Young Writers Society

Welcome to Squills, the official news bulletin of the Young Writers Society!

What will you find here? Tons of interesting news about YWS, including but not limited to: articles about writing, art, and the world of humanities; interviews with YWS members; shameless plugs; link round-ups; and opinionated columns.

And where will all of this come from? Take a look at our fantastic creative staff!





Of course, our content can’t come only from our staff. We also depend on you to help keep Squills successful. You’re all a part of a writing community, after all. If you’re interested in submitting to Squills, pop on over to the Reader’s Corner to find out how you can get involved by contributing an article or participating in other Squills activities. You can also subscribe to the Squills Fan Club , or PM SquillsBot to receive a notification each time a new issue is published!

Well, that’s all I have for now. So, what are you waiting for? Enjoy!

1. REVMO: THAT’S A WRAP!
2. TWO CENTS: COMPOSITION
3. ADVENTURES IN WRITING
4. THE 2015 READING CHALLENGE
5. FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW WITH THESILVERFOX
6. LEAVES ARE FALLING DOWN
7. NEW ARRIVALS
8. SHAMELESS PLUGS
9. SUBSCRIBERS

REVMO: THAT’S A WRAP!
written by BlueAfrica < PM: >

September is over, which means we’ve finally seen the end of NaRevWriMo. There were over 200 participants, but after a month of reviewing madness, YWS saw 18 winners. Congratulations to @RagingLive, @steampowered, @ParanormalMyth, @tigeraye, @Lightsong, @fortis, @Dracula, @Stegosaurus, @TheSilverFox, @Rydia, @ThePhoenix, @Aley, @BlueAfrica, @racket, @Meandbooks, @Falconer, @Chaser, and @ChocolateCello. These amazing reviewers managed to write 50 reviews or more in the thirty days of September.

Two reviewers went above and beyond—far above and beyond. @RagingLive and @steampowered more than doubled the month’s goal, each reaching 114 reviews. That averages out to more than 3 reviews a day, every single day. Wow!

Several reviewers were also part of Team Tortoise for the month. To stay on Team Tortoise, RevMo participants had to write one review each day of September. Anyone who went 48 hours without writing a review dropped from the team. Those who successfully completed the Team Tortoise challenge were @RagingLive, @steampowered, @tigeraye, @fortis, @TheSilverFox, @Rydia, @Meandbooks, @CandyWizard, and @SpiritedWolfe. While CandyWizard and SpiritedWolfe did not win RevMo, they remained on Team Tortoise by writing one review each day of September.

Not only was reviewing so rampant throughout the month, but the September Review Day cleared out the Green Room. Further stats on the most recent Review Day are forthcoming.

Congratulations to all RevMo participants and winners!

TWO CENTS: COMPOSITION written by Aley < PM: >

In art, a composition is the way that the image or piece is laying over space. This could be anything as vague as lines on a blank canvas, to something as complex as the composition of a statue in space. Most of the time, in composition you are worried about space.

The space in a painting includes multiple parts. There is the white space or blank space, which is often the background or things you do not want to eye to focus on. Another is the foreground or things that you don't necessarily want the eye to focus on in the front of whatever dimension you're giving the painting. The last is the mid-ground which is usually what the painting's main object is.

The reason I decided to write about composition this week is because it also applies to everything else in the world. There is a composition to your desk, your room, this article, this website, everything. No matter where you are, there is a composition that is either aesthetically pleasing or displeasing. Take however you're sitting right now and consider the composition of it. Within arm's reach is the mid ground, whatever is on you or yourself is your foreground and the background is everything else. What did you put in the background? What did you move to keep in the foreground when you sat down?

This information can be helpful in life because you can use it to your advantage. Imagine this; you have a project you need to get done by midnight tonight. Say it is reading a book. Well, if you're a procrastinator like I am, then that book is probably currently either in the foreground or the background, not where you need it to be in the middle ground. Why's that? Because we're procrastinating! But, here's the problem, what actually is in the midground? Those things are the things you're most likely to procrastinate with.

A good way to help yourself stop procrastinating is to remove things that will help you procrastinate from your midground. Put them in the background or completely out of sight. This will give you a cleaner workspace and help you keep focused because whatever it is, is out of reach.

Now let's move composition into something a little closer to home, stories. Imagine you're trying to write a story. We know that the middle ground of our painting is our main plot of our story. That much is a simple translation. The main thing we focus on in one, is the main thing we have in the other. Composition can translate even clearer because there are some basic rules of composition.

First, your composition has to flow in art. This means that your eye should naturally travel through a painting towards a "dead space" or a "quiet space" that is not near the boarder, usually near the middle somewhere. For the eye to travel around the painting, there need to be leading lines that can be composed of actual lines
____________,
or suggested lines -- --- ---- --.

