Squills 8/3-8/10/14

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!

Spoiler

Editor-in-Chief
Hannah

General Editor
ShadowVyper

Friendly Neighborhood Robot
SquillsBot

Friendly Neighborhood Cow
CowLogic

Literary Reporter
JamesHunt

Community Reporter
Available - PM SquillsBot if interested

Resources Reporter
Tenyo

Storybook Reporter
AfterTheStorm

Link Cowgirl
megsug

Poetry Enchantress
Aley

The Adventurer
BlueAfrica

Quibbles Columnist
Available - PM SquillsBot if interested

Social Correspondent
ShadowVyper

Associates of Pruno and Gruno
Blackwood
defyingravity01

Media Critic
Kanome

Code Master
Avalon

General Reporters
OliveDreams
ArcticMonkey
whitewolfpuppy
AriaAdams
defyingravity01
Elinor Brynn
JamesHunt

Past Editors-in-Chief
GriffinKeeper
AlfredSymon
Iggy

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. SQUILLS SCAVENGER HUNT RESULTS
2. GOTTA REVIEW ‘EM ALL! THE JULY 2014 REVIEW DAY
3. THE EDITORIAL SQUAD
4. FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW WITH CRAZ
5. INTERVIEW WITH SPORTYWRITER
6. ADVENTURES IN WRITING
7. CLUBS OF YWS
8. ASKPRUNO
9. SUMMERTIME TRADITIONS
10. NEW ARRIVALS
11. THIS WEEK'S ROUNDUP – 8/3
12. SHAMELESS PLUGS
13. SUBSCRIBERS

SQUILLS SCAVENGER HUNT RESULTSwritten by Iggy < PM: >

If any of you were looking to send in your submissions for the scavenger hunt, you're too late! The Scavenger Hunt ended on August 1st with only two participants: @fortis and @gia2505! Both earned over a thousand points. fortis went on to earn four thousand points. Bet you wish you’d poked around and submitted a few answers, too, huh?

In any news, congrats to our two participants! The Index has been moved back to the Squills forum, so if you wanna give it a looksie, please do. It's updated and everything! You’ll be able to find articles sorted by author, column, or topic, so why not dive in?

And now... for the answers to the Scavenger Hunt.

The Questions:
One
Question: On what day was the first renovated issue of Squills posted?
Answer: July 20th, 2013

Two
Question:Who or what is @SquillsBot?
Answer: A user made to post Squills, run by the editors of Squills.

Three
Question: What was the first article written by @Tenyo? A link is needed.
Answer: Look here

Four
Question: Which issue has the highest amount of views? A link is needed.
Answer: Look here

Five
Question: Who was the 29th subscriber?
Answer: @KittyCatMeow

Six
Question: Before @Hannah and @Iggy came along, who was a previous editor-in-chief for Squills?
Answer: @Griffinkeeper and/or @AlfredSymon

Seven
Question: In what issue was @Lauren2010 interviewed for the column, A Mod Moment? A link is needed.
Answer: Look here

Eight
Question: How many two-page issues are there of Squills?
Answer: Fourteen

Nine
Question: Which issue has the lowest amount of views? A link is needed.
Answer: Look here

Ten
Question: Which issue is the 32nd issue? A link is needed.
Answer: Look here

There you have it! Thanks for reading and once more, congratulations to fortis and gia2505 for winning their points.

GOTTA REVIEW ‘EM ALL! THE JULY 2014 REVIEW DAYwritten by BlueAfrica < PM: >

After two months of crazymazing YWS activity, July exploded into reviewing action for this month’s much-anticipated Pokémon-themed Review Day. Participating YWSers completed a total of 664 reviews, a little less than a hundred reviews short of our site goal. Of the three teams—Aqua, Plasma, and Rocket—Team Aqua pulled away as the winner, with a total of 241 reviews and 26,826 points.

In the aftermath of July, I hit the streets to find out made this month’s Review Day so much fun for the participants.

