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. TWO CENTS: EASTER'S SIGNIFICANCE
2. NEW MEMBER INTERVIEW: MANILLA
3. NEW ARRIVALS
4. ANIME MANIAC HOUR: POPULARITY
5. WORD SEARCH
6. STORYBOOK UPDATE
7. AN EASTER PERSPECTIVE
8. SHAMELESS PLUGS
9. SUBSCRIBERS

TWO CENTS: EASTER'S SIGNIFICANCEwritten by Aley < PM: >

Since today is Easter, I thought I'd actually talk about something I don't speak of very often, my religious views. Now some of you might know that I'm-




Rydia's Pirate: Arrrrr! I am @Rydia's Personal Purfect Professional Pirate, and I will be taking over this here Squills! I have planted me flag in the name of Rydia's Pirates!




RP: Capitan Rydia! And aye, because I said so. Isn't it purfect?


RP: Hah! As if ye can best me in any combat at all! I am Cat! Where I fits, I sits, and I fits in your spot, Editor in Chief!


RP: A duel ye say? I shall best yer best, beat yer unbeatable, and thwart yer unthwartable!


RP: And if I win, ye be handcuffed and forced to clean our litterboxes!


RP: Tis the drink of me lullabies and not a moments fear shall I,
Ye cower before the crook in me sails, and cry at the creak of me boots

as I march upon ye miserable excuse for nightmares!
I be Might, and ye be Mice!


RP: drunken coward, blind
avoids nature's torrent gold
rain glistens brightly


RP: And ye too plebian,
ye have no command on Truth as he chooses
not to hear ye, and ye are left alone,
bending to the Truth of Cat.
For where we fits
we sits
and we fits in your chair
Editor in Chief.

Arrr! Squills be mine and mine fellows' until they have done their duties and walked the plank with our litter box take out!

Fur words o' wisdom, news, and trivia, we be bringing ye the gallows speeches, and pleads for their freedom as they come in. Stay tuned!

Pirate: EternalRain be a scallywag who looks ripe for the plank! Evidence be here o' conspiring to spread news.

NEW MEMBER INTERVIEW: MANILLA

written by EternalRain < PM: >
@manilla has been here since March 21 but has truly settled in to the YWS community! She is well on her way with reviewing with a total of 17 reviews so far, and she has also set up her own reviewing thread,



Procyon: Ooh, sure! I'd be glad to participate ^^



P: I was Googling a source of good websites for teenaged writers to share their work and collaborate with others. I joined because it reminded me of another website that I will unfortunately never be able to return to - Story Wars. They're similar in a way I can't put in words.



P: My favorite part of YWS has been the people and the stories they create. Everyone has something to say about themselves and their viewpoint on the world, and writing is a great way for them to do it.



P: I enjoy writing most forms of fiction, but especially science fiction and fantasy. Poetry is nice as well, but I'm that type of person that has to be in the mood for it. If I have to, I'll write persuasive essays.



P: No, not yet. I've liked most things I've read so far, and I'm still looking for that one piece that stands out.



P: I get my inspiration from Googling weird images, music tracks, movies, books, and just anywhere that spouts creativity. I later combine and polish those ideas into a piece of writing.

It was fun getting to know manilla, who already feels like someone who’s been here for forever now!

NEW ARRIVALS
written by EternalRain < PM: >

Take a moment to welcome this week’s--

Argh, matey! Tis I, Captain Rydia’s pirate! I came to tell yer to take a moment to welcome aboard the newest mateys to our crew before you walk the plank for conspiracy to spread news! Arr!

@GreyMatter has reached their first yellow star and is well on their way towards their second!

@bhargav is an adventurer of the forums! They have 43 forum posts already.

@HalfbloodFangirl, who participated in the March review day, has completed a total of 12 reviews already! She also has a short story up, The Pointing Man .







'Appy April Fools Day!

