z

Young Writers Society


Squills 8/13/18 - 8/18/18



User avatar



Gender: None specified
Points: 300
Reviews: 0
Tue Aug 14, 2018 2:38 am
View Likes
SquillsBot says...



Image
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!

CREATIVE STAFF

Spoiler! :


Editor-in-Chief
Aley

General Editors
EternalRain
concord

Friendly Neighborhood Robot
SquillsBot

Literary Reporter
LadyBird

Community Reporter
Neptune

Poetry Enchantress
Aley
alliyah

Resources Reporter
BiscuitsLeGuin

Storybooks Status Reporter
Available - PM Squillsbot if interested

Writer's World Columnist
elysian

Anime Maniac
Kanome

Social Correspondent
EternalRain

Code Master
concord

General Reporters
BiruKun

Ghost Reporter
ShadowVyper
WritingPrincess



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!





User avatar



Gender: None specified
Points: 300
Reviews: 0




User avatar



Gender: None specified
Points: 300
Reviews: 0
Tue Aug 14, 2018 2:40 am
View Likes
SquillsBot says...



CAMP NAPO QUICK REVIEW
Image

written by alliyah < PM: >

This last week, August 6 - 12, YWS ran its first "Camp NaPo" - a whole week dedicated to poetry. And I have to say, having all the fun of April NaPo jammed into one week, was pretty fun. Here's a quick review for those who are interested in how it went!

Quick Statistics
There were...
    * 4 Official Contests
    * 6 Workshops
    * 7 Daily Challenges
    * 17 Logbooks
    * Almost 60 Poems

Some other mentionable highlights include, that the most popular topic by far for poems was "fire" - perhaps due to some of the camping themed challenges. Also although there were only 17 logbooks, several people participated in workshops who weren't officially doing Camp NaPo, so there was quite a bit of site participation.

If you're interested in checking out what people wrote, hop on over to the Campsite .

Also although Camp NaPo is completed, there are still a few contests that are running!

The Official Camp NaPo Talent Show Contest will feature participants' favorite poems that they wrote during the week. (So if you only have time to be read a few poems, that might be a neat thread to check out). Winners will be announced in that thread later this week Here .

The Reverse Poetry Contest is also still taking entries! This one is a bit different though, in fact you can participate even if you don't write poetry! All you have to do for a chance to win the point prize is submit a poem that you've read this year by another user on YWS. To submit your entries go Here .

Two other contests to keep on your poetry radar are @WritingPrincess' "Pairs Poetry Contest" and @Casa's Camp NaPo Mystery Contest.

Information for those two can be found Here .

Well that covers the Camp NaPo Review, if you missed the event don't forget you can still check out a lot of went on in the Camp Club, and it's just a few more months until April NaPo is here. If you did participate in the event and enjoyed it, feel free to make a note in the Camp Chat Center .





User avatar



Gender: None specified
Points: 300
Reviews: 0
Tue Aug 14, 2018 2:49 am
View Likes
SquillsBot says...



RESOURCES REPORT
Image

Written by LadyBird < PM: >

As the storm rages on in Storybook Land, the LMS battle is running in a close second in the natural disaster category of YWS. It's just starting to turn into a tropical storm, which in a few rounds means it will be a hurricane and then possibly like the last tournament, a northern blizzard.

If you want to check out the progress and the origin stories, read all about most of the novels and poems somewhere in Writers Corner and of course go to the Last Man Standing Battle Grounds , to read all those submissions.

Story Survey Threads
In Writers Corner, there's also been a new trend of threads, mod and member run, that are all worth a look and an answer.

A recent one by @Hattable is How do you handle story resemblance?
He asks this:



If you write stories, you're bound to find yourself caught in that rut where you realize, "Oh my god, this sounds just like [insert other media]". We've all been there, so my question was this: What similarities does your story share with other published stories? (i.e. Not someone else's WIP, but a book, movie, TV show, comic, podcast, etc.)

And, of course, how are you handling it?



The answers so far are pretty interesting, but add yours to the conversation.

From @chierynn What inspired you to give your characters their name?



What inspired you to give your characters their name? Did you make up an entirely new name? Did you look up names based on their personality, or was it vice versa? Talk about it here. Talk about however many characters you want!


If your characters have some super symbolic names, this is the thread for you. or even if you just named your character Jim or Jack or Jose for the heck of it, explain it here.

