Young Writers Society

The thread you've stumbled into is the equivalent of a YWS newspaper, with each post in this thread being a news article. The focus of this paper is to give out a summary on the happenings of YWS at any given day and special features which tell about the new trends in YWS and current events. This feature runs all week long, featuring special coverage during events and certain occasions.

All members are welcome to submit their own news items. Keep in mind that all postings must comply with the YWS rules.

If you're an avid reader and want to pitch in or advertise or a concerned YWSer who wants to comment or ask us, then do so in the office at the Reader's Corner down below.


Reader's Corner



Creative Staff

Do you want to lounge off on YWS? Well, there's a place for that! Do you want to goof around instead of writing a melodramatic romance novel? There's a place for that, too! That place is the Randomosity forum!

That sounds like fun and everything, you say, but what if you don't know what to do on there? Well, a solution has been thrown upon you! It's the Featured Randomization Infestation, where we feature fun, exciting, and always sporactic topics!


This week in Featured Randomization Infestation, Your name is your lifehood, but not in this week's topic. Post, and expect to get renamed! In this topic, you get to rename the person who posted above you, whether it be about their avatar, signature, or waffle irons, its up to you to decide, as long as you keep it family appropriate.

Go check it out!

Ask The Girl With the Golden Pen

The long awaited addition to Squills is here! The Girl With the Golden Pen! Written by yours truly, SparkOfDoubt.

if say I read a book and write a review for it but another person has already covered that what should I do should I just not write a review.
--Jordin

Jordin,
If you read something on YWS, you can always review! Regardless if anyone has reviewed the piece before you, go ahead and give your opinion! The authors usually want multiple opinons anyway!
--The Girl with the Golden Pen

So! How do I charge my batteries? I've tried changing the songs I listen to and taking walks but this is... long-term writer's block.
--Blues and Auxiira

Sometimes, it's better to take step back from your writing. You're trying so hard to write, you're burning yourself out without even realizing it! If you're struggling to reach creativity, try to be creative in some other way. Sometimes it's as simple as getting a few writing prompts off the internet and writing about them. Or creating a new plot. Or even, joining a SB to try and get back in the groove.
--The Girl with the Golden Pen

I am terribly at writing action. Oh, Alice, help me. Explain how to do it correctly?
--Cspr

Action is one of those things that you just have to go with your gut instinct. My suggestion is too just write it out and don't stop to worry about anything. Don't rush it, but just let it flow out of you. Another thing I did when I was trying to master the art of action (still working on it) was watch an action movie, and take notes. Watch the mechanics of it, what noises the actors make, how their bodies react to different kinds of attacks. Really, you just have to educate yourself. And practice. Practice practice practice.
--The Girl with the Golden Pen

So, (especially since people are gearing up for NaNoWriMo) I'm wondering on how you create long stories that flow well and represent your writing appropriately. My longest story (Which I'm still writing on) Is about 15,000 words, and it has taken me about six months to get there.
--Aquestioning

When I first began writing, I couldn't write length. To get myself out of the habit, I forced myself to write a certain amount for each chapter. Soon enough, if my chapter wasn't long enough, I went back and added more description or embellished things I'd previously skated over. That's another thing you can do. Description is key to upping your word count. Instead of saying 'she said' try, 'she mumbled as softly as she could, hoping he couldn't hear her answer'. See? Three words vs. thirteen words.
--The Girl with the Golden Pen

Dear Golden Pen,
When you write your first chapter and mid-way through, you think: Oh, I've a better idea for an opening! And you get through writing that 2nd idea when you realize your novel is going in a different direction and so you write yet another *better* opening to satisfy new ideas. Never-ending cycle, yo! ;-;
-- Signed, Girl Who Never Finishes Things (Audy)

Perfectionist syndrome is one of those things that's almost unavoidable when you're a writer. But sometimes, you have to make yourself. When you're writing, try really plotting out your chapter. Give it awhile to sink in, make sure it makes sense and you're happy with it. Then, when you write your chapter and don't let yourself change anything besides the usual stuff you edit--grammar, puncuation, word use, etc. Force yourself to leave it as is, and continue on. Hopefully, that'll rid you of this really bad habit of thinking your writing is never good enough. It is, I promise!
--The Girl With the Golden Pen

WHAT IS PLOT I DON'T EVEN
--fireheartedkaratepup

Plots are evil things that grow and grow and grow inside you till you can't take it anymore and write the thoughts down.
--The Girl With the Golden Pen

To add to the fun, here comes the other side of that coin - the shortest thing I ever wrote (finished, that is) is about 25,000 words. I call it my short story. The longest.. I don't even want to go there.
But for the majority of the contests, for magazines and all kinds of events, what is asked for are short stories, sometimes with the limit under 1,000 words.
Do tell, how does one make the characters live, the readers feel the atmosphere and see the world from the words on the paper, with such restraints? s:
--AriaAdams

Dang, that's a lot of words! Kudos!
What I would do, if I had the problem you have (and I kind of wish I did,) would be to write out the short story as you regularly would. Then after you're finished, and after you've worked out all the editing, read it. And as you go through, bold the parts that aren't nessicary. Then go through and bold all the parts that don't make sense if you delete the parts that aren't nessicary. Then go through again and try to find parts that could be implied instead of written out. Then delete it. Then go back through, and make sure everything makes sense. If it's still too big, continue doing this till you finally have a short story that is actually that, short. Hopefully, this'll work for you.
--The Girl With the Golden Pen


And so concludes the first ever 'Ask the Girl With the Golden Pen'!

Take a moment to welcome today's newest members to the site!

Renee
XxFallenAngelxX
roselina
LaetitiaGuillet
KSwriter
sekangel88
maejoseph
luluds
LovelyWritings
EllieArden
xmegx7
Mouse123
SilverAquaTrident
lalalabrianna
ThothMagic
lyssiekins
tabassum

Today's featured piece is by SilverAquaTrident, 5 Worst Enemies, and Elevator, and an Unfortunately Timed Power Outage - Part 1. The voice of this piece is spectacular and the piece itself is a barrel of laughs. SAT manages to pick five characters and somehow make all of them dislike each other for various reasons. It's quite amazing, and highly recommended!