ANIME MANIAC HOUR: POPULARITY
written by Kanome < PM: >

Welcome back to another Anime Maniac Hour! Today, I am going to be discussing about popular animes around the world. I have set yet another poll for you guys to vote for what was the first anime you watched. Thank you @saentiel for the suggestion! Let’s take a look at the results:



Ah-ha! It seems like we have a tie. So instead of doing a tie-breaker, I will be talking about both animes.
Let’s see what we got, shall we? First one we have on the list is:



You know it. It’s Naruto! Who doesn’t love a little action mixed with ninja, am I right? Let’s talk on what Naruto is about.

Naruto is about a boy named, of course, Naruto who was born as an outcast because he holds something inside him that make people afraid or angry at him. Naruto claims one day that he will be Hokage so that the people in his village will acknowledge him. He goes through many trials and learns about his past throughout the series while trying to achieve his goal.

Sounds intriguing, don’t it? For those of you who love anime but have never seen Naruto, I recommend this only because you learn about so much of the characters’ backstories that can make you sad. There are also movies included in the series, so more Naruto going around!

Let’s see what the next winner is:



What do you know! It’s Fullmetal Alchemist! We have discussed last week about who one of the main characters were and what their backstory was. Here is a refresher on what FMA is about as a whole.

FMA is about two boys who study alchemy in order to bring their mother back to life. One day, they tried to bring their mother back, but backfired. Resulting in the loss of a body and a couple of limbs, they set out to find something called the Philosopher's stone. The Philosopher’s stone is the key to bringing their body parts back.

Interesting and promising, I must say. The one I am speaking of is the original FMA, but there is a remake called FullMetal Alchemist Brotherhood, which I know most people watched. Both are good, even though one is just a remake of the original. Remember the Laws of Equivalent Exchange, folks!

I hope you enjoyed this segment on Anime Maniac Hour! What poll should I do next? If you guys have any suggestions, simply PM me your ideas. I am open to anything you may have! Now, here’s something you might enjoy!

WORD SEARCH written by killeham< PM: >

Hello everyone and welcome to the weekly word search! I have another poetry inspired—

‘Ello mateys! Rydia’s Pirate is here for the initiation! If ye scallywags can garner an’ solve this search, ye’ll receive a shiny, stolen, first mate cap, to block out that darn sun’s evil rays.

@TheBlueCat an’ @Aley ‘ave one-upped the lot of ye! Best get to it, ‘therwise, won’t be a spot on @Rydia’s ship for ye slow soldiers! Onwards!



Best be gettin’ quickly now, ye dun want to cross th’ Captain!

STORYBOOK UPDATEwritten by Kanome < PM: >

Are you interested in roleplaying? Are you new to the site and want to be part of something? How about joining a stor-

Squills: Uhm, excuse me, what are you doing?

Rydia's Pirate: I is here on Cap'n @Rydia's orders, mate. I is taking over this here segment!

S: You can't just barge in here and take ov-

*More crew members come in and tie Kanome up, putting tape over her mouth.*

Ye probablys know me from @Aley's article. Me, Cap'n Rydia's Personal Purfect Professional Pirate will be taking over this uhhh *Looks at notes* Storybook Update! Arrrgh! Let's get started, mateys!

Let's see here. Yo ho ho! There is some booty here that can be claimed, mateys!

The Frozen Falls by @ScarlettFire
Arrgh! What an interesting tale! Seven people from seven bloodlines must come together to collect some booty from a royal palace. Interesting, indeed. Me sees that there are three slots available. What are you waiting for, me mateys? Come and live to tell the tale!

Beneath a Silver Sky by @Basil
Avast ye, for there is yet another tale available! Science fiction in the twist, ye must colonize a new planet with a crew. I see that it is no pirate crew, but a crew is a crew! I sees two slots open for the taking. Come claim the booty, mateys!

Welcome to the House of Night by @kat13254
Yo ho ho! Tis one here is based off a tale called House of Night by P.C Cast and Kristen Cast. Arrgh! Seems like we be dealing with vampyres in a school. They are marked, mateys, and must go to House of Night so they can't reject the change. Tis tale is still looking for more people to join. Come and sign up!