Also from @Hattable What do you wish your readers would ask you about?



In the spirit of LMS, I was wondering: What's something you wish someone would ask you about your story?

Something buried deep down in the lore, or floating around on the surface but still important to you and typically glossed over. Something that you want to talk about, but never have anyone asking about. Do you wish someone would ask about your character's middle name? Your villain's favorite color? Their real motivation? (It can't just be to rule the world, can it?)

Whatever the question (or answer!) this is the thread for you! If you feel so inclined, you can also include how you'd answer the question, but it's not an obligation! All I'm looking for here are those questions.

(Also! Non-LMS projects are totally welcome here too!)


Questions are a great way to work out little details in our stories but sometimes we just don't get the right ones. Explain your troubles and requests here, and somebody might just ask what you've been wanting to hear.

From @Evander, early in July, What's your novel cover?



Hey, y'all. I figured it'd be nice to have a thread to share covers that you've made/commissioned for your projects! This can pertain to LMS, Camp NaNo, regular NaNo, or even just regular stuff not connected to any larger event.



This is just a cool little thread to show off your novel cover. Even if you don't have a legit one, you could always just share a meme that summarizes your novel, with the title slapped across the top.
totally did not already do that

A Jump Into Writing Activities
Even if it doesn't technically fall under Res at the moment, they've certainly got plenty of control over the new happenings.

@Evander is asking you to Describe your project with three nouns!



So, for instance, my novel Death's Servant would be:
Reapers, betrayal, abyss.

What about yours?



An older thread of his is Pitch Feedback



The idea behind this is rather easy. You write a short pitch for your novel or short story, preferably no longer than four sentences, and then submit it and wait for a response. The person below you will rate your pitch, comment on it, and then submit their own! Let's get this going.

Here's a pitch to start this off!



A long running thread in Writing Activities, is Title Feedback , which almost tradition at this point.
Rate the title above you however you like and then post your own. The concept is simple and the game is easy to play, but also easily addicting.

A thread that deserves more attention is @Vervain's Modern Gothic Flash Fiction



You open a thread on a forum site. It is full of the pulsing knowledge of the ancients, young and old. You close it and the words open a thread within you. Modern Gothic Flash Fiction, it murmurs in waves of unwritten history.

- - -

This thread is just for fun, of course! No actual Lovecraftian horrors here... ahaha. Right?

Here's a place to put all your Modern Gothic flash, including Southern, Midwestern, Canadian, and American Gothic as well as -- well, whatever You happen to be. ;D Come up with something and give us a glimpse of your culture and creativity!



Paddle that boat back to Research

In the thread How to Write a Genderfluid Character? , @Kale has compiled a great guide on how to research this and similar issues.



Step 1: Google your topic of interest. I recommend starting with "what is genderfluidity" and "what is it like to be genderfluid". Once you have read through the first few pages of results (the first 10 will give you a decent starting point), proceed to Step 2.



To read the rest of their guide, go to this post.

If you have a question but don't think it's worth it's own thread, check out @Rosendorn's Little Details thread.



Want to ask a little question about writing? Have a research question bugging you for your project? Don't feel like it's big enough to warrant a new thread? Post it here!

If your question gets a lot of discussion (3 or more posts), mods will split it off into its own thread so you can keep talking and let other people post little questions (and you'll get the notifications for it!)

Please use the @Tag when answering questions on this thread so people know when it's answered.

Happy researching!



That's all for this Resources Report.
See y'all next week.





User avatar



Gender: None specified
Points: 300
Reviews: 0
Tue Aug 14, 2018 2:51 am
View Likes
SquillsBot says...



ASK BIRU
Image

written by BiruKun < PM: >

Dear Biru,
Who you gonna call?
~ Ghostbusters


Dear Ghostbusters,
Nobody calls anyone anymore. But I do text.
~ Biru the Millennial


Dear Biru,
What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?
~ Bridge Troll


Dear Bridge Troll,
What do you mean? African or European swallow?
~King Biru


Dear Biru,
Sometimes I feel like my boyfriend doesn't show me the love I want. For example, sometimes when we hang out, he is more intent on snuggling than talking and I really love discussing things, but we have a hard time finding things to talk about. Do you have any advice on topics I can talk about with him?
~Braking Heart


Dear Breaking Heart,
I had a girlfriend who didn’t want to talk much either, so I have a few strategies:
-Do you have common interests? If so, you could try to talk about that.
-Find out why he doesn’t want to talk. If he won’t tell you, that’s ok. Try not to push it or be annoying about it.
Try these strategies and see how it goes, and good luck!
~Biru the Love Expert


In order to ask a question, click this link and fill it out. Thanks!





