Young Writers Society

It's certainly reasonable. but as others have said, I would want some more clearly defined rules before I say yes for sure.

Hi there. ^^

While I understand the predicament the Storybook forums are in – I am meant to be involved in one or three ^^ - I don’t see this as a long term, or even really a short term solution.

I do understand that something needs to be done, far be it for me to ignore that fact, but could censorship be the most effective solution? Because that’s what this is, essentially, it’s the censorship of an individual’s work. It works on the presumption that the Mods are able to select and define those Storybooks that are definitely going to kick off. Not only that but basing an entire storybook on one individuals writing? It hardly seems fair. Perhaps the idea is quite good, but the individual was unable to adequately express that idea to a level a Mod – keep in mind that the Mods are Mods for a reason, their being able to excel at what they do – would be pleased with. This seems hardly fair for those who have good ideas but cannot express them.

Now, I know that the fact that the initial individual being unable to express themselves looks a bad future for the storybook, but couldn’t the Mods, instead of scrapping the ideas, merely help that individual work on their expression? In that way you’re not stifling their creativity, *and* you’re fulfilling a purpose of the site, you’re helping writers grow.

Again, I'm not saying that nothing should be done, I just think that this might not be best method.

*Hearts* Le Penguin.

I agree with Penguin. I think that if you just approve or disapprove it completely defeats the purpose of the site. Where as if you work with the author of the storybook that would normally be disapproved until they get it up to standard it would be helping them to improve their writing as well as taking care of the problem with the storybook forum.

If you do decide to go through with this I think that the rejection of a storybook should also be accompanied by the reason(s) it was rejected. A brief PM telling the writer the primary reasons you disapprove of it would give them the chance to learn from their mistakes and possibly improve the next time they try to create a storybook.

And I hope that all made sense.. If not, let me know and I'll attempt to clarify. ^^

~Rea

When the YWS Literary Journal declined to accept someone's work, was that censorship? Because the same argument could be made there.

Censorship is not what you are describing above. Censorship means to censor, which is:
"A person authorized to examine books, films, or other material and to remove or suppress what is considered morally, politically, or otherwise objectionable."

I doubt that applies here.

Here's a good discussion on what censorship actually is:
http://www.gilc.org/speech/osistudy/censorship/

"In the 20th Century, censorship was achieved through the examination of books, plays, films, television and radio programs, news reports, and other forms of communication for the purpose of altering or suppressing ideas found to be objectionable or offensive."

So censorship is not at all what you think it is. The mere approval or rejection of items is not censorship. The system is also indeed being sent up such that the author will be told of the reasons of the denial, thereby allowing them to correct what was wrong and try submitting it again.

The criteria followed for establishing what is approved or not will follow objective points. Does the author use good grammar? Does it describe a plot? Is there a setting?

The vast majority of storybooks would still be approved.

I don't approve. ^_^