To put it simply, I am amazed at how far I have gone in the space of a year. Wait…a year? Has it really been that long? Well…at the very beginning of 2015 (I joined on January 13th), I didn’t even know the YWS existed, much less what it was or who was in it. However, now that I’m writing this, I can’t help but see that that same year, my very first year on this site and among all these amazing people, is almost over. So yes, it has to have been a year; there’s no doubt about it.
But I suppose I’m straying from the point. What I mean to say is the fact that, honestly, the person that I used to be just a year ago would never be able to recognize me now, and I’ve changed and progressed for the better. After all, during that time, I’ve gone from an overtly optimistic and joyous child, albeit naïve and misguided, with a passion for writing but an inability to construct a story that wasn’t overloaded with details and otherwise boring, to who I am now. I mean, I’d never even really received criticism before, given that nobody either had the heart or the ability to criticize me, and that left me with an overinflated ego and a boundless passion and faith in my ability to write that was, rather inevitably, bound for the scrapyard. And, even since I’ve joined the site, I’ve done a lot of soul-searching, and I’ve made a lot of changes to myself, how I behave, and especially how I write. Those of you who remember me during my early days saw me progress to somebody darker, more cynical, deeper in thought, soul, and mind. My ego was decimated, my faith was crushed, and I distrusted my ability to write. Now, that might sound bad, but it wasn’t, and it certainly isn’t now. I learned, thanks to all the people on this site and their helpful criticism, to start focusing upon my writing more and not let my faith in my current writing abilities get in the way of my trying to craft a good story; to cut out the more annoying aspects of my writing style, and make my writing all the more vivid. I learned to distrust myself, which helped me to make my writing all the better and thoughtful, and that has improved my said writing style, and my stories, immensely. I still maintain my optimism now, and I still have a writing style that is highly descriptive – that, I know, is an innate part of my personality, and will never change – but I feel as though, emotionally and mentally, I am a rounder and fuller human being. My optimism, joy, anger, naivety, and strong emotions have been mixed with cynicism, a deeper understanding of the universe, a greater understanding of myself as a person, and an exuberance that never seems to go away. I am more balanced, neutral, and calmer, not so easily swayed by my emotions, and harder to make angry. And this satisfies me, as it makes me all the more efficient, capable, powerful, and ever more eager to run forward and accomplish my goals and make something out of my life. I must thank all of you for that.
As I said, I have changed, and I have grown. I have taken on and beaten back some of my greatest fears, worries, and demons, and have built myself a wonderful reputation on this site. Somehow, I’m now a moderator, with a million wonderful friends and a passion for writing that has grown ever stronger, and, when I look back at all that fun times that I’ve had with you all, and all the ways that I have grown, I feel proud and joyous. I have grown up so much with respect to the person that I was the previous year, and I hope to change just as much in the future year. Yes, many of you helped me along the way, guiding me during my troubles, making me laugh when I was sad, giving me the confidence, exuberance, and the critiquing skills to craft some of my greatest triumphs – the poems that stories that I still admire now – and I wouldn’t be nearly anything like who I am right now if it wasn’t for the way you helped me set off on my journey of the mind and soul and guide me down the path that has led me to the person I am now. So yes, I thank all of you. All of the people on this wonderful site, from some of the newest members around and all the way to the oldest member, the creator, Nate.
However, I feel as though there are some of you that deserve special recognition:
@Robusto: I think it would be most appropriate for me to list you first. After all, the first Storybook that I ever joined was yours, and it probably was among the greatest factors that led from my transition from how I used to be to how I am now. It was one of the first times I ever cooperated with other people, and the advice that you, and the rest of my fellow SBers, gave me was instrumental to my changing of my writing style and my learning to focus more upon the quality of my writing for the better. I learned from that SB how to better write and detail a story, how to write a decent cast of characters in words, and the joys of interacting with others and coming up with story ideas. Too, it was fun talking to you and the other members of the SB, and the kinds of crazy and fun conversations that our group has had is something I will never forget. Furthermore, your ability to craft such complex plots and characters has inspired me to create stories with a greater depth and background, and your criticism has improved me in boundless ways. Overall, I’ve enjoyed all of the time that I’ve spent on that SB – and it’s three DTs – over the course of this year, and I look forward to having even more of a fun time there in the future. Therefore, I thank you, and all of my fellow SBers in that SB - @15253, @Verser (now @Poopsie, of all names. XD), @Tortwag, @AstralHunter, @Buggiedude2340, and @Charizard821.
