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Young Writers Society


Squills 8/9/20 - 8/30/20



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Mon Aug 24, 2020 5:14 am
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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
EditorAndPerks

General Editors
EternalRain
CaptainJack

Friendly Neighborhood Robot
SquillsBot

Literary Reporter
CaptainJack

Community Reporter
LZPianoGirl
Liberty
Available - PM Squillsbot if interested

New BloodHound
ShadowVyper

Creativity Reporter
Bullet

Poetry Enchantress
alliyah

Resources Reporter
Available - PM Squillsbot if interested

Storybooks Status Reporter
ScarlettFire
Clairia

Writer's World Columnist
Available - PM Squillsbot if interested

Social Correspondent
EternalRain

Code Master
Available - PM Squillsbot if interested

General Reporters
neptune
Asith
yellow
Charm
Available - PM Squillsbot if interested

Ghost Reporters
amelie
ExOmelas
Clarity
elysian
Kanome
shaniac
TheWeirdoFromBeyond
writeasmile



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.

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


TABLE OF CONTENTS


1. FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW: STARLITMIND
2. THE YWS GROUP PICTURE EVENT
3. FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW - GRAVITEM
4. WORD OF THE WEEK: CLANDESTINE
5. BUILDING A WORLD
6. SHAMELESS PLUGS
7. SUBSCRIBERS





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Mon Aug 24, 2020 5:15 am
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FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW - STARLITMIND
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written by Liberty < PM: >

On the 6th of August, our wonderful @starlitmind became the Featured Member! She’s been such a positive force on the site, leaving the sweetest messages on peoples’ walls and overall bringing cheer in every corner of YWS. And I even got to interview her about being the Featured Member which was super exciting!

Sq: Hi there! I'm a reporter for Squills and I was wondering if it was cool with you if I could interview you about your experiences as FM?

st: Hey, Liberty! I’d be happy to <3

Sq: Awesome! So, how did you feel like when you first found out you became a featured member?

st: I was quite shocked. I remember feeling all happy and bubbly and excited inside xD I really love this site and the people here; everyone is so loving, supportive, and talented, and it really meant a lot that they'd pick me as featured member!

Sq: Fun! Why do you think you were chosen as FM? I have a few guesses but let's hear what you have to say!

st: Ah, well I'm not quite sure! :3 Perhaps it's because I participated in team tortoise for two months in a row, or maybe because I left little messages on people's wall. Or perhaps it's because I've been active in general. Whatever it was, I really am grateful! <33

Sq: Awesome! Speaking of Team Tortoise, how did you keep up with it? Some of us would love to know your secrets. :P

st: I usually make a to do list at night for the next day; otherwise, I keep worrying that I'll forget to do something. So in the beginning, I would include doing a review on the to do list, but then it became a part of my routine, just like brushing my teeth! Before starting any work I had planned for the day, I'd write a review. I actually liked having it a part of my daily routine, which is why I decided to team tortoise for July and now August. It's a nice way to start my day! :D

Sq: Ah so responsible! What part of YWS do you enjoy most and why?

st: I love every part of YWS! <3 But if I had to pick one, it would probably be the poetry section. I love getting to read so many beautiful poems and explore different styles. I've learned so much about poetry from reading other people's works and reviews, as well as threads dedicated to certain parts of poetry. There are so many great resources here and talented writers! :D

Sq: That's amazing! If anyone else wanted to be Featured Member, what advice would you give them?

st: Get involved with whatever you love to do! Be active, as well as kind and respectful to other users. Participate in activities that are related to your interests. And just be yourself! :D You don't have to force or do anything that you don't like or enjoy. Just do whatever makes you happy <3

Sq: Wonderful! One last thing before I end this interview - do you have any shout outs or anything else to say in general?

st: If I could, I'd give a shout out to everyone! Thank you to @whatchamacallit for being such a sweet and helpful person all the time, @alliyah for her wonderful reviews and poetry and for answering a bunch of my questions, @Magebird and @Hkumar and @kattee and @Kassiani for always being so sweet, kind, and helpful (and Magebird for changing my username cx), @Necromancer14 for being fun in Randomosity, @LZPianoGirl for her happy little messages everyday, you for being so sweet and a great interviewer, and everyone on this site! <3

Sq: Fantastic! Thanks so much for taking time out for this interview! :)

st: Thank you so much for being a wonderful interviewer <3

Thanks once again, star!