Shiver me timbers, this seems like that's all the available booty for now, mateys. For the new members of thee site, there are rules to follow. Be sure to follow them or ye will walk the plank!
Storybook Rules & Resources

Also, for ye creators mentioned in this update, if ye want to make your tales more challenging, set up challenges on ye forum here:
Storybook Badges & Challenges

Pretty interesting tales to check out here, ye mateys! If ye like to play pirate, this is the right place for ye. Me hopes to see you be part of a storybook and live to tell the tale. Remember, mateys, there are a few slots left to claim. Go claim the booty and makes it ye own! Until next time, mateys!

AN EASTER PERSPECTIVE

written by alliyah < PM: >

April 1st is a whole lot of different things this year! From April Fools, NaPo, Spring Break, encounters with wild pirate crews and everything in between. For me and Christians who observe it, April 1st is also Easter this year! In this article I'll be taking a quick look at what Easter means for me and a little break-down of what some of the different Holy Week days are. As a disclaimer I should mention this is just based on my understanding of my own faith, and so of course different Christians would have a diverse array of beliefs on these different aspects.

Basically the days leading up to Easter are different days of observances where we remember different aspects of things that happened to Jesus leading up to his death on the cross and then his resurrection. To observe each of these days, many Christians including myself will attend Church services on each of these days, making for a very church-filled week. Here are the basics of what we're observing:

Maundy Thursday
On Maundy Thursday we remember when Jesus first celebrated the Last Supper, or Holy Communion. Some churches do hand or foot washing during the service, because Christ washed his followers feet as an act of servant leadership and love. During this service many churches also strip the altar of it's normal cloths, so the church looks bare and somber. I've never been a huge fan of the foot-washing ceremony, because it is too much in my personal space bubble. But luckily I can opt out of that part of the service and still appreciate the moral - that in order to lead like Jesus, it takes sacrifice and being willing to truly love and serve those around you.

Good Friday
Good Friday is always a very powerful service for me. It's the day we remember Jesus' death on a cross. During this day, many people in my church will observe fasting, so will go without eating for the day. Then at the church service, we'll hear the story of Jesus' death and the service will be very mournful. It's like going to a funeral, but a worse feeling because the person who died, had to die for us. At the end of the service traditionally we leave the sanctuary in silence. This can be a very emotional day for Christians, and while a bit out of the ordinary, I've seen people on occasion start crying during Good Friday services, the emotions can just be very painful - knowing how much Jesus suffered and the weight of our own sin.

Holy Saturday
Some churches have a Easter Vigil service during the night on Saturday, awaiting Sunday. Often candles are used as a symbol of light and life to contrast with the dark and sadness of the crucifixion and death.

Resurrection Sunday
And here's the day we've been waiting for! Easter Sunday, Christians celebrate Jesus' resurrection - when he came back to life from death. This is significant not only because it's remarkable when someone is resurrected (umm pretty cool right?!), but also because it actually means we will also to experience resurrection one day if we trust in Christ because our sins have been forgiven and Jesus has conqured the power of death. This is the most important day on the Christian church calendar and there's just so much joy and excitement in the music, in the readings, and in the message.

Personal Reflection
Over the course of the week leading up to Easter I have to say it can be draining experiencing the whole roller-coaster of emotions that go with it! I almost laughed when I left for Spring Break when a few people wished me a restful, happy break. But knowing the context of the sadder services leading up to Easter, make Sunday all the more joyful. For me these services are something that remind me of the core values and stories of my faith and I hope others have a chance to experience some of the joy of Easter, renewal, and Spring-life whether they're celebrating the religious side of Easter or not.

And as I'm writing this, I've just been told by a random pirate that it's time to wrap this article up because apparently they are taking over the Squills News Room... Before I go and ask the editors what all this is about, I should also note that although Holy Week falls on the last week of March through April 1st for Western Christianity, those in the Eastern Orthodox Church actually will be celebrating Easter or Pascha April 8th. Jewish people will also be celebrating their own significant holiday of Passover at the end of March too. So whether you're celebrating Easter this week or next week, observing Passover, going Easter egg hunting, spending time with family, or welcoming the Spring into your life in any other festive ways - I wish you all a wonderful week!

SHAMELESS PLUGS

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