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. FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW - KANOME
2. NAPO THREAD HIGHLIGHTS
3. AN ARTIST ANSWERS: WOLFICAL
4. APRIL MADNESS UPDATE
5. THE SQUILLS NEWSHOUR: FEATURE SHOWCASE ON PIRATES
6. WORD OF THE WEEK: ASSIDUOUS
7. LIVE FROM OUTSIDE THE YWS CAMP NANO CLUB HOUSE...
8. SCRIPT WRITING AND CREATION BY ELINOR
9. CLUB COVERAGE
10. WORD SEARCH
11. ANIME MANIAC HOUR : GENRE AWARENESS
12. LITERATURE LESSONS - LITTLE WOMEN
13. SHAMELESS PLUGS
14. SUBSCRIBERS

FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW: KANOMEwritten by Aley < PM: >

Today I have the honor of introducing one of the most fun people I've had the pleasure of meeting in a while. Please give a big round of applause to @Kanome, our featured member! Kanome is one of those people who is passionate about what she loves, and lets everyone know exactly what that is. In this case, anime and manga.

Kanome is probably best-known as a Squills Writer, but her most amazing creation is actually her Manga Book Club . Currently, the MBC is reading through Blue Exorcist, a manga about the spawn of Satan, the evil guy, not the red one with the beard, who is trying to be free of his heritage by becoming an exorcist who fights his father's will on Earth. They're on book three, or chapters 7-9 if you'd like to join the weekly discussion which takes place on Friday's.

Kanome is also currently participating in National Poetry Month, which she has done in the past in 2015. Her current journal, if you'd like to watch her fly through this month, is here .

If you're more into prose, consider reading her Squills work! You just have to scroll around in this publication to find some of it! Rumor has it this week she is talking about the self-aware.

Alright, I'll stop jabbering on about how much I love this user and show you guys our interview. Enjoy the read!


Kanome: Sure!


K: I was actually surprised. I didn't expect myself to be Featured Member.


K: It could be from the reviews I've been doing lately. And I also think in all the Storybooks I am in so far.


K: I think I started reviewing more because I have been gone from the site for a good while, and I just wanted to get used to reviewing again.
I even started to learn to critique poetry thanks to someone I know c:


K: In a way, yes, but at the same time, no. Because I feel like I can do better at critiquing works than I do now.


K: Honestly, just providing a detailed review, but it's hard for me to do so because my words are limited.
If that makes sense.


K: Right now, I am just reading a dictionary from time to time.


K: No xD The reason I haven't tried reading higher level books is because I already have issues of reading comprehension. I didn't get around to the resources on the site, but I might now.
lel. reading comprehension issues but i love to read and write.


K: I personally don't know xD Maybe it's because anime and manga shows plot that I had never seen or heard of before. I was introduced to anime when my aunt one day showed me InuYasha, and I was like 'Oh that's so cool!'


K: I try to attempt to ship characters that readers don't expect. For example, years ago, I started writing a Sonic the Hedgehog (which is surprisingly an anime if you've seen the show) fanfction and I was trying to ship Sonic and Cream together because I thought it would be cute.


K: No. There are times where I write fanfiction to change up the story of the original plot of an anime or manga. Like write about what should've been. If that makes sense.


K: To me, the most valuable thing about fanfiction would have to be dedication. People write fanfiction because they enjoy the characters and plot of an anime or manga. They want to write it in their own perspective.


K: A once good friend of mine recommended the site to me. People might know her as sassafras or reisepiecey.


K: The only advice I really have is to just be yourself and enjoy the things you write. c:


K: Just do you. Try to join some events that are going on like NaPo or Camp NaNo. If you like roleplaying, join a Storybook!


K: Hmm. Just one thing. For new members, I hope you guys enjoy the site as much as I do and hope to see y'all still here in the future.


