Young Writers Society

Well, hi. I've just joined after i saw this website on a links page on another website (Marianna Curley's whose books are on my Favourites shelf). My name is Emma, as you've probably guessed from my user-name. i love writing, almost as much as reading, maybe even as much... hmmm..
I get most of my inspiration from music (which i always have to listen to when i type), strange dreams (no fear of a shortage of them), everyday experiences, films and other books obviously, and when my thoughts wander when i get bored - which is quite a lot actually.
Favourite writers? Hmm, well, depends if I'm in love with their books at that moment in time. Libba Bray is brilliant with her Trilogy. Michael Lawrence is just hilarious and witty. Anne Rice is perfect for sensuous brooding and rich descriptive language. Seriously, look these people up if you don't know them.
And I really can't think of anything else to say so, um, bye!

Hello, Emma. My name is Shella. I do not claim to know everything about the site but there are a few rules I can tell you about.

1. You should know that there is a 2:1 ratio. This means that you have to review two other works. This is to make sure that everyone gets reviews.

2. We do not use chatspeak. It can get pretty annoying. We like to use correct grammar. Things like brb and lol are fine, just try not to overuse it.

3. PLEASE DO NOT USE ALL CAPS LIKE THIS. This can't get very distracting.

If you ever have a question or just want to talk, please feel free to PM me.

~Shella

Hey Emma, I would just like to say I found out about this site the same as you. (: I love Curley's books. (:

Now about those rules. I'll comment on what Shella left out.

1. Rate your work. If you have curse words or graphic scenes, rate it R. Oh, and by rating it, (as long as it's not R) it'll get featured on the home page of the site. (:

2. I'm sure you've noticed YWS's colorful rainbow. Here's what it means.

~Black - Regulars, like you and I
~Blue - Greeters. They usually hang around the here and greet the newbies. (:
~Purple - Instructors. They give the *best* reveiws.
~Green and light green. Moderators and junior moderators.
~Red - Administrators. Keep the site up and running smoothly

Thats pretty much it. Tell us more about you. What genre do you write? WHat kind of music do you listen to? Don't let the rules scare you off. They just make it easier for everyone here (:

PM me anytime!

~Nicole

Hey there!

Welcome to YWS! We love to pick on the new members.

Haha, just kidding.

Anyways, you'll love it here at YWS. Make sure you read the rules before you post anything, but other than that, everything here is pretty laid back. Have you posted an "About the Author" yet? That's a great way to meet friends with similar interests. I met a bunch of friends through that and chat.

Our forums are full of cool stuff, such as the random name generator in Fun and Games, Knowledge Base in Resources, and Homework Help in Community Forums. Have some fun and explore the site; get to know YWS a little better!


If you need anything, feel free to PM me!

- Avery

Hello Emma! How are you finding YWS so far? I like Anne Rice too! The vampire Lestat is one of my favourite books do you have a favourite of hers?

Well the main rules have been covered but I have a couple of other things to mention ^^ Have you checked out the chat room yet? You can access it from the home page and it is a great way of meeting other members! We are all pretty friendly here and there are some brilliant people

I thought I'd point out as well that you can get 50 points for every review you do on a piece (as long as it is long enough) and it *costs* 100 points to post a new piece You can earn extra points through helping people out in a number of ways including helping people in homework, greeting others and entering contests where you can also get owed to you in depth reviews from the person hosting the competition They always have loads on so I'd advise checking it out!

I hope you are enjoying it here! If you ever need anything PM me

Hey Emma!
Well, the main things have been pointed out above. Let me tell you one or two things that will help you in your first few days on YWS.

We have an awesome chat room!
Here: http://host7110.123flashchat.com/youngwriterssociety/
The main rules are as follows:
THOU SHALT NOT TALK IN ALL CAPS!
Thou shalt not chat speak.
Thou shalt not do this: heeeelloooo/yeeeeess/byyyeeee ect
Thou shall obey the chat moderators. These are the people whose name are in green and appear at the top of the who's online list. They make sure we all behave and have the power to kick you out of chat if you break the rules and do not listen to them! So beware. xD

Term abbreviation such as: ect, brb, lol, MC (main character), are allowed on YWS. However, other chatspeak is a BIG no-no.

If you're having trouble navigating YWS, maybe you should check out the mentor thread? This is in the welcoming board towards the top. Basically you'll get someone who can tell you about YWS and help with any problems you may have.

If you have anything you would like me to review, PM me. I'm an instructor and so it is my job

xxMiaxx

Hi EmmaJane! I'm Conrad Rice, one of the Instructors here at YWS. If you ever need help with your writing for any reason, don't hesitate to ask me or any of the people in purple. We will do our very best to give you a hand with whatever you need here.

I see that music influences your writing a lot. Why don't you check out our Contest forum? One of our members, Caligula's Launderette, is doing a contest for stories influenced by songs. It may be to your liking.

Good luck here on YWS. Once again, if you need help, don't hesitate to send me a PM. I'm always willing to help.

Hey Emma! Welcome to YWS. I hope you enjoy it here.

Yes! This is the link to Caligula Launderette's song inspired contest. (Just click the blue letters. ) YWSers hold some great contests, and there's always something going on for you to enter. Contests are a great way to get motivated with your writing!

Also! Libba Bray! I love that series. Or at least the first two books; haven't gotten around to the third one yet, it seems.

Also! If you really want to get some helpful hints on writing, check out The Knowledge Base, or the KB. You can get help with grammar, characters, or even finding your way around this site!

I see that the color chart has already been explained; remember to ask anyone for help around if you need it. Drop me a line, and I'll review something of yours! The Instructors are always available if you need help with your writing.

Now, you may ask, "Why are all these Instructors greeting me instead of the Greeters?" Well, that's because you joined during one of YWS's craziest weeks-- a war! That means that the Purps and the Blues have switched jobs for a week. It's a little friendly competition, you know?

Have fun, and hope to see you around!

~Evi

Hey EmmaJane! Looks like you've been well briefed already, but I wanted to pop by and alert you to:

The Completely Evil Plan!

We need as many members as possible, especially new members, so you should definitely join and help us out!

And this would be a good time to inform you about usergroups, hm? Well, they're at the top - under the large Groups button - and they're basically specialised forums to discuss common interests, from maths to vampires to Star Wars. There are also writing groups, like Snoink's Character Development, which is very helpful.

Anywhoodledoodle, welcome to the site! PM me if you need anything.
-Mars

Hi Emma, and welcome to YWS! This is the best website on the internet for learning how to write gooder.

Now, a lot of people have already talked to you a little bit about YWS and the awesome things that go on. We also have an e-newsletter called Squills. We usually have some articles about writing and about the website. You can look at some of the old newsletters by clicking the button on the top header that says Squills.

You can also set up your own blog to talk about anything you want to! You can look at some of the blogs by clicking the Blog button on the top header, and then clicking Blog News. You can also make your own blog, too!

Cool, isn't it?

I am almost positive that you will love it here on YWS. We are almost like a family and we always want to help. So if you need anything, like help around the site or a review, or you just want to talk, feel free to PM me. I am almost always available.

I hope you'll enjoy it here!

*Lin