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Mon Aug 24, 2020 5:17 am
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THE YWS GROUP PICTURE EVENT

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written by LZPianoGirl & Liberty < PM: >

On the 31st of May, @Arcticus brought up in a wall post of his that @alliyah had spoken on the topic of creating a YWS Group Picture.



The idea started from Arcticus sharing a nice picture that @ShadowVyper had initially posted of a bunch of illustrations of people from all over the world with the quote, "if many little people in many little places do many little things they can change the face of the earth".
— alliyah





I really just left the comment on Arc's wall as an idea, but he was quick to organize it and make it happen. There'd been another group picture idea years and years ago, but it never really came to fruition - this was before bitmoji, and so it was really neat how quickly this all came together. I was extremely suprised by how many people actually participated too, the end result was incredibly sweet and is an amazing reflection of our community.
— alliyah





It was alliyah's idea! Plain and simple. The real question is, why is alliyah such a genius at coming up with good ideas for the YWS community?
— Arcticus



A couple of replies later, @shapeofvoid volunteered to "take the picture" - she edited the backgrounds off the original pictures and put them into one big stage! (See group picture down below.)



I enjoyed it so much! figuring out where each figure went and how to arrange the people on the page was extremely fun (aye i'm a dork). Cutting out the background often got a bit tedious tho, so to all the peeps who sent in transparent photos: y'all have my eternal gratitude. thank you so much! anyhow, i loved putting the picture together.
— ShapeOfVoid



The wallpost was long forgotten until Liberty reposted it on her wall on the 16th of June, asking if it was actually happening. After that, everything sprung into action. Arcticus created the official thread the day after and the first Bitmoji was submitted two hours later. Multiple other members followed, and by the end of the first day, ten people had submitted their photos! Some, like @AlyTheBookworm, @Megha04 and @Liminality, chose to draw themselves for the group pictures, while the majority decided to stick with their Bitmoji. More than sixty YWS members submitted their Bitmojis, drawings, and avatars to be put in the YWS Group Picture.



Yes - "EVERYONE should participate next time, no excuses!"
— Arcticus





ahhh this should totally be an annual thing : )
— ShapeOfVoid



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Thanks once again alliyah for getting the idea, Arcticus for arranging the event and ShapeOfVoid for taking the picture!





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Mon Aug 24, 2020 5:17 am
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FEATURED MEMBER INTERVIEW - GRAVITEM
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written by Liberty < PM: >

Just last month, on the 22nd of July, our very own @gravitem became the next featured member of YWS! He’s been very active in the Roleplay and Storybook section of the site. Not only that, but he’s amazing with reviews and helping out others as well. And generally, Gravitem’s a fun person to be around.

S: Hey there, Grav! I'm a reporter for Squills and I was wondering if it's cool with you if I interview you about your experiences as FM? :)

G: YES!!!!!!!!

S: Okay! What was your first thought when you found out you were the new FM?

G: "Oooh! I'm a thing. Damn." That was literally my first thought.
I was kinda surprised by the number of notifications. It took me like five minutes to process the situation. Then I kinda went red when it had sunk in.


S: Aww. xD Why do you think you became FM? What for?

G: Definitely not my book xD. Maybe my poetry? And... I was quite active in the roleplay realm last month. Also... I spammed the people's tab quite a lot.......

S: Alright! What are your favorite activities to do on the site, including or not including the Roleplay Realm?

G: I don't think I can pick one. I just love the site. Every part of it I guess. But... If I were to pick one... It'd be hanging out on WFPs and scheming and writing up on storybook posts, and hanging out in general. I honestly can't think of a "favourite" though.

S: I can understand that, for sure. If anyone were to come to you for advice on how to become FM, what would you say?

G: I mean. I didn't know that I'd become FM, so... I'd say, "you're asking the wrong person" xp

But... I guess... It's just being who you are. Cliche? I know!


S: Hah, okay. Do you have any shout outs to make before I end this interview?

G: EVERYBODY ON THE SITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

S: Awesome!! Well then, thanks for taking time out for this interview and congratulations once again on FM!


Here’s the official thread if you’re interested!





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Mon Aug 24, 2020 5:18 am
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WORD OF THE WEEK: CLANDESTINE
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written by EternalRain < PM: >

Pronunciation: clan-deh-stin

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: kept secret or done secretively, especially because illicit.

Synonyms: secret, covert, surreptitious

Origin: from Latin “clam” (secretly), from Latin “clandestinus” and French “clandestin”

Used in a Sentence:And that's the thing about illicit affairs
And clandestine meetings and longing stares
It's born from just one single glance
But it dies and it dies and it dies
A million little times
” --Taylor Swift, ”illicit affairs” , folklore





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Mon Aug 24, 2020 5:18 am
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BUILDING A WORLD
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written by EditorAndPerks < PM: >

Hello there, curious readers.