@KatyaElefant (Team Rocket)



   


@Blackwood (Team Plasma)



   


@Kelpies (Team Rocket)



   


@wtppowers (Team Aqua)



   


In keeping with the Pokémon theme, @Hannah presented a new event called the Elite Eight Challenge for reviewers to try their hand at. To become a YWS Pokémon master, participating reviewers had to review one work each in articles, lyrics, novels (first chapter), novels (later chapter), poetry, script, short story, and other. In addition, participating reviewers could earn a bronze, silver, or gold Pokémon Master trophy to display on their profile by completing one, two, or three-plus reviews in each category, respectively. I talked to Hannah to find out more:



Hannah: The main goal of the Elite Eight challenge was for people to have fun, but I also set it up so that people would be encouraged to review in categories / genres they otherwise avoid. We set up the Pokémon Center to make sure they weren't going into it without any help at all -- that way, people previously intimidated by reviewing poetry could go through the quick list in the Pokémon Center and hopefully have a place to start their new adventure.



H: I wasn't able to be around on Review Day and see people participating or talking about it, so I'm actually not quite sure if it was a success or not, but I noticed that a few people did succeed in their goals, so there are some trophies to be (designed and then) awarded!



H: Like I said, I wasn't around to see participation, so I'm not quite sure what could use improvement other than having time to design and display the awesome trophies beforehand. I think if people had a better idea of what they were working for, they might be a bit more excited! Other than that, I think it's pretty simple and straightforward, so maybe the only thing to change would be clearer reviewing tips or more in-depth tips for those who want them. Plus definitely being around to see it happen.

While two of the reviewers I earlier spoke to had never heard of the Elite Eight Challenge, two others participated in it. KatyaElefant had this to say about it:



   


Blackwood said,



   


Let’s see if we can break our new review goal on the next review day. Be sure to join us at the end of August to help out!

The Elite Eight Challenge

THE EDITORIAL SQUAD

written by JamesHunt < PM: >

Editor’s Note: At the time this article was written, Iggy was still an editor-in-chief of the Squills team. Though she has recently retired, she contributed so much love and effort to Squills, so we’d like to run this article, as-is, as tribute to all she’s done.

When we think of Squills, we think of a weekly release of helpful articles and entertaining columns, brought to us by the dedicated Squills Creative Staff; however, if we time-travelled a year into the past, Squills would look very different. Indeed, much has happened in that year since Squills was born, and though the Creative Staff are the heart of the YWS' newsletter, it is ultimately the editors that keep Squills organised and functioning properly. I therefore request a round of applause for Squills' awesome editors: @Hannah, @Iggy and @ShadowVyper.



Hannah: It's sometimes really amazing to sit at my desk and think, "Wow, I am responsible for organizing a newsletter for a gigantically successful site for Young Writers." I get to work with such AMAZING staff, and whenever I put up the last "Subscribers" in a new edition, I feel so PROUD.

Iggy: It's something I've gotten used to. I was terrified when the weight first fell on my shoulders, because it is a lot of responsibility, but I've adjusted. I'm normally not one to be a leader so I was pretty awkward when I first became EIC.

ShadowVyper: I really enjoy it. I feel like I get to help (when I have the time-- I'm not nearly as faithful or awesome about it as the other editors are) put out a quality production that lots of people enjoy reading. My talents are also well suited to be an editor, I think, since my job allows me correct grammar, spelling, and formatting, something that I highly enjoy, as I'm certain that @Judas would confirm. c:



H: We've got a system that usually works pretty well, now, but it can sometimes get nerve wracking if not many staff writers claim articles for the week.

The biggest challenges, though, is just getting all the articles edited and put in order while preparing them to publish. It always ends up taking way longer than I expect it to!

I: Getting the team motivated, mostly. Everyone seems to be in a summer vacation slump. I can relate -- there are days when I don't want to do anything.

SV: My initial response is say getting articles submitted, but I think it's mostly a lack of time, really. Our awesome writers don't have the time or energy to supply the number of articles that we editors demand; and once we get the articles, then it's on us to find the time and energy to go through and actually edit and get them all ready to be posted, which is also a challenge sometimes.



H: Hmm. I can only remember being really anxious when I was asking to come back to the team after taking a hiatus from YWS for personal reasons for the span of 25 issues. o_o

I: I'm gonna skip this question cause it's not something I wanna talk about

SV: Well, speaking of posting... I am terrible about procrastinating on my weeks to post Squills, since it's probably the most tedious and time consuming part of the job, in my opinion at least. Well, my uni is pretty strict, and they steal our wifi at midnight to encourage us to actually sleep rather than "study" all night.

