Young Writers Society

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1. HOW NANO'S BEEN TREATING ME SO FAR
2. PERSONAL #NANO REPORT
3. FM INTERVIEW: SNOWMONKEY 69
4. SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW: HOLYSOCKS
5. POP CULTURE CORNER: ONE SONG TO RULE THEM ALL
6. THIS WEEK'S ROUND UP
7. SHAMELESS PLUGS
8. SUBSCRIBERS

HOW NANO'S BEEN TREATING ME SO FAR written by JustPerks < PM: >

After barely doing anything two years ago, and forgetting about it last year, I decided that this year I would at least attempt the daunting task that is NaNoWriMo.

I made my decision a few weeks ago, after an idea popped into my head and had made me curious enough to want to expand on it. By the time I first started in the morning of November 1st, that idea had completely morphed into something that barely resembled the original. I was grateful for that one idea though, since that single flicker of a thought sparked the urge withing me to write.

I started to regret my decision on that very day since I realized that only did I have to maneuver through my regular school work, but I also had my SAT Subject Tests and my cousin's wedding to attend on November fourth. I 'm sadly not very attentive on future events

Despite that crazy busy cycle of a day yesterday, I'm still technically on track to finish on the 30th, which I am definitely happy about. Life has a tendency to randomly kick me off a three-floor building, or just down a sidewalk, every so often, so I needed to at least start good.

If you've decided to endure a grueling and long November by writing 50,000 words alongside joyous occasions like work, school, college applications (talking to you, UCSD!), and Thanksgiving, then good luck. You'll need it.

But, also know this: the fact that you're trying shows a strength and determination very few people have in this world. Not many would even attempt, let alone decide to try to finish, so be proud of that.

If you ever need encouragement, there is a wide array of authors willing to give some words of wisdom, including various pep talks, as linked by @LadyLizz in her #NaNo article

With that, I bid you farewell and hope the odds are in your favor!

PERSONAL #NANO REPORT

written by LadyLizz< PM: >

NaNo hasn't been going very well for me so far and that's standard, because the beginning of November has a lot going on. And so does the last week. So the only time I ever really get to write during this month is for about two weeks, and 50k in two weeks is pretty stressful. At the moment, my entire novel is only registering at about 4k words, very sad considering I needed to do about 2k per day to reach my goals.
Still doing better than in the past though, that's what I keep focusing on as I try and write this story.

It's not like I don't have plenty of plot line there to write about or some structural issue, it's simply because of my fear and anxiety. It's why I don't like to drive or talk to people or engage in any sort of human interaction at all, going the farthest lengths to avoid things. I just can't get over this bump in the road and no one around me understands or does understand but thinks the solution is praying and that the spirit of sin possess my actions. Yeah, I'm sure that I can blame Lucifer for making me an introvert.

They all mean well but it affects my ability to write anything coherent or have any confidence in my writing at all. For tonight, it looks like my goal will to be study 3 units of AP Psych and also cram in 10k words, should prove to be fun in some sense of the world.

One good thing about me having three hours of waiting for things to happen yesterday, was planning a solid foundation for my stories and enough thoughts came to me, that I might attempt writing a complete version of What Happened in Heaven.

Another happening is that while procrastinating my novel, I got together with some people to resurrect the NaNo forum, which is going to be utilized this year for sharing parts of novels and also pep talks from us. Keep an eye for those and see the links to everything below, including the one for my novel.
NaNoWriMo Main Forum
NaNoWriMo 2017
Pep Talks
1935 - Lizz's NaNo

The only other thing that I've got to say is life will get in the way of your word counts but just remember, you can always make them up at 3am. That and your story doesn't need to be perfect the first time through, to give you further reason to consider the 3am cram.

By next week, I should have something better to say and some actual progress will have been made.

FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW: SNOWMONKEY9written by Aley < PM: >

Our FM this week is not only an amazing host for events like the Poetry Competition , but is also a huge fan of art, a friend to new members on YWS, and the proud owner of the Group Poetry club. When I first ran across @snowmonkey9, it was with the Poetry Contest and I immediately knew this would be a name I would hear a lot from.

Without further ado, here's my interview with the wonderful snowmonkey9.


Snowmonkey9: When I first found out, I was surprised. I mean like just the thought of ever being FM never really entered my mind. And then when I saw the words in print I was like "Oh cool! This is awesome."


Sn: I can't decide on a favorite but one of the things I enjoy doing on YWS is reading other people's works, because I love to read and it gives me inspiration to write myself. Oh and I also really like the clubs.


Sn: I love to read poetry. Everyone here writes such beautiful and inspiring poems. As for genres I do enjoy Mystery, Fiction, Fantasy and Romance.


Sn: Well considering I didn't specifically try to get Featured Member you probably shouldn't take advice from me. But if I had ventured for the title I would have tried to be very active on YWS by participating in the various things the site has to offer. I know that several members received the title of FM due to their incredible record for reviewing.
But when you actually look at those who have become FM you realize they have each received it for a different reason.


Sn: Nope. Nothing else except a thank you

Although snowmonkey's time has ended as the FM, I think we can all agree that giving her some fun stuff to read is our first goal in life! Let's fill up the Green Room so we all have some mystery, fiction, fantasy, and romance to enjoy in this long November.

SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEWwritten by EternalRain < PM: >

The Literary Spotlight is on the front page on YWS and features the five works that have gained the most likes. On this edition of Spotlight Interview, we have @Holysock’s poem charmer. charmer currently has 9 likes, and was published on the 25th of September. It reached the Literary Spotlight on October 30. I had the pleasure to talk to Holysocks about their poem and the spotlight!



Holysocks: Basically it's about crushes and falling in love with someone that you know is not good for you. It's about that helpless feeling you get when you like someone!




H: My inspiration was a very frustrating, yet worthwhile, relationship that I'm in. That and a friend had just confided some frustrating crush-feelings to me as well.




H: What do you mean by 'writing process'? I mean, basically I was had started a writing jam at the end of RevMo to top up the Green Room for reviewers. So I wrote a flash fiction and then started playing around with words until I came up with that little poem! c:




H: Write what you love! I don't think there's a real point trying to get into the spotlight- sure, there's certain things you can do to improve your chances, but it can be very random or selective based on what's going on on the site. For instance, I posted that poem and the end of September, and the only reason it made an appearance in the spotlight was because someone dug it out of my portfolio for a review on review day, and liked it, and then it was back on people's radar! c: So my advice is to simply write what you love. If it gets in the spotlight, bonus! If not, just continue writing what you love. ^_^




H: You're welcome! Thanks for having me!

POP CULTURE CORNER: ONE SONG TO RULE THEM ALL

written by LadyLizzLovelace < PM: >

Last week I introduced a new method of filling up space once I ran out of things to talk about, or figured y'all were getting tired of hearing me talk in the first place. So now we'll have another ensemble article, with voices from all the parts of the choir, and the topic of this week gives me the ability to make some music jokes if I want to.

The question was rather simple in design but the answer would be a very challenging thing, to any one, music buff or not. I managed to hear from @Castor, @soundofmind, @Steggy and @wolfical. Here's what they all had to say about this topic.

Castor says,







Link to version that they sent me.

soundofmind says,







They supplied me with the lyrics version but here's also a live version to make sure you didn't forget this was the 70s.

Steggy says,







Link.

Wolfical says,







Another link to fill up your playlist.

Before we move on to my own personal discussion of a favorite song, give those lovely people a round of applause for being the first set of guinea pigs.

For Me
Music is something that makes you emotional, and is sometimes looked at as the ability to bring out your best and worst sides, at least that's how I always see it. Music for me is most often an escape from a less than perfect relationship with my world. Like when I went to do SAT testing yesterday and I saw the guy from church who I sort of have a crush on, but I don't know because I don't have any feelings. Feelings are so weird for me because I either have none or I have too many, clouding my thoughts either way it goes.
And music clears things up for me, being able to listen to songs with so much effort and shared by so many people.

In the past, I said the song that inspired me most was Where Have All the Average People Gone by Roger Miller , because there was a time in my life when I was beat up for my southern accent and my ideas about things. Anyone who has ever heard me speak on discord, knows for one that might accent isn't that strong, but most of the time they hear me singing. It is good for that though, being able to replicate the sounds in country music.

Now I've moved on and found a song that defines me a bit more, one I know by heart and one that I can relate to somehow. I thought about choosing Delta Dawn by Tanya Tucker or even Ode to Billie Joe by Bobby Gentry but finally I managed to decide on, drum roll please...
Coal Miner's Daughter by Loretta Lynn
It's what I hummed yesterday to take my mind off of things and I admit I did lay on my accent a bit when talking to the cute guy, because it had worked before. Now I'd be lying if I said my father was a coal miner, but half my family on my father's side were in that business back in West Virginia. Either that or working for the railroad, prideful people in both, poor families in both, but they all raised me in a center way.
Anyways, music brings out my better side for the most part but occasionally it dips into my mean streak or the conniving and sly bit. I try to walk on the straight and narrow but for when that doesn't work out, 90% of the time, I know music will be there to catch my fall.

Next Week
Topic is going to switch back to examining a certain movie or song or artist. I will get the link up in the Squills Fan Club forum by this evening to collect some comments. And this week I will also be putting up a thread for suggestions for article topics.

That's all for now. Lizz signing off, so stay tuned in for the show.

This Week’s Link Round Up 11/5written by megsug < PM: >

Seeing as it’s November, This Week’s Round Up begins and ends with Nano.


@LadyLizz has your back this Nano. As November goes on, there will be tips and general cheering on. For now Lizz leaves us with:







Nano participants should subscribe to this thread, so that they’re prepared to get the pep talk they need when they hit a hard patch in the month.


@Iggy announced the new JM picks of the mod squad this week. We can congratulate







Wish them luck as they take on the fuzzy mantle!


If you’re a Queer Inklings member, don’t let a contest pass you buy. @Lumi has announced a contest the club is putting on. As long as contestants are a member and the entry is under 4000 words (or 40 lines for poetry) and published in the Publishing Center, anything is game. Representation is one of the criteria being judged. The prizes are pretty awesome too:







The deadline is November 19.


If you’re feeling a little lonely on your Nano trek, check out the NanoWriMo 2017 club. Members are organizing write-ins, Nano tips and advice, and general community to share in the joys and trials of Nano. There’s an opportunity to hang out at least once every week:







Don’t do Nano alone!

SHAMELESS PLUGS

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