K: Yep ~

I think one of the best things that Kanome said in the interview was that Fanfiction can be written just to explore, and it really takes some dedication to reinvent the story with enough honesty to the original, that people love to read it. That's really cool and I totally agree.

So if you're also an anime lover, PM Kanome to chat. She's a load of fun to talk to about anything manga or anime related. I should know, I've bored her for hours about my personal favorite which she hasn't even read!

Until next time!

NAPO THREAD HIGHLIGHTS

written by alliyah < PM: >

We're a week into NaPo - which means poetry has been all around the site from the Poetry Discussion Forum to the Poetry Jams and of course all over the People Tab (with the hashtag #NaPo 2018) and the NaPo Threads themselves. That's a lot of poetry!

In case you haven't had time to read through all of the NaPo threads yourself (which I absolutely recommend taking some time to do whether you're participating or not) I'm going to highlight a few of the poetic gems that have come out of this first week. Without furtherado, here's this week's highlights:







@Pompadour "i do not dare to ask"





@hexglass "to my mother"





@PrincessInk "a walk under the whispering trees"





@Audy "who takes my picture without my permission"





@Lareine "FREE IS A FOUR LETTER WORD"





@marms "from the ashes of winter"

last night i watched dead rocks take flight
they wanted to try something electric
so they tried to kiss the ground
and lit up that dark night

@ellasnotebook "meteor shower"

Hey - do you remember when
the hurricane swallowed our plans?
We dined in the river estuary
and caught the rain in our hands.

@Cadi #4 - from Hopes and Fears of a Sleeping Dragon

And there we have it! These highlights are just the surface of all of the beautiful poetry from the NaPo writing that's been done so far, so take some time and read through a few threads. If the thread is marked in green "Comments Welcome" you could even leave some of your thoughts to encourage the authors as they continue their writing journeys! Also if there's a poem or some verses you'd like to see featured in next week's issue, send a PM my way and it might just appear in next week's Squills edition.

AN ARTIST ANSWERS: WOLFICALwritten by neptune < PM: >

We’re all familiar with the Art & Photography forum here on YWS -- there are many fabulous artists sharing their artwork and other crafts there. I thought it only appropriate to ask a series of questions with a special artist here on YWS. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome @Wolfical!

Squills: Hey Wolfical! I was wondering if I could interview you for an artist column I'm writing for Squills? I'll be asking simple questions about you and (your) art.

Wolfical: Awww gosh!! I'd be honored if you still need an interview!

S: When did you first grow an interest for art?

W: Since I was very young, I've always enjoyed drawing, and I took a painting class when I was in fifth grade. But from then through middle school, I had a best friend who was always better at art than me, and watching her create her masterpieces hindered my progress. I saw her art and knew that I could never be better than her, so why should I even try?

Come junior year, I finally joined an art class in high school. My teacher is absolutely fabulous, and he encouraged me to find the purpose in my pieces rather than focus on technical skills. "There are thousands of 'artists' out there that can copy a photograph really well," he explained. "But not many can have the same personally creative voice as you." Even though it wasn't that long ago, this was a huge turning point in my artistic experience!

S: What a wonderful story! What famous artists have inspired you along your journey?

W: You're probably expecting me to list off a few of the traditional masters - Van Gogh, Monet, da Vinci - but it's actually been the contemporary artists I follow on YouTube and deviantART that continue inspire and teach me the most! My favorite YT artists are Robin Clonts , Josiah Brooks (Jazza) , and Marco Bucci . On dA, I really like the artists kenket and chateaugrief . Here on YWS, @Sonder and @soundofmind are definitely artists I look up to (and yes, they're certainly famous)!

S: I should check out those YouTubers! What is your favorite form of art (drawing, painting, sculpting, etc)?

W: Right now, it's acrylic painting. Sometimes I'm too lazy to do it (getting all the paint out, mixing the colors, washing out brushes, etc.) but the results are by far my favorite. There's no limitations with painting, either. You can make any color you want, paint over what you mess up on, and get all sorts of little details and textures!

