Young Writers Society

Hi everyone!

I wasn't sure if I was going to write an NF piece about this or not but realizing that I barely have anything to say, I decided just to make a lounge thread to encourage discussion.

What has YWS done for you? How has it affected you outside of the site?

I can honestly say my experiencing with this website has given me the tools I need to do the job I do today. For about 6 months I worked for a website as a forum monitor. It wasn't my main job, but it was one of my responsibilities. Could you imagine my absolute nerdy joy to become a monitor of a web forum FOR MY JOB?

Now, in my new job, I do Quality Assurance in a call center. Basically - I review people's call qualities in insure they are providing good customer service, following proper procedures, and generally not doing stupid, bad things on their calls. My first day of training reminded me of an article I wrote several years ago reviews (or did I read it? Sorry if I'm taking credit for something that isn't my own!) The "Critique Sandwich" is incredibly important in my job. No one likes being made to feel a failure. You have to find something good to say - even if you're pulling it out of your butt - for every bad thing you say.

So I can easily say, yes, The Young Writers Society prepped me for my current job, and I'm going to carry that with me into the future. This is absolutely leaving out the enormous social, emotional, and mental impact this site has had on me through the friends I have made here, and while I only mention it briefly, I think that that is the biggest thing this site has done for me. Having come back after several years hiatus from the site and writing, I come back with a great feeling of nostalgia. I hope the other people who have returned feel the same as well.

Anyway, getting to the discussion part - what has this site done for you?

I think YWS has helped me further my ability to communicate with people. With a learning disability I kind of got a little lazy with it and my Mum would always say that I wrote how I spoke. I think YWS, through just helping me become a better writer but also having to express myself via text, has helped me overcome that.

I email a lot in my working day, and just the ability to eloquently put yourself across to others in a succint way is a more valuable tool than you might realise.

(I say hoping that everyone isn't secretly thinking 'What are you talking about? You write rubbish!)

I think the time that YWS helped me most was the year I spent in London. I had to move in a week from Edinburgh to London, leave Tom behind, live in a hostel and start a whole new job. It was quite terrifying really and I was very lonely and for a lot of it was quite down (living in a hostel for 5 months will do that to you). The one thing I kind of had that was the same was YWS and all the people here. And I know I'm not the most active member around the forum or reviewing wise and can garner flack for spending too much time in chat. But for that year...chat was like a life line for me. It meant a lot to me that when I came back to the hostel, or eventually my little room and felt the creepings of loneliness after a long shift...that I could pop into chat and be with friends

So I guess YWS stopped me from getting too down and that's pretty cool!

YWS has definitely helped me improve my writing skills. Not only that but grammar and punctuation as well. The community here is very bonded and there are some very helpful members, that go all out in their reviews to pick apart your work and tell you how to improve on it.

The mods are also very friendly and are patient to new comers who don't know how YWS works and may not be sure how this site works.

YWS doesn't just help us in our writing, it goes further than that. We all know after some writing and reviewing we'll feel a little tired and need something to freshen up. So that's when the randomosity and lounge come in. It's a place for people to wind down and also to socialise, sort of. There are also the storybooks section which lets writers do collab work. So it's not all solo work and they don't feel that they're writing alone.

Apart from that, there's also the chatroom. It's a great place to make friends, and enemies maybe. But aside from that the topics people talk about are pretty interesting sometimes. You can learn a lot from others there too.

Lastly, Nate has been working very hard on this site. He's been adding many new features to make YWS even better than it is now. Many old members are also coming back so this site is livelier now! And he's doing this so that we as YWS members can enjoy the site. It's not just a site for young writers to write and post their work for others to critique. Sure, that's the main objective of this site. But it's like an online community for people to share and discuss their ideas not only about writing, but other stuff as well.

YWS has always been and will always be the best online writers forum out there!

What has YWS done for me? Wow, there's so much that I could write an epic on how much of a positive influence YWS has been.

In my newbster days, YWS helped me understand the world better.
2 months down the line, I understood more about English, literature and writing that all that I had learned in 12ish years of school.
6 months, the newbie status was lost and I was overjoyed to be a part of a beautiful community with new friends!
A couple of months after that, life got messy and in the way of YWSing; but when I returned, I was welcomed like an old friend and well, it helped me get over awful things.
And so, more friends hopped along the way and it gave me a whole new confidence about writing and reviewing. < 3
Somewhere in April 2010, I was nominated to be a JM and honestly, being a part of this wonderful crew has taught me so so much on management and principles that it's such a thrill when I can compare scenarios to YWSness.

I would say real life scenarios, but, YWS is as real as it gets and so full of life!

