YWS Yearbook 2024

Hey friends! Well, 2024 has just flown by! It is that time of the year when we are starting to prepare for 2025, but also reflecting on the last 12 months and how they have been valuable to us. It is time to create your 2024 YWS yearbook page! Claim a spot below to get started And don't forget to take a look at the yearbook from last year too.

Nate wrote:This is pretty much a free-for-all. Like any yearbook, you can simply leave a very short message, or if you like, leave a very long and rambling message. Talk about your favorite YWS memories from the past year such as friendships you have made or how YWS has helped you with your writing. If you just joined a few days ago (or even several months ago), write about joining YWS.

Artwork and pictures are welcome.

You may post anything you like: shout-outs to specific people, stories or poems you really liked, what you read this year, pictures, favorite quotes, etc. You may make only one post, but you can edit that one post as much as you like!

I definitely worked on a bunch of projects this year. Some ideas flopped, others I stuck with. I filled up my Poetry Portfolio with 40 poems! Which is technically a lot for me because I don't consider myself a poet. I'm definitely still learning in that aspect! But it's been so fun and reflective. I have @WeepingWisteria to thank for teaching me so much about poetry (you're the best poetry buddy!) <3 Some of my favorite poetry pieces I've written this year would have to be I Cry Under Moonlit Skies, i want to be a butterfly, and holidays :D

As for novels... oh boy. XD It's been a rollercoaster. I'm two chapters away from finishing The Daughter of War, and plan to finish the entire novel before January 1st, so hopefully this post gets updated by then! If not, ya'll know I failed XD As for other projects, I dabbled in a few novel ideas to test them out: Of Victory and Death, The Son of the Night, The Last Arcana, and Stoneskin. I'm really excited about my newest project: Wyrdsong!


Doing the math for how many reviews I did this year had me struggling XD But I wrote a total of 138 Reviews! I earned a few stars and participated in some fun reviewing events! I really enjoyed the themed review days :3 I hope to review a lot more next year!

The YWS Olympics

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This year I participated in my very first YWS Olympics! I've never really been around before when this event was happening, so when I found out we were doing it I was ecstatic and so excited to see everyone's submissions. I wasn't going to participate at first because of real-life things, but I'm so glad I did! I actually got first place!! :D I really enjoyed it!

Badges

Last Ship Standing - LSS

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It was also my first time participating in LSS! It was my first official modly event that I ran with RP Crew, and golly... I realized how much hard work the mods on YWS put into events ^^! I caught on quickly though, regardless of the small bumps in the road.

My Ship came in third place-- which I'm very proud of! I was definitely burnt out near the end, so I'm glad it ended when it did! It was so much fun and I loved writing with all my crewmates. <3 I also learned sooo much, from how to write more efficiently and collaboratively, and also really helped me dig deeper into my creative/writer-ish side. From nights filled with story-induced tears, to nights filled with endless laughter with my crew, I found this event to be such an unforgettable experience! :')

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Spooktober 2024

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The Spooktober events this year were so much fun! I especially enjoyed the poetry events! October is my favorite month :3 I earned a couple badges and had such a great time.

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NovMo - PlanMo - NaPo - RPMo

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All of these ^ events were also so fun and amazing. Some of them I couldn't fully commit to, but I still had fun nevertheless. My favorite months would've had to be NaPo or RPMo! But all of them were amazing. <3 I just recently got a lot more involved in poetry, and I can't wait to explore that further.

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Outside of YWS, I welcomed my second child: Lilith (I call her Lily most times). Harley, my oldest, has been such a good big sister. They have been my greatest blessing this year! I also graduated college, so I'm no longer done with school! Work has picked up, but now that school is over I'll have much more time to spend with my kids and YWS (hopefully)!

Here's to 2024!

Hey! The year 2024 is quickly coming to an end... too quickly for my taste, but that's okay. This year has been somewhat phenomenal for my writing, so I can't wait to try to pull the memories of the events that shaped it from the depths of my brain! Here we go!



I participated in CampNaNo in July (Kay is Late and Overmotivated) with small goal 5000 words because of lack of time, PlanMo with goal to have these little prettty shiny badges (and maybe plotting but hey, that sounds boring), and NovMo (NovMo24 (aka Kay is not Late but still Overmotivated)) as a rebel writing 30 000 words...and won both (somehow!)
Badges:

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independent support services

I have participated in several YWS Olympiad challenges and YWS 20th anniversary celebrations



In December, I became FM - Featured Member December 3rd - 17th: AnotherCrowInRow!!

I have earned two yellow stars for reviewing
I posted over 400 forum posts ( maybe you can guess that most of them were in Randomnosity)

I was here for December Review Day in Team Green, I read a lot in Holiday Winter Reading Spree challenge. And I had this pretty avatar by @RavenAkuma to fit the wintertime and Christmas mood YWS got durring winter :3


And most important: I MADE IT TO QUOTE GEN! (I will probably put this on my grave as my biggest life success.)



