BunBunZu on their FM thread or on their wall!

SquillsBot

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Thu Oct 02, 2025 9:30 am

SquillsBot says... · Thu Oct 02, 2025 9:30 am

SHAMELESS PLUGS

written by SquillsBot < PM: >

We love to run articles and questions, but we also love to advertise for you. Let people know about your new blog, a poem or story you’re looking for reviews on, or a forum thread you’d like more traffic on through Squills’ Shameless Plugs. PM @SquillsBot with the exact formatting of your advertisement, contained in the following code.