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!




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You can apply to become a Squillian Journalist by submitting a sample article to SquillsBot today!

Well, that’s all I have for now. So, what are you waiting for? Enjoy!

1. WHY NAPO: TUCKSTER
2. FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW: EAGLEFLY
3. POETRY RESOURCES: HIGHLIGHT
4. NEW ARRIVALS: WEEK OF 3/18 - 3/24
5. STORYBOOK HIGHLIGHT: BLUEBELL'S SPRING
6. SHAMELESS PLUGS
7. SUBSCRIBERS

WHY NAPO: TUCKSTER

written by alliyah < PM: >

If you've been following the "Why Napo" Series this March, I've been checking in with different poets who plan on trying out National Poetry Month this April. National Poetry Month for those who don't know, is a month of celebrating poetry - on YWS people join together in trying to craft poems and attending different workshops and such. This week we were able to hear from @Tuckster (formerlly MJTucker) about why they're trying out NaPo this year.



Tuck: I wanted to become more consistent and write poetry, and I especially enjoy writing poems in a community. I'm looking forward to all of the poetry jams and the atmosphere that surrounds a group of writers attempting to complete a challenge. It's fun to branch out and try something new, and that's one of the things I love about YWS: a low-pressure environment to experiment, try new things, and a community that supports those efforts!



T: My goal is to write 4 poems during NaPo, ideally one every week. This goal accommodates my busy schedule but also pushes me to write more poetry than I have been. Additionally, I plan to post the poems that I write and look forward to getting feedback on them! I hope that if nothing else, I'll be able to improve as a poet!



T: It is a little intimidating to be surrounded with so many accomplished poets whose work I look up to and admire, but I've found that all of those poets are super willing to give advice and help me out as a newcomer to poetry! Trying something new and stepping out of my comfort zone is always intimidating, but I'm sure that it will be a positive experience and hope to gain some valuable knowledge!



T: Back when I was still new to reviewing, I tended to avoid poetry because I was more comfortable reviewing prose since it was what I wrote. Especially as an amateur poet, I often worry that I'm not qualified to give advice to people who have been writing poetry for so much longer than I have. Talking to poets about what feedback is helpful to them and reading articles about how to review poetry really helped me become more confident in my reviewing abilities.

I think that a lot of people tend to think of themselves as either a poet or a prose writer, but it can be fun to branch out and try new things! I primarily write prose, but I like to experiment with poetry for the same reason I like to write prose—it's an artistic medium to express my emotions, and I would encourage other prose writers to do the same and try something new! YWS is a great community in which to experiment with poetry, and I can assure you that you won't regret trying something new. Same thing goes to poetry writers: you don't have to just write yourself off as a poet and not a novelist, you can branch out and write some prose too!



T: I like to use short sentences or thoughts as poetry prompts, and one of the short sentences I like the most as a poem starter is "you push me away and then ask why we're so distant". I'd love to see what everyone does with that!

Thanks Tuck! Well there you have it! NaPo is really something everyone can get involved in, even if you're preference is usually prose, NaPo is a great way to push your writing and try out something new. If you want to follow Tuckster's thread this NaPo - you can check it out here: a scream into the void . And you can share on your profile page why you are doing NaPo this year with the hashtag "#WhyNaPo" if you'd like!

FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW: EAGLEFLYwritten by EternalRain< PM: >


March’s first featured member was none other than the wonderful @EagleFly! They’re a prominent, supportive presence on the site and you can catch them on WriterFeedPads as well as reviewing and publishing their own work. I was lucky enough to sit down with them today and ask a few questions about their experience as FM.


EagleFly: I would love to do that.


E: I was first shocked and then I started jumping up and down in my chair and bugging my sister.


E: By following a lot of other people, and by making posts on there walls, to ask how they are.


E: I must say talking to other people, and reading and reviewing their stories and poems.


E: I would have to say, giving them advice, but mostly giving the writer encouragement to write more.


E: I would have to say, keep trying to get better and better at the reviews that you do, and try to make a good connection with other members.


E: Nope that was all, I had a great time answering all these questions.

