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.

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

1. SOCIETY PAGES
2. FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW WITH BASILTHECAT
3. ADVENTURES IN WRITING
4. COW SAYS: FEBRUARY 16th, 2014
5. HOW DO I LOVE THEE?
6. THE ART OF THE STATUS UPDATE
7. KANOME'S RANT OF MEDIA
8. OFFENSIVE REVIEW? HERE'S WHAT YOU SHOULD DO.
9. NEW ARRIVALS
10. THIS WEEK'S ROUNDUP - 2/16
11. SHAMELESS PLUGS
12. SUBSCRIBERS

SOCIETY PAGES

written by Iggy < PM: >

As we all know, Friday was the disgusting lovey-dovey day in which lovers and secret admirers alike send their significant others and objects of interest flowers and chocolates and romantic notes of such. Yes, I am talking about Valentine's Day, that went from being a day where a saint performed illegal marriages and was prosecuted for it to what it is now.

In the spirit of fun, @AEChronicle created a thread in The Lounge, entitled Will you be Mine? The object of this was to tag your YWS Valentine(s) and share the love, and much love was shared!

On a related note, @Carina finally got her crush-turned-boyfriend to ask her out. FINALLY, right?! If you've been keeping up-to-date with her blog posts, you'll see how slow and steady they took it, and you'll also see me in every blog post with a rant-comment about how they just need to get married already. It's gonna happen, I tell you, Carina! The blog post of pure happiness and fangirling can be found here

The wonderful and rightfully Lady S, @StellaThomas, is making progress with her medical degree! Slow, but progress is progress. She's earned.. 0.02%? Is that even possible? You've some devotion and patience, Stella darling, I'll say...

The awesome addition to Squills, @Paracosm, has landed an interview with, wait for it.. DM Cornish! (whoever that is) Awesome, right? If you have any questions you'd like him to ask Mr. Cornish or offer up suggestion, Paracosm has opened a thread here!

@carbonCore has safely landed in Boston and finds that he isn't really enjoying it there. Which sucks, because I would totally trade ya, cC.. >.>

@CelticaNoir is a complete nerd! She recently got her stats back and received a 2,040 out of 2,400.. I dunno about you, Celty, but I would be more happy about the similarities of the two scores than the score itself, but I'm just weird and you're fabulous. Congrats :3

Speaking of 2,000.. YWS has been receiving 2000 visits per day! Now that may not seem like a lot, but compared to the three days in 2013 when YWS barely surpassed 2,000 hits, that's a lot. Like.. whoa. Whatever you're doing @Nate, keep it up!

Breaking News! @ArcticMonkey is trying to steal my best friend. Turns out she and @Blues celebrated a one year friendiversary on the 13th. How did you guys even remember the dates? I can't even remember my own birthday these days.

@reisepiecey keeps odd company. She was gifted a screw driver by her neighbor.. better than something weirder, right? Makes me wonder if he got you anything for Valentine's Day.

People seem to be having trouble with codes these days, so listen up! There is a magical thread here, found in the deep pits of Resources, that tells you each and every code.. are you ready? You sure? Okay, here it is... The Big Book of YWS Codes Use it to your advantage, YWS!

And now I will wrap this up with a note about the Olympics. It's all in the spirit of fun, ladies and gentlemen! The beloved mod squad worked hard to put this together, and they take the time out of their busy schedule to organize this. So, if you have a moment, be sure to thank the people running the event you enjoyed the most and have fun. Good luck to everyone!

What a busy week this was.. take care, darlings.

xxx

Lady S

FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW WITH BASILTHECATwritten by Messenger < PM: >


This past week I was able to have a short but filling interview with our Featured Member : @BasiltheCat, who was awarded the honor for her intense and great work in the Storybook section of YWS!




