Young Writers Society

I'll make this brief, since I don't know who to put...

Pingi-Pingi, you deserve to be on every members list. You are ausome and everyone loves you! 'Specially me! You have been there when I've been sad and when I've been happy and you made me feel loved! I luff you, pimp Pingi!

Wiggy/ Other Lucy-Thanks for the great advice on my blog! It really made me feel like someone was listening and caring! You are both great people! Thankee.

Mat-My man-twin. 'Nuff said.

Chat Weirdies-Bubbly, Mattimus, Libness, Nut, LAF, Jen, Lauren, Sig, Rea, others that I can't remember... basically, all of you who stay on chat all night long talking about kooky and random things. Luff you all.


That'll do. I have better things to do.

my first time here but I love it already

Alrighty:

Tassen: If it weren't for you, I never would have found this site, and if it weren't for your constant nagging to post more, I never would have built up the courage to put up chapter 2 and onward. XD Thanks a billion for all your critique and compliments, and thanks for being Land of Sky, Land of Rain's first fan. School would be a hellhole without you, thanks for being such a great friend. Even when life sucks, at least we can endure Devilberg and Hubbard together. And now that I'm done thanking you, how about you post In Emerald Palm Chapter One? ^_^ If I'm brave enough to put my book out in front of people, so are you. I firmly believe this.

...Oh, and long live the Giant Fudge Muffin of Doom.

Razor: Thanks so much for being a generally awesome person, both here and in person. Once again, never would have made it through Devilberg's class without you. (I still remember writing LoSLoR chapter 9 while she was ranting about vegan wrestlers... and then I got the notebook taken away XD) You're always a really nice and funny person, Life would be such a bore without you there. Your critique for Land of Sky, Land of Rain has been so very helpful, I don't know what I would do without it. Best of luck with Ten Years, Twenty-Eight Days, you're a supremely talented writer.

Seraph Tree: Thanks so much for all your help with my story, and for being so patient as you helped me improve chapter six... I'm getting better, little by little, through all your support. Best of luck with Songwood and all your other stories, your work is very creative and enjoyable.

jonny911: Once again, thanks a million for all your help and critique. You were a huge help on improving my initial chapters, the places which need the most work. Thanks so much!

aeroman Wow. I'm really honored that you chose to read and help me improve and work with my first chapter. You were really helpful, thanks so much. Those first few chapters really did need a lot of editing, and you were a great help with showing me what needed to be changed.


Many, many thanks to the community in general, I was really shy of being here at first, but I've grown more used to it and I feel like I have a lot more confidence.



Stories I recommend.... well, let's see here...

If you haven't read Saint Razorblade's Ten Years, Twenty-Eight Days yet... well, then you fail. There's no excuse. Go read it. Now. It's an excellent piece of writing, you won't be disappointed. I also really recommend Dreami's Esrydil, snappydog's Phoenix Rising, and Seraph Tree's Songwood.


Thanks to you all, I hope everyone had a happy *insert name of winter holiday here* and a great New Year. May the coming year be even better!

Dear YWS,

I regret to inform you that my writing style may be a little unhinged tonight; earlier I consumed an entire box of Roses chocolates, two Terry’s Chocolate Oranges and a box of cough sweets. Thankfully, many of the side-effects have worn off. I believe the sickness and high temperature has passed, and the uncontrollable shaking should not affect my prose too much.

Perhaps now I will get on to the subject of my letter. Indeed, as the nights begin to grow longer and the snow still refuses to fall upon my village in sweet, desolate, rural England, I wonder what the topic should be. It is an elusive beast; one quite unlike that in Golding’s ‘Lord of the Flies’. (Think, instead, along the lines of John Darwin. Ah, you’ve got it!) But, I will attempt to capture it for the purpose of writing this.

Ok, procrastination over.

Firstly, I would like to make one point very clear: The Young Writers Society dot com rawks. We can go into such depth about our friends here that we risk forgetting the most important thing: the site. Without that beacon, we would only be ‘young writers’ with no hint of capitalisation! We would be without knowledge of ‘Storybooks’ or ‘Mary-Sues’, and unaware of the dark delights of line-by-line critiquing. In short, we would be far less than we are today, and so I thank YWS and the real heroes who maintain and run it.