Another thanks to EagleFly for their time to answering questions about what it’s like to be FM and sharing some of their favorite ways to contribute to YWS. And, if you’re interested in becoming FM yourself, Eagle has some simply awesome advice!

POETRY RESOURCES: HIGHLIGHT
written by ShadowVyper < PM: > & alliyah < PM: >

Probably the most underappreciated area of YWS is the Resources Forum , which is filled to the brim with helpful articles about grammar and punctuation , writing tutorials and poetry tutorials . We personally have found great help in combing through the wealth of knowledge of many authors that is stored in this forum and have seen writing improve dramatically from taking to heart the advice offered. And with NaPo fast approaching, a couple reporters of the Squills team decided to take a minute to highlight the awesome poetry advice available in the resources forum.

When you first head over to the poetry tutorial forum you will see dozens of articles on a vast array of topics. Some of the articles focus in specifically on various poetic forms, such as palindromes , villanelles , terza rimas , climbing rhymes and haiku . If there's a day in NaPo when you're running thin on inspo - consider picking up one of the forms and giving that a try. Using a new poetic form is a great way to force you to think carefully about each word's impact and sound and can sometimes even get you to think about themes you haven't tried too.

Other articles focus on general poetry strategies, such as how and why to make poetry specific . As a quick disclosure, I (alliyah) wrote the specificity article, so I'm a bit biased. But seriously, if you're finding your poetry is lacking in imagery, or reader engagement, narrative appeal, or clarity - a lot of times it isn't that you don't have those skills, but that you just aren't utilizing them with specificity. Even the problem of using clichéd language can be solved sometimes by making the language or situation more specific.

Some other articles that might help you for some general poetry mechanics in terms of structure are types and uses of meter , using stresses , writing stanzas , and counting syllables .

There's even articles that deal with usage of language mechanics in your writing, be conscientious in these as you'll find a few differing perspectives present. There is often a tension in the poetry community on what the purpose and necessity of conventional grammatical rules are in terms of how they function in poetry. YWS embraces different sides of that controversy and you'll find those sides expressed - between reasons why poetry should be grammatically correct versus using punctuation and capitalization in terms of their poetic effect. If you want to know where @alliyah falls in this poetic debate - check out the Suspicious Readers series .

A couple more all around good general poetry resource articles would be
Kiss My Assonance - 5 ways to improve your poetry which covers five major topics in poetry, using objects or people to describe things, the sounds of words, the way lines work and names for things there, rhyme, and humor. It breaks down some complex topics in easily understood definitions.
And also Secret Treasures in Poetic Devices which also breaks down terms like meter and rhyme in a way that shows how you can utilize and understand them in your own poetry. Referring to both of the above documents will give you a lot of ideas on areas to expand your poetry skills and make them shine.

If going for 30 poems in April isn't your thing, or you just want an additional challenge - why not choose working on a particular skill highlighted above like "imagery" or "rhyme" or "humor" as your goal - or even choose a single technique like punctuation and make NaPo a time where you can experiment with different strategies of using that technique.

And as if that wasn't enough, @ShadowVyper was even able to find an article on Poetree Games that provide various prompts to get those creative juices flowing. Stuck on what to write? Lacking motivation? Grab a friend and try out one of the poetree games!

Hopefully by now we've convinced you of the value of the poetry tutorial forum and of the many articles it contains that can help you improve your own writing craft. So go check it out -- read the articles and then get yourself hyped up for NaPo 2019! It's going to be great, y'all!

NEW ARRIVALS: WEEK OF 3/18 - 3/24written by fraey < PM: >

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

@Sivershade797 newly arrived on the YWS scene, has already completed eight reviews and posted the first chapter of her novel Wait For Me - Chapter 1 (Never Came Back)

@KpopSimmerPro dived into the Forums first, with 12 posts already in the Randomsity in mostly Truth or Dare and What is the first word you think of when I say...[4]

@niichan joined the site just a few days ago, and already has 12 reviews finished! Their profile picture looks to be of a k-pop band, so feel free to ask them about that!

