Young Writers Society

I disappeared from the face of the Earth YWS again, and now it's a whole new year. Also, I'm older now (I mean, I always am, but in the very literal, the digits of my age changed). Also I had a lot of notifications.

But I didn't want to just go radio silent without acknowledging #22in22 and letting it fly by me. We won best club last year again! I can't express how excited I am that y'all are still going strong and you have had such a good time with it. My personal life has really taken me away from YWS, but I'm so grateful to have been a part of running that with @BluesClues (and of course, @Omni joining us last year as well <3), and I'm gonna miss running it, and running events for it.

Also, thank you so much to @KateHardy, @spatula, and @Spearmint for joining @Omni this year in running with it!! I'm excited to see what you do with it, and we've left it in very good hands <3

On a more personal note... 2022 was a big year of growth for me. It's easy to forget how much happened that year, but it was a lot. There was a lot of bad, but there was also a lot of good. I have a lot of growth left in me, and I'm excited to see where it goes now. I'm not going to get into a long, emotional rant about everything that happened. But I do miss YWS, and I do miss the friends I've made here. There's a lot of new people (hi!) that probably don't know who I am, but this site meant a lot to me for a while. I also met one of my favourite people in the world who has been a massive part of my life on here (obligatory @Feltrix mention). I wouldn't be where I am without them, so...thanks YWS. Real solid work there <3

anyway this has gotten uncontrollably long. I'm still kicking around. I miss all y'all who I used to talk to. I may not come on much, but I'll always get around to messages if you send them.

<3

okay I started this fresh outta finals, and then got very very very distracted, so now I'm actually here (and hopefully I don't refresh the page and lose all of it this time lol)

(Tagged by @BluesClues <3)
(also, like Blue's, not a YWS project)

Basics
Genre: adult mystery/fantasy (with my favourite subgenre of horror >:] )
Content Rating: R or mature or 18+, this is a darker novel and everyone is swearing
Brief Description: don't mind me using the synopsis I used for camp nano I wrote like, half a year ago In just over a week, Icarus becomes a traitor, takes a young girl, Marion, under his wing who is wanted like he is, and ends up living with a bitter, enigmatic, and shunned ex-detective, Tarot, in order to hide. After learning of his mentor's connection to a brutal killer, the Aetherborn Butcher, Icarus must convince the unwilling Tarot to help clear both his and Marion's names.

But the truth of his mentor's work, and of Aether's war-torn past, is far more gruesome than any of them were expecting.

What should a reader know if they are jumping right into the middle of reading the latest chapter: oh boy! the last chapter I finished is very plot significant. there's a lot going on. what you need to know? much, but for now: Tarot and Icarus have basically adopted a small child, Tarot is hiding them both from the Law (who he also hates), and must go speak to Icarus' former mentor, a very powerful and influential mage, who wants him to find and return Icarus to her. without letting on that he's, you know. hiding Icarus.


Highlights
How I got inspired to write project: I was at movie night with friends and we watched The Great Mouse Detective, and true to my nature, I went "what if this but gay?" (and not mice, obviously). This was followed by us watching Howl's Moving Castle, a movie I had already seen and adore, but the rewatch made me go "!" and I got more inspiration for this novel.

so, watched The Great Mouse Detective, and then went "I want to write a mystery where two gay detectives have to take care of a young child" and that's what I did.

Something I've learned working on it: third person present omniscient is hecking fun, dude. I'm really having a good time with writing in a new way (and now I can say this with more conviction after all the academic work I've had to do this semester)
Something Interesting about the Main Character(s): Icarus uses plants to fuel his magic and is a really good gardener! and Tarot's entire house is essentially based on Howl's room, he has a ridiculous amount of trinkets and novelty decorations all over (though his room is certainly the worst).
My Favourite Character: Hester I can't choose between them (although I won't lie and saw that writing the Tarot-centric chapters aren't an utter delight...)
Favourite Dialogue Chunk: I'm picking this because I went back to one of the last chapters I wrote the other day, and it made me laugh, and also I think it's one of the better out of context exchanges:

“Well, I think it’s time to cash in on my good dad status, and tell you that it’s time for bed.”

Marion immediately scowls like she’s bitten into a lemon and furiously scribbles into her notepad. Bad dad!! You are a BAD DAD!!

“Hm.” Icarus pretends to think about this, tapping a finger to his lips, before shaking his head. “No, no. No take-backsies.”

Marion wriggles like a beached fish in protest.

Goofy Metaphor:

he is beset by the sensation of being a bug crawling in a very, very large yard

you are tagged by me if you are like me and are very very late to the party but still want to do this

also I think there was a tag for this but I'm gonna be honest, I do not remember what it was lol

if anyone was wondering how my writing was going this year...

guess who literally picked what novel they would write for NaNo on November 1st?

also how it's going so far:

I don't know how I keep finding out shows are canonically queer and still being utterly floored by the fact that they are, indeed, very queer

I wake up in the morning. I do my morning rituals. I sit down to do schoolwork. I am immediately tired.

Happy belated cake day!!

Happy belated cake day! 🍰

Happy cake day!!!

happy cake day also ily <333333

my life has gotten so very busy but seeing LMS restarting and RevMo kick off (also my cake day is TOMORROW god I'm old, I've been here for like. a quarter of my life) has made me feel a little nostalgic. It's really fun to see the new crowd getting to participate in events that were really formative to me as writer.

I've also been getting to think about it a lot because of my new job! I'm sure nobody remembers this but last year I was recommended for a tutoring job at my college's writing centre, which I ended up getting wait-listed for, but I got recommended AGAIN this year and applied for the position again because I figured it couldn't hurt, and I ended up getting the job so. good things come to those who wait lol

but there's a lot of reflection for what shaped you as a writer (and mentor) in the position, and it's gotten me thinking about YWS a lot and how lucky I was to have this site in my younger days.

and now all that has helped me to Get Paid B)

(seriously though, it's really fun to see everyone getting hyped for site events. I'm out of spoons and bummed I couldn't participate myself, but it's real fun to see everyone's ideas for what they're working on <3)