Young Writers Society

In particular, Borntobeawriter, for convincing me to come back to YWS. Good advice, Mama Tanya.

And then, of course, Power Rangers: YWS Force (Team Pink), for inspiring me to go on a massive reviewing kick...or at least a massive one for a full-time student with 20 hours of work and term papers to write and babysitting to do and stuff. Also, Rangers, we kicked tail.

In a similar regard, thanks also go out to Azila. For the competition this year. And for being awesome. I miss you, girl.

Master_Yoda, for discussing fantasy literature and writing and other stuff and introducing me to Google+ and giving me a review that made me think so much.
ultraviolet, for loving ranting about writing as much as I do. And for exchanging long rambling replies with me. And for being one of the most talented writers I've ever met.
Skins, for being another one of the most talented writers in my acquaintance, and for having awesome writing, for helping Paul get together with Ribbit, and for leaving random stuff on my Wall.

I miss all of you so much.

To the gals (and Charlie) of NaNo 2011: Month of the Shirtless Male Character: for the laughs and the giggling and the co-appreciation. Also, for making NaNo generally hilarious.

Ancientforever, for being one of my main Word War buddies. NaNo wouldn't have been the same without you.

DreamWalker: for being my non-green buddy.

To the gals (and Charlie) of The Spice Mods: for the laughs, the embarrassment, more laughs, etc.

Duchess Demeter Dativ Demz Dems, etc.: for singing Disney songs in Finnish with me, for supporting me in my eternal quest to befriend someone Finnish, for being there. For eating entire chocolate bars with me. For speaking German with me. For being the one, when things here first got bad, to remind me of why I was here. I'm so glad that I get to come to Helsinki and thank you in person with a massive Moose hug.

Stellengestopptthomas: for you and your 'Lin and your country and your country men and women and your language and your airport. For taking me to my delicious Ersatz-Thanksgiving. For loving hats and dresses and believing in strong feminine characters who are still feminine and reading my NaNo notebook in the middle of a cafe while a fire alarm was going off. For (shirtless) Laurie and Tower Girls and Ladies in Chasing and being so lovely and admirable and being living prove of the creativity of sciencey folks. Also, for making anatomy jokes in the middle of Breaking Dawn. For finding your labcoat.

To the gals of the Vance Fan Club. May the best of us (by which I mean me) win.

Speaking of which, Sache Sachi Sachiko. For giving your brother extra hugs and for having short hair and liking video games. For being the author of Vance. For being awesome. For being so endlessly awesome. You have so much love to share and you share it and it's amazing. Also, MUD WRESTLING.

And speaking of that, Beckiw. We're rather newly acquainted, but there are just some things you can't experience without befriending someone. Conspiring to get mud all over Sachi's Wall is one of them. Also, I love your name.

This one should be obvious given the two other mentions, but, Sir Charlie. For not-talking about something that's absolutely nothing, which I didn't just type because there was nothing to type because there was nothing to be secretive about, now was there? For being so good-natured and generally awesome, for having the best legs of all the Spice Mods. I'm glad I get to meet you in person too. Also: Mars bars.

On a similar note, Audi. For letting me cry on your virtual shoulder. For understanding. For being so incredibly kind and warm-hearted and caring and wonderful.

Rosen. Take a deep breath, or five, and relax. And enjoy the freedom. Write down some of those wonderful ideas. You're stuffed full of them. It's sort of kind or awesome.

And last, but far from least, Kyllorac. For not getting Branderson with me, for being yet another creative science person, for knowing who Janny Wurts and Guy Gavriel Kay are, for giving me those ideas about the linguistics articles, and for caring enough about phonological authenticity to ask me what syllable weight is in normal-speak. Also, for knowing that it's all German's fault.

Sachiko. I love you. We always, always say this, but... how the heck did we become friends? xD I DON'T REMEMBER THIS. I don't know what brought us together, nor do I remember how it all started. I will always remember the time in old old YWS when I would see you in chat and think you were just too cool to even notice me. xD I still think that. I don't know why you can stand me still, but I love you for it. xD You're my best friend. Hands down. I love you so much. Forever. Also, YAY FOR STARTING DOCTOR WHO. I cannot even BEGIN to describe my excitement for this. (I totes got DW season 6 for Christmas, by the way. So excited. I actually got Supernatural 5 and 6 as well. And Sherlock. ALL THE THINGS.) Also, have you realized I stopped calling you Sheik? I just lol every time I remember this. When you come into chat, I think to myself how I should totally say, "Sheik!" But I always end up saying, "SACHI OMG ILU."