S: What advice do you have for aspiring artists?

W: Have fun! Practice! Draw things you like, using references to develop your technical skills. Look to other artists to learn, not to be discouraged. Start thinking about how your individuality can speak through your artwork, and what messages you want your viewers to absorb.

Since we're all writers here, look at it this way: it's more the story, the characters, and the purpose that matter, not so much the eloquence of the writing and the fancy words used. So in visual art, don't be restrained by your inability to draw and paint super realistically. Carpe diem! Seize the, uh, canvas! Go and create, no matter your level of experience.

S: What great advice! Thank you so much for taking your time to answer these questions!

That’s a wrap on this week’s artist interview! It was very fun getting to know Wolfical, while in the process of learning about her artistic journey.

APRIL MADNESS UPDATE

written by alliyah < PM: >

Here's your local Squills Poetry Correspondant, coming to you live from the front lines of April Madness! This last week 24 poets battled it out in an epic Poetry Contest amidst the chaos of NaPoWriMo with 7 judges determining who from each bracket would continue on to the next round.

From this last round of results we have 12 competitors who will advance to the "winners" bracket in round two, while the 12 remaining competitors will go head-to-head for a spot back against the "winners" in round 3. The first round was a nail-biter with some of the results coming as close to a .1 difference.

The next round will have the following pairings in the "winners" bracket:

Group 1
@Meshugenah vs @TheSilverFox vs @Lumi vs @Aley

Group 2
@Audy vs @alliyah vs @Mea vs @Rydia

Group 3
@Kaylaa vs @ellasnotebook vs @Lareine vs @fortis

Congratulations to all the courageous poets who've competed so far, and to our readers, be sure to tune in next week for more April Madness coverage or follow the results live in the April Madness Thread.

THE SQUILLS NEWSHOUR: FEATURE SHOWCASE ON PIRATES

written by LadyLizz< PM: >


Good evening or morning or wherever you may find yourself while reading this newscast. Yes, I did say reading. We are unfortunately having technical difficulties today after some pirates invaded the studios last week. During their visit, they decided to put a few machetes through the video recording equipment.

There goes my show budget for the month...

So welcome back to Squills and to a very special edition of the Newshour, where I am still being held at musket and sword point. The pirates got here last week and though they have vacated the rest of the Squills newsroom, for some reason they're still hanging out around here.

Should prove rather eventful considering the topics that we were going to be covering today. Rather than talking about the Coast Guard issue or our other main issue of the day is the continuing NaPo picketers outside the Camp NaNo club house, this will be a short talk about famous pirates.

Am I reading that cue card right? Famous pirates?

Okay, okay, you don’t need to shoot anymore bottles of soda.

We have five pirates on the agenda today, and I guess we're going to start with Anne Bonny, who is one of the most famous pirates period. There's not too much written about her early life because you know, 1700s but she was married twice and famously escaped the death penalty because she was pregnant. Her father was an important council member somewhere and so there's conflicting theories if she really got out of the trials by herself, or if he pulled some strings.

There's more discussion there than you might think.

Now let's move down the list-


You have got to be kidding me, not again. Dam-



It seems that we are getting a transmission from our dock correspondent, @TheSilverFox. Who still seems to be residing in federal custody, so I'm not sure what he's reporting about currently.

Squills via Lady Lizz: Silver, you were kidnapped off the docks a month ago. Do you have any further comments on how time spent in the brig is treating you?

LL: I thought you were still in prison. Did you use a spoon or knife to dig out?

LL: Uh, good choice...

LL: Now that you are a pirate on the run, have you come up with a creative name? perhaps something involving "Silver"?

LL: Every hero, villain, anti-hero and sidekick, has a theme song that they walk in to. Darth vader has a death march. In the new x-men series, quicksilver's theme song is "sweet dreams are made of this". What do you imagine yours to be?

LL: Are you sure they didn't chase you out of the brig? Maybe with a broom?

