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. FM INTERVIEW
2. WRITER'S WORLD
3. BACK TO SCHOOL
4. NEW ARRIVALS
5. ROUNDUP
6. SHAMELESS PLUGS
7. SUBSCRIBERS

FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW: RIPPLEGYLF

written by Holysocks < PM: >

I had the pleasure of speaking with our Featured Member the other day. RippleGylf Joined in May and has already made a name for herself through reviewing and and being a great chat partner! She’s also just well adapt in the art of awesomeness, as you’ll discover if you read on:




RippleGylf: My jaw dropped. When I saw the gif Lavvie used, I immediately thought, "Yep, that's me right now." I never expected it, especially with me being fairly new.




R: I think I got an email or a notification about it, and didn't fully realize what had happened until I got onto the thread.



R: Yep.



R: All of the congratulations were a bit overwhelming, initially. (although very much appreciated) It's just really cool to see my screen name on the front page every time I log in.



R: It's not so much intimidating as it is unbelievable.



R: It's just something that I really didn't expect to happen, seemingly out of the blue.



R: Reading through Lavvie's description for the first time was really touching.



R: *looks back through Hall of Fame*
*finds the Featured Member of March 13, 2015 - April 2, 2015*
...I think you already must have found the secret…



R: But in all seriousness, it's mostly just participating and getting involved with the various parts of the site.



R: Awesomeness is just a side-effect. XD



R: Umm... be awesome? Awesomeness is surprisingly hard to describe, let alone write a recipe for.



R: A dash of kindness, with a smidgen of luck?



R: Of course!



R: Likewise. Have a fantastic day!



For those of you who haven't gotten to know this member yet: what are you waiting for? Take a moment to say hello and congratulate RippleGylf! You won't regret it!

Writer's World: The Importance of a Reviewwritten by Lightsong < PM: >

When I first joined Young Writer Society, the first thing I did was reviewing a poem. Then, I reviewed another poem. My job at that time was reviewing until I posted my own poem.

I thought about the importance of a review now. The first, most obvious one was as a way to help writers’ improve themselves, be it a poem or short story or a novel chapter. Reviewers picked out the parts that could be improved, that could be worded better, that could be removed, and that could be expanded. They gave opinions on a certain scene or stanza on whether it affected them or not. Reviewers were like editors to writers, more or less.

But was that the greatest importance of a review? If a piece had no review, did that mean it was flawless and had no need for improvement? That could not be! Every piece posted was not perfect; every one of them was open for improvement, to make it better then what it was. Why, then, that particular piece stayed in the Green Room, untouched by reviewers?

This thought came up to me when I tried to sleep last night. I considered my feelings when I found out my piece had been reviewed. What did I feel at that time? Excited because someone read and reviewed my piece, and worried because I had no clue whether said reviewer would compliment my piece, or criticized it mercilessly. Above those feelings, I felt the joy of being appreciated. That was the most powerful of feeling a review gave to me.

When someone review your piece, they notice things. They keep reading it. They feel like this piece deserves a review, or that it needs a review. A review is a reader’s way to say, ‘I’ve read this thing, I think about this thing, and I have something to say about this thing. I just have to give my opinions about this. It’s that good or bad. It steals my attention.’ And, as writers, we would love to see they saying those things, wouldn’t we? To know that our piece motivates someone to talk about it in a constructive manner is just the best thing ever as a writer.

Just to make it clear; I am not saying those pieces who have received many Likes, but lack in reviews are not appreciated. I am just saying it would be best if someone take their time to review pieces. I mean, do we prefer readers to say, ‘I like this!’ over than ‘I enjoy this because [insert review]’? It is only logical to like a piece of a reason. Perhaps it is not appreciated; it is just that it can be that good that everyone is afraid to review it. That can happen, but it does not mean it is flawless. I would not dare say a man-made product is flawless.

Regardless, this is something to ponder about. Try placing yourself in the author’s position. Imagine what he or she feels like if his or her piece is reviewed. After all, he or she has spent quite some points to post his or her piece. It is clear that he or she wants people to read his or her piece, isn’t it? Well, isn’t better that, instead of just giving Likes, we give he or she a review too? To say in what sense the piece influences us, how it makes us feel things? Do not ask me; obviously, I would be thrilled to have someone review my pieces. In fact, I would say reviews are my biggest motivation to keep writing. Because, well, sometimes writing for myself is not enough; I need the world to see what I have written too.

I mean, don’t you feel the same?

To conclude, a review is made to help writers improve their pieces. It also help to make them feel those are appreciated. I believe Review Day would arrive less than two weeks; well then, what are you waiting for? Review to appreciate a piece, and in return, someone would review yours to appreciate it! I say let us prepare our fingers in order to pour our appreciation to the pieces we have read. Even if it is, um, below average, we appreciate the author’s effort. Everyone starts from the bottom, after all. So, review to appreciate, get points because of it, and help your team win! It isn’t that hard; in fact, it’s worth it, isn’t it?

