Squills 7/31/25

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!

This issue we welcome the return of Ask Pruno, a much loved Squills column. Associate of Pruno, @canopy, is now a member of the Creative Staff at Squills.
We also welcome @floodlights as our new Literary Reporter!

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

CREATIVE STAFF

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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
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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
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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
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1. ASKPRUNO
2. AN INTRO TO LINGUISTICS: THE LANGUAGE BENEATH LANGUAGE
3. FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW: WOLFI
4. FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW: GLITCH0GHOST2024
5. FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW: THETAOSTEDWRITER
6. FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW: THATONEGUYRONIN
7. SHAMELESS PLUGS
8. SUBSCRIBERS

ASKPRUNOwritten by TheGreatPruno< PM: >

Welcome to Ask Pruno!!! YWS' very own advice column! Pruno is our resident magical all-knowing, all-powerful, immortal, dashing purple sprite as old as time and he answer any questions you throw at him, be it advice, personal opinion, solutions or philosophy.

Please note, this is the advice of Pruno, and it is his opinion alone. Nothing he says can be considered incorrect or factual, even if you disagree with him.



My two cats overlords, Queen Sunshine and Lord Cotton, are having trouble getting along with each other, and it's disrupting the day-to-day peace of our kingdom. Do you have any ideas for what else we can try?

- Humble Servant



Dear Humble Servant,

This is quite a serious problem indeed! We must resolve this immediately, though I do commend you friend, for reaching out to me - overlords can be hard to handle. Fortunately we can turn to one of my earlier prodigies' works to manage your situation! Sun Tzu hath put thy solution rather succinctly in the book I had directed he write.

The Art of War doth say that thou must pick thy battles. Thou cannot fight thy overlords on everything. Sometimes they will shred thy curtains, leave hairballs in thy shoes, topple thy plants, spread their food all over the floor but if thou doth grovel and ingratiate with them enough thou canst convince thy overlords to fight with thee instead of each other! Not ideal it may seem but Ministers suffer child, tis the way of life.

Then thy must know thy enemy. Thou overlords are crafty, cunning, and devilish. They share for each other a strong competition and dislike that surpasses thy Kingdom - but - they have, one weakness. They are, immensely, incredibly - lazy. They sleep for hours on end and there lies thy advantage! Thou must feed them warm milk and curate for them warm spots of sunshine. They will slumber and peace shall return to thy Kingdom.

Thou must also keepeth in mind Tzu's most important dictate also - know thy weakness. When they dost slumber thou must not cuddle them! If they awaken then all thy hard work shall be for vain. Resist! Thou are a minister, it is unbecoming.

Buy The Art of War child, tis the only way to deal with thy cats overlords.

-Pruno



To your most esteemed highness,

What are your best tips on how to read more with a busy schedule?

- Writerly Student



Dear Writerly Student,

Ah the question of the ages. Reading with a busy schedule is tough, but tis not impossible! One can try reading during commute. On the way to work or school or college one can prop open a book to pass the time. Keep in mind when your stop arrives though! If you get too sucked into the novel you lie in danger of missing you station. One can also use reading as a break between one's work to refresh one's mind. The most important part about reading with a busy schedule is that one recognises that tis not possible to read for hours on end. One must accept that one can only afford to read a few chapters at a time or for less than an hour at a stretch.

Another method one can try is reading while eating which is truly a magnificent solution for time crunches (do beware however parents have a.... tendency to scowl at this method, closed to brilliance as their minds are). There is not much I can offer thee apart from this. However another method I have noticed people follow is the Ancient Ritual Of Nazaracomad wherein one contacts the ruler of the Planet Hell through the Intergalactic FaceTime and strikes a deal with him for extra time. In this deal one get seven extra hours in a day! There is a catch though, he will give you a potted plant that you will have to keep alive and ancient as I am I have never seen someone achieve this.

Regardless, drop me another question if you would like the steps of the Ritual!

-Pruno





Dear Great and Wonderous Pruno,

YWS poetry fads come and then they'll go -
The future's vision is what I seek though!