LL: Did you at least make a raft out of sea turtles and your hair?

LL: Was it like this?

Or did you manage to go in even more style?

LL: So how's life on the island?

LL: It's all coconuts and umbrellas, then?

LL: I'll ship you a hammock and another tree.

LL: There is no way you escaped from prison by yourself.

LL: Well good luck to you on the island. if anything exciting happens, send us a message in a bottle.


Whoops. Looks like we lost that transmission as well. The is one call waiting on the tipline, so let's see what's going on there.

Wrong pirate informant.

Now we go to yet another source, who is actually still inside the brig but does not wish to reveal their identity.
LL: Would you like to be written in as an anonymous source, who is not willing to reveal their identity?

LL: I keep 20 copies of contracts in my briefcase just for that reason.

LL: I'm gonna ask you a question for Squills, concerning the ongoing pirate investigation.

LL: Since you are a member of the pirate crew and there are some suspicions, this is simply something routine I have to ask. Were you the inside leak?

LL: Did you the call the cops or do you know who did?


And our connection from inside of the STORYBOOK BRIG, has unfortunately been lost to sea rats chewing through the wires.

*twirls chair around to other side of the newsroom*

That's all we can report on the ongoing pirate investigation. Stay tuned for the next page of Newshour, covering the ongoing riots between poets and novelists. We speak to @alliyah, who is leading the picketers currently and @biscuitsleguin, whose position can't be determined.

So long and...

WORD OF THE WEEK: ASSIDUOUSwritten by marms
< PM: >

Pronunciation: as·sid·u·ous

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: showing great care and perseverance

Synonyms: diligent, careful, meticulous, thorough, punctilious

Origin: mid 16th century, from Latin word ‘assiduus’ and ‘assidere’, meaning, “be engaged in doing.”

Used in a Quote: “Man cannot produce a single work without the assistance of the slow, assiduous, corrosive worm of thought.” ― Italian poet, prose writer, and editor, Eugenio Montale

LIVE FROM OUTSIDE THE YWS CAMP NANO CLUB HOUSE...

written by LadyLizz< PM: >
IT'S NOT QUITE SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, BUT IT'S CLOSE.

While I'm sure everyone has already heard a lot about NaPo (which is National Poetry Month, if you're still under that rock) another writing event held in April, is Camp NaNo. It's marketed as an easier version of the NaNo run in November, because you get to pick your own goal, rather than being stuck with the stress of 50k.

We start outside with @alliyah, who is currently standing with the rest of the picketers we were reporting about earlier.

Alliyah: YEs
was that the question

A: okay i suppose


A: Oh gosh, I didn't know I was going to be asked to speak about this very important conflict.

If you've seen my wall at all this March, you will know I'm a little bit biased here. But I'll make my case!

NaPo is a celebration of Poetry Writing (which happens just once a year - unlike NaNo which has already came and gone and now is here again apparently) traditionally people endeavor to write 30 poems during NaPo to have a chance to really flex your poetry muscles. With that much poetry mashed into that short of a time, it's like being able to put all of your poetic thoughts and skills on the table rather than just agonizing over one poem for a month.

It gives writers the opportunity to really stretch themselves as far as poetic style, creativity, themes, form, and even specific challenges. Also NaPo is great because it's flexible - if you want a challenge - we've got plenty of prompts for you to try.
If you're short on time, set a lower poem-count goal that fits with your schedule. If you have to pick between NaPo and CampNaNo, NaPo should win in my opinion because it's totally customizable as far as what you want to get out of it (number of poems, challenges, goals).

And it's not just "writing more poetry" it forces you to get out of your box and try new things because of the sheer amount of writing that is done. While you could write 30 poems any other time in the year, here's your chance to do it alongside a community of poets trying the same thing, with all the poetry jams , resources, and challenges right at your finger tips. Happy Writing whichever event you decide on!

A: apologies that it is long and unwieldy.