User avatar



Gender: None specified
Points: 300
Reviews: 0
Tue Aug 14, 2018 2:53 am
View Likes
SquillsBot says...



CAMP NAPO WORKSHOP RECAP
Image

written by alliyah < PM: >

Over the course of Camp NaPo we had several workshops for Campers to participate in. These workshops were opportunities for folks to come together and share poetry knowledge with each other on guided by various topics. Not everyone was able to get to all the workshops so we'll have a quick re-cap of what went on here.

Image

Prompt Workshop with @LadyBird
Lizz started us off strong with the first workshop on Monday about how to write poetry inspired by prompts. Participants discussed the merits of more specific and ambiguous prompts. Then Lizz presented different prompts for the poets to try out. The first prompt was, "Write a poem with at least 8 lines in which every line starts with the same three words: “You told me…”".

Prompt Workshop Link

Current Event Poetry with @tgirly
On Day 2, tgirly brought some great advice about writing poetry inspired by current events. Participants analyzed "O Captain, My Captain" by Walt Whitman, and then tried their hand at writing poems from events they were familiar with.

Current Event Poetry Workshop Link

Structured Poetry Workshop with @Aley
Aley brought us a workshop on Thursday which covered what she calls the "Big R's" Rhyme, Rhythm, and Refrains. @Fortis's poem was voted the best from the rhyming activity, and participants were also invited to explore rhythm and refrains in poetry.

Structured Poetry Workshop

Structured Poetry Workshop: Round 2 with @WritingPrincess
WritingPrincess hosted her first poetry workshop during the Camp NaPo event, and it was quite a success! She guided participants through different structured types of poetry like acrostics, tankas, and horatian odes. She even wrote a lovely acrostic in collaboration with @Storybraniac about heartbreak.

Structured Poetry Workshop: 2

Friday Night Music Jam with @LadyBird
Lizz ran her second workshop/jam of the week on Friday, and it was music themed! Participants started the discussion with chatting about their favorite and least favorite songs, and then wrote poetry while being inspired by music. @BiscuitsLeGuin and @Hattable kept the tunes rolling as the jam the went on.

Music Jam

Line Break Workshop with @alliyah and @TheBlueCat
TheBlueCat and alliyah collaborated to run a workshop on line breaks in poetry. Participants discussed different ways line breaks can effect a poem, with emphasis, rhythm, enjambment, and meaning. Then participants practiced using these techniques as well.

Line Break Workshop

If you weren't able to make the workshops, all of the pads are still up, and you might enjoy reading through some of them if any of the topics interested you. Thanks to everyone who ran a workshop during Camp NaPo and to everyone who was able come to the workshops themselves. I know I learned a lot from participating in the different workshops, and have some prompts for future poetry writing saved up now.

Although Camp NaPo is over, if you ever are interested in running a workshop and need some help or tips, contact one of your local Poetry Crew Members and be sure to throw a link out in the Poetry Jam Club .





User avatar



Gender: None specified
Points: 300
Reviews: 0
Tue Aug 14, 2018 2:54 am
View Likes
SquillsBot says...



TALES FROM THE AIRWAVES: ALMOST OUT
Image
written by Aley < PM: >

If you've heard anything about this amazing upcoming radio show, Tales of the Airwaves it should be that it's almost ready! That's right! There are just a few more things which have to happen before the Radio Show comes out! I was able to snag @Elinor's ear for a quick interview about two things, the impending release, and the Q&A that happened recently! Tales of the Airwaves QA The best part is at the very end!

The Q&A was for the cast and crew to answer questions from the general public, you! The cast that was able to be there was Monty, @soundofmind who plays Liz, @Mea who plays Young Abigail, and the crew was Elinor, the director. Some of the questions are "Why did you audition?", "How did you feel when you were accepted?", "How are you similar and different from your character and why?", "What is your favorite thing about your character?", "What do you hope that people take away from the show?" asked by @snowmonkey9, @WritingPrincess @shaniac, @Dreamy, and Elinor.

The Q&A really makes it clear how much the actors of the radio show really love their characters and how well they match up. It's an entertaining listen if you have some time to spend your ears. The actors are very into their characters and understanding their mental position.