We've seen chickens squawk, and gardens ripen,
What's next in trends? What's around the bend?

In your knowing knowledge, and wise wisdom,
What new poetry with become our site's custom?

I'd love to know ahead of the times;
Before lighting hits, I'd write a few lines!

Sincerely
& Most Respectfully,

-Very Wondering




Dear Very Wondering,

Wondering wondering thou are
in the future thou wish to see
poetry is thy question
but ah
are thee truly ready?

does thou realise
does thou know
the price,
of wondering wondering so?

fads indeed do come
and indeed do go
but does thou know
that consequences doth stay
and never go away?

in my eternal knowledge
in my all knowing wisdom
i warn thee
wondering wondering are thou
dont wonder too far
for the consequences shalt be harsh

if thy follow what i shalt say
then thy shalt spell the last day
wondering wondering thou are
wondering wondering thou must remain

hear thee then
chickens hath squawked, gardens hath ripened
what come then around the bend
is mauve and plum
is lilac and lavender
is amethyst
is periwinkle
is grape

wondering wondering hear thee
wondering wondering let it be known
what tis to come
what is to be known
what is next in poetry doth be
purple.

listen thy to my wisdom
listen thy to my warnings
listen to the future and beware
wondering wondering thou are
dont wonder too far

-Pruno



Dear Supreme Leader, in your majesty’s humblest of opinions, What is a language?

Be deep with this question from me humble self. What counts as a language? What is it? Does communication count as language? If so, then gun shots must be a language since they communicate violence or warning. With your supreme powers, dissect this question to its essence and please answer earnestly.

-Conspiracy Pastry




Dear Conspiracy Pastry,

Your question is deep indeed. Language Is anything that communicates meaning. Anything that can communicate meaning can be considered language. Mere triggering of emotions is not enough because that is something that almost anything can do. Unless emotion is accompanied by a context or a cognition it would not constitute language in my opinion. Language is not just words or symbols but also gestures and expressions and sounds.

Important thing to consider when thinking about language is how people think. Most people think in words, but words are essentially sounds. People think in sound. Some people think in silence - people who cannot hear - they must think in symbols. They think in vision. And what about people who cannot see? Do think in touch? Or in sounds? Or in both?

What is language then? Is it sound? Is it vision? Is it touch? Is it emotion? That leads us to why language exists. Why? What is it's purpose? Communication perhaps. Understanding, cooperation, collaboration, expression. Boiled down this seems to be reason any and all languages exist. Perhaps things get muddies and murky when things associated with language emerge.

Each language comes along with a culture, a custom, a tradition, a people who weave the fabric of their lives and beliefs using their language. It communicates something different then, it's significance changes it's so longer about words but about identity. Is that too deep then?

A language is anything that communicated meaning, emotion with thought together. Communicating and context and cognition. It is that simple. But it is also not.

-Pruno



Would you like to ask Pruno a question and get a slice of his interpretations? You can ask him anything you want! It could be a personal problem, or writing advice and tips, even your calculus homework or something else ridiculous! Just PM Pruno with your question! Be sure to follow this template --->

Spoiler

Name : (Please do not use your real name. You can use your YWS username or a funny anonymous title like 'Stressed Buddy', 'Worried Wart', 'Crazy', 'Criminal Mind', 'Anonymous'.)

Question : Ask me anything! Astonish me, I challenge you. But please make sure that your question is substantial enough for me to give you a proper answer. The more I can write in reply the more fun it is for everyone. Tip: You may like to begin with something like 'Dear Pruno the Purple Supremo' or 'To most esteemed overlord' or anything you like.

Is this a really serious or personal question? Would you be upset if the answer was ridiculous? : yes or no. (If you answer 'No' it doesn't mean you won't get a serious answer, it just means that you won’t get offended if you happen not to get one.)

AN INTRO TO LINGUISTICS: THE LANGUAGE BENEATH LANGUAGE

written by floodlights < PM: >

Linguistics doesn’t start with a textbook. It starts with the moment you hear a word and realize it could’ve been something else. The moment a sentence sounds off and you can’t explain why. The moment you notice how your voice shifts when talking to a stranger, or how silence can mean yes, no, or everything in between.

