Young Writers Society

When you first look into a storybook, you always see that important first post in the thread. You know, the one with the plot, setting, character sheet, etc. In there, you will also see the rules.

Rules? What are these rules?Rules vary from storybook to storybook, but there are some that are typical of every storybook:
-Regular YWS rules apply
-No god-modding
-No/Mild/Some cursing permitted
-No sex scenes
-Post regularly
-No killing off characters without permission

Okay, so now I know of these 'rules'. What do they mean?
Some of the rules can be a bit confusing to the new storybooker. But once you understand, they really aren't that hard to follow.

-Regular YWS rules apply
This just basically reinforces the rules of the site. Use good grammer, be nice to other members, sharing is caring, that sort of thing. These rules should be followed no matter what part of the site you are on, and are just common courtesy.

-No god-modding
This one can be a little confusing. I once interpreted it two different ways: Don't try to control everyone else's characters and put them in out-of-character situations, or don't create a 'god-like' (flawless) character. Either way, you should avoid both of these things.
God-like characters are boring, and typically annoy other members. If your character is all-powerful and has no flaws and will likely destroy everything and everyone without leaving any room for plot or anything then most likely the other members will ignore your posts and move on with the story by themselves. No one wants this. So give your character flaws and weaknesses. It's more fun that way.
Don't try to control all the characters either. If you try and make other people's characters say/do things they wouldn't normally say/do then you might end up with that same issue of being ignored I just talked about.

-No/Mild/Some cursing allowed
If the owner of a storybook specifies that they want no cursing, or mild cursing, please honor this. It is mostly personal preference but a rule often used. If you want to curse every other word, but the rules don't allow it, then either don't curse or don't join the storybook.

-No sex scenes
This one is sometimes accompanied by (romance allowed). Really, this is a site for young writers. No one wants to see graphic sex scenes taking up pages and pages of storybooks. That is pornographic and your storybook will be locked up and you may be banned for this. Let characters have romance and be in love, but leave out the sex scenes.

-Post regularly
Basically, help contribute to the plot. If you don't post regularly and don't leave a warning that you will be gone for a while then your character will likely be left behind. If you need to take a leave of absence, warn your fellow storybookers and ask that they keep your character in the mix. Most everyone will agree happily.

-No killing of other characters without permission
Would you like your character to be killed out of the blue? Probably not. Especially since that can end in you being out of the story because you only had that one character. It isn't nice, so don't do it unless someone asks you to.

Alright, so now what?
Simple: follow the rules. They exist for the well being of a storybook. They make it fun, and keep things in order. So honor them, obey them, and enjoy your storybooking experience. Also, obey any other rules that a creater of a storybook might lay out. Breaking the rules could very well end in you getting kicked out of the story. No one wants to have to kick characters out, but it will happen if you continuously break the rules.

Luckily, storybooks always have rules that are easy to follow. Just be courtious and follow them, and you'll have a lovely storybooking time.