I found 2 lovely sisters on YWS - YWSseestah LilyMoore and darling Lavtwin.
Now, just over 4 measly YWSyears old, I can look back to see how much I've grown with the site.

I have learned sososo much on YWS, not just writing, but also on well, seeing the world, being open and a better person.

YWS was with me as I graduated from school into big crazy world of college. YWS was with me as I wrote through college. It was with me as I traveled abroad. It was with me as I wrote a million essays for uni and applications. YWS was among the first to hear so many yummy things. YWS gave me an additional anniversary to celebrate.

I know this: YWS will be with me as I graduate from college and into grad school. YWS will always be there for me and so will I for YWS.

/Lava does tend to love YWS very deeply to write a post like this.

Awww I nearly cried at the posts before me, but maybe I'm just extra sensitive or something.

YWS has given me so much. I joined when I was 15, and English not being my first language, I made silly mistakes that would now make me cringe. I've learnt many new words and even more about grammar and stuff. I feel like I've also learnt more about the culture of English-speaking areas. YWS has definitely made me fluent in English.

But that seems rather insignificant in comparison to the life-long connections I've made on YWS. Without YWS, I wouldn't have some of the most important people in my life. And for that I'm ever grateful.

I often think things like "What if Nate hadn't created YWS?" "What if these people hadn't joined?" "What if I hadn't joined?" And every time I can sigh and smile and say "Thank goodness he/they/I did".

Awww I absolutely LOVE that this is basically a giant awesome testimonial for YWS... and I love that I'm not the only one that feels like this site is an awesome non-sentient parent that helped us through rough times (or is it a hive-mind parent?)

Keep the stories coming, please!!! I love hearing this.

Edit: Hearing what everyone else has to say makes me cherish my memories even more.

YWS is the main reason I have my current job and a huge factor toward my recent degree in English and creative writing. I would say that counts for quite a lot

If it wasn't for this site, I'd probably have recently finished a degree in law and be looking to take up a position as a solicitor. I'd have good prospects and a strong head on my shoulders, but I'm sure I'd also be more cynical and more uncertain of my chances of ever breaking away from the 'stable' life. I wouldn't be as happy or as hopeful as I am now.

As for my current career, if I hadn't worked as a moderator for YWS I'm sure they wouldn't have taken me on. I talked about the site in my interview and listed how the skills would transfer to working at an IT company and how useful my good English would be in writing to customers and working with search hazards, so YWS helped me take that first step on the work ladder.

I could go on about the confidence and people skills I've acquired, but suffice is to say this site has had a huge impact on my life and will continue to do so.

Oh, YWS! ♥♥ You guys are responsible for two things: improving my writing and giving me a ghetto booty ;D

(All y'alls critique + praise = semi-alright writing <3)

(Y'all are responsible for me sittin' on my tail eatin' all day, thus my 'ghetto booty')

Just kidding.I already had a ghetto booty. Y'all just made me realize not everyone sucks, LAL xD <3

For one, YWS has let me relax. I've generally been shy at school, but if you know me on here... I don't tend to shut up very often.
Everyone on this site is so friendly, and edgy. Everyone's personalities kind of clash, but I guess that's what makes it all so interesting. Most people get along... and we just have a great community!
Without this site, I'd most likely be the shy, quiet girl at school. But YWS has helped me relax, and let myself just be me a bit more.

Something else YWS has done for me is that it has changed the way I think about a lot of things. It's helped me with my writing in and out of school, by advancing my vocabulary and the general structure of my writing.
I never used to be able to speak up in a debate at school, I never used to be able to give my opinion on much. But now I can!
I'm always getting involved in disscusions, and giving all sides of an argument. It helps a lot in general school work too.

YWS has basically changed my life. To put it simply. Without it, I would never have the courage to share my work, and actually be proud of it. I'd still be doubting myself on everything without everyone's helpful reviews.

One last thing. I've also made quite a few new friends, and it's great to be able to chat with them. I've met some great people, and am certain to meet a lot more!

Well, where should I start?

YWS turned me from an awful writer to a pretty average one. Check out my portfolio. Look at the first poems, look at the last few poems. Tell me YWS didn't help me out.

By the time I got to university, three years after joining YWS, however, my writing skills were way above the norm. One of my housemates discovered this when he read one of my essays in third year. He was just like "When did you learn to write so well?" I was like, "Yeah I spent a large number of my teenage years hanging out on this website ..." Essentially, YWS got me First-class honours in my degree (to non-Britons, that's the best you can get in an undergraduate degree) because I might not be the best Historian in the world, but I sure write a mean essay.

