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Squills 11/1/2020 - 11/9/2020



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Wed Nov 04, 2020 2:26 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!

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





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Wed Nov 04, 2020 2:30 am
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THIS MONTH IN HISTORY: GHOSTS OF OCTOBERS PAST


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written by alliyah < PM: >

Sometimes I like to do "This Month in YWS History" articles and this is a casual Squills version of that where I'll be pulling up the best October Articles from Squills-Past.

A REMINDER THAT THIS HAPPENED LAST YEAR - October 2019

You think 2020 is spooky? Need I remind you that last year members of the #Classified movement tried again to take over the entire site. Thankfully Squills and members of the counter-movement #Unclassified were on the case! Check out A YWS Horror Story: Classified Returns by alliyah to learn more!

HORROR MOVIE ANALYSIS - October 2017

Ever sit down to watch a scary movie and feel like you've already seen it because it has EVERY. SINGLE. HORROR TROPE. THAT EVERY. OTHER. MOVIE HAS?? nope? just me? well @CaptainJack has a great analysis of different horror movie things that are just getting annoying, and I have to agree with their points! Give this a read! Pop Culture Corner: 5 Tiresome things in Horror Movies I think you'll enjoy it!

HALLOWEEN TRADITIONS - October 2015

Are you curious how different Halloween traditions got started? This article Halloween by @Yellow is pretty informative and I learned a few things reading it.

GRUNO AND PRUNO - October 2014

Years ago Squills used to have a reliable advice column written by the goofy pair Gruno and Pruno, they were really wise and hilarious and are definitely well-missed! Check out Gruno's advice from over in the Ask Gruno column.

Also from 2014! You're going to need to check out this article about a Squid Invasion involving @fortis that seemed to happen around this time according to @JamesHunt's interview. Nowadays of course YWSers are into more sophisticated spammings in avatars... like bannanas and chickens. ;)

STORYBOOKING ADVICE - October 2013

Need a little Storybooking advice from the past? Check out Storybooking for Dummies by @AfterTheStorm for some great words of wisdom that might even still apply to today's writing.

And that's all I could dig up from the Squills News Room Archives for this Blast from the Past! If I missed some of your favorite October Squills articles be sure to let me know, I'd love to give them a read.





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Wed Nov 04, 2020 2:32 am
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TWO EVENTS, BOTH STRESSFUL
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written by EditorAndPerks < PM: >

Hello there, welcome to the first week of November.

I will throw out an opinion of mine: I do not believe now is the time to be listening to Christmas music, but to each their own.

I myself have been listening to far too much Korean Pop music, so, do I really have a stool to sit on? Probably not.

Rather than a stool, though, I'd rather stand on the ground to evaluate two important things happening.

One is #NaNoWriMo , which I'm sure you've now seen some kind of glance around the site as a big writing event, to which I definitely recommend you try to participate in, if you're down for writing a lot of words in a single month. (Also, jumping in a few days late won't make your chances super low to hit 50k! All it takes are a few good writing days to get to that word count.)

Another one is the school year, plowing closer and closer to finals week/midterms/end-of-the-year-exams for whatever your educational system calls the dreaded end of the semester/quarter/period. I myself am a bit stressed thinking about how classes will be over for me in a little over a month, which seems like not at all enough time for me to understand what's going on.

In some ways, #NaNo has always been far more stressful for me, as it requires an entire month to write and write and write, and it's the middle of the school year for me. Is that the excuse I've given every year that I barely make it past 10k words? Why yes. I try to keep that knowledge on the down-low, though.

However, finding a source of fun during this already stressful time of a school year, and these ever highly stressful extenuating circumstances can be both difficult and frustrating, which is understandable.

All I can say is I wish you all luck and I hope the rest of the year can be a bit less stressful than it was up to now. I know I sure hope to have less stress in my life.





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Wed Nov 04, 2020 2:34 am
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NANOWRIMO INTERVIEWS


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written by alliyah < PM: >

NaNo is starting ... now! But don't be scared, it's a good thing! For those who don't know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month and traditionally it's when you try to write a brand new 50,000 word novel during the month of November, not everyone does it that way! (for instance I'm going to try to do a 5,000 word poetry book throughout the month!) but it's definitley a fun thing to get involved in and many people on YWS are tackling it this year! Here's what @BluesClues and @IcyFlame had to say about their NaNo plans and experience!

alliyah: What's your previous experience with NaNoWriMo been?


BluesClues: I've done NaNoWriMo in some form every year since 2010 (tenth anniversary party, y'all!) Some years I've done the traditional NaNo challenge and won; other years I've rebelled (usually for editing purposes). The very first year I occupied a sort of middle position, where I wrote a draft of a preexisting story, but from scratch. I didn't win that first year, but I reached 37,000 words, which was further than I'd ever gotten and finished that draft (I was definitely an underwriter back in the day), and it's 1000% the reason I can finish a draft at all instead of getting too caught up in perfectionism!

IcyFlame: I've completed NaNo twice before I think, but that was quite a few years ago! Both times were for a novel series I was working on that will absolutely never see the light of day, but the experience was definitely important. I spend way too much time planning and it taught me that just going ahead and writing could work well too.

a: So, why are you doing NaNo this year?


B: I'm using NaNo this year as motivation to complete my first draft of Hungry Girls ! I started it in July for Camp NaNo (which was,,,probably the first time I've done a NaNo event and *not* rebelled in aeons because it was the first time in ages a first draft lined up with a NaNo event!) and got 40,000 words in that month, but I slowed way down in August and September and barely drafted anything at all in October. Originally I was like "oh I'll do it for NaNo if I'm not done." Now I'm like "lol it's so cute how I thought I might be done with this before NaNo." I need that pressure to finish the story!

I: I was initially planning to be a rebel