One week I'd procrastinated a bit too long, and sat here sweating for several long, agonizing minutes with Squills half posted, desperately trying to get it finished and the topic locked before I lost my wifi... incidentally, I did make it in time, so, yay confession time. :3



H: Squills isn't the kind of explosively awesome once-in-a-lifetime event, so we don't really have visible highs and lows. I'm really just super proud whenever I read through a new issue and get to appreciate how hard the staff worked and what awesome writers YWS encourages!

I: I can't say I have one. Just whenever I bring someone onto the team and seeing them jump right in. It rocks and makes me feel like a proud momma.

SV: Probably when we got our renovations just over a year ago. I've been with Squills since shortly before Alf became EIC, so I helped get it started in its little baby days. I still remember our barely coordinated articles and random posting schedule every day, hardly any collaboration at all except for a few ideas thrown out in the scarce PM here and there. Seeing all of the cooperation and structure (especially with the wonderful formatting system @Hannah worked out for us) is just beautiful. :')



H: That's a hard question. You know how to write 'em, James. Haha. I think the biggest thing that Squills has given me is a sense of agency. When you think about it, any set of members can start up a newsletter. When I was younger, I used to have plans for newsletters and clubs all the time. I remember naming one Newsletter the NEWS from North East West and South, and another time I made a bunch of illustrations for a board game I planned called The Blob Club. In highschool and college, I lost that sense of agency, but being active on YWS and with Squills has given it back.

I: Squills means a lot to me. The main reason I joined, exactly a year ago, was because @AlfredSymon asked me to. He expected me to make sure it was in good hands and that's what I did.

SV: It means so much, or I never would've stuck with it so long. I will admit that it can be rough sometimes, especially during the school year, to find the time necessary to make Squills what it is-- but it's so worth it. There's nothing better than getting to look through an edition of Squills that we all worked so hard to publish, and seeing all the "likes" that it receives.



H: Um, while I'd have less to worry about on Sunday/Mondays, I'd also write a whole lot less than I do now. Squills is pretty much the only productive writing I do these days!

I: While I love Squills, I think I will be okay without it, should I ever leave the team. It would probably mean a lot more to me if it was a real-life job and was the product of my delightfully insane mind.

SV: That's a pretty impossible question to answer. I obviously want my life to include Squills, otherwise I would've dropped out-- but then, I lived just fine without it before Squills was a thing. So, I suppose my answer is that my life would be a bit less stressful, but definitely not as gratifying.

These three lovely ladies aren't the only ones who have ever been editors for Squills, and they will certainly agree that one of the founders, @Griffinkeeper, has also greatly influenced Squills.



Griffinkeeper: Not really. Being the editor in chief is a big job and I'm glad that I passed it on to others that were more capable than myself.



G: My favorite memory of Squills was when I first had the idea of it. In days long past, YWS would publish a monthly e-zine, which quickly became a quarterly e-zine, then a semi-annual e-zine, then annual, and then it just sort of got stuck. Each one was well produced and looked fantastic, but the sheer amount of work involved made it so that people working on that project didn't want to attempt it immediately after.

After listening to some of the moderators talk about how much work it was, it occurred to me that we really didn't need to go through all that effort to publish a bulletin and that timeliness was more important than appearance. The forums were the obvious choice for posting: not only could new topics be created easily and quickly, but posters could add content of their own.

When I first suggested the idea, there wasn't a lot of traction for it. So I just started doing it. The rest is history.



G: I've always been surprised at how fast Squills has grown, in terms of it's sophistication and in audience. I'm happy to see that it is still going strong after nearly a year and a half.



G: I would like to take this opportunity to challenge the Squills editors to take things to the next level. When Squills first came out, it was a daily bulletin, now it is a weekly bulletin. I challenge the editors to make it daily again.

That is a quite the challenge. What will the editors' responses be? As for me, I shall continue to serve Squills as best as I can. Others who have done that, and then some, are @AlfredSymon, another founder of Squills, and @KnightTeen, previously a general editor for Squills. The former is on a hiatus, so I could not contact him, and the latter has recently announced her temporary retirement from the Squills staff. Though they will be missed, we wish them the best of luck with their endeavours.

FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW WITH CRAZwritten by ArcticMonkey  < PM: >

Hello everybody! This fortnight’s featured member has been the one and only @Craz! Known for her valiant exploits in the Storybook forum, Craz makes detailed posts and some amazing storybooks. So I thought I’d ask her a few questions about her time as featured member:

 

    Craz: Shock. It was really late at night (for me anyway) and I was just about to log off when, hey, I got a PM. All it said was "read this" so I automatically thought that someone had died and when I checked it out a Dumb and Dumber gif popped on my screen and it said I was the new featured member.
I thought someone was playing a cruel joke on me until I realized it was for real, lol.

   

    C: It's like biting into a fresh chocolate chip cookie and then downing a cold glass of milk afterward. So, pretty awesome. And the bragging rights are a plus.


   

    C: Well, I87've been told that my Storybooking skills aren't too shabby and detail has always been important to me when I write something. I never really expected to be featured because of it, though that doesn't mean I never wanted to be featured before.



   

    C: Everything. I love the idea of taking a blueprint of something and having multiple minds come together and push and pull on it until it is something more, something with life and meaning, despite how corny that sounds. It opens you up to new ideas you thought you'd never think or do before and it's always a sad thing when I see a Storybook die.

   

    C: Be fabulous, ya'll.


Well there you have it. You can congratulate Craz yourself on her Official Thread or on her wall . You never know, it could be you being interviewed next.

 INTERVIEW WITH SPORTYWRITER

written by Defyingravity01  < PM:  >

You all are in for a treat. I’m not sure how many of you had read @SportyWriter’s A Myseterious One Sentence Story... but it rocks. If you haven’t read it, do so right now. It literally takes 30 seconds to a minute depending on your reading speed. As promised, an interview with the one of a kind writer of the single sentence short.



SportyWriter: I'm humbled to give an interview, Gravity.
I'm not quite good at it (since it's my first one) but let me give it a shot!



S:Actually my friend/neighbor Gaurav009 is a member of YWS. He's been writing satire stories and some of them even got featured. He motivated me to try something different and I came up with an idea of writing one sentence story.



S:Nope. This wasn't planned as well. I'm a big fan of Christopher Nolan's work and like his movies, which play with your mind. I want readers to keep thinking of various possibilities of a given situation. Maybe my MC got murdered, maybe he lost signal, maybe he called his mom, so on and so forth.



S: I was planning to write something unusual and easy to read. But this is purely a work of fiction and thankfully isn't based on personal experience.




S: This is in fact my first literary work. I have written some amateurish essays but those were for school exams! And I do plan to write more as and when I get time. In fact I have already posted my second story and I'm waiting to see if it gets similar response!



S: No problem!

ADVENTURES IN WRITINGwritten by BlueAfrica < PM: >

You’ve completed a draft and begun to revise. You sew up plot holes, develop your characters, and polish the writing. Your manuscript is tighter, better, and more exciting than before.

Then, they come. The revision jitters.

Maybe they’re a product of a bad review, a friend whose reaction to the story was apathetic. Maybe you’ve worked the manuscript over too much in your head, to the point where you can’t tell beginning from end. Or maybe you’ve had so many false starts with a particular scene or chapter that you feel like you’re beating your head against a wall.

Whatever sets it off, you know the feeling. The anxiety over what people will think of your piece-of-crap book. The crippling fear that your writing isn’t as good as it should be. The feeling that, at this point, revision is making the story worse instead of better, which inevitably intensifies if you try to soldier on.

Eventually, you’ll come to your senses and dive back into battle, when a reader leaves an enthusiastic comment or the solution to a plot problem becomes clear. But you can’t wait around for that moment, especially if you’re on a deadline—it could take months. Here are three things you can do to speed up the process.


Take a break. When you’re caught up in revision, forcing yourself to keep working on a problematic manuscript can make things worse. The feeling of bashing your head into a wall increases until you don’t like the project anymore. Working on it is no fun, and it seems as if improvement is impossible.

Don’t let this happen. Instead, take a break from the story by turning your attention to another project. Is there an old project you could revamp? A contest entry or reviewing spree you’ve been putting off? Now is the time to work on it. Rather than revising The Book Man, for example, I’m writing this article and researching glassblowing for an unrelated story that may not go anywhere but is therapeutic to write.

But, heck, your activity doesn’t even have to be writing-related. Catch up on homework, marathon a TV show on Netflix, or complete a Sudoku puzzle book. Talk walks. Give your dog the attention he’s been asking for, lying patiently beside your favorite writing spot each evening.