These leading things can be composed by shadows to highlights, edges of objects, the color transitions, and even faces. Faces are wonderful for leading an eye because people are naturally drawn towards them as a starting point. It's part of our pre-programming as hunters.

How does this translate to stories? Well a leading line is sort of what your character is doing and thinking within the story. There are suggested things, such as the overall foreshadowing and connotations of words, but also the more exact things like if we actually have thoughts of a character we are reading, or suggested thoughts. These draw the reader into the story and help them follow the mindset of the characters through the same connective tools artists use to make that jagged set of dots lines. It doesn't matter if you just saw four lines, or one line with four parts, or just one line, you still got a line out of a set of dashes together, like - - - - is a line.

Composition also aids us in understanding when and how a climax should happen. In a painting, the focus of the painting should be around the center, not in the center because if we look directly at the center and have something to focus on there, the rest of the painting can become very flat. It is more interesting to have suggestions of lines going off the edge of the canvas to broaden the horizon and make the painting feel like a window, like we actually see. We can find the termination of lines in paintings, but there are other lines leading away from what we can see.

To mimic this in a piece of writing, we have to keep the main climax somewhat next to the main events always in the character's mind and either have the climax before or after the center of the book, or so it would suggest. The more we have the characters thinking about things that lead towards the main climax but not quite there, the better.

For me, this means that my characters are not going to know exactly how they're going to win, and the suggested lines might aim towards my character losing before taking that leap in the right direction. It also means that I'm going to have more going on in my character's life than just the plot. There will be side plots, inner turmoil, and worries that just are external from the main plot and that's going to help support the realism of my writing. It doesn't only rain when my character is sad. The world is more complex than that.

The last part of composition I want to talk about is probably the most important, white space. White space is very important in a picture because it gives us an external experience while providing us with boundaries. It is usually things that are not as well defined within a painting, or things that are not something a leading line of any sort goes towards. Instead, white space is a space filler, or empty space, which provides some muted interest without being the focus. This is the background, the sky, the ground, the darkness, but not the main focus. White space is very important because if you have too much of it, or you have a bunch of it clumped together, it just isn't helping the painting and there's nothing to look at in that section.

I suppose at this point I should say that paintings are broken down into nine quarters. You divide it into three sections vertically and horizontally so you have 9 boxes and each of those boxes should have something of interest in them. That is how the basic teaching of composition enables us to learn how to work within the rules so to speak. If you have an area that has a lot of nothing to do, or a box that is completely empty of interest, it imbalances the painting and makes things feel too heavy on one side or another leaving it dissatisfying and unsettling to the viewer. It also teaches new painters and drawers to fill their space.

In writing, this would be considered the external details that may or may not make it into the book. If you have a huge white space, usually that means that there's nothing emotionally connecting going on in that section of the book. If we split the book up into ninths, there would be three for the beginning, three for the climax, and three for the end [or three for the beginning, three for the rising action, and three for the climax] leaving a very balanced book. Key items in a painting usually go on one of those 4 points [the grid looks like the pound (number){hashtag} sign # but straight.] Faces, hands, or feet are great for these locations because it gives balance and a beginning space to lead the eye around the painting to the other spaces.

Those points are going to be the transitions within the sections for the book. Here's the tricky part, if you consider a painting, we are moving about the plains in a non-linear fashion, we have having things happen at the top and the bottom and the two connected through all of the rest of the planes, so how does that translate to a novel?

Well, that's for you to discover! I can't answer everything. In my opinion, it happens because of repetitive types of events. Take the plot of a book and consider how that relates to composition! If you take the plot of say, a Shakespearean play, I'll use The Merchant of Venice because I'm familiar with it, we have this for the basic plot:



If we look at the different acts, such as Act 1, we can see that there is a weaving of the plots. We have two basic plots: the plot of the romance, and the plot of the trial. The romance has multiple levels, even more than I outlined in this brief outline with the help of the Updated Edition of Folger Shakespeare Library with notes from The World's Leading Center for Shakespeare Studies. These are all set up very quickly in a one two three punch in the first act. We start with the character that's going to be tying everything together, the leading line of Bassanio, and meet both plots through that line, then it is just a matter of introducing them.

This is the sort of thing that we need to reach for in our writing too because if we can make these connections and pick the appropriate main character, we can have multiple side stories. In the end, it all comes down to composition. The more we consider our point of view, the leading plot, and the subplots, the better we can get at developing multi-level stories that connect everything together that we want to say, giving us very little to no white space or disconnected information or missing information.

I hope this was fun for you to read!

Stay tuned,
Aley

ADVENTURES IN WRITINGwritten by BlueAfrica < PM: >

Reviewing during NaRevWriMo got me thinking about the way people start their stories. We’re told to use an exciting opening to “hook” readers. It seems like this should be straightforward and simple, but that’s not always the case. How do you write an opening that will interest people? How do you keep things exciting when you’re writing realistic fiction about a normal kid dealing with normal issues? Should you change your story so your hook can be more sensational?