It has been an eventful year. According to my profile, I joined in February and I have achieved an astonishing amount in the eleven months I’ve been around. Naturally, I’ve joined numerous storybooks (2), critiqued many pieces of fiction (58) and massed a portfolio of engaging fiction (3 pieces). It’s a wonder I managed to do anything else this year!

Despite that satire, I do realise that my work in the community could have been more intense, and I hope to rectify this in 2008. It was clear when I began to write this letter that my activity has been spread like butter over far too much toast, and at this thought, I leapt up and ran to the local shop to buy more butter. Later, I realised it was in fact just a simile, and that I should really be putting extra effort into critiquing and writing. Thankfully, the co-op has an excellent returns policy and the cashier had a sense of humour.

I suppose what I’m getting at (behold the subject) is that I’m not currently in a position to say what the best pieces of the year have been. (This is, of course, ignoring the fact that I’m still inebriated by chocolate and Strepsils, and that makes it particularly bad. Doesn’t it?) So, I promise to edit a helluva lot more after the New Year to make it up.

I’d love to ‘shout-out’ to the wonderful people that I’ve met here, but I know I’d forget some (aye, there’s that many!). So, to avoid disappointment, I’ll shout out to everyone on YWS and thank them for bearing with me this long. Of course, a PM accompanied by a restraining order will still persuade me to leave if necessary.

Every single person I’ve met here has been brilliant, each in their own personal ways. I’d like to think that I’ve been some help to any of the writers on this site, and it’s thanks to this experience that I have decided to become an editor of fiction: the ultimate critiquer (or should that be critic? I can’t decide!). So, thank you YWS for allowing me to realise my ambition and know my dream job!

(For anyone who has actually read all this, congratulations! There are badges available in the foyer, but I must finish up now before this letter becomes a thesis.)

So, here’s to writers and poets; the experienced, the new; the site and its admin and moderators too. Raise your glasses my friends (not your spectacles, dear) and drink this toast to them all, and let’s hope for another year as good as this one! The night is dark now, and sleep calls. I hope you’ve all enjoyed writing as much as I have!

Goodnight, Young Writers.

And cheers!

Charlie

(P.S. Here's a photo of the nasty boy that made you read for so long. Can you possibly forgive him?)

I don't really know anyone in YWS that well to give them a shoutout, but I'd like to say thank you, thank you very very very much for critiquing my work and helping me improve my writing skills!


I've tried other writing sites, but have found that YWS is by far the best website!

Thanks Nate!!!!!!


I am just soooo glad to be able to talk to other writers!!!! Which is why I love YWS!

cs

I would say thank you to everyone, except all the people I want to thank are forcing me to edit FREAK. So thank you everyone! Now... off to FREAK.


And SPEW? You rock!

Oh man. This is going to be edited, like, a gazillion times. *takes a deep breath* Here goes!

I haven't been on YWS for very long, actually. But now, 67 days, 860 posts, 420 critiques, 12 pages of guestbook entries, 24 threads and 68 friends later, here is who I have gotten to know the most:

SHOUTOUTS:
Gwen: (Gwenevire) What would I do without you, ning? You are an infinite spring of advice and fun (not to mention, world domination plots) and I love you. No one could ask for a better cousin. I love reading your work - it's so original - and I always appreciate your crits on mine.
Azila: You have never failed to amaze, inspire and stun me with your writing. Not only a fantastic critiquer, you are an awesome friend and the 'Other Fiction' boards wouldn't be the same without you.
canislupus: I can't express in words how glad I am to have another wolf lover on the site. Not only have you provided me with many encouraging reviews, you have pleased and inspired me with your own work and I hope to see more soon!
Fangala the Flying Feline: You have to have been the awesomest 6th grade writer in the history of forever. You always leave the sweetest comments on my writing and I can't wait to read more of yours!
SeraphTree: A great critiquer, writer, and most of all, a great friend. You are dependable, nice and just overall an amazing girl.
cat4prowl: Many thanks for your support and help when I was a newbie, blundering around and posting a million comments on my own work. And, I'd also like to thank you for giving me my first real critique! Keep writing Depredation of Nightmares!
kitty15: You are so fantabulistic - how do you manage to comment on my blog, update your own, edit your work AND write helpful reviews? I'd just like to say thanks for all your help with my writing, and for keeping my lonely ol' blog company. xD
shanan, Broadwaygirl and Buddadancer: I'd just like to acknowledge my good old chums from school. Keep writing you guys!
Squallz: I know I haven't always replied to your comments on my writing with composure gratitude, but I have been grateful for them, and I just thought I should let you know.
Sam: Thank-you sooo much for that awesome crit on my Ch. 1. I know I've said it before, but I will be eternally grateful.
Suzanne: You are, like, the coolest mod eva! xD Just wanted to say thanks for the times you've answered by stupid questions by PM.
lyrical_sunshine: Thank-you for sharing your writing with me - it was amazing - and for just generally being very helpful and encouraging all over YWS.
twit: My blog wouldn't be the same without your comments, twit. You're an amazing person and soon [hopefully] I will go critique something of yours.
FantasyArtist: Fan, you were one of the first people I met on YWS, and the first one who put me in my place and put an end to my ramblings on my own threads, as well as providing me with a lovely crit. Thank-you!
Caligula's Launderette: We haven't talked very much, but I'd like to say thanks for taking the time to help me with my English project. I'll [try to] give you a review in return!
Nikki17: You have inspired me not only with your writing but with your enthusiasm for writing. Have a great New year, and never give up on your dreams!
Nate: As you had once said in the chat, you are the 'omnipotent' master of YWS. You weren't lying, either. I know everyone's saying this, but...*is meek* I'd really like to say a big THANK-YOU (!!!!!!!!! X10000) for making YWS what it is. If it weren't for you, I'd still be writing in 3 different tenses at once. Long live The Young Writers Society!

FAVOURITE PIECES:
There will be a lot of stories/poems here that maybe not all of you are familiar with, but that I enjoy. So here they are! (I even learned how to do the fancy link thingamabob for this!)
Midnight by Azila.
I really, really love this piece. The imagery is so spectacular, and I would recommend this to anyone who loves reading very eloquent (albeit short) writing.
Totems 1 by canislupus.
I love the ideas (and the writing) in this piece. Its a perfect balance between credibility and natural magic - congrats canis!
Horsefeathers by Fangala the Flying Feline.
This piece makes me laugh every time I read it. Humorous, witty and well-worded, this is perfect for those days when I need to be cheered up.
Depredation of Nightmares chapter 1 by cat4prowl.
This is the first chapter out of nine, (and hopefully more will be forthcoming) and I love it. There's a perfect blend of action, darkness, fantasy, (and definitely humour!) that make it great to read.
Vengeance is beautiful - prologue by Gwenevire.
I won't ever forget this - magnificent ideas, its eloquent, great characters...recommended to anyone who enjoys reading dark fantasy. ^_^
Chair of Wind and Darkness by Dream Deep. I love, love, love this piece to death. I didn't comment because there's already 10 pages (!) of critiques, so I probably wouldn't have anything constructive to say. The ideas in this are refreshing and beautifully original - this should be essential reading to all aspiring authors!
The difference between landmines and time bombs (revised) by Shriek.
(Didn't critique; nothing constructive to say.) This piece always makes me think. The simple but creative and eloquent prose captivated me immediately and the characters were fabulous.

Allow me to extend my gratitude to all of you.

In particular, I'd like to extend my thanks to my fellow colleagues in Big Brother. Next, I'd like to recognize Nate as he is the creator of YWS and it seems like the popular thing to do.

I'd also like to recognize Hunter for being an outstanding author and promoter of storybooks.

I'd also like to recognize my Co-author, Adam_Atlantian for being an avid Sci-fi author and game designer. Keep up the hard work!

To the chat regulars: If you have time to waste, it is better spent on writing or critiquing. Don't say you don't need the practice either. I'm keeping an eye out for you...

In addition to this, I'd like to recognize the usual suspects listed in nearly every post above. I'd write your names, but I'm afraid the list is too long and I'm much too lazy to copy and paste them, much less write them out.

So, insert your name here, have a Happy New Year.

To Crysi: See, you're on here now. Your the best fake fiancee a bum like me could have. We'll see where we are in a year or so.

Where to begin,

Nate, You'll never know my shock when you sent me the PM to be a Jr. Mod. And I nearly wet myself when you invited me to be a Mod. I appreciate the chance to give back to a community that has helped me grow amazingly.

Dono, You are a true friend and a great diplomat.