Also the treat at the end is so worth it. It's a beautiful piece of audible art.

With that said, I caught Elinor for a second interview about Tales of the Airwaves.

Squills: Hi Elinor! Rumor has it you have done a Q&A on the radio show you produced. How did it turn out?

Elinor: It turned out great!

S: What was your favorite question and answer?

E: At the end, someone asked the cast what their favorite thing about their character was. I loved all their answers, which showed they really got what I was envisioning, and that makes me feel like I’ve succeeded as a director

S: How has being a director been for you? What was the thing which surprised you?

E: I love directing more than anything (except maybe writing :wink: ) so I’m always at my best when I’m doing it, and it helps to have stories I’m passionate about. I guess I would say I was surprised by how deep everyone got into to their roles, it all came together really nicely and beyond my own expectations when I thought about starting this thing

S: Thats really cool! Who is editing the sound together?

E: A friend of mine that I know through school

S: How might a person get into audio editing?

E: I don’t know if I’m the best one to answer that because I have no interest in it personally, but I think it’s just about a love of storytelling and finding your niche within that

S: Do we have a release date for the show yet?

E: It’s just the music that needs to be added at this point, so I would guess another week? I’ll announce an air date once he lets me know

S: What do you want people to know about the radio show?

E: That the two stories, while different, I think both get at a universal truth: stay strong in the face of adversity and you will survive. And it helps to keep the people you love close, too

S: Who do you think will come to the event?

E: Everyone that’s expressed interest in it so far, which seems to be quite a few people!

S: How is the event going to be shown off?

E: I created a soundcloud page for the show, so I’ll share the link, and people will be able to listen on their own time!

S: How long will the program run total?

E: About 30 minutes! For both!

S: Wow, that's really short! I bet everyone will be listening to it eventually with such a short time. Do you plan on running another one of these next year?

E: Never say never :wink:

S: I like that answer! Is there anything else you'd like to add to the interview? Anything you think the adoring public should know about the Q&A or the upcoming show?

E: Nothing else comes to mind right now! Just be sure to tune in! And they should!

S: Alright, thanks for your time and for the interview!

E: Of course!

To keep up with events make sure you subscribe to the club page! . With Tales of the Airwaves practically out, it's time to share the news too! Even if you just share with one person this production, you can help make their dreams come true to make this heard by a vast group of people.

For many of these actors, this is their excursion into the voice acting world, and singing, so sharing is important!



Two shows. One set in the midst of the Golden Age of Hollywood, the other a tale of the sea. Coming soon. #TalesfromtheAirwaves



Image
Link to original comment





User avatar



Gender: None specified
Points: 300
Reviews: 0
Tue Aug 14, 2018 2:56 am
View Likes
SquillsBot says...



SOME SUPER SERIOUS BUSINESS
Image

Written by LadyBird < PM: >

Image





User avatar



Gender: None specified
Points: 300
Reviews: 0
Tue Aug 14, 2018 2:58 am
View Likes
SquillsBot says...



YWS CLUBS: GROUP POETRY CLUB
Image
written by WritingPrincess< PM: >

Hello Squills readers, and welcome to the very first article of YWS Clubs. This column is where I will feature your clubs, interview the creator, maybe some staff, maybe some members.

This week, we are featuring the fantastic Group Poetry Club . Run by @snowmonkey9, the club is all about writing poetry together. We caught them for a quick interview about it.

WritingPrincess: Hello! Could I interview you about your club, Group Poetry?

snowmonkey9: Of course :)

W: Great! First of all, why did you decide to create your club?

s: Well you see, I first did the collaborative poetry thing with my siblings and my dad (who all also write poetry) and the idea struck me to bring it to YWS as a club, and I'm quite glad I did. My family writes poetry quite similar to myself, so collaborating on a poem with someone who writes very differently from me was challenging, interesting, and a lot of fun!
And I hope the talented poets who have joined the club has experienced a similar positive impact through it. :)


W: That's wonderful! What were your aims for the club when you created it?

s: Well I guess one of my goals was just to create a little place where any poet, writing any type of poetry, could simply write with one another. That's pretty much all I wanted for the club, and it was only later did I think to publish some of the poems.
Oh and by the way, I have recently been planning a future event for Group Poetry, so stay tuned.