@Blaspherica (King Tues, Queen Blassie, WaterCheetah, Tuesday, BlasphericaWednesday, CapitalMonday, WaffleQueen,
,
@Stranger (Strange, Will, Dr. Strangelove, etc.): Will, you’ve been a tremendous inspiration to me. I find your sense of humor very amusing, and it’s always fun to talk to you. Your poems are amazing, and they’ve inspired me to write some of my favorite and most excellent poems, as well as step into the realm of poetry and learn to appreciate it (especially after I wrote Dirty Knees, Cloudy Skies for your hilarious prank. XD). Thanks to you, I began to write my first satire poems, learn to compose poems with deep and extended metaphors, and learn to take my time with writing my poems and make sure that each is excellent. You are a fantastic humorist, an amazing person, and somebody I relate to on so many levels, and I look forward to collaborating with you in the future.
@Atsmai (Ats, Nix): Look, I know that you might still have some form of anger at yourself because of what I said to you, but I just want to you know that I don’t hate you. I don’t disrespect you. You are a hilarious, funny, and wonderful person, and it is not as though I despise you or find anything that you do to be horrible. You’ve made me laugh on so many occasions, and I can never forget the amusing conversations we’ve had with each other. Your stories are fascinating and fun to read, and I’ve enjoyed conversing with you about our respective lives. You’re a vibrant and colorful, lovable character, and I hope that you and your girlfriend stay together forever – you’re meant for each other, I can tell. May you have a wonderful time in the future, dear friend of mine.
@Steggy: Frankly, if you ask me, if there’s anybody that more deserves to be a mod than I, it’s you. You’re so friendly, eager, optimistic, and the conversations I’ve had with you have been a real pleasure. Your reviews are incredibly beneficial, detailed, and well-composed, and I’ve enjoyed reading your Storybook posts and seeing how active you are in and around the site. Your Dinosaur facts never fail to amaze me, too. Overall, you’ve been a wonderful friend, companion, fellow SBer, and a great story writer, and I, once again, find that you’re probably more qualified than I am to be a moderator. I thank you for not only the way that you’ve helped me and been a great friend, but the way that you have touched and helped the lives of so many people on this site. You are stellar.
@Hattable: Goodness, I can’t list my favorite YWSers without talking about you, Hatt. You have one of the wackiest, and most comedic, senses of humor I’ve ever seen. Your stories are fantastic, always creative and thoughtful, and many of them never fail to make me laugh. Sure, you did block me from your wall that one time, and I did kick you out of chat at least four times as a joke, but it’s always fun to talk to you and get your insight on things. The gifs you post are hilarious, I love your MS paint drawings, and you never fail to add a bit of flair and comedy to my People feed. Overall, you’re a fantastic person, and I hope that you have a great time in the future.
…Darn, I honestly wish I could tag and talk about everybody. But I don’t think I’d have enough time. XD
However, I’ll see if I can’t name drop as many people as I can who I’ve been good friends with, respect/admire/would like to steal their talents but can’t, or otherwise those who I think are cool people who I haven’t seen in a long time (and would like to see again) or cool people who I haven’t talked to all that much (and would like to).
@Arkhaion (you’re a great person, do a wonderful job as a moderator, and you’re full of knowledge and advice. You’ve helped me countless times, been an exceptional role model and I wish I could repay the favor), @Nate, @Rydia, @MergSword, @CandyWizard, @willachilles, @AlmondEyes, @Pompadour, @Pamplemousse, @Zolen (you’re an amazing artist, having a talent that I could never hope to achieve, and I always enjoy reading your Q&A about a wide variety of topics), @TheClockworkConjurer, @ShadowVyper, @AdrianMoon, @IronSpark, @donizback, @lostthought, @QueenofHearts, @ChocolateCello, @Rubric, @SpiritedWolfe, @Lumi, @Omni, @Sweater, @Autumns, @AlexSushiDog, @captainearth, @fortis, @Kyllorac, @Reneia, @Holysocks, @Pompadour (formerly Pomp, formerly Pompadour.
), @LittleMissRebelle, @Halfbloodcheetah (as soon as I get an e-mail account, I will not hesitate to start talking with you again; our collaboration projects have been absolutely and thoroughly enjoyable, you are a fun person to talk to and hang out with, and it’s cool how many common interests we share. ), @Gringoamericano, @hyperview, @Hiraeth (your new name is so hard to spell, darn it. ), @Savvy, @Elysium, @Blues, @Authorian, @Sunshine1113, @Falconer, @Cleverfox, @Deanie, @Pretzelstick, @Magestorrow, @Chaser, @LadyEvvy, @Deanie, @Iggy, @Birkhoff……Who else to tag?
…Well, I can’t come up with any other names at the present, so suppose I’ll end it, and the yearbook post, here. Once again, thank you, everyone in the YWS. You’ve been an unimaginable help, companion, and otherwise an influential force in my progression from a naive prepubescent teen to a slightly less naive teen, to me this past year, and I look forward to an equally exciting, thrilling, and amazing year in 2016.
and it's thanks to you that I'm writing again so when I'm published and famous you can tell everyone it's because of you 
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