BACK TO SCHOOL
written by Lavvie < PM: >

Back to school. The time when you have to drag yourself off the couch, away from Glee re-runs and the three bags of popcorn you wished you hadn’t inhaled to instead sit at a desk, listening to the instructor drone on about equations or countries or languages, all while looking forward to the next holiday. Or maybe you’re actually enjoying your time, your brain a sponge as it soaks up all the knowledge expelled by teachers. Either way, for many it is time to go back to the blackboards and learn something new. For some, perhaps it is a return to the long hallways of high school, lined by graffitied lockers and quarterbacks kissing their cheerleader girlfriends. Others, it’s a beautiful treed campus or a large research university that summons them to the classroom where they can continue down the exhausting degree road. Since the majority of us here at YWS (minus those down under) are prepping for another year of education, what better than to see what our lovely members have to look forward to? We’re a wise bunch – there’s no denying it – so I was able to ease out some handy advice as well.

For our lovely @ Lareine, there’s no school. She says that she is “hiding behind her degree as shield” and, really, what more is a degree useful for? Obviously, she probably has a tip or two up her sleeve.





Too true! I myself have moved to the American Deep South for college and heat exhaustion is a real and terribly thing. I would suggest investing good money in a quality water bottle. Plastic ones are wasteful and we’re all about sustainability. If you school has water refill stations, that’s even better. Stick the bottles that are ceramic or metal, because even the BPA-free plastic ones run with a risk.

What about @ Pompadour? Actually, she started her A-Levels two weeks ago! She says:





They say seven to eight hours of sleep is required to properly function. Any less or more (seriously!) can have negative effects on your daily functioning. Set a bedtime and follow a routine schedule so you get the sleep you need in order to succeed academically.

There are other members that are very much looking forward to school. @ Wolfical is starting junior year, which means she is in her penultimate year of high school which is terrifically exciting! She’s very much looking forward to her Advanced Placement US History class because she is pretty passionate about American history, and more specifically the Civil War. In terms of extracurriculars, Wolfie participates in her school’s golf team and apparently she’s really awesome at it to boot Any advice for other high schoolers? Certainly!





That really couldn’t be better advice because it applies to both secondary and post-secondary school settings. A balanced lifestyle is key to handling the struggles of school with grace and optimism. Don’t stress about the small things and focus on the bigger picture. In the end, everything will work out.

School is always an exciting time. I remember enjoying high school very much, but I was academically exhausted by the end of it so I took a well-deserved gap year. Now, I have moved into my new college in the United States and although I fatigued and disoriented most of the time, I am also having a blast living and learning in this very new, foreign place. Like me, @ fortis is excited to experience her first year of college, as she embarks on a journey full of new friends and new experiences. Are you a senior in high school and stressed about all that you must do this coming year? Have no fear, because our lovely GM has some stellar advice for you. Fortis says:





And she’s right! Don’t let university applications be a daunting task, but instead let them be fun and exciting! You’re applying to places where you could end up at for the two to four years, so think hard but also have a good time daydreaming about all that you immediate future might hold. It really helps to envision yourself in a place.

There will inevitably be tough times in school, but they will be few and far between all of the good times. Enjoy your old friends and your news and appreciate the loved ones all around while you can. Challenge yourself and broaden your horizons; you’ll be a better person for it. Last but definitely not least, we’re always nervous about returning to the classroom, but there are millions of us so remember that you are not alone. Have a stellar year!

NEW ARRIVALS
written by Lavvie < PM: >

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

@5kKitty has earned her first review star. Leave a congratulatory message on her wall.

@danielkyuli is new and doesn’t know his way around too well. Let's show him how friendly and helpful we are on YWS!

This Week’s Link Round Up 8/20 written by megsug < PM: >

Playlists + asking about stories = awesome writing


@Mage created Story Interviews that’s much like Character Interviews. Basically, users post a description of their project for others to ask questions. @ soundofmind’s The Adventures of Clanny and James has the least amount of questions so far. The summary is:







Ask other users questions, get questions on your own story, and create worlds!


@ AlfonosoFernandez created a thread in 2012 challenging members to type their usernames with their elbows! @ SacredPen resurrected the thread in June with a respectable effort:







Give it a try yourself! See how talented your elbows can be.


@ geoffes made a thread of character sketches that are adorable! My fave is:



Check it out!


@ heath wants to know what writing playlists people have for writing. @ Strange has a pretty legit list for poetry and prose:





Share your playlists or check out others!

SHAMELESS PLUGS

written by SquillsBot < PM: >

We love to run articles and questions, but we also love to advertise for you. Let people know about your new blog, a poem or story you’re looking for reviews on, or a forum thread you’d like more traffic on through Squills’ Shameless Plugs. PM @SquillsBot with the exact formatting of your advertisement, contained in the following code.

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Place advertisement here. Make sure you include a title!

Poetry Wars is looking for voters!

This is your chance to say which type of poetry you like better, so check out the two poems in the Battle Thread: Poetry Wars: The Battle, Updated:8-18 and decide which contestant you think did a better job!

This week we have two unique poems with very different approaches on Poetry. One is line capitalization all the way, the other avoids capitalization even in the title! Root on our two new competitors as they battle it out for your admiration and approval.

Once you're done, head on over to the main thread of Poetry Wars and offer up your own poem as sacrafice for a chance to be pitted against other competitors.

The next round and the results of this round will be out next week, so get voting while the getting's good. You can even choose to offer yourself as a guest judge if you're eager to share all your thoughts on a subject and get the inside scoop of Poetry Wars.

That's all folks~ Now send us yours.

SUBSCRIBERS

written by SquillsBot < PM: >

Find enspoiler-ed a list of our subscribers!