The answer to that last question is definitely no, so don’t fret. The hook should fit the story, not the other way around. But how do you manage that? Here are three tips to get you started.

Relate it to the main plot. The hook should capture our interest, but that’s not its only job. It also sets the tone of the whole book. It’s no good to write an action-packed hook that makes us want to read more, only to head off in a completely different direction a couple pages later. Do that, and the reader will wonder what the point of the action was. Worse, she might feel misled, get bored or irritated, and put the book down. It’s true that the hook should capture our interest, but it’s just a hook. The rest of the story is the line that reels us all the way in to the end.

A hook doesn’t have to be action-packed. A common misconception about hooks is that they have to be dramatic, exciting scenes, but that’s not true. Remember what I said about the hook setting the tone for the whole book? An action-packed hook doesn’t fit every story. And it’s not the only kind of hook that can catch a reader’s eye. Consider these alternatives:



Don’t use gimmicks. Have you ever read an exciting first scene that immediately hooked you, only to reach the end of the scene and find out the character was just dreaming? It can be frustrating. After investing in this book and this character, you find out that this is not the character’s life at all, that the author only did this to get you to pick up the book. The following scene or chapter often proceeds to tell you about the character’s mundane daily life, or maybe how much the character wishes their life was like that dream.

I wish your life was more like that dream, too, you think. And if you’re like me, you put the book down. What happened to that exciting story you were promised? Yes, the author will probably get there eventually, but you shouldn’t have to wait for the book to get interesting.

Not only are readers likely to give up after a false hook, but this is a well-known pet peeve of editors and agents, too. The exception is when it’s clear a dream is a dream, and the dream in question fits your story. Perhaps your novel takes place in a world like that of Sword Art Online, where the main action of the story takes place in dreams or virtual reality rather than the waking world. Perhaps this dream is a vision—one of many or the first your character has ever had—and he’s soon going to realize he has psychic abilities. Or maybe it’s simply a dream about a stressful upcoming event in your character’s life.

A similar gimmick is an action-packed prologue that hooks the reader, only to be followed by a first chapter that’s slow and dull. This chapter might actually relate to the prologue in some way (or at least lead to story that will eventually), but a prologue shouldn’t be used as a hook because the first chapter isn’t strong enough. The first chapter needs to be able to hook readers on its own.

In addition to considering these three points, consider what hooks you as a reader. Are there openings that are more likely to draw you in? What are they, and why do they hook you? Are there openings that make you put a book down? What is it about these openings that turn you away?

What are some of your favorite literary openings? What about openings you can’t stand? Join the discussion here .

THE 2015 READING CHALLENGEwritten by BlueAfrica < PM: >

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.

That’s how many YWSers responded to the 2015 Reading Challenge. What is this challenge, you ask?

The 2015 Reading Challenge is a year-long challenge that asks you to read 50 books in the 365 days of 2015. Specifically, it wants you to cross off the types of books on this list.



People trying the challenge are signing up in this thread so they can keep track of their completed readings. However, some site members decided to set their own goals! @niteowl is filling her list with every book she reads, whether it fits the list above or not. (This is more realistic for participants who don’t have a to-read list, can’t find a book set in their hometown, or whose mothers don’t read.) User @Reneia decided to try finishing the list in six months instead of a year. @Dracula is keeping a running list of not only which books she has read so far but also a list of which categories she has left to complete. @Masquerade is listing as many books under each category as fits within that category; some of the books appear multiple times under different headings, and some headings have as many as four or five books listed.

And some of us joined more than halfway through the year, so if this sounds like your cup of tea, head over to the thread and make a thread. It’s never too late!

The leaders in the challenge thus far, as seen by lists that have been updated, are:

@niteowl, who has crossed 44 books off the official list.
@Dracula, also with 44.
@Deanie and @ClippedWings, each with 41.
@Meandbooks with 38.
@megsug with 37.
@Reneia with 34.
@TriSARAHtops with 30.

Three months left to complete the challenge, kids. Hop to it and break out those books!

FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW WITH THESILVERFOXwritten by Elysium < PM: >

Hello everyone! Elysium your community reporter here with our current Featured Member with @TheSilverFox!



TheSilverFox: I was, needless to say, surprised. Beforehand, I had never thought that I was actually going to be a featured member. Sure, it was something that I had wanted, but I had never thought I could reach it. I simply didn't imagine myself as an active, contributing, helpful member of the community.