If you’re on a deadline with the troublesome project, be sure to limit your break to a set amount of time: a day or two at most. Ideally, though, the length of your break should correspond to the time spent working continuously on the manuscript. A story that’s been constantly on your brain for more than a year has been picked over so many times that finding new directions for it can be difficult until you let yourself forget some of the details.


Brainstorm. Aloud. Sometimes, hearing things aloud can change your perspective. If your problem is with a plot point, character motivation, or which direction a scene should take, have a conversation with yourself. Go for a long walk or car ride, rattle off the facts, and discuss your options. Hearing ideas that were previously confined to your mind or paper can help you better organize your thoughts and come to new conclusions.

If you don’t want to wander about alone, talking to thin air like a crazy person, grab a writing buddy and bring her along. Fellow writers, especially those who have not yet read the problematic story, can offer the fresh perspective you need. They may also be strong in areas you find difficult, so conversing with them can be more beneficial than conversing with yourself.

If you’ve completed a manuscript and the whole thing reeks like a dumpster in August, start by rereading and organizing any feedback you’ve received and plan around it. What plot holes did your readers find? Which characters lack clear motivation? Which are underdeveloped? Talk these problems out with yourself or a friend, take copious notes—and don’t feel that they all have to be “proper” notes. Draw family trees, world maps, stick figure caricatures, Venn diagrams, word clouds, or anything else that takes your fancy. Work at it until you feel confident in your story elements and are ready to apply them.


Start from scratch. When all else fails, start over. If a scene bores or frustrates you, cross it out and begin anew. Normally I’d tell you to keep an extra copy of the original around, but in this case I urge you not to. Why? You’ll be tempted to reference it, even though it was giving you serious trouble in the first place.

But Blue, you say, what if there was this one really good line of dialogue I wanted to kee—

No, my young Padawan. Let go of the past, you must. Generally, bits of the original that are actually good enough to keep will stick in your mind and worm their way into the new version. Then again, you may find they no longer fit. In that case, rereading the original holds you back from taking new directions, because you cling to this one good description, this one good line of dialogue. If you absolutely have to keep a copy of the original scene, start the new version in a fresh notebook or Word document so the old one doesn’t stare at you while you work. 

Now, if your manuscript as a whole is the problem and it seems like unsalvageable crap, this is a much more daunting task. To make it easier for yourself, break it down into steps. I refer you to point two of this article: go back over the feedback, do some hella brainstorming, and take copious notes. When you feel like your story elements are strong enough, take a crack at a total redo.

The most important thing to remember when taking this route, however, is that your story may not take you in the direction of your copious notes. That’s okay. Far better you follow the whims of your characters and plot than get bogged down in a miry plan that no longer interests you.

Now it’s time for this journalist to face her own revision jitters and get back to The Book Man.

CLUBS OF YWSwritten by Defyingravity01  < PM: >

YWS is known for many things. That’s what makes it such a great website. One of the more popular features on YWS is clubs. There are always new clubs to check out and explore. Sometimes finding the ones that interest you can be difficult, so here’s just a taste of some of the new, interesting clubs popping up.

Many of the new clubs are fan clubs. For example, one particularly enjoyable club is the Nate Appreciation Club . This club is for people who love our favorite moderator, @Nate. There are also other new fan clubs for TV shows, movies, and celebrities. Some of the ones that stood out for me were the Divergent Club , the Teen Wolf Club and the Doctor Who club for all you Whovians out there!

Fan clubs aside, there are many more clubs you can join. Some of these clubs are religious. Religious clubs create a great sanctuary for you to combine your spiritual beliefs with your writing. These clubs are a great place to interact people who believe the things that you do if you wish to discuss them or even incorporate them into your writings. There are clubs for all different religions including Christianity and Islam. There are even clubs for Atheists and Agnostics. Some of the new religious clubs I’ve seen are the Atheists and Agnostics Club and the Christian Writers Club .

Lastly, a large number of clubs are centered around reading and writing. Some of the newer clubs for readers and authors are The Find a Writing Partner Club , The Creative Writing Tutoring Club and the Character Club .

These clubs are all so interesting. I normally don’t like to participate in clubs, but some of these are just so great. I have to check them out. Particularly the fan club for @Nate. That looks pretty awesome. Anyhow, there are many clubs that went unmentioned in this article because there are just so many clubs and so little time. I definitely encourage you to flip through the clubs, both the recent list and the list of all the clubs. You never know: you might find a new interest! Now where’s that link for the Nate Appreciation Club?…

ASKPRUNOwritten by Blackwood  < PM: >

Welcome to Ask Pruno.

