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. SQUILLS UPDATES: LUMI STEPPING DOWN
2. STORYBOOK UPDATE
3. THE SQUILLS NEWSHOUR: WEEK 1
4. NEW MEMBER INTERVIEW: EMMA1045
5. DIXIE KITCHEN: NEAPOLITAN ICE CREAM
6. NEW ARRIVALS
7. LITERATURE LESSONS: BEOWULF
9. SHAMELESS PLUGS
10. SUBSCRIBERS

SQUILLS UPDATES: LUMI STEPPING DOWNwritten by Aley < PM: >

Today we mourn the loss of one of our most well-loved writers, @Lumi, who is stepping down from being an editor of Squills and taking a break for a while due to personal reasons. He leaves us with a gap in our collective humor indexes as he routinely made us laugh with his entertaining questions and conversation.

Lumi is a GM on YWS, meaning he does a lot around the site and we were happy to have stolen him for as long as we did! He is still an active member of our YWS community and it will definitely not be the last we heard of him, but it might be the last we have heard of him as an interviewer rather than someone interviewed.

To commemorate his legacy of humor and wit, I have prepared the following limerick.

At first we wandered in shorts,
and then we wondered at quarts,
but to leave us today
is to slip in the fray
and make presidents of all of our reports.

Nothing's perfect, and that imperfection makes it fun! Let's keep the fun spirit alive so Lumi comes home to us to bring us smiles and laughs when he has time.

Here's to you, Detective.

STORYBOOK UPDATE
written by Kanome < PM: >

Welcome to another week of Squills, fellow Squillians! Today, I am here to discuss latest Storybooks that are out there that I can recommend to you that you should check out. Let’s get started, shall we?

Book Club in Room U202 created by @HazelGrace16.
Basically, this SB is based off SYFY show, ‘The Magicians’ where you are a college student who, with other students as well, discover a book where it chooses potential Magic Wielders. Sounds interesting, right? If you are interested in joining a wonderful adventure of university life and magical shenanigans, just simply go to BCRU DT and request to join. This SB is currently accepting at this time.

Hogwarts Students and The Years We Lived with Harry Potter created by @Nike.
This SB is basically about your character in the world of Harry Potter. You are a student in Hogwarts, describing your adventures in your point of view while the events of the Harry Potter series goes on. As a Harry Potter fan, I find this interesting because you are discussing on what it’s like to be around Harry Potter in your way, whether it’s good or bad, depending on the situation. This SB is open to all and still accepting members to join. If you wish to join, request to join here: Hogwarts Students and The Years We Lived with Harry Potter DT

Prison Break created by @Danni88
This SB is about a group of people, which is you and others, who are trapped in a prison. Your goal is to escape and return to your home before you are executed by a mysterious group called The Black Bolts. I love the simplicity and the originality of the SB. This SB is currently accepting and is open to all. Feel free to join today by asking @Danni88 in this forum: Prison Break DT

Here are some other Storybooks that are currently accepting and/or open to all members to join:

Supernatural Hierarchy created by @DivinePrincess
Dicussion Topic: Supernaturl Hierarchy DT

V created by @Lumi
Discussion Topic: V DT

These are just some of the Storybooks that are currently available to join. If you want to see other storybooks, simply go to this link: Storybook

Until next time, Squllians!

THE SQUILLS NEWSHOUR: WEEK 1

written by LadyLizz< PM: >


Link to Video

Welcome back to Squills and welcome to the dry run of this idea, where I will try to make it as successful as possible, while still having enough of a budget to do it next week.

And while we will try and cover some sections of real world news, since Squills is mostly devoted to Yewis news, most topics do have to be skirted around. So first one the agenda today is probably something recently done by a dog, where he/she managed to do it better than a human.


There are 3 different sources to this headline, all which display the same cute video of a golden retriever taking a match to his family's home. All reports say it was by complete accident, that he simply knocked into the knob while snatching the pancakes off the kitchen stove.
Either way that you look at it, arson or petty theft, this is one criminal canine. When questioned about this incident, his lawyer refused to bark. But the assistant DA quipped, "guess things aren't looking so golden now, huh, Air Bud?"