However, when I found out that I was the FM, I was stunned. I even remember the exact moment when I learned about it, and my feelings at the time; I had just got back from a walk around the neighborhood went I logged into the YWS and noticed that I had 6 notifications. I was confused; I didn't usually receive that many notifications, I knew. Therefore, I decided to see what they were for. So I was looking through the People tab, and I noticed that a whole bunch of people had liked a topic relating to the new FM. When I found out it was me, my heart skipped a beat. I clicked on the topic, read through the post, saw all the people thanking me, the congratulations spoken, the comments on my wall, and I just started blushing. It was an honor to be nominated, no matter how unexpected it was, and I couldn't help but smile, laugh, and blush at the compliments that I received and the honor that I'd been given. Those were my feelings when I found out I was the new FM.



TSF: Well, I'd have to say that my favorite thing is contributing to the Storybooks. In my opinion, it's always fun to create a character and write a story with a group of other people. It's a unique experience, particularly as I get to interact with other people's characters, have a fun time both writing parts and converse with fellow SB'ers, and learn about my own capabilities as a writer and what I can do as a writer. I have only joined a couple of SBs as of late, but I enjoy participating in each one of them, and they have all proved to be both wonderful learning experiences and great examples of cooperation and working together to create something amazing.



TSF: Well, I like to write a variety of stories. I'm a big fan of the fantasy genre, although I have dabbled with science fiction every now and then. When it comes to poetry, I love to write satire, or at least humorous or peculiar poetry. They're all fun to write, and I like polishing each of my projects to the best that I can make them, publishing them on the YWS, and receiving helpful reviews from the community. They motivate me, help me develop my writing style, and also tune my stories so that they are better than they were before.



TSF: Hey, do your best. Be respectable, be helpful when you can, and try your best to be a friendly, contributing member of the community. Write detailed, thoughtful reviews, have fun, and be as welcoming as you can. Just have fun, be yourself, and try to help out where and when you can. It might take a little while, but, eventually, your hard work and patience will pay off.

That's all for this edition for Squills. Thanks for reading!

LEAVES ARE FALLING DOWNwritten by Pretzelsing < PM: >

London’s leaves are falling down,falling down,falling down … Ahem, welcome all to another edition of Squills. As we have already entered into the fall season, I am here to present you some cool things that all of you( I’m talking to Squill-Amigos) can do at home-like DIY- and such to get ready for fall. Let’s spread the fall spirit ‘round here, yes?

*Let’s have a cup of tea, shall we? Chai tea, green tea, raspberry tea, earl grey tea, any type of tea at all! When waking up on a cold autumn morning, a soothing and tasty way to do this is to put some hot hot hot tea into your stomach. Always wipes away the blue, y’know?

*I have always felt for the people that don’t get to experience the fall and changing colors of the leafs. But, there is a partial solution for those people who live out there, in a location where they can’t find any of these pretty colored leaves on their yard. Go to your local dollar store, or any craft store, and buy a pack of fake leaves, that have vibrant and pretty colors; they can never go to waste. Now, remember not to call them “fake leaves.”
Use your imagination to pretend that they are real leaves, (like throw them into the air and pretend that the wind put them down, decorate your bedroom, etc.)-if you write fiction, i know that you are capable of doing this people!

*Pumpkin, there’s so much that you can do with them. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice, pumpkin decorating, pumpkin … is such a pretty and strange looking food/decoration that is a bright orange. This fall, if you can I really urge you to go pumpkin-picking. It’s a really cool experience, and you kind of feel like you’re connecting in a way with fall. Go to a farm to specifically pick out a pumpkin from the ground and claim it as your own … to do whatever you want with it now.

*Decor and rearranging the room! Move around your furniture, get creative with what you can do/use all around your room. My favorite thing to do is to light up a candle, like pumpkin spice, or apple cinnamon with pumpkin. Any candle that is orange and smells good, can be in your room, as a tiny little source of live, that really adds some spice. Or maybe you could change up the colors of the ornaments in your room. One of the coolest things are those little “Christmas lights” that you use and they are covered in colorful leaves and you hang them up on your wall, so when you look at them at night you feel fallish …

*Anyone already ready for Halloween season? If you’re like me, you’d rather pre-order your costume, then make it up or wait for its adjustments last-minute. Better to be early than to be late, so I would recommend that you hop on over to Pinterest so that you can get an inspirational idea of what you could possibly wear. Or just make your own costume you know? It’s much more creative!



On that note @Iggy has made a thread and poll entitled: Are you dressing up for Halloween?

@ChiravianSkies replies:






@Lava says:




Go and stalk this thread to find some inspiration!

And now for a couple of beautiful fall views:

NEW ARRIVALS
written by BlueAfrica < PM: >

Take a moment to welcome this week’s newest members to the site!

@Mazuurek has earned their first review star! Head over to their wall to congratulate them .

@DoubleOJell0 has posted the first chapter of a novel called Five Essential Souls. Click here to read it and leave a review .

@BlueDaisy2018 has posted several poems and short stories. Check out her portfolio to read some of them .

SHAMELESS PLUGS

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