Now, here to talk about what NaNo is and defend it is, @BiscuitsLeGuin.

BiscuitsLeGuin: yup that'd be absolutely fine, awesome in fact : )

B: sure.
The most important distinction between Camp NaNo and NaNoWriMo is that Camp NaNo is far more flexible. You get to set your own word count, it can be about existing projects, and you can use it to cover multiple projects. This could literally just be a fun way to motivate you to write what you might reluctantly be doing anyway.

It's really fun, actually, because you get sorted into "Cabins" which are essentially private instant messaging forums in which you talk to other participants about your progress, which is really useful for keeping your excitement up and not making you fall out of love with writing halfway through the month. It's basically a fun, chill way of kickstarting some of that NaNo fever at the other side of the year.

B: It does have a lot of competition, yes. That's fair though, it's kind of just piggybacking on NaPo's hype in the first place

I do have a specific project, yes. I'm about 15k words into a fantasy novel called Welona, though I've been really busy so there's only two chapters on the site. I might sub in some of the word count of a uni assignment if I'm struggling, but I'd really like to get as much of that project done as possible.

My writing has been taking a back seat for most of my uni career and when I've gone back to it I've found myself rusty, so I want to keep my intensity up as well as I can. My word count goal is 15k, which I hope will be both intense and doable, for this reason.

B: I think I might have done that in the July one once *much shudder*

B: Yeah so obviously it's different from the main event, in that people tend to have lower word limits.

Three of the announced word counts in the YWS cabin are 15k, 15k and 10k so the normal advice really doesn't apply. I think the main thing that has to be kept in mind just now is that even though the word count is lower, most people are still doing this during some sort of term time, whether that's school or higher education, and that for a lot of people this is deadline season.

That means that you still have to be very careful about your schedule and fitting writing in when you can. It's so easy to push back working on your essay and spending too much time writing, or vice versa, and falling way too far behind in one or the other.

I think the way to get around this is to come up with a strict schedule from the off. If this means that you find yourself wishing you were writing and sad that you're missing out, you can hang out in the chat room as you do whatever work you have to, and generally engage in the community.

In terms of generally working towards a word count. Figure out whether you prefer bursts of lots of writing or little amounts at a time. Maybe try out different methods between now and then to see what works for you. Try out word wars to get used to them, set up pads that you can hang out with other writers on while you all work on your projects. There's a really supportive community here, whether you're in a cabin or not; take advantage of that.

B: First of all I think the flexible word counts help it to not necessarily have to be a choice. But at the point where you're trying to decide between the two, I actually wouldn't push anyone towards Camp. NaPo only happens once; prose has NaNo and two Camps. I am someone who is hopeless with poetry and not particularly skilled, so it's never a choice for me.

But if you're someone who can do both then honestly I recommend NaPo.
Apologies for breaking your question


And here to talk about their project is @Evander.


Evander: Sure!

E: BiscuitsLeGuin advertised for it and I thought, "I'm already doing SAW and NaPo. What's the harm in adding one more project?" Really, I have this story idea that's been in the back of my mind for about two months; it's too long for a short story, but too short for a novel. Writing it for Camp Nano would be perfect.

E: Oh, haha, it's piece of fanfiction for a podcast I listen to! I was challenged to write it by an acquaintance, so I'm going to try to give it an attempt. I'm also writing it because I want to get back in the groove of writing long form fiction again.

E: Well, I have to do research for it in Area 51... *muffles self before he lets out a conspiracy*
Well, I figured that I'd start with my goal as 10k. Nothing too unreasonable. That gives me about 5 chapters to work with. Once I've written 10k, then I'll decide if the fanfic is worthy of a 50k goal.



E: Not really! I'm guessing that a lot of my poems will revolve around space-like imagery, but I'm not entirely certain if I'll force myself to stick to that theme. I've never completed NaPo before, so I don't want to impose too many restrictions on myself.