This case took place in early November of 2017, but continues to pop up into our recommended list, mainly from how stupid it sounds. The arrest apparently took place after the horse was going the wrong way down a highway and failed to walk the barrel figure.

Oh. I am now being told that it was actually the rider that was arrested, who was also going the wrong way down the highway and in her case, failed to walk a straight line when prompted by deputies. The suspect failed to comment and we have been informed by the marshals and the ASPCA, that the horse is now in witness protection in connection to a completely different crime. From the little details that we could gather on that incident, he was a witness some alfalfa hay smuggling operations.
Happy trails wherever you are.


The February Review Day rolled in and out of the station, without Fahrvergnügen or Schadenfreude getting off the train, disappointing their loyal fans. The Funky Words have chosen not to comment, mainly because they cannot, because they're just simple words after all.
When we asked @Big Brother if this was part of the continuing Review Daynumber conspiracy cover-up, our correspondent was 'escorted' out of the building. If you would like to send flowers to their hospital room, please contact the Squills staff.



There is one radio ad today and that is for Peco Bill's Trading Post, located somewhere in the Lounge. Half the adventure is in finding the forum. Come on down to the store this weekend for some photoshopped avatars and perhaps some pirated points from the great train robbery. But you didn't hear that last part from me, coppers.

And now, back to the news.


The thief from Oklahoma (or Alabama) who we did not report on last week or any week, is unfortunately still on the run. The police are still clueless as to who this man is or what his motive for stealing $400 worth of dried meats was. They are also in the process of determing how he smuggled the snack foods out of the store and perhaps they do not want to know.
It's safe to say, that the convenience store will not be wanting the product back.




We come to you live from the docks, where our resident Dock Correspondent @TheSilverFox, is surveying the scene. This went just a few hours ago when the infamous pirate docked in Resources Bay. Soon after they started to the land, a senior resident who wishes not to be named, called the Coast Guard. The officers managed to capture the crew but once again, they let the captain slip through their fingers. If you have seen Captain Rydia, please do not report it to the authorities, because everyone here at Squills is rooting for her.

It seems that we have lost our dock correspondent, because he was a member of the crew.

Um, turns out they have taken the first mate in for questioning as well.
So in a completely different subject, Squills Newshour, now has yet another position open. If you would like to become our dock correspondent, weather anchor, co-host or really any other correspondent, please contact a staff member.

NEW MEMBER INTERVIEW: EMMA1045

written by EternalRain < PM: >

With the second new member column, we have @emma1045! She joined in late January. She’s made her way around YWS through the forums as well as read her fair share of literary works!



Emma1045: Sure! No problem. I'd love to be interviewed!




E: I always wanted to share my thoughts and my works with people. I started searching websites I could share them on and then I found YWS.




E: I enjoy writing poems, mostly poems that have lots of thought and feeling in them. I don't really write about a specific genre, it just depends on what I'm thinking or how I'm feeling.




E: Yeah, you can say that. But those emotions come from the events that happen in my life and in other people's life. There are events that take place in everyone's lives that are quite similar-not the same- but relatable. I want people to feel when they read my works and if they understand them, that they're not alone in what they're going through, that there is someone else out there that has a life that they can relate to.



E: What I really like about YWS is all the talented people here. There are so many beautiful works. I also love everyone that’s here, everyone is very friendly and fun. They are also very honest with feedback.

And what a nice sentiment to end on! It was fun to chat with Emma and get to know more about her thoughts of YWS and her writing life, and I’m excited to meet more new members in the future!

DIXIE KITCHEN: NEAPOLITAN ICE CREAM

written by LadyLizz< PM: >

To start us off, because I forgot to do this last time, here are the results of the poll.


And in case you didn't read the prompt, which can be found right here , just take a look down below.

LadyLizz wrote:

If you had to choose from these 3, what would it be?