Snoink, you make me laugh. Not that we started out on the best of terms what with a bit of moronicness on my part, but I'm happy we've become friends. And I'll always love the Audio crit, it made my day.

Griff, We've been sailing through space for quite sometime now. Hopefully with some luck and effort We'll get to go on some real adventures.

Suz, Always kind and always sweet. You’ll always be Clau to me though J

My Crew, you know who you are, we’ll be on adventures for a long time to come. I don’t think we’ll ever find those anti-magic machines. You’ve caused me headaches (Blowing parts of my ship off) and happiness and I wouldn’t trade any of it.

There are so many of you on YWS that I have come to know. So many of you I can’t imagine not meeting. So, happy times and continue writing. And remember, Failure is another step towards success.

Yikes, I've been putting this off for far too long. I'm not ready to really do it, but I'll put this up and then edit later.

Edit Counter: has been majorly edited (major edits: anything that isn't spelling fixes, so on) 1 times.

First of all, the people on YWS whom is wuv. Wuv without mercy.

Sumi H. Inkblot: Bestest friend on internet- which may mean best friend too, which is kind of sad... XD- evar! You introduced me to this site (or at least, I asked for a link to the site that "WON'T GIVE ME THE FREAKIN' VERIFICATION EMAIL!!!") and I'm in eternal gratitude for it. Also, for realizing that Eragon was a piece of crap rather than an epic, and posting links to anti-shurtugal.com on the nanowrimo forums so I could come to this realization too.

Lindsaroo: My other bestest friend. You're like the antidote when I've had too much Sumi. *glomps*

PenguinAttack: Pinguuuu! *glompage* Penguin dinosaurs ftw!

Hunter: What would a list be without you? And for the record, I still shalt never join your followers! And now I have an excuse not to... I'm already your sidekick.

(end for now... yes I know this is far too short for one such as I.)
(now more...)

Black Cat Sachiko: I'll take a potato chip... and EAT IT! X3

SirWozzel: Without you, I may have not written anymore Cra-yon Lay-onds, which would be teh horribleness.

маттѕтея: Chuck Norris bless Jeff and Simon bless маттѕтея bless the grey club!

Snoink: Piiiiiig.

Saint Razorblade: ROAR!

Aet Lindling: What can I say? We're like the same person practically.

Vernon:
Maaan, I love you.

Another year of YWS, a blog, and you. Torturous, but worth it.

And to the rest o' ya --
I'll see you in the next year, especially YOU Jane... Yeah... JANE TALK TO ME

To my love, the YWS,

Thank you for being there, along side my writing, encouraging me to go on with tantalizing, tempting posts of crtiquey wonderment. For over two good long years we have been together and I hope this journey shall continue until I am, *gasps* no longer a "young" writer.

Much love and fortune to you in the coming years,
~Yoyo

Before it's too late I might as well add something.

Thank you to everyone, your stories/novels have given me something to do for the last year or so.

Nate: Without you there'd be no YWS, you do so much for the site and I guess I should say 'Thank You' at least once a day.

Little Tin Fish: The only person who actually read about Aethel, not including that little sketch, your Tinnyland has always given me ideas and not forgetting the Cactus House or Wires--whatever she's up to.

Wigs: God, I don't know what to say. You are a brilliant person, you're always putting a smile on my face and I'm amazed you read everyones blog entries. Though I don't really know if I'm mysterious or not.

Deep Dreamer: The Penguins, Shan, your writing--just beautiful.

Jess/Fishr: I really hope to see BFG published soon--in the next few years?--and don't worry, I'll find some time to catch up with your updates.

And to anyone else I've forgotten to mention--sorry!

Happy new year =]

I love you all, fellow YWSers, but here are some people I remembered, (my brain is like a sieve for names)

Kitty15: You are the nicest, kindest sweetest person I know. You write brilliantly and you are so friendly! And you mentioned me in the year book!

PiePiemann22: You are so cool and I love your writing style! Hope to see you more.

Poltergeist: High five! We had some great discussions and you are amazing!

Snoink: You and your Nanowrimo rule!

Claudette (I mean suzanne!?): we don't speak much but I read your work and stuff and you have style.

Nate: You created the best site on the whole web. Thank you soooooooooo much

And to everyone who critted my work and everyone I forgot about if my hurry.
Happy new year for tomorrow!

PS: without you all I would have gone crazy and would have been an even worse writer!

Love Charlotte