BasiltheCat: No, I wasn't actually! It totally made my day when I found out I weas featured member, too!
See, home liufe hadn't been all that good for me, what with the moving and all, and a tough time saying goodbye to dear friends and the good ol' South West.
So when I saw that I was featured member, at first I didn't believe it. I had to really stare at the screen of my phone (device I was using at the time) for a while until it seriously registered.
I'M FEATURED MEMBER!! OH MY GOOOSSHH!!
It made me very happy, and I thank everyone for creating the amazing SBs I had joined t become featured member!!
I'm debating on whether I should stop joining them, though, because I've lost count of all the ones I have subscribed to! XD



BtC: Yes. I am very lucky, aren't I? And that's also what surprised me. I've seen some amazing SBers also deserving of Featured Member. I'm still trying to get my head around it too!!
I joined YWS to write, which is my passion; my life. When I saw Cheetah as the Featured Member a small part of me wanted to be a Featured Member as well, but after a while I decided that what I want more is to keep writing.
My advice to others that want to be a Featured Member is: just be your amazing self!! There is no criteria that must be filled out to be a Featured Member, surely, except be kind and considerate, gracious, but above all, creative!! Be bold, be brave, and put yourself out there. But also, don't always look for the patch of greener grass, be content with what you have and strive for your personal best. Everyone is unique in their own different ways, as I love to say, so show you're unique and different through your creativity. I hope that helps XD



BtC: Well I'm glad I helped XD
Thank you for the interview, and I've enjoyed my time!!

I think picking Basil for the FM was a great choice. What work I have seen done by her in the StoryBook section has been top-notch writing and she fully deserved the honor.
I hope you've enjoyed this interview and look out for the next one!

~Messenger

ADVENTURES IN WRITINGwritten by BlueAfrica < PM: >

After a day, a week, a month, or more spent working on a piece and polishing it up, you’re finally ready for what novelists often term beta readers. Beta readers are the people you turn to when your piece is as good as you can make it without outside feedback, the first people who read a completed draft of something and suggest improvements.

Of course, here on YWS there are plenty of beta readers available, thanks to our point system. Sometimes, however, you may prefer feedback from people you know in the outside world. Maybe this is because you’re more comfortable sharing with people you know instead of strangers online, because you want to be able to discuss a reader’s feedback in person, or because you’re not sure how many in-depth reviews you might get on YWS (especially if the piece in question is a novel). And while it’s a nice ego boost to hear “This was great! I loved it! Keep writing,” reviews like that aren’t much help when it comes to revision.

So how do you go about choosing beta readers? Here are three things to look for.

Someone who can be honest. One potential problem with finding real-life beta readers is that your close friends and family may not want to tell you that your piece has issues. A beta readers isn’t helpful if she’s unwilling to point out your problems; if you knew what problems you had, you wouldn’t need a beta reader in the first place. So make sure that whomever you pick is willing to tell you what’s not working in your piece.

Someone who won’t tear you down. There may be people in your life who are brutally honest, but there’s a difference between someone who’s brutally honest and someone who’s cruel. Here’s what you don’t want: a person who tells you that you have no talent, that your piece is total junk, and that you should give up any hope of ever getting published.

This person has no problem giving you criticism, but his criticism isn’t constructive at all. If you don’t already know who this person is, you’ll be able to spot him by the sweeping generalizations he makes about your writing. Instead of saying, “This character was poorly developed,” he’ll say, “I hate your characters” or “your writing is terrible.” He’s also likely to tell you that you’ll never be published. How will you find the strength to edit when you’re so discouraged that you’re thinking of giving up writing entirely? Your beta reader should be able to tell you what issues you have in your piece, but he should do it tactfully and helpfully.

Someone who reads a lot. Most of us would probably agree that the best beta readers are fellow writers, because fellow writers know what to look for when critiquing a piece: clichés, a confusing story arc, forgettable characters, and so on. However, your beta reader doesn’t have to be a writer. What you should look for is someone who reads a lot, especially in your genre. Anyone who’s widely read will know if something’s off with your story, and she might even know what the issue is. If she doesn’t, sit down for a review session with her and ask guiding questions to figure it out.

Here are some examples of simple guiding questions to get you started:

1. What did you like about this character? What didn’t you like?
2. Could you follow the story, or did you get confused?
3. What was your least favorite scene?

Follow these simple questions with more in-depth questions. For example, if your beta reader’s answer to the first question is “This character seemed nice but I don’t feel like I know much about him,” you know that you might have a character development issue. You can find out more about the issue (as well as suggestions for improvement) by asking further questions such as these:

1. Tell me what you know about this character.
2. Tell me what else you’d like to know about this character.
3. Did this character have any dialogue that stood out to you?

