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Young Writers Society


Keeping Storybooks Alive



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Tue Sep 03, 2013 2:27 am
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Elinor says...



As writers, nothing that we expierence can be worse than a blank page. Whether you're writing a novel, short story, poem, essay or storybook post, we are familiar with being overwhelmed by the control that we have given ourselves to tell a story. When you're only controlling one character in that story, it can be even harder to think of what to write. Since, in storybooks, you collaborate with a host of others, the story is not entirely yours. What if you don't know what to write, or aren't sure that your idea will be accepted? What if everyone is drawing a blank on the next direction to spin the plot? Here are a few thing that you can do:

1. Outlining

If you are considering creating a storybook of your own, it helps to have a general idea of where you want to your story to go. You can still figure out a lot as you go along, but figuring out a basic outline - "these characters want a, they are opposed by b,c, d, they start at e and end at f"- will help you tremendously.

2. Discussion Threads

The specific storybook discussion forum, you'll find discussion threads for active storybooks. These are a valuable tool for any storybook you participate in because you can communicate with its other members. Ideas for settings, plot twists, and your characters can all be discussed in a DT to make sure things run smoothly and stay exciting.

3. Plot Twists

You're busy with school and/or work. You've hit a roadblock in the SB you're participating in. in these instances, it can be easy to just give up instead of working hard to create a thoughtful post. To avoid this, it can help to thrust a plot in a different direction, add an unexpected twist to propel action into motion. Just make sure that if you have an idea for a plot twist you discuss it with everyone else.

4. Commitment


It can be frustrating when someone signs up for a storybook and doesn't deliver on the post contributions they are expected to make. Each character in a storybook is vital, and the SB as a whole can suffer if a key character is missing. If you're considering joining a storybook, ask yourself "do I have the time to dedicate two to three quality posts per week?" (this is a good benchmark to consider, but it could be more or less in actuality). If yes, go ahead and join. But be careful to not spread yourself too thin! If you're already in two storybooks, it may not be the best idea to join a third.
Last but not least, please enjoy everything the storybook forum has to offer. While it is fun just to create different characters and write out a few posts, finishing a storybook can be extremely rewarding.

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Tue Sep 03, 2013 4:24 pm
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KingLucifer says...



How about actually showing Storybooks some love and feature a few storybookers? I see Reviewers, Poetry Writers, people who are contantly in the serious discussion and debate section get featured and yet, never any storybookers? that should change. The storybook section is dying because no one is ever being featured from it. LouisCypher, AriaAdams, Aquestioning, these are people who deserve the spotlight for the Storybooks they make. YWS has such a heavy focus on Reviewing and don't get me wrong that's a good thing, but sometimes good things turn bad. Storybooks are dying because it's being ignored.

Granted yes, I could be talking out my rear end for not paying attention to featured members. People like Aquestioning have brought attention to Storybooks though the Storybook Revalution. But that has only helped so much, I believe it could be better if the spotlight was shined on some of the storybookers who are regulars in the section. All it takes is the cooperation of the Moderators and Admins to make things better.

Like I've said before, I could be talking out my rear end and have no idea what I'm talking about, but I've remained quiet long enough and thought to voice my idea in the manner. Even though this has nothing to do with what Elinor is talking about above, this is a public enough place to say this.
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Tue Sep 03, 2013 4:44 pm
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Iggy says...



We can't feature Aria because she's already a JM.

Aquestioning has been featured, but primarily for Squills because he rocks at it.

@Dante, if you pay attention and read the Featured Member threads in The Lounge, you'll see that some have been featured for Storybooks. The latest I can remember is @maleficent

Featured Members primarily focus on people who contribute to the site, whether it's for reviewing or for welcoming newcomers or for Squills/Writing Gooder or etc.

You do make a good point, though. Story bookers do deserve to be featured, and I will be sure to keep an eye out for some good ones.
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Tue Sep 03, 2013 7:39 pm
StoneHeart says...