I got so inspired by writing Pruno last week, I completely stole this weeks issue away from Gruno. So rejoice if Pruno is your preferred cousin, but be sad if you like Gruno more.

This week I got a very... unusual assortment of questions. So lets jump right in and get answering. Pay special attention to the second question in particular and do what it says.


Dear magnificent one or ones,
"I know that that fine and dashingly amazing fellow, Blackwood, used to chat bar new people every day just to could meet them."
"If you mention Pruno then people will come flocking because I’m also amazing."
"But I don’t think I need to worry about that because they will all be too busy fan-girling over my dashing ‘stash and purple beauty. I know you know I’m handsome, ladies."
*snort*
Getting just a leeeeettle full of yourself now, don't you think?

P.S. The statement was true.
-Laughing my butt off


Dear butt-off aka @BlueAfrica,
It is so kind of you to once again point out those glorious truths for everyone to see. Now I don't even have to climb up onto my high horse because you are doing it for me.
By the way, I know you know I am awesome.
-Pruno

 

Dear subject of our investigation,
Why has Question Asking Activity greatly diminished? It is necessary that questions continue to be asked consistently and in plentiful number. Please inform the readers that they must ask you more questions by clicking on the link at the bottom of this article and filling out a brief and fun form.
-Secret Spy Society

Oh grand and secret spy society
I report true to having a decline in question asking activity. I fear that if questions are not asked soon then something bad may happen. Yes, very bad. YOU, yes YOU, reading this right now. I'm talking about you, yourself the "me" of consciousness, person sitting at your computer or other technological device. Scroll down and click the link to ask Pruno a question and ask one RIGHT NOW. GO! Don't smile or laugh at this, I'm not kidding. DO IT NOW.
-Love Pruno.



Dear Great One,
Do you cry very easily?
-Bloodhound

Dear Bloodhound
The only tears Pruno weeps are made of diamonds, excruciatingly tearing themselves from beneath his eyes, crawling across his cheeks in a beautiful waterfall of dramatic red and dramatic romantic fantastical beauty because ladies, he's an angel.
(To answer your question, no that process is not easy.)
-Pruno (yes, the very one)



Remember, ASK PRUNO a question for NEXT WEEK by clicking the link below.

SUMMERTIME TRADITIONSwritten by Defyingravity01  < PM: >

My Dear Holiday Lovers,
There comes a day when everyone wonders about holidays during the summer. I wasn’t sure about what happened around the world, but I knew that here in the U.S, the only holiday we really celebrate here for the most part is Independence Day (July 4th). However, I wasn’t actually sure about what other holidays were celebrated around the world during the Summer, so I decided to do some research and share my findings.

Most holidays during the Summer occur because of or during the Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year and occurs when the Sun reaches its highest position in the sky from either the North or South Pole. In the Northern Hemisphere, it occurs around June 21st. In the Southern hemisphere it happens around December 22nd. There have been tons of rituals centered around this day of the year from many different religions. The Christian version of this is The Feast of St. John or the Nativity of St. John. There are many legends and rituals centered around the summer solstice. One of these is the great mystery of Stonehenge, where two of the stones there align perfectly with the sun. Many Pagans and Solstice observers gather there to watch the sun rise.

Other prominent Summertime holidays include the First Day of Summer in Iceland. This day is celebrated every year on the first Thursday after April 18th. Even though on this date it hasn’t even begun to warm up in Iceland, the natives still celebrate this day of Summer, new life and prosperity. There are parades and sports and entertainment events held for the occasion.

While there aren’t many summer holidays and rituals (at least not many known to the internet), there are more than most people think. Not only are there religious holidays, but countries like the US and France celebrate their Independence Days during the Summer. 

There’s nothing left to say now but… Happy Celebrating!

XOXO,
Gravity

NEW ARRIVALSwritten by Hannah < PM: >

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

@KikiT27 has already given us four lovely reviews in the poetry category – she’s just one away from her first review star. Cheer her on to the first piece of gold and while you’re there, check out the work she’s submitted: My New Stranger .

@ShadowTony1, meanwhile, has already earned himself a star beneath his avatar and has published two chapters of his work The Two Year Gamble . From the blurb in his portfolio, it seems to be about amnesia and bones. Interested?