Today, I am happy to discuss a topic that I spend way too much talking about in terms of a book's actual storyline: world-building. Those trees that the characters run through, why are they there? Did a volcano literally emerge from the earth to erupt, or was it there in the first place and just had been inactive? What is the best way to make sure that the characters can't easily get from point A to point B?

You guessed it -- world-building, i.e. personal choices in developing the environment that a story is set in. (At least that is my working definition.) I love this kind of thing. I spend way too much on this kind of thing because my favorite part about reading would sometimes involve picturing myself in whatever place the book describes it as. I have and will again ignored most of what was being said in a conversation and instead think about what could be going on and how it would look.

There are a few different ways of really getting into writing a book - do you start with characters? With a plot idea that you just can't get out of your head? Or was the first thing you thought about simply a red house in a forest with trees taller than the house itself? That last example is oddly specific, but anything can go into this process.

I've read too many books to not be able to appreciate most movie adaptations as I've already got an idea of how I pictured the forest, the castle, the multi-colored plates, and then I'm confused by the time I catch the film. There's a reason why I try my best to not have read the original novel in a book-to-movie version too soon before watching it.

I'm not an artist, so I have to get the most out of text to really envision the world I'm creating -- sometimes, I try to get a map version of how things should be, but that usually doesn't work out well. Thus, I sit back at my desk, trying to find the right words to type to make sure I've got the right details to make this world how it needs to be.

So, I must admit that I usually will put in "add more description" into most of my reviews for this very reason. I think every story could use more details. :)





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Mon Aug 24, 2020 5:19 am
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SHAMELESS PLUGS
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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!


~~~


Poetry Discussion



Do you want to discuss poetry?

Join our discussion at the Poetry Readers Club .

Our poem for July is "A Map to the Next World" by Joy Harjo. Hope you check it out!

For questions please PM @alliyah.


~~~


A Knight's Journey:
Tales from Outside the Great Hall

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We have all seen the ceremonies in the Great Hall, knights being rewarded for victories and brave battles won. But that is only half the story. Here we shall tell the tales of the Knights of the Green Room on their journeys away from the protections of the castle. Fighting foe, managing their villages, searching for golden geese, and managing their friendships with fellow knights. These are the stories from outside the Great Hall. Huzzah!

* Are you a Knights of the Green Room Knight?
* Do you want to be involved in an ongoing SB/RP of the Knights?
Check out the new Official Knights of the Green Room Storybook - open to all knights to get involved with at any time!




That's all folks~ Now send us yours.





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Mon Aug 24, 2020 5:19 am
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SUBSCRIBERS
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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@Blues@Paracosm@Sparkle@FireFox@Dakushau@deleted5@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 • @AstralHunter • @Arcticus • @Wolfical • @Pamplemousse@Sassafras@gia2505@ExOmelas@SkyeWalker@Noelle@elysian@TinkerTwaggy@kingofeli@SpiritedWolfe@malachitear@GeeLyria@AdmiralKat@Clickduncake • @yellow • @Seraphinaxx@Pretzelstick@WritingWolf@EternalRain@Tuesday@Dragongirl@JKHatt@Lucia@donizback@Que@BlueSunset@artybirdy@IncohesiveScribbles@cleverclogs@MLanders@ClackFlip@PickledChrissy@racket@Lorelie@Gravity@BluesClues • @hermione315@Steggy@willachilles@tintomara138@AmatuerWritings@TheLittlePrince@TheForgottenKing@Shoneja123 • @Magebird • @Mea@klennon14@fandomsNmusic@Meerkat@HolographicLadybug@Sevro@DragonWriter22@RippleGylf@amelie@Morrigun@Megrim@Kazumi@inktopus@OreosAreLife@Saruka@rosette@PastelSlushie@Strident@darklady@Jashael@TheBlueCat • @Thundahguy • @ZeldaIsSheik • @Lives4Christ24@manilla@Danni88@Elinor@fishsashimi@TheWeirdoFromBeyond@shaniac@neptune@Storybraniac@WritingPrincess • @Traves • @JosephHGeorge@Amabilia@Fantascifi66@paperforest@alliyah • @Liberty • @Dossereana • @AtlasW • @EverLight@AlyTheBookworm@mckaylaam@JesseWrites • @lulon

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!








Opportunity does not knock, it presents itself when you beat down the door.
— Kyle Chandler