People think it’s about rules, or grammar, or red ink. But that’s not quite right. Linguistics doesn’t ask if you’re speaking "correctly," since the state of being correct is a relative feeling, but it asks what it means to speak at all. A linguist doesn’t ask, "Is this right?" They ask, "Why is this said this way, here, now?" It’s less about policing language and more about observing the quiet mechanics of human thought.

At first, it’s disorienting. You’re used to thinking of language as a tool. What if it doesn’t just help us speak, but shapes how we think?

Linguistics Is Descriptive, Not Prescriptive:

When someone says "He don’t know nothing," a prescriptivist might call it incorrect. A linguist hears something else: a double negative that follows predictable, regional grammar rules. It's systematic. Describing language is to take people seriously, not to judge them by rules someone once wrote in a textbook.

You wouldn’t say "dog the walked yesterday I," no matter how informally you’re speaking. There are invisible rules , deep in your brain, that guide the order of words, the way sounds combine, even the rhythm of your sentences.

Try this: Say "blick" out loud. Now say "lbick." The first sounds like a real English word. The second doesn’t. Why? Because your brain has learned, without you realizing, that English words can start with "bl," but not "lb." These are phonotactic rules, and every language has its own.

All Languages and Dialects Are Equally Complex:

There’s no such thing as a "primitive" language. None are "broken" or "simple." Every language on Earth can express humour, emotion, philosophy, and pain. The difference is in its structure rather than perceived quality.

For example, English uses word order to show who did what to whom: "The dog chased the cat" vs. "The cat chased the dog." In Latin, word endings (called case markings ) do that work, and word order is flexible. In other languages like Mohawk or Yupik, a single word can carry the meaning of an entire English sentence through intricate combinations of prefixes, roots, and suffixes

Your dialect or accent doesn’t make you less articulate. It makes you part of a linguistic system with its own deep internal logic.

Language Shapes Thought (but Doesn’t Control It):

Do people who speak different languages think differently? Sort of. Not in a deterministic way, but language can highlight or hide details that shape attention and memory.

For instance, in Russian, there are separate words for light blue (голубой) and dark blue (синий). Russian speakers are often quicker at distinguishing those shades. In languages like Guugu Yimithirr (Australia), there are no words for "left" or "right" since they use cardinal directions like "north" and "east." So speakers constantly track where they are in space.

In the End:

Whether you speak one language or five, whether you’ve diagrammed a sentence or never heard of a glottal stop, linguistics starts the moment you begin to wonder: Why do we say it like that? And what does that say about us? It’s the study of what we take for granted every day: the sounds, signs, and structures that shape thought and culture.

If you're reading this, you're halfway there.

FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW: WOLFIwritten by Liminality< PM: >

This Featured Member has been with us for over a decade. She is a strong and supportive presence in the Roleplaying Forums, friendly and welcoming in the People’s Tab, and this year participated in her first NaPo. That’s right, on April 6th, @Wolfi became our FM! I got the chance to chat with her about becoming FM and roleplaying recently – very fitting for RP Month!


Wolfi: Hey Lim!

Aww, sure thing - I'd be honored!


W: Mods don't usually get FM and I long ago figured I'd never be featured, so it was a big surprise when I was nominated! The main thread @Iggy wrote up for me was really sweet <3


W: Roleplaying is the essence of writing for the sake of writing. I'm not working on anything that I plan to publish someday, I'm just here to have fun with other writers, experimenting with different kinds of characters and genres. I fell out of love with writing in college; roleplaying on YWS has helped me fall right back in love with it again!


W: Most definitely Under a Waning Sun by @soundofmind! sound is an amazing DM who has inspired me in so many ways, as has the rest of that team! <3


W: I'm open to most genres but I definitely have my preferences! I tend to stay away from high fantasy RPs where there's a lot of magical lore. Favorite genres would be alternate history and post-apocalyptic!