From here, you can figure out what your issues really are, which is the first step of revision. In my case, after spending a year on the first draft of The Book Man and a month and a half on self-edits, I’ve chosen four official beta readers. Two are fellow writers who read part of the first draft in our novel-writing class last spring, and two are my younger sisters. Between the four of them I know I’ll get tactful honesty, useful feedback, suggestions for improvement—and fangirling, which doesn’t help but feels nice.

So there you have it: three characteristics of a good beta reader. It can be scary giving your work to someone to tear apart, but you’ve worked hard on your writing. You deserve some good feedback! Follow this list, find someone you trust, and get your work out there. You won’t regret it.

COW SAYS FEBRUARY 16th, 2014

written by CowLogic < PM: >





You know the type who have a strong aversion to any intellectual conflict. The ones who are afraid of a debate or an argument of philosophy. They are the ones that complain loudly about things, yet are peeved when someone tries to explain to them the circumstances that led to those things. They are the ones who will leave a room as a debate happens or just laugh at people trying to argue like it's cute and ignore any logic in favor of ignorance.

Whate these people do not realize is that they are the very ones causing the problems that are being debated. The mass amounts of people who refuse to think outside their comfort zones, to educate themselves on society and the world at large in favor of their own little self-righteous and impermeable bubble of thought. Mass ignorance in modern society is the reason that people can be so easily decieved into the wrong by unjust authority. It's the reason that there is a severe lack of free-thinkers in the world who can see past their own circumstances, their own benefit and see the bigger picture, contemplate what better options are available for everyone.

So, to those of who you criticize the way things are, but are unprepared to face those factors witha scholarly attitude. Those of you who proclaim a hard life, yet flinch at the smallest political conflict, who say they can't stand philosophy or discourse. Open your ears and mouths lest you become an uninvolved critic, a mindless sheep, the problem itself.

As Theodore Roosevelt, a politician, good or bad, once stated, "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

HOW DO I LOVE THEE?written by Clarity < PM: >

How Do I Love Thee? Well, I love all you lovely YWSers, but in this case, it’s the wonderful Elizabeth Barrett Browning who captured my heart. Kind of fitting since Valentine’s Day just past, hey?

This is not the first time I have read this poem, but it is the first time I have actually sat down and read it over and over and realised just how lovely it really is.

You see, recently I was gifted with a locket that used to belong to my Grandma, and it has the first two and half lines of this poem carved into it.







I just can simply not get over how amazing I find this poem. I have loved almost every poem I have ever read, yet this one just makes me smile no matter how many times I read it.

EBB is quite the poet, is she not? I adore the simplicity of her words and how she manages to embed a wonderful meaning within them.

She is yet another poet I would have loved to meet, if she was still alive.

The only thing I can think of is to carry on reading her beautiful poetry, and carry on admiring her talent with words.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning is indeed one poet I shall teach my children about.

THE ART OF THE STATUS UPDATEwritten by BloodinkSeesFootage < PM: >

YWS is the home of creativity, but also... social opportunity. Plowing though the 'People' section, it soon becomes clear that the imaginations of our YWSers is spreading onto their walls.

From profound to personal, from weird to weepy, here are some highlights that define the categories of the quintessential status update.

Here is a top 10:

1. The Thought Provoking Question- @Lapis: "Is it just me, or do cold nights seem twice as warm when it's snowing? "

2. The Dramatist- @AlexSushiDog: "I really wanna say or write something that is freaking dramatic right now! Bwhahahahaha!"

3. The Return- @Aquestioning: "It's been a long time since I've been on here. Does anyone still remember me?"

4. The Random Insight- @InfinityAndBeyond: "What if prisoners could take their own mugshots, their selfies could be called, cellfies? :L
#CellfiesThough"

5. The Controversial- @Basilisk: "Say what you want about politics, but it at least makes assassinations more meaningful."

6. The Review Seeker: @BrittanyNicole: "Just published my next Poem: My Heart Shattered In Pieces
Reviews?"

7. The Series of Unfortunate Events- @ReisePiecey: "*gasps for air* Please... *drags self across the floor* send... *coughs up blood* food... *dies*"

8. The Technological Disaster- @Bol: "Now that my laptop's in repair all I got to review and write is my phone, man this sucks."

9. The Weather Update- @Nate: "Wow. They're saying DC could get as much as two feet of snow tomorrow night. That would be nice."