Lumichu, you're a dear. You really are. And you're totes reading this and thinking, "Good Lord, Jabbs, just move on." But you are, so. You're a strong young man, and I wish you could see just how brilliant and talented you truly are. You'll continue to roll your eyes when I say that you make me smile. You're completely adorbab -- by the way, I'm starting to say that in actual conversation. I get weird looks, but it just makes me giggle. Anyway, we have so many memories with so many inside jokes -- weird how all my friends say this to me. I think that's just how I do, yo. But yes. You've certainly opened my eyes to so many different things too -- things you probably don't even realize. I have learned much from you, Sensei. I haven't realized how stressed I can become until you've come along and told me flat out to stop worrying. I wish you could fully understand how grateful I am that you're not afraid of tackling my stubbornness and keeping me from pulling my hair out. I'm certain you get sick of me many times, so why you haven't given up on me is beyond my intelligence. You're truly a marvelous friend, and I ask you personally to continue being someone I can rely on.

Charlie II. You are amazing. Seriously, you have this glow about you. This aura that just makes me smile. I swear, you make my day. You always know what to say, and you're such a lovely reminder of how blessed I am. Surely, you get tired of seeing me! You have brought tears of joy to my eyes more than once. There are literally no words to describe how wonderful you truly are, and I cannot fully express my eternal gratitude. Thank you for being my friend, and I hope we continue to tackle life and pokebattle our way through 2012!

PenguinAttack, my lovely Buttercup Rose. For years, you have been my buddy and pal. I have always considered you my partner-in-crime, and I am so, so, so thankful that you continue to work and... well, speak with me. xD I can get so annoying. You're such a perfect compliment though, and there is really no one else I'd rather work side-by-side with. You really are such a dedicated moderator and work so hard in keeping YWS functioning, and above all that, you keep my head on straight! Thank you for having my back, and I look forward to working together through 2012. :]

Kitty15. Heather, Mind Reader, Bubbles, my second partner-in-crime. You will look at this and think, "Oh, my goodness. Another lame thank you." That or, "Jabs, you say this every year. Be original for once." But I'm serious. You have made one of the biggest impacts on my life. I have mentioned in my YWS-birthday blog entry how I know my story. Well, you're probably the biggest part in that. You're the very reason I'm here. Ever since, I've aimed to be just like you. Now look at me! We're partners! You, me, and Buttercup, dedicating our lives to fighting crime and the forces of evil. I love you, Heather. And thank you. For everything.

Matt Bellamy, you probably didn't think you'd make it on my list. But. You're one of my YWS idols, believe it or not. You have this laidback and enthusiastic presence as a mod. I seriously aim to be just as optimistic as you. I remember how , back in July/August, we told each other we'd prod the other person into reviewing everyday. You remember that? xD It never happened, but I love you for agreeing with me anyway. I hope you come back. You've always been a part of my YWS, and to see you take a break is about as scary to me as Nate leaving in September. I love you, Mattypoo, and best of luck in real life! I know you've got some good things happening right now.

Rosey Unicorn, mein Pengu. Yes. You know, I don't know if you've realized, but our use of XDs in our conversations has dramatically decreased this year. We need to fix this since, like, we both laugh at everything anyway. We're such giggling girls, it's kind of ridiculous! I've told someone else this (I forget who.), but if we knew each other in real life, I think we'd seriously be good friends. I've also told someone that I admire your hardwork. You remind me of how I once was just as dedicated to what I love, and lately, I've been aiming to be that person again. We're so much alike, it's astoundingly scary. I'm not sure how obvious it is to you, but I certainly see it, and you always make me aim to be even better than what I am because, as you say (and I also say), there's always room for improvement. So thank you, Rosey. And please always remember how brilliant you are. You have achieved the highest success rate on this site, I think, and I try so hard to remind myself and others just how remarkable you are where you are as you are. You make the greatest impact on the most lives where you are right now, and I can never ever even begin to make you understand that. But if I asked you to trust me on anything, it's that you're a blessing and that there's truly no better position for you. You've done it. You've reached and flew above the bar of YWS success. Well done, my friend.

Isha Disha Dooo! You know, for the past few months, I thought you'd be one of the non-mods I'd shout-out to in my YWS Yearbook entry. So much for that! Nonetheless, I cannot begin to express how thankful I am that we're closer friends now. You're now one of those few people I think of whenever I need reminding of my faith, that I'm not alone, and that you're always so capable of being that one person others can rely on. It's people like you that I look up to, people like you to whom I say, "I want to be you when I grow up." It sounds silly, especially considering our ages, but it's completely true. Thank you so much, and God bless. Oh! And I got an iPad for Christmas, so now I can see how you can perform modly duties and just generally function on an Apple device. In fact, I'm writing all of this on Pages right now. You win!