Autumn has always had a special place in my heart and it was the October activities and challenges that made me a truly active member. I participated in everything I could, met tons of people, and had a gigantic amount of fun. It was also around this time that my avatar changed to the now obvious hooded crow (I helped break the autumn avatar record and we did it! Let's Break a Record! Most Halloween Avatars!) and I even managed to win some challenges!
Also my first NaPo Week viewtopic.phpf=466&t=115699

Badges in spoiler because there is a lot of them (I never realised in how much of challenges I put myself that month...haha)

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24in24 - This challenge was extremely important for me this year - I finally got a writing routine and had a chance to see how much I can write when I can find the time for it
Pawprints - I've always failed at keeping track of how much I read... PawPrints solved that problem! Since July, I have read a total of over 36 books and was an All Star of this club four times
Other clubs I want to remember from this year? Language Learners of YWS! and Queer Inklings.



Spotlight on works:
Clockwheel Cities - Chapter 1: It All Starts in Paris - Steampunk story of two chaotic mechanics trying to solve a murder mystery.

The Ghostmatist - Prologue - After Kim unexpectedly dies, her biggest problem becomes the fact, that she is a ghost...But now she has to try to solve some mysteries with an unexpected friend from the paranormal department.

Winterfield Ghosts - Chapter 1.1 - Ditz is sure that everything is going to work... but ghost hunting can be pretty hard when your best friend is way too late.

Blog Spotlight:
First Aid for Writer´s Block

Some Chaotic Things I Have Done This School Year

Where else you can find my chaotic persona

Nest of Crows from Another Universe - Just a place where my brain overthinks every idea and sometimes remembers that it can write it all down here.
Kay's Cats - Name speaks for itself pretty well.
Kay’s Photoalbum - My photoalbum! I do not want to lose this one!


Shout-outs is spoiler because they are... a long list which will probably became even longer.

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...And now, the weather! Nah, shout-out are better idea right now. The thing about shoutouting is that I always feel like I forgot at least a half of people I wanted to mention and then I feel dump because how could I forgot someone that important...but at least I can try!
First name which comes to my mind is @Spearmint - first person I met on YWS who send me what awesome welcoming message which helped me around site...also an amazing person! When we are speaking about awesome people... @EllieMae, @Snoink,
@BluesClues, @RangerofIthilien, @Inferno, @theromanticchemist (oh, what a great place your pads are), @alliyah, @avimoon, @Quillfeather, @LuminiscentAnt, @ToastK (You are the reason why there are Japanese lessons on my Duolingo right now), @RavenAkuma, @OrabellaAvenue, @Iggy ...why am I so sure that I forgot too many people? Maybe because since I joined, every person I met around YWS was nice and great and amazing! I bet I will add more names in next few days, but I guess that I can´t tag the whole website so...I am just happy that I could join this place and meet all the people who are there. YWS is what it is thaks to comunnity.

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YWS Highlights

- LSS: BEFORE THE WAVE BREAKS: I led my LSS team: carina, urbanhart, and silvernight to victory as well as completion of our story. It was a wonderful learning collaborative experience with these insane (positive) writers and lovely friends.

- ROLEPLAYING: I have now been in six completed storybooks! As an honorable mention, I also ran the Island Magic: DMV SB with the crew that joined me for LSS. It was a hilarious, silly fever dream.

- NAPO MONTH / NAPO WEEK: I revived my enjoyment of poetry and wrote more poems this year than I have in a very long time.

- SONGWRITING: This year, I wrote nine songs: a variable improvement and significant personal victory as I'd hit a significant block earlier last year and into this one. I'm proud of what's come out of this new season and happy to have found new inspiration.

- IN THE WAKE OF A CALAMITY: Last year it went uncelebrated because I never got to finishing my yearbook post, but in 2023, this 3-year storybook was completed and wrapped in a bow.

Life Highlights

- In the fall of 2023 I became an auntie for the first time. This year my family and I celebrated the first birthday of my beautiful niece, whom I love with all of my heart. She is beautiful just like her parents: full of life and extroversion, happy to take on the world.

- My DND group celebrated one year in our current campaign! I've been playing as a half-elf life cleric of Selune.

- This year I visited all of my aunts and uncles and had quality one-on-one time with all of them: something I never had growing up. I loved getting to know them more as an adult and hearing their stories.

Many more joys will remain stayed in my heart, but I wanted to at least share some so I can look back on it. It is a gift to be here: to be loved and to love in return. Many thanks, and heartfelt gratitude to my dear friends who have walked with me this past year, sharing in the sorrow and the joy.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too."
- 1 Corinthians 1: 3-5

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LIFE HIGHLIGHTS

This was probably the busiest year of my life! In 2024 I planned a wedding (in 5 months!) got married and bought a house! I was also elected to a board of regents for a school, started mentoring a few students in my profession, traveled internationally, and published some devotional writing. It was a full and lovely year, and life now is also full and lovely.