10. The Lovey Dovey- @567ajt: "Hands up who loves @BloodinkSeesFootage
OOOOH ME! -raises hand with high zest-
<333 "

#abitofselfpromotionneverhurtanyone

So there we have it.

A Squills take on The Art of the Status Update. Perhaps you have been mentioned here, if not, you may have recognized yourself in these types of post.

Either way... KEEP UPDATING.

~BSF

KANOME’S RANT OF MEDIA

Written by Kanome < PM: >

Kanome here with another media review for the members of YWS!

Okay! Even though it is a very old game, I still play it up to now. It’s a game most people have never even heard of, but once you find out, you would want to play it.

This game is a PS (PlayStation) game called Threads of Fate.



Okay, let me start off of what the game is about.

This game has two different stories, one about a boy named Rue and a girl named Mint. You can choose either character to learn their stories. So it’s basically two different stories, but one objective: To obtain the Aeon (or The Relic).

Personally, I like to play as Rue better because you are able to transform into different creatures, and his stats are higher than Mint’s. Mint is somewhat alright, but her magic doesn’t really deal much damage on enemies, so I am more of the strength type than magic.

But I like the story line, and the way the characters perceive different point of views when you play them.

Also, this game is only on PS, but can be found in the PSN Store on the Playstation 3. It’s really cheap too. It also brings back memories for me, but this game was fun when I played it.

I recommend this game to all people for all ages ^3^

OFFENSIVE REVIEW? HERE'S WHAT YOU SHOULD DO. written by SparkToFlame < PM: >

We've all been there. That one review that offers nothing but insults. The question always floats into your mind,

What should I do?

Well wonder no more! Because here are four different ways to react, and four different ways how not to react.

Things to do in response to a review

1. Say Thank you and move on.
Insulting reviews are yes, insulting, but there's not much you can do. Arguing will just make both you and the reviewer angry, so why bother? Smile and move on, and try to forget it.
2. Try and find the constructive things in the midst of the bad.
No matter how insulting, a review might just have a little wise nugget you're missing while you're busy being indignant. Go back and look through it, go find the things that can actually help you become a better writer and forget the rest.
3. Respectfully tell the reviewer the problems you had with their review.
Respectfully being the key word here. Say "Hey, this review really hurt my feelings." There could be a chance the reviewer doesn't realize how hurtful they were being. If that's the case, give them a chance to apologize.
4. Send your reviewer a gift and a smile!
If it's obvious your reviewer was just being mean, respond ironically by sending them a gift with a big "Thanks so much for your thoughtful review". Maybe your reviewer will think twice next time they leave a mean review for someone!

Things to never do in responds to a review

1. Respond defensively or attack the reviewer.
No matter what the reviewer said or did, that is no reason for you to sink to their level. Remain professional.
2. Go back and review them just as mean as they reviewed you.
Two wrongs never make a right.
3. Make it into a debate.
Arguing with a reviewer will just draw out the inevitable.
4. Complain about it to other members.
Complaining about a review you received all over the site is bad manners, no matter how mean the review was. Your review should be between you and the reviewer, not you, the site and the reviewer. Everything's just less messy that way.

And there you have it, how to respond and how not to respond to an offensive review!

If you ever receive a review or see a review that is personally attacking and purposefully hurtful, please do not hesitate to report it to a moderator.

NEW ARRIVALS
written by KnightTeen < PM: >

I am proud to announce that we have reached 29,120 users!
You know me, I'm a snoop! I have to know everything about every new member on the site. (Don't hate me, it's all part of the job!)

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

@Mirfain26 has been pretty active, writing reviews, posting in the forums, and she has also recently published a short, Reprisal ,

Here's what she has to say about it:






@TheWeather joined us only four days ago, and is already making a name for himself. (By the way, you totally stole one of my friends nicknames [sorta, we call him The Weatherman].)

We all know by now that I am one of the snoopiest people on YWS, and when it came to this user how could I resist? He seems to really like poetry, since that's all that's in his portfolio, as well as all he's reviewed (I'm not hating, I'm a poet writer/reviewer myself). His work Icicle may be short, but it's brilliant.

@Gaurav009 (I totally wanted to add 007 instead) has already figured out the system in the three days he's been with us. He's posted works, posted in the forums, and reviewed. He's a perfect YWSer. This cannot be happening! I cannot compute perfection! Someone corrupt him before it's to late!