STORYBOOK HIGHLIGHT: BLUEBELL'S SPRING

written by alliyah < PM: >

So you've seen poetry highlights, and novel highlights, but it's been a while since we've had a Storybook Highlight. And the storybook-side of the site has been up to some really neat things lately, so I contacted @Magestorrow to hear about one of her newest storybooks. I'd encourage you to give the interview a read even if you don't normally do storybooks, this one sounds like a really interesting premise that would be pretty accessible for new storybookers too



Magestorrow: Thanks for having me! I'd be happy to explain what an official storybook is. Basically, it's a storybook created by the Storybook Crew. We used to do them in the past and we all enjoyed them, so we decided to bring them back. We're going to be doing them every other month of 2019, and hopefully continue that into future years of well!



M: It definitely is!



M: Sure thing! Bluebell is a slice-of-life story set in the suburban town of Bluebell at the beginning of spring. Unlike a lot of the storybooks I run, Bluebell doesn't really have a set plot. People can write for whatever type of character they want to, as long as they somehow interact with the town and have a reason to be excited for the conclusion of the storybook - the opening of Bluebell's first ever park.

Right now, I'll be writing for a teenager named Remy that runs the local D&D group. They also run the high school's environmental club and GSA, so anything really is possible for the characters.



M: It really depends on the storybook! Some storybooks I've made in the past were made with the idea for a character in mind - one of my oldest storybooks, Aeyis, was one where I already knew what I wanted to do with the character. But for a storybook with Bluebell, it's more like I figure out the character as I go along. I might have a little idea of what I have planned for them, but I usually discover more about them by having them react to different events in the storybook and by interacting with other characters.



M: I was talking with my fellow pirate @AstralHunter about fun ideas for an official storybook back at the beginning of this month. I knew I wanted to do something involving spring, but I also knew that storybooks with heavy worldbuilding typically aren't the best for beginning storybookers. So while we were in the middle of scheming, I realized that I could try something a little different with the storybook - rather than doing fantasy, I would do realistic fiction.

I'm also not that much of a plotter, so I thought it would be a much more casual storybook than what I've previously run if it was mostly decided on by everyone.



M: It definitely is! All that they have to do to join it is check out the storybook's discussion thread (DT). When you click on the link to the actual storybook, you can find a way to the DT by clicking on the blue box in the upper right corner of the page. Once there, all they have to do is say they're interested and make a character profile. I'll look it over and say if they're in or not, but there has never been a case where I've turned away a potential writing buddy.



M: Sure thing! It's called the Storybook Club. It's still in infancy right now, but the goal is for it to be a place where you can stay updated on storybooking events while simultaneously getting to know your fellow writers better. Despite the name, it's not just geared towards storybook writers. Roleplay writers and DTWH writers are also welcome to join! So far, we've run a Storybook Jam™ and announced the return of official storybooks, among a bunch of other cool new stuff.

So many interesting things to know about Storybooks! Bluebell's Spring sounds like a pretty mellow storybook, where you can go in so many different directions with it. So far, there a few people signed up with characters; including two teenagers - Sam Tremblay who will be created by @Coffeeism and Shaterria Beake created by @TinkerTwaggy. If you want to check out that official Storybook Club here is the link , if you'd like to know a little more about Bluebell's Spring you can send Magestorrow a PM, or check out the Discussion Thread. And lastly, let me know over at my Author's Page what you thought of this article and if you'd like to see more Storybook highlights in the future.

SHAMELESS PLUGS

written by SquillsBot < PM: >

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fishsashimi welcomes you to the YWS Hunger Games Simulator! Have some fun and win some prizes! PM @fishsashimi with any questions you may have.







Our Building Permit for completing Challenge Four: Restoring the Library expires May 2019. The Commander is requesting all available Knights to head to the Green Room to help. To find out more, check out the Commander's post in the Great Hall .

- The Commander







The Knights of the Green Room are looking for some new recruits!

If you enjoy reviewing this may be the group for you!

For more information: KotGR Information
To declare you interest: Declare in the Great Hall .
If you have questions: Send a PM to Lieutenant Lizz (@LadyBird) or Knight Alliyah (@alliyah).


That's all folks~ Now send us yours.

SUBSCRIBERS

written by SquillsBot < PM: >

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