YWS helped me travel. When I was 19, I travelled to California on my own. I stayed at Meshugenah's house. I stayed at Dono's house. I hung out with Crysi, with Snoink, with Griffinkeeper. Fun times were had. It was amazing. Two years later, I did something similar. I visited New York, Washington DC and Toronto with Jiggity, Smaur & Caligula's Launderette. Meshugenah hung out with us in New York, too. Much laughs were had

Oh, someone unimportant called Nate was there too. We stayed at his house and he gave us a midnight tour of the Capitol.

So academic success, travel, fun and new friends. Oh, you want more?

YWS has helped me get jobs. Moderating experience, administrating a forum? On my CV. My first "real" job (you know, not retail) last year, my manager, when introducing me, said one of my hobbies was "helping to run a young writers website." (Ironically, this was one of those many times I was absent from YWS). It looks great on job applications: volunteering, responsibility, etc. I suppose I can start adding coding on there too.

Most importantly, YWS just helped me survive. I didn't have loads of friends as a kid, and I've never been popular. When I was a teenager I had very little confidence. Having a website where people knew me, welcomed me, befriended me, liked talking to me, liked my writing, and valued my opinions enough to give me responsibility, was incredible. I'm older now, and I'm a lot more confident in my self. And I think part of what helped me on my journey were all the awesome people on this website who were there who were happy to listen and throw in a few kind words. It's just always been this special club full of great people.

It's pretty much a second home to me. It's been part of my life for eight years, and I hope it never goes.

It's hard to describe what it's like, going from being unable to spot any spelling or tense mistakes in work to noticing when a word looks wrong, to the point you can't tell I once was so bad at languages I needed to have everything I could ever want to write dictated.

I have three jobs and one publication on my resume as a result of this site, with my JM position being just enough to get a job that requires experience.

Getting my hands in this much communications made me realized how much I love it. I doubt I'd have gotten the awards or even my degree (let alone considering a second one) if it wasn't for YWS. My writing got better, I learned to take criticism, and I got faster in producing work. I got to be part of a team of people in a work environment as a JM, which has given me quite a few experiences to reference in class.

That's just achievement wise. I look at my Skype contacts and it's filled with YWSers who I consider family. I met Gryph in my first trip outside of Canada and have a half dozen more trips planned. These friends have broadened my world view, helped me out of tough spots, and kept me company through college and times everything changed.

The bottom line is I don't know where I'd be if it wasn't for YWS. I'd like to think I'd be alright, but realistically I probably wouldn't be.

YWS has been there for me in times when no one else has. There are people on YWS who know things about me that nobody else does. I have made some of my best friends on this website, confidantes and people who make me laugh and comfort me when I feel stupid for being upset. There's a value to that that really can't be emphasised enough.

It (you) took a fourteen year old girl with not many friends, an unhealthy obsession with Harry Potter and a superiority complex and moulded her. I really do have to give credit. Without self expression on YWS I think my personality today would be very different. Things that are an integral part of me, like my love of dresses and the Wizard of Oz- I began expressing those on YWS. YWS made me feel comfortable in my own skin. I can't express enough thanks for that.

It also improved my writing, of course! It encouraged me, changed the way I wrote, showed me the importance of finishing and editing stories. And constantly reminds me how I can be better, how there are higher levels to be achieved. I love the community spirit here, we are all striving towards perfection together. If you ask me that's how all of humanity should function.

It's been just about five years, and while real life takes me now interesting new paths, I never think about abandoning YWS. I can't. It really is a part of me, it really did shape the person I've become, and I firmly believe it will continue to influence me for a very long time.

Okay.

So, I often think about where I would be without YWS. It's been three and a half years. I was twelve, and I stumbled across a link to this site when I was mindlessly browsing the web. It very easily could have not happened, and I don't know where I would be.

While I was an avid writer before YWS, I don't think I ever would have had the confidence to pursue it or my other passion, which is acting. While I have my fair share of friends at school, I've always kind of blended into the background.

Here like people pay attention to me and my ideas. It's good to have a place where I feel loved and accepted. And then there's my time I've spent as a junior moderator. It's been tough, but I've bonded so much with each and every one of you. It's given me tangible job experience now that I'm starting to go out into the real world and find work.

Sometimes I'll look back at my old posts, remember what I was like, and cringe. Middle school and high school, while an essential time of growth for all of us, is often hard. Growing up on YWS has helped me so much.

I could never dream of leaving it.

YWS has let me write more chapters of a story than I've ever done before, It's awakened a love of poetry within me, and has given me not just awesome friends, but two very awesome best friends that I will ove and cherish forever as they are awesome!

It has ruined my life!!!!!!