W: That sounds exciting! What are you hoping for the future of your club?

s: Nothing much, I just hope people continue enjoying the place and that they keep contributing to it with their poetic talents.

Thank you for your time snowmonkey and make sure to check out Group Poetry Club.

If you would like to have your club featured in YWS Clubs, please PM: @WritingPrincess!





User avatar



Gender: None specified
Points: 300
Reviews: 0
Tue Aug 14, 2018 2:59 am
View Likes
SquillsBot says...



SHAMELESS PLUGS
Image

written by SquillsBot < PM: >

We love to run articles and questions, but we also love to advertise for you. Let people know about your new blog, a poem or story you’re looking for reviews on, or a forum thread you’d like more traffic on through Squills’ Shameless Plugs. PM @SquillsBot with the exact formatting of your advertisement, contained in the following code.

Code: Select all
Place advertisement here. Make sure you include a title!

And now for this week's Shameless Plugs!


Tales of the Airwaves



Two shows. One set in the midst of the Golden Age of Hollywood, the other a tale of the sea. Coming soon. #TalesfromtheAirwaves



Image
Link to original comment

That's all folks~ Now send us yours.





User avatar



Gender: None specified
Points: 300
Reviews: 0
Tue Aug 14, 2018 2:59 am
View Likes
SquillsBot says...



SUBSCRIBERS
Image

written by SquillsBot < PM: >

Find an enspoiler-ed a list of our subscribers!
Spoiler! :

@SquillsBot@Carina@ShadowVyper@ArcticMonkey@Hannah@KingLucifer@Caesar@veeren@megsug@StoneHeart@Skydreamer@Love@Aley@Rydia@Alpha@skorlir@KnightTeen • @ChildOfNowhere • @neko@Aquila90@DudeMcGuy@kayfortnight@Cole@Blackwood@manisha • @fortis • @Gardevite@cgirl1118@KittyCatMeow@Willard@ChocoCookie@carbonCore@Auxiira@Iggy@Blues@Paracosm@Sparkle@FireFox@Dakushau • @AlexSushiDog • @wizkid515@yubbies21@PiesAreSquared@FatCowsSis@CelticaNoir@BenFranks@TimmyJake@whitewolfpuppy@WallFlower@Magenta@BrittanyNicole@GoldFlame@Messenger@ThereseCricket@TriSARAHtops@Ventomology@Evander@WillowPaw1@Laure@TakeThatYouFiend • @RoseAndThorn • @Cheetah@NicoleBri@Pompadour@Zontafer@QueenOfWords@Crimsona@vluvswriting@GreenTulip@Audy@EllaBliss@eldEr@Deanie@lostthought@CesareBorgia • @Omnom • @Morrigan@AfterTheStorm@BrumalHunter@Arcticus • @Wolfical • @Pamplemousse@Sassafras@gia2505 • @BiscuitsLeGuin • @SkyeWalker@Noelle@elysian • @Tortwag • @kingofeli@SpiritedWolfe@malachitear@GeeLyria@AdmiralKat@Clickduncake • @yellow • @Seraphinaxx@Pretzelstick@WritingWolf@EternalRain@Tuesday@Dragongirl@JKHatt@Lucia@donizback •@Querencia • @BlueSunset@artybirdy@IncohesiveScribbles@cleverclogs@MLanders@ClackFlip@PickledChrissy@racket@Lorelie@Gravity • @BlueAfrica • @hermione315@Steggy@willachilles@tintomara138@AmatuerWritings • @Ithaca • @TheForgottenKing@Shoneja123 • @saen • @Mea@klennon14@fandomsNmusic@Meerkat@HolographicLadybug@Sevro@DragonWriter22@RippleGylf@amelie@Morrigun@Megrim • @outvaders • @StormCloud • @OreosAreLife@Saruka@rosette@PastelSlushie@Strident@darklady@Jashael@TheBlueCat • @Thundahguy • @ZeldaIsShiek • @Lives4Christ24@manilla@Danni88@Elinor • @BiruKun • @TheWeirdoFromBeyond • @GodHatesShane • @shaniac@neptune@Storybraniac@WritingPrincess

Do you, too, want to be enspoiler-ed and receive a personal weekly notification when the Squills newsletter is posted? Shoot a PM over to SquillsBot to let him know, and you'll be pinged along with the next issue!








You must never give into despair. Allow yourself to slip down that road, and you surrender to your lowest instincts. In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength.
— Uncle Iroh