I might note here, Elinor, that planning a storybook out a lot is really hard to work with. All of the best, and most successful storybooks I've been in have had really loose, simple plots. The more complicated ones . . . meh, they didn't work.


That's my two cents of advice -_-
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Tue Sep 03, 2013 7:47 pm
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Caesar says...



All good points, Elinor. Hear hear. I would also mention that there should be communication. Communication is what keeps storybooks going, really. Everything else either seems to be secondary, or goes hand in hand with it. As you said, every character is vital, and if their creator also knows what's going on, what they're supposed to be doing in the grand scheme of things, that will avoid confusion, and therefore ensure storybooks will survive for longer. Cookies if the creator manages to include the participants in the plotting, or, if there is already a very clear progression outlined, allows the other character breathing room, and opportunities to develop their own plot lines, as people tend to do. Occasions for communication between the characters should also be sought, I think. Dialogues and interaction do tend to further character and plot development. If there's communication going with all the members of the storybook, things will no doubt be way more fun. I think pads are really useful in this circumstance. I mean, they provide atmosphere and can really set the mood, they support the main melody quite well, especially if paired with strings... oh wait, wrong pad. I meant titanpad, writerfeed pad, piratepad, and all those wonderful pads where writers can collaborate on writing. A collaborative storybook post can be more fun. At the very least, it will ensure there is no conflict in the dt, when other members realized this person has just done something horrible and deserve to die for portraying their character incorrectly.

Tl;dr: communication.


Concerning the featured member idea, I agree with both Dante and Iggy. It would be cool if storybookers were featured, though I think Squills does (was doing? What happened, storybook section?) a great job of that. Featured Member is usually on a more general, site-wide basis.

Concerning Black's point, both can work, if you know how to pull it off well. A really complex plot can scare a lot of people away, and is usually really constrictive, because everything. must. follow. the plot. It kills the character breathing room I was talking about. A loose plot will instead encourage it. This really depends, I think, on who is leading the storybook.
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Wed Sep 04, 2013 6:41 pm
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Omni says...



Hi guys.

So, I agree with Ita right now, about communication. But I do think that it should get more recognition throughout the entire site. (This is all just my feelings right here, so no offense intended.) I think that the Storybook is somewhat pushed aside in YWS. Like: "Oh, it's there, but I don't know what it is, I don't care what it is, it doesn't affect me much, I'm not going to venture into it to see what it is."

Now, that seems somewhat outlandish, but it happens and it happens more than you think. Now, I love Storybooks, and although I don't have enough time anymore for much of YWS, I do still try to help when I can and when I have time on YWS, especially for Storybooks.

I think that it gets little attention as a whole, and like everything on the site, some people might like it and some people might not, and that's alright, but I just don't want the people who might like it to miss out on it because they didn't know what it was or what it does.

That's just my input, and that's all I have time for, but there's a lot we could do.
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Tue Apr 08, 2014 8:52 pm
TakeThatYouFiend says...



Is bumping accepting storybooks acceptable:In moderation?
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Tue Apr 08, 2014 10:04 pm
Iggy says...



@TakeThatYouFiend - in moderation, it's okay, but I'm not sure how much good it will do you. It might be better to PM some well known SBers and ask if they want to join. :) but you can try the bumping method if you'd like.
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Tue Apr 08, 2014 11:37 pm
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Messenger says...



@Avalon I know one or two users who have been fm'ed for their storybooking, but I think I know of a way to get them a little more attention. @Lucrezia, what do you think of adding a side wotw for storybooking?





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Wed Apr 09, 2014 12:09 am
deleted30 says...



Messenger wrote:@Avalon I know one or two users who have been fm'ed for their storybooking, but I think I know of a way to get them a little more attention. @Lucrezia, what do you think of adding a side wotw for storybooking?


I think it's an awesome idea! I'd love to do that, @Messenger. :smt003





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Wed Apr 09, 2014 12:27 am
Apricity says...



@Messenger, @Lucrezia, @Avalon.

Definitely do that, make storybooks renowned across the YWS board so that all SBers can prove their awesome abilities or let he world see them. I personally think is a great idea.

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