E: Haha, maybe I would have written something like that when I was 11! Your sources seem to be about 3 years out of date.
Then again, I could do one poem for each house... then if I write 5 poems each for the main trio then... and add in some poems for Quidditch... hmm, maybe that is one way to complete NaPo!

E: I hear that if you pay $2.99 a month, then they'll include sonnets of information about your target. Sounds like a great deal!

E: *Turns in chair and waves to the hidden camera*
Get all of your spying services at Johnson and Co. Johnson and Co., a family company!


And a final message before we leave.

SCRIPT WRITING AND CREATION BY ELINOR written by killeham< PM: >

Do you like storytelling? Are you interested in scripts, or want to gain some experience in how to do so? If yes, then Tales of the Airwaves may be just for you!

@Elinor has created a new program to rejuvenate what once was known as the YWS Radio Theater. All she asks is for you, our lovely readers, to adapt stories that she and @Evander have created, into scripts! Click here for more information!

To find out more, I interviewed the very own Elinor below!



Elinor: I first ran a radio show back in 2014, that was called Jamie's Coin. (Click here for more information .) It was a lot of fun and I wanted to bring it back for the same reason I started it -- the experience of being a part of a production that comes to life is thrilling and invaluable as a writer, in my opinion. Last time it was original script submissions, but learning to adapt is such a useful skill into its own, which is why this time it's focused on adaptation. And it can be a lot of fun to bring your own interpretation to another writer's work as well.



E: Read the story you're assigned and ask yourself: why is this story being told? What's the narrative purpose? Don't worry so much about cutting scenes, adding scenes or switching them around or being line for line the same - staying true to the narrative purpose of the story is going to the most important thing. And if you have questions, you can always ask Evander or I what we were thinking when we wrote certain parts. No matter what, be confident in the decisions you make.



E: Good question! That's a tough one. If we're talking adaptations, I love the recent movie Before I Fall, which was based on one of my favorite books. Ordinary People is a great book, and a great script as well. There are so many rich characters. Though, once we get things up and moving as far as actually producing the winning scripts, I'll be inspired by radio series such as "Suspense" and "Lights Out". You can find episodes of those on youtube.




E: They're a lot of fun to write.

Thank you very much, Elinor!

To sum up the interview, here’s some other key information!

There is no limit to who can join, and entering is a very simply process. All you need to is hit that link at the top of this article, or here for your convenience, and put a “1” or “2” in that thread, indicating which story you want to write a script on. In addition, there will be a workshop for all involved or anyone interested in script writing generally. For more information on the workshop specifically, please click here!

I hope this has unearthed an unknown interest in script writing, since I sure know this has piqued me! Have fun writing!

CLUB COVERAGEwritten by neptune < PM: >

There are many clubs that pertain to everyone’s passions and hobbies, so I’ve gathered a few that might catch your eye this week!

NaPo has come upon us, and the Poetry Jams club has been getting more active. Whether you are participating in NaPo or not, the Poetry Jam club is a great place to write poetry together and have fun in your pajamas! There you can create and join writing jams.

Those who love Hamilton should check out the club Hamilton Fans . Share your favorite song from the musical and talk about all things Hamilton!

YWS Chef Club is open for all who love cooking and food! Have a recipe? Share it here! Looking for that perfect dessert to make? Here’s the place to look!

Who doesn’t love Disney? Disney Movies Club is the place to discuss your favorite disney movies and characters! Thoughts on the upcoming Frozen 2 movie? Let your fellow Disney lovers know in this club!

Adulting 101 is helpful for people of all ages to get together for guidance or giving advice. Whether it be cleaning or cooking, share and collect those #lifehacks for your life!

Remember, if you have an interest or hobby that you would like to share with others, you can make your own club!

If none of those clubs appeal to your interests, you can also check out the Squills Fan Club for updates from your favorite columnists! Feel free to let us know what articles you like best!