W: I would see if there are any openings in the Roleplay Realm or Roleplay Hollow forums since those are typically more beginner-friendly! Once you've joined a roleplay, remember that the whole point of roleplaying is collaboration, so don't be afraid to ask your DM/team questions or bounce ideas off of them! Ooo and one last thing - take your time with that character profile! You may be writing that character for a while, so think about how they can grow and change over the course of the story.


W: Thank you, Lim! <3

If you haven’t yet, join us in congratulating Wolfi on her FM thread or on her wall!

FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW: GLITCH0GHOST2024 written by Liminality< PM: >

This FM joined us in September 2024 and has since become known for her roleplaying, cool graphics and profile aesthetics. Her roleplay Genetic Apocalypse: The Generals of Death has been featured on Squills by @DungeonMaster. @Glitch0Ghost2024 became our FM on 21st April this year. Read on below for her thoughts becoming FM and about roleplaying.


Glitch0Ghost2024: Yes of course! I’m honored to be interviewed!


G: I was honored that I was chosen and really excited! I didn't expect to be one, especially so soon but it was an amazing surprise!


G: I really enjoy supernatural roleplays. Fantasy is fun of course too, but the sense of something being off in the real world is one of my favorites. You just have to put a time period for the base and then you’re free to add as much supernatural elements as you like.


G: Well right now I'm currently hosting two supernatural roleplays, but I'll touch on my newest one. Madame Crista's Institute for Unruly Youths. It combines the fan favorite strict school for misfits and a deep sense of something being amiss. The only known information about the institute is from rumors, fueling the air of mystery, especially since only a quarter of the attendees return home. It has some wonderful characters so far, and I look forward to creating a magical (and spooky!) story out of this!


G: Well I would say the processes are pretty much the same. With novel characters you can create their future and past, and know exactly what's going to happen with them. With roleplays, their future isn't set in stone. Otherwise making characters for both roleplays and stories are pretty much identical.


G: There's a lot of improvisation in roleplaying, and mixing in the occasional collaboration adds a lot more fun to it. I think the most unexpected thing that's happened to one of my characters is that one of them was kidnapped by a demon overlord because he wanted her pie recipe. It started off as more of a joke but ended up being an important plot point in the storyline.


G: Try it! You may like it, you may not, but there's no shame in trying! Maybe you'll find out you love doing it!


G: Of course! Thank you so much for interviewing me!

If you’ve yet to do so, join us in congratulating Glitch on her FM thread or on her wall!

FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW: THETAOSTEDWRITERwritten by Spearmint< PM: >

@thetaostedwriter was our Featured Member from May 5th to May 23rd in 2025. She's an awesome all-rounder, with creative projects of poetry, short stories, and a novel. You may also have seen Taost writing thoughtful reviews, participating in roleplays, and hanging out in Randomosity!

Recently, I got the chance to interview Taost about her experience being FM, her other favorite parts of YWS, and what inspires Taost to write. Read on below!


TheTaostedWriter: Hey yeah, absolutely! I'm so sorry for the late reply its been a busy few days! But, go straight a head, I'll answer as best as I can! <3


T: Haha, that's actually a really funny story.

When I got back on, I honestly was a little confused. I had a LOT more notifications than usual, and I remembered being on previously in the day. So, I initially thought that perhaps one of the forums I was in just blew up, or perhaps a review or a writing of mine got popular.

Well, when I checked it out, I nearly had a heart attack. I'm not even kidding, I felt like crying, it had been an emotional week for. Lucky for Crust, she was next to me when I started squealing (I was half dying) and throwing my tablet around. I was super proud of myself.

I had a good ol' laugh when I actually read the mention itself, I love my name and the chaos it brings. I love the inside joke to it even more.

I guess I just felt super proud and happy to have been mentioned here. I love this place for many reasons, and I was happy my energy was received in a very positive way. I guess my annoyance and persistence is good for something lol


T: Woo-wee, that's a good question. Let's start from the top, yeah?