@priyabarua • @UgonnaObizuo • @LetsWrite123 • @ohitstia • @OtisAlwrit • @ibeccahi • @sredigan • @RobinSparkles • @sognarevolpe • @CyberWriter16 • @MegamiRising • @aRaeReiner • @Joker18 • @dzkhuman • @theshipsinks • @Gaidaa • @picklemagic • @Fandalorian • @mavetera • @charlyrass • @Jacqueline0826 • @lewiseyles • @roxana • @AriKatta • @DetectiveHolmes • @ChloeNoel • @Morwen • @justjuliejack • @videosjoe • @Jessica44 • @IAlreadyDied • @hbur08 • @fratos • @candyflossman • @aes • @TheGirlReader • @tallsunflowers • @aislinnliegh • @JAM4242 • @WoundedHeartxxx • @lorino16 • @AllHailAquabats • @SomeChickNamedJayne • @Zoey • @ohsnapitzari • @LanaO • @iamsav • @RavenMoonStone • @BethConstantine • @awesome • @ChildrenPlaceCoupons • @anuj • @bestonline203 • @JustAnotherDreamer • @ciloisphantomancy • @mystory94 • @findingmyway • @thosethatgotaway • @lace182 • @Luka • @KiriSeller • @imerliah • @PanicAtTheAtheneum • @FrankieL • @adriell23 • @AvdReader • @babuni47 • @dhyan • @uniquegirl75 • @Munch

THIS WEEK'S ROUNDUP – 2/16
written by megsug < PM: >

I’d make a Krispy Kreme reference... but some of you wouldn’t get it...


@Lucrezia has started a contest. The entries must be inaccurate historical fiction short stories. So good ole Ben can be discovering electricity off of the Sphinx. She’s got some great rewards up for grabs:







Stories have to be 16+ or lower, can’t be over 10 pages, and are due the 24th of February.


Still not tired of Frozen references? Do you know all the songs from Disney? I think I’ve found a club for you! Recently revived, everyone’s talking Disney. @Demeter couldn’t have summed it up better:







Go check it out!


Do you have a favorite horror prompt? Share it here. Do you need a horror prompt? Find it here. I think @Tenyo’s is my favorite:







Now it’s your turn! Scare us half to death!


@SparkToFlame has three different theories of personality. Here they are:






Now, she wants to know which you think are more realistic. Can they all work? Does one rule the others out? This has potential for a great discussion. What do you think?

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.

Code: Select all

Place advertisement here. Make sure you include a title!

Hey YWSers! In case you didn't know, Squills has an advice column now, written by our amazing @Blackwood at the bidding of his Supreme Purpleness, Pruno. If you have any questions you may want to ask his Imperialness, don't hesitate to do so! Just go here and fill out the form!



A new novel by a teenage author, also known as @ANADIR.



As many know, Earth is not the only plane of existence. There are, in fact, two more. Heaven and Hell. A group called the Guardians is tasked with the dangerous job of keeping these planes the way they are- separate. But, when their guards on the portal to the Underworld are betrayed and killed, a flow of zombie-like demons escape into earth, converting people into mindless fighting drones in barely a day. A group of ragtag teenagers manages to escape the initial strike, and find themselves pitted against a hoard of demons. Do they have the ability to join the Guardians, and fight to keep earth?

Hell Unleashed is an Adventure Fantasy geared towards teens 13-18, though anyone can enjoy it. It is Andy Nadir's (ANADIR to some) 3rd published book. It can be found to purchase on Amazon at the moment, and will soon be on Ibooks, Nook, and more.

Amazon link can be found here



Join @ddman18 in the fight against the Anti-Grammar Republic and bad grammar! Enlist in the ranks of the Alliance to combat and mend the bad grammar that can be found, although rare, on this site! The AGR won't give in and give up unless we put up a fight! We may be outnumbered, but not outgunned! Enlist today!

More information can be found here

That's all folks~ Now send us yours.

SUBSCRIBERS

written by SquillsBot < PM: >

Find enspoiler-ed a list of our subscribers!



Do you, too, want to be enspoiler-ed and receive a personal weekly notification when the Squills newsletter is posted? Shoot a PM over to SquillsBot to let him know, and you'll be pinged along with the next issue!