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. QUIBBLES
2. LIBRARY LOVES
3. FEATURED MEMBER: MEGRIM
4. NEW ARRIVALS
5. THIS WEEK’S ROUNDUP - 7/19
6. SHAMELESS PLUGS
7. SUBSCRIBERS

QUIBBLES
Mopping Up Malapropisms
written by Lavvie < PM: >

As writers, a lot of the work we produce is inspired by what we hear around us. Many expressions and word choices that might be included in our short story or poem or chapter might come from words we heard on the radio, the street, or even from our own friends and family. However, chances are we might not know how to actually translate the spoken phrase to the written word. And then words are hilariously confused and what was supposed to a dramatic romance scene between Olive and Percy is now a lost-in-translation comedy.

This is what we call a malapropism, otherwise known as a dogberryism (from William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing) or cramtonism. In simpler English, a malapropism (which actually originates from the French mal à propos meaning “inappropriate”) is when an incorrect word is used in place of a similar sounding word, often unintentionally. Such errors can be humorous and frequently subject to media attention, particularly when malapropisms occur in a politician’s (read: George W. Bush) or celebrity’s speech.

Malapropisms tend to have the same amount of syllables and metrical structure as the intended word. In this sense, such errors nevertheless have the habit of maintaining the part of speech of the original word.

In writing, I have noticed that there are few commons malapropisms that people may be unaware of. It annoys me a bit, but I have to sit back, take a sip of tea, and softly remind myself that their ignorance is not their fault. Therefore, I will address these common errors and if I see them again on YWS, my true grammatical wrath will be unveiled. (Kindly.)

1. For all intensive purposes

@Tenyo has established a novel-writing contest called the Last Man Standing for the members of YWS, for all intensive purposes.

This is very wrong. The line currently means that purposes are intensifying or things are becoming more intense. What is actually meant is For all intents and purposes, which can be synonymous for in essence and in effect.

For all intents and purposes, @Tenyo has corralled a gazillion nutcase writers to perform in a gruelling (and lengthy) writing competition.

2. Should of/Could of/Would of/Must of

@PenguinAttack should of attacked kangaroos.

@Vasticity would of made a film by now if it weren’t for Spielberg.

I would make more examples if it weren’t for my inner grammarist slowly dying a torturous death. The above examples really grind my gears because they are so wrong, it’s not even funny. What is meant is should have, could have, would have, must have. Where this confusion is coming from is speech because we often say, “I must’ve left the sandwich on the counter.” It sounds like must of but what is actually going on is a contraction of speech of the words must and have.

3. Pacifically vs. Specifically

Pacifically, it was the assasination of the Archduke Ferdinand that sparked the First World War.

This makes no sense because pacifically is a word that means calm, mild, etc. I can assure you that WW1 was most definitely not pacific. What is meant is the word specifically.

4. Distinguisher vs. Extinguisher

@Iggy used a fire distinguisher on a flaming @Birkhoff.

I don’t think there is any problem distinguishing fire on a flaming person. Perhaps you mean:

@Iggy used a fire extinguisher on a flaming @Birkhoff.

Malapropisms can result in serious errors and twists in meaning, but sometimes they’re worth it for the humour. Just for fun, because sometimes grammar might seem boring, here’s a few real-life moments of malapropism:

Ricky Perry, a Texas governor and presidential nominee, once referred to states as “lavatories of innovation and democracy” instead of “laboratories”.

Former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley referred to tandem bicycles as “tantrum bicycles” and has also spoken of “Alcoholics Unanimous” (instead of Alcoholics Anonymous).

George W. Bush once said, “We need an energy bill that encourage consumption.”

Norm Crosby: “Listen to the blabbing brook.”

And on that note, please go ponder your chapters, rummage through malapropisms and hang on to those pesky cliff-dwellers (Wes Westrum, on a close baseball game).

LIBRARY LOVESwritten by OliveDreams < PM: >

Hi all! I hope you all had a great week. I did by finding out our next guests favourite books! @Amareth has kindly spilled the beans on all their literary loves and I’ve got to say, there are a few gems in there!

Here goes!