The misspell in toast actually came from quite a few years ago. Me and my best friend were 13, I think? This was before I got into writing. Well, me and her where texting, doing what newly aged teens do. Exploring sites and text forums, ect.

During one of these fine moments, I got asked about how I make my toast. However, every time I typed "toast" into my message, my phone almost always autocorrected it to "taost". Every time I changed it back, it left my word underlined red. I got so irritated that I eventually just left it. (My friend had a laughing fit about this).

From then on, it became an inside joke between me and my friends, eventually becoming my media name on almost every platform I'm a part of. My best friend has taken on the name of Braed, also being misspelt, because of this. It's stuck with me since.

The best part about it is confusing everyone I meet, and upsetting my editor every time she tries to talk to me or @ me online. Even worse for whoever emails me...... can't count how many times I missed emails because of this. I started giving my alternative email for specific things because of it.

(This was a big savior from my old media name, WInter Sunshine...... oh, the horror of that....)

The other question, about the site, I'd honestly have to say the interactions. Every website I've gone to for writing has either been dead, or full of adults who take editing way to series and are too harsh. Being here changed my opinions. A lot.

I used to think that no one liked my writings, or there was no one like me until I found this place. People like me, who write like me, who think like me, it all just felt like home. I was scared at first, (it felt like joining a cult, no offense), but I quickly found that I appreciate how warm people are here. How everyone has their own corners and everyone is so accepting and helpful. It honestly felt like a dream.

So, I'd have to say the interactions. The making of friends and the support delivered. It makes me happy to see people getting advice and having a good time without being pushed away or called "weird". It's part of the reason why I grew to love it and stuck around here. And I'm here for the long run, I'll tell you that.


T: I'd have to say, if things get hard, or confusing, or you get lost, it's okay to reach out. There are people here to help and more than willing to be friends and lend a hand when you need it, both on and off of the site.

It's also okay to feel bad or unmotivated. Your feelings are 100% valid and no one can tell you otherwise. If you're worried about your writings, every piece is beautiful and wonderful. You just have to find your little corner with people who are the same.

Thank you for doing this lol, it's so fun <3



If you've yet to congratulate Taost, join us in doing so on her FM thread or on her wall!

FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW: THATONEGUYRONINwritten by Spearmint< PM: >

@ThatOneGuyRonin was our Featured Member from May 23rd to June 6th in 2025. I must say, even among YWSers, this writer has a unique chemical composition: pure bromine. You may have seen Ronin around the roleplay section, posting stories or poetry, or hanging out on the People tab!

Recently, I got the chance to interview Ronin about his experience being FM, his other favorite parts of YWS, and what inspires Ronin to write. Read on below!


ThatOneGuyRonin: Sure! I'm pretty awesome so it's only natural that so many people want to interview me


T: Honestly, I had no idea how to react when I saw it! I was super exhausted and I just remember staring at the screen for about five minutes in complete darkness. The GIF in the forum was super cool! Unfortunately I don't look that majestic when the wind is blowing in my face, though


T: I love to check out the role-play tab every now and then. The reason I made an account was because I was tired of talking to AI character models that repeated the same thing over and over. It was actually Avian who told me about the sight, but I didn't really consider making my own account until about a month after that.


T: Hmmmm that's a good one. If I had to describe YWS, I'd say it's sort of an underground hangout for writers looking for a place to share their love of giving their protagonists way too much trauma.


T: I think it comes from my interest in the dark and the gritty aspects of fiction, and especially anime. I've always been drawn to that sort of thing. But I think inspiration strikes the hardest when fiction introduces us to the real world's history! Whether it be the time period, the themes or atmosphere, the location, etc.!


T: Do whatever the heck you want! I know way too many people who've given up on something because they think they aren't talented, smart enough, or that they just don't have the resources. That's not true! If a dumb ape man can make fire with a stick and a rock, why can't you write a story with a paper and pencil?


T: Thank you for having me! It's important that YWS is aware of my astounding presence on this platform at all times



If you've yet to congratulate Ronin, join us in doing so on his FM thread or on his wall!

SHAMELESS PLUGS

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SUBSCRIBERS

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