I could do like twenty articles on different ice cream flavors since there's hundreds, but for the purposes of this poll, I've narrowed it down to the main three.

Throughout time (okay since the early 20th century), vanilla ice cream has mostly been the most popular ice cream and according to the IDFA's 2017 survey, vanilla is still at the top. Chocolate and chocolate candy mixtures all hold spots in the top 5, but the point is that vanilla is still the best and has been for awhile.

Now, I don't agree with that. I think that chocolate is best. The argument for vanilla is often "it goes best with pie" and I don't know about you, but I think chocolate ice cream and berry pie is pretty good. Chocolate is the same sort of neutral as vanilla, it's strawberry that you've got to be concerned about.

If you want to read all the technical parts of that survey and the further results, it's on the International Dairy Foods Association website, conveniently linked below.
Vanilla Reigns Supreme; Chocolate Flavors Dominate in Top Five Ice Cream Favorites (Among Americans)

So this brings us back to the question listed above. If you had to choose from chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry, which would you choose and why?
And of course the 4th option because ice cream isn't for everyone.

First reply is from @Aley who has declared,




@marms didn't really nail down an answer but did say:




@Mea seems to agree???




@inktopus sort of comes to the defense of strawberry ice cream.




I have no introduction for @alliyah's comment.




So that's where the stray no came from.
Thanks @PrincessInk.




These were the only responses I have for this week but just you wait until I come up with my next idea. If you've got any feedback or suggestions for any of my columns, put it on my Squills Thread

NEW ARRIVALS
written by EternalRain < PM: >

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

@Lives4Christ24 has completed 9 reviews - a quiet impressive amount - since their time on YWS, as well as some forum posts!

@Aadya loves singing and traveling, along with writing! She’s posted two poems up already as well.

@AnimalQueen has a nice four reviews, as well as the start to their novel, Psychic.

LITERATURE LESSONS: BEOWULFwritten by killeham < PM: >

Welcome to my new — and only — column about bringing literary works from my English literature class to YWS! I’m hoping this will interest not only fellow teenagers but also younger and older readers, as maybe you haven’t thought to read some of these tales beforehand. Here’s to going on new reading adventures!

First off is one I started within the first couple months of senior year: the epic Beowulf.

Beowulf is an epic poem that has no clear original composition date. The only reason we know its existence is through a manuscript about a thousand years old, although it was partially damaged in a fire on the twenty-third of October, all the way back in 1731.

This is the longest poem ever to be written in Old English, which was spoken before the Norman Conquest took over Anglo-Saxon England.

The poem details the adventures of Beowulf, a Geatish prince, who comes to the aid of Norway and her people, who are currently under attack by the monster known as Grendel.

I don’t want to spoil this truly epic poem, so all I will say is that there are three major battle scenes in Beowulf: against Grendel, against Grendel’s mother, and a rather terrifying dragon.

Some literary devices that my class noticed and studied further include caesura, kennings, and alliteration.

Caesura is something even if you don’t recognize, you’ve probably seen it before. It’s a fancy word for a line break, as in the following:

“And stronger than anyone anywhere in this world— /Heard how Grendel filled nights with horror.”

A kenning is a compound word, that combines multiple ideas to describe a more profound or complicated one, (in a way, at least) as shown below:

“Hrothgar, gray-haired and brave, sat happily/Listening, the famous ring-giver sure.”

Here, “ring-giver” is a loose interpretation for king, or ruler.

Finally, we have alliteration, which indicates that consecutive words have the same starting letter as in this quote:

“The Geats'/Proud prince was ready to leap on her… /He was weary, that best/And strongest of soldiers.”

Here, there are multiple cases of alliteration, from “proud prince” to “strongest of soldiers.”

As a reference, the “/”s indicate a line break, straight from Burton Raffel’s translation.

I hope you liked this week’s English lesson! Please stay tuned for more!

SHAMELESS PLUGS

written by SquillsBot < PM: >

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We even have a club to house all the journals!

That's all folks~ Now send us yours.

SUBSCRIBERS

written by SquillsBot < PM: >
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