Something New:

The Noble Warriors Trilogy by William Nicholson

Amareth: A trilogy that isn't too well known is the Noble Warriors Trilogy - it's fantasy that conveys the quest of a few young individuals who attempt to become Noble Warriors, which is a famed creed that attempts to bring justice to all. It is during this that they are faced with the seven Savanters. Overall its a gripping tale, and I highly recommend it!

Something Familiar:

The Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan

A: Well aside from Harry Potter (which most people have read), one great mainstream book series is The Wheel of Time, which focuses on a reborn hero who must prepare an army for The Dark One's return, while facing the many challenges of war and powerful opposition. Meanwhile his friends also have adventures of their own, and overall its a rich world and story that shouldn't be missed!

Something Loved:

Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas Hofstadter

A: Here I should point out "Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid", which is a non fiction book that explores the nature of meaning and the relationship between the world and the mind's internal model of the world, and now a mind could theoretically be constructed by using only simple logical rules. It is very well written and light to read, featuring humour and countless layers of meaning in the structure. A second reading uncovers much more that the first. ^_^

Thank you so much Amareth! I adore the writer William Nicholson so I’m glad you recommended their series.
I also adore that you recommended a non fiction book! I really should read more & this seems right down my alley.

How about you guys?

See you next week book lovers! xD

FEATURED MEMBER: MEGRIMwritten by BlueAfrica < PM: >

This week’s Featured Member is someone relatively new to the site: @Megrim, who joined us early this June. Since then, they have earned two review stars, joined several Storybooks, and posted in several different forums. This week, Megrim gave us some of their time to talk about becoming Featured Member.



Megrim: I was surprised. I don't feel *super* active. But I participated in Review Day and am doing The Big Review, so that's probably part of it.



M: Probably reviewing. That’s why I joined.



M: I quite liked Zahra’s Crock Pot by @Dreamworx95 (16+). Any story with “crock pot” in the title promises to be awesome. I also really liked how the perspectives played off each other, which is also what I liked about I wish he knew/I wish she knew by @Carlito.



M: I’m going to start posting my novel soon! It’s called The Pull of Gravity, and it’s science fiction. Kind of a love story combined with space battles and epicness.



To keep up with Megrim’s work-in-progress, The Pull of Gravity, check out their portfolio .

NEW ARRIVALS
written by BlueAfrica < PM: >

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

@shaon has earned their first two review stars. Stop by their wall to congratulate them !

@MaddieNicolette has several works-in-progress she’d like some help with. Check out her portfolio and leave some reviews !

THIS WEEK'S ROUNDUP – 7/19written by megsug < PM: >

Join me on a journey flying through the long forgotten, just created, and very popular links of YWS.


In 2006, @Nate scored an interview with best-selling author Tamora Pierce, asking her several questions about how she started writing, how she gets inspiration for her characters, and more. Her prewriting practices back then when the first book of the Beka Cooper series, Terrier came out is similar to some YWSers:







Pierce is known for her strong heroines and fantasy world Tortall. If you’re a fan or just looking to read a good interview of an author about writing, this is the link for you!


The Sounding Board was created by @Arkhaion as a place for YWSers to come together to bounce ideas off of each other and discuss writing in general. Every once and a while a general discussion question is placed on the wall. The latest one, in honor of the beginning of the Last Man Standing contest is:







There are only a few replies to the question, but so far, it seems like people either think the first chapter is always hard, but especially after finishing a big project or when trying to rewrite.


@JKHatt has posted his own art thread. He’s got some pretty interesting stuff like this steampunk-ish eye:







He’s also got pretty skillful critiques from @Elysium and Arkhaion that could be applied to other user’s work. For the quirky art and the good commentary, I’ll be keeping tabs on this art thread.


@Lau2001 has made a pretty interesting thread. It’s a writing challenge. I think she explains it best in the beginning of her post:







Prompts range from describing a taste to writing something in a dystopian society. There are thirty prompts. For one hundred points, a review, and writing practice, this is definitely a worthwhile endeavor.

SHAMELESS PLUGS

written by SquillsBot < PM: >

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SUBSCRIBERS

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