WEDDING PHOTO COLLAGE


+ YWS Wedding Reflections 1 & YWS Wedding Reflections 2.

YWS HIGHLIGHTS

JANUARY - Squills re-launched and along with @Liminality & @IcyFlame we now make up the editor team! Dec 27 Squills Issue.

JANUARY - I had a piece of devotional writing published!

FEBRUARY - There was a slight resurgence of unclassified activities as @Spearmint was kidnapped by evil vegetables

MARCH - After 10 Years of Reviewing, I finally earned my Knights of the Green Room Unicorn!.

MARCH - With the AMAZING Poetry Crew I helped host the Ice Cream Sundae Challenge to prep for NaPoWriMo

APRIL - This Year my NaPo Collection was called "watercolor flowers & other pretty fading things" ... I would say that "more poetry lived than written" was a good way to describe the month, but also I loved NaPo with all my heart and always will! It's such a special time in our community.



"my mother's voice is saved in the pocket of my warmest coat
for me to clutch when my hands get cold -"

MAY - I got MARRIED!

JUNE - I wrote this cool bug poem and also enjoyed the vegetable take-over on YWS!



JULY - COOP ZINE 7 & 8 both released this month I believe! link link link I was also very busy working on buying house during this month!

AUGUST - I thoroughly enjoyed the YWS Olympics this year link I participated in many events and ran a special scavenger hunt. We closed on our house on August 23!

SEPTEMBER - I hosted a cool in-depth poetry reviewing contest with @EllieMae and played a bit in RevMo. I also FINALLY remembered to post the "BEST OF YWS" poetry collection here.

OCTOBER - I did a little bit of NaPo Week and FINALLY earned my red Review Star!

NOVEMBER - This month was all about YWS Birthday Week for me! I hosted quite a few activities and had the great honor of hosting the YWS Radio Show which was probably my favorite YWS memory of the year. It was seriously such a fun activity and experience and I feel very honored to have hosted the 20th Birthday Radio Show and to have been a part of this wonderful community. It was also a blast to host the monkey vs dragons with @Iggy and read everyone's answers for the reunion check in!



DECEMBER - I have been very busy with work and traveling and holidays so have not been online much as of late!

WRITING HIGHLIGHTS

Overall I posted 45 poems on the site and 4975 words! 4 COOP zines were published!

This is my favorite poem I wrote this year. Now that wedding + house buying are completed I am really hoping to have more time for writing and YWS in 2025! I have lots of ideas but just haven't been writing much lately and would love to change that and get back into some of my long term writing projects again.

link to my "2024 Writing Wrapped"

FINAL REFLECTIONS

This year was an incredible one - I was not as active in the community this year than in the previous couple years, but nonetheless I treasure your support in all these fun life adventures. I am so very proud of both the moderating crews I help co-lead and of the squills team. I am very proud of our entire moderating team for that matter; they are hardworking, passionate, creative, and joyous bunch. Thank you for being part of the poetry of my life YWS - looking forward to another year together and wherever that leads us in writing and in life.

Thank you for being part of my 2024!

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chem's yearbook :D

hey everyone! 'tis chem here to bid farewell to 2024. i joined YWS on august 28, two days after i started high school. 2024 has honestly been such a wild ride--my life has changed in ways that december 2023 me would have never imagined. i laughed, i cried, i cut ties and i fell in love. i am not ready for 2025 AT ALL, but i am going to have to be, soon enough!

now child, sit down. i am going to tell the story of how i joined YWS.

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in the beginning of 2024, i was a member of a writing site called writetheworld. it was for younger writers like myself and you couldn't really interact with people outside of following them and commenting on their posts. at some point i had been there for three months and could not tell you one person's username. it was just really separate and way more focused on critiques. but it was good enough for a while.
when school ended in june, i stopped posting because i was really busy. but in august, i decided to access the site again--and nearly had a panic attack because it would. not. load. keep in mind, i was storing a good fifteen poems on there. after i calmed down, i decided i wanted to find a new site to post my writing. wattpad and ao3 were out--i felt so anxious posting on there. i did my research and came upon a list of sites for young writers. the first two were blocked on my school computer, but third was the one and only YWS.
i immediately made an account and shortly after, the lovely @looseleaf welcomed me on my wall. i think (and here is where it all gets sorta blurry) that the first thing i did was post my very first poem, "promise". then, i think i wrote a review.
either that night or a few nights later i joined my first writerfeedpad! and guess whose wfp it was! my own! i posted it in the I'm Writing, Come Join Me topic (this was before i knew the people tab existed!) and quickly, people started flooding in. one of the first people i met was the amazing @fatherfig, who showed me the ins and outs of YWSing. everyone was so welcoming--i loved it so much! i ended up hanging out in it again and again and making new ones WAY more often than i needed.
since then, wfp has been one of my favorite places to hang out--the combination of being able to quickly chat plus have a lil spot in the pad is amazing! i'd even say that nowadays my wfp is joined most often since i am always posting the link. but that is my YWS beginnings!

s p o t !

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