Snoinkus, I MISS YOU. I'm totes going to pwn you in that Bible Reading Competition, club or no club. Though I still need to finish Exodus... STILL. I really do get excited about that competition. I really do. It's so wonderful, and it's amazing how competitive I can get sometimes. That aside, you make me feel so. much. better. about my life. You remind me so much of who I am and why I think the way I do. I wish you could ramble to me more. I seriously rely on those discussions we have, even if I'm sleepy and not really responsive at all. I listen and drink in every word. I appreciate it wholeheartedly. Also, I'm going to read Swan Song this break, SO I HOPE YOU'RE READY. I can't exactly post on your wall yet, but it's on my mind to read it now. I'll dig it up, and life will be marvelous. But, um. Golden Mermaid will never see the light of day. I might have to just restart that. Or at least finish it. It's seriously just... I don't know what happened to it. I think I might have to just put it aside and tackle another project for now. xD

Lauren2010, I don't know what happened. I say this so many times, and I just pour out praises to others about you, but seriously. Where did you come from? Just out of nowhere, you have become one of the most prominent JMs on this site. I have seen you open up and grow into a beautiful young woman with such dedication and enthusiasm for YWS alone. I cannot begin to fully comprehend your awesome. It's so overwhelmingly insane how you suddenly became one of the most reliable JMs I know. Plus, our NaNo shenanigans and YWS shenanigans and, just. Seriously. I'm so glad we've become better friends. You're lovely!

Elinor Brynn, you're beautiful. You are blessed with so much, and I wish -- I truly, truly wish -- that you can see how beautiful you are. You have so much talent, so much love, and so much dedication. If you put your mind to it, you can do it. Just believe you can because you can seriously do anything you put your mind to. You have so much potential, and honestly. You're beautiful. And I firmly believe you can make your 2012 an equally beautiful year. <3

Other shout-outs: Demeter (Player!), StellaThomas (Erika, our Pokebook shenanigans and chat discussions -- seriously, the best!), AzaleaLexis (Who will always be my Lavatar. Always. Also, it's really hysterical how people keep confusing the Pokemon Larvitar with your name Lavatar. I love it so hard.), ancientforever (Our NaNo shenanigans. I swear. xD), Evi (Eevie Jeevie, I'm gonna be just like you when I grow up!), Kyllorac (Clorox, you can be so crazy sometimes!), Ranger Hawk (You make me so happy in so many ways. xD I love you!), SmylinG (My favorite newbie-turned-JM! I love you, and I am excited to work with you -- in every sense of the word!) Shadowlight (I feel like we've been such close friends for so long!), Meshugenah (I'm sososo happy we've been talking much more this last year. And you are really just so. so. so amazing. Thank you for everything.), peanut19 (Snoopy, you're so fun! I love our writing discussions and NaNo-ness.), SparkOfDoubt (SparkleDoubt, My Little Pony!), lilymoore (Bambi, you astound me! You really do! And extra/special thanks for bringing back Squills. I sound so old every time I think it, but it brings me great joy to read that e-zine again.), and so many others. I wish I could remember them all right now. I really do.

A special shout-out to the Fiction Crew. This includes the following: AzaleaLexis, Calligraphy, Kafkaescence, Lauren2010, MiaParamore, RachaelElg, Ranger Haw, Sachiko, sargsauce, Shearwater, StellaThomas, Twit, xDudettex, and also those who have switched and/or retired. I say this so many times, and I will say it again: Thank you so much for all your hardwork and wonderful enthusiasm. It has been such an honor and privilege to work with you all, no matter how long, this past year. Each of you are such a representative of YWS. It's truly remarkable how outstanding you all are, and I hope you believe as much as I do that you will do great things in your futures. Thank you so much for everything, and I promise to continue serving you guys as an efficient and hardworking crew leader to the best of my ability.

Junior Moderators of YWS, I am honored to have worked with you this past year (and years before if applicable). You're JMs not because you're hardworkers, not because you're enforcers, but because you're enthusiastic. You all have the capability of encouraging excitement in even the oldest members of YWS. I would know. Thank you for all your dedication in creating and retaining the heart of YWS.

A final shout-out -- last and certainly not least -- dear Big Brother of YWS. Talk about crazy! But I have seen no better team work so well together. You are all such dependable members and moderators. There's a reason you all are where you are, and I hope you guys can see it like I can. I also hope I don't hold ya'll back too much! No one knows as well as I just how much you've done, how hard you've worked, and how much you've faced for YWS to be where it is. Thank you, Big Brother, and please continue to astound me. Only good things happen when you do.

Too many names in my head but for now, I'll mention my darlings Fatima, Rubble, IdEaBoNe, SyedaFariha and ev1 from Islam Central (That's Priceless, Starlight, AhmadBlues, murtuza, Alpha, and all), and definitely the whole moderators team *I envision this team of ppl all posing as cool ppl, but sadly they all have 4 eyes *, particularly the ppl who I've very sincerely bugged for everything from how to find Portfolios to how to...quite literally everything (Twit, AzaleaLexis, Snoink, JabberHut, Kitty15, and so many others), The ppl who initially made me feel welcome- empressoftheuniverse, Desire, beccalicious94, FemmeFatale, and other ppl like Demoness, ehte92, polinkacreations, sunshineandcarnage - Thankyou