Like science fiction and Game of Thrones? You might want to stop by @JonnyShaman ‘s wall, then. He’s got a lovely avatar of Hodor, a few posts and reviews around the site, and a short story (Dystopia: Impetus ) that he says is about a drone and what happens when the drone finally strays from his set path.

Poetry kids, look out! @sleepette’s on the prowl with lovely poetry reviews and some simple, stripped-down poetry you might want to dig your hands into: forget me gently . If you’re okay with NSFW content and things others might deem strange, you might like her tumblr as well.

If you know @tkpejb, you might also want to get to know @AlyYantz, a friend she’s brought over to get obsessed with YWS! This girl’s already done four reviews and submitted a piece of fanfiction about Vic Fuentes and Alex Gaskarth. If you know who they are, head over to read A Love Like War (Valex) .

@alevine’s a new member with a lot to share. If you’re okay with sexual content, you should definitely check out the work Rotten Jelly Rubber – an honest look at early sexual encounters. Otherwise, you should leave a wall post and hope for a review from this thoughtful, bright individual!

@eorchard, also known as E, is here and ready for action. She’s starting college, as many of us are, and is planning on majoring in English, as, yes, many of us are. And you’d be wise to leave a message on her wall saying hi, because she loves editing and reviewing!

THIS WEEK'S ROUNDUP – 8/3written by megsug < PM: >

Four links filled with your daily serving of fiber and antioxidants!


@BlueAfrica wants to know who your favorite female character is. Answers range from Hermione Granger to Scarlett O’Hara, but I agree with @BiscuitsBatchAvoy:



   



Tell us your favorite female character, where she’s from, and why you like her. Your mom (or anyone in real life) can also be a favorite!


An old thread has been resurrected, and I think it’s a darn good thread. Ever wonder how good your title is? Here’s a thread where you can post it and get feedback. The only price is that you have to give feedback to the title above your post. I like @Segreto’s title:

 

   



What title do you need an opinion on?


The Adopt A Novel club is hosting a contest focused around editing. Choose a five hundred word excerpt of a novel, short story, or a poem and edit it. Post the unedited and edited versions in the contest thread. Some exciting prizes are in store: 

 

   



Get those red pens out right now! The contest ends August 5th. 


@StellaThomas has a great question:



   


 People seem to think that this stereotype is largely true. Reasons why range from American media to American education to America’s geographic size. It’s a fascinating topic. What’s your take?

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.

CodeSelect all

Place advertisement here. Make sure you include a title!

That's all folks~ Now send us yours.

SUBSCRIBERS

written by SquillsBot  < PM:  >

Find enspoiler-ed a list of our subscribers! 

Spoiler

@SquillsBot • @Carina • @ShadowVyper • @ArcticMonkey • @Hannah • @Avalon • @Judas • @VeerenVKS • @megsug • @BlackNether12 • @Skydreamer • @Lapis • @Aley • @Rydia • @Alpha • @skorlir • @KnightTeen • @AriaAdams • @neko • @Aquila90 • @DudeMcGuy • @kayfortnight • @Cole • @Blackwood • @manisha • @fortis • @HighTop • @cgirl1118 • @KittyCatMeow • @Strangelove • @ChocoCookie • @carbonCore • @Auxiira • @Iggy • @Blues • @Paracosm • @Sparkle • @FireFox • @Dakushau • @AlexSushiDog • @wizkid515 • @yubbies21 • @PiesAreSquared • @FatCowsSis • @CelticaNoir • @BenFranks • @TimmyJake • @whitewolfpuppy • @WallFlower • @Magenta • @BrittanyNicole • @GoldFlame • @Messenger • @ThereseCricket • @TriSARAHtops • @buggiedude2340• @ravenmoonstone • @WillowPaw1 • @Laure • @TakeThatYouFiend  • @dragonlily • @Cheetah • @pandabear7 • @Pompadour • @Zontafer • @QueenOfWords • @Crimsona • @ddman18 • @vluvswriting • @shoaib • @GreenTulip • @Audy • @EllaBliss • @Isha • @Deanie • @lostthought • @CesareBorgia • @Omniclysm • @magpie • @AfterTheStorm • @jameshunt • @autumns • @Wolfie36 • @Pamplemousse • @reisepiecey • @gia2505

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!