WORD SEARCH written by killeham< PM: >

Hello everyone and welcome to the weekly word search!



I hope you have fun and feel free to send in your completed searches! Great job on last week’s @TheBlueCat!

Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure that the pirates are abided at the moment, but finished word searches may keep them from arriving sooner. You never know!

That’s all for now, folks! Be sure to finish the searches, since there might be something waiting in your PMs. Until next time!

ANIME MANIAC HOUR: GENRE AWARENESSwritten by Kanome < PM: >

Welcome back to Anime Maniac Hour. I hope you are ready because I am going to discuss a genre in depth. Let’s talk about Reverse Harem. Reverse Harem is basically where a group of men ( An average of three or four ) have feelings for the main female character or the ‘heroine’. Most anime lovers know what Harem is, which can depicted as sexual, but Reverse Harem is not usually the case. At least, the ones I have seen are usually sort of PG-13.

I have asked you guys if you would ever watch such a genre. These are the results:



Some yes, some no, some maybe. Some people don’t usually watch this genre because audience is technically supposed to go towards women. There are some out there where the plot itself is actually good, despite being the fact it is a Reverse Harem.

1. Fruits Basket



Fruits Basket revolves around a girl is who ends up living with some of the Sohma family members. One day, she finds out that the family is cursed. When hugged by the opposite sex, they transform into the Chinese Zodiac animals. Pretty cool, huh? Even though the anime involves males surrounding the girl ( Some anyway ), the manga shows it differently and goes further into the plot.

2. Diabolik Lovers



Based on the games ( as far as I know. Lel. ), Diabolik lovers is about a family of vampires, who are all male. A girl arrives and the vampires lust for her blood. Basically, the plot of the story is that there is something about her blood that makes any vampire go crazy for. The only reason I liked it is because of one character, who happens to be the one I THINK cares about the heroine more than just for her blood. Who doesn’t love sappy vampire stories, am I right?

3. Ouran Highschool Host Club



Most anime lovers know what this show is. ( Why didn’t I make that the first one to discuss? Weird. Ignore me! ) OHSHC is about a girl who is forced to be a host and be a male because she broke something high in value. She was accepted to an elite school on a scholarship. Some of the male characters do have feelings for her if you watch the show and read the manga, both are great by the way!

These are some of the animes I would recommend watching or reading the manga. The plots are good and I enjoyed the character development in all of them. If you have any suggestions on what I should do next, simply PM me. I am open to suggestions! Let’s see where Anime Maniac Hour takes us next!

LITERATURE LESSONS - LITTLE WOMEN written by killeham < PM: >

This week’s lesson is on a book I read a few years ago with my mom. I don’t know if I really understood everything that was happening, but, it was an enjoyable experience either way.

Little Women was originally written in two pieces, by Louisa May Alcott, in 1868 and 1869, since her readers demanded to know what else happened to the four sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. Later, the two parts were published as one full book, in 1880.

This novel was loosely based on Alcott herself and her three sisters, growing up in the nineteenth century. She integrated a lot of themes shared by sentimental novels, as they were called during those times, while placing a spotlight on gender roles.

Sentimental novels were books, predominately by women, that were often dubbed the “silly” or “romantic” tales of that time period.

Little Women broke boundaries on so-called feminine books, since this was a lot more mature novel, in the idea that it involved aspects of both home and work. This book addressed a lot of what goes into one’s identity, and allowed for more ideas than just being a good wife.

All four sisters represent a different type of ideal, and they really contrast each other in personality and in the long run.

Alcott later wrote not one, but two sequels, of Little Men and Jo’s Boys. I’ve yet to read either of those two, but I will try to get around to them eventually.

This novel reeled me in by just the characters themselves and how distinct they all seemed, at least to pre-teenanger me.

I can’t wait to reread this novel in the future, preferably after my AP test, but I’ll see where that goes.

I hope this peaked your interest, and please stay tuned for next week’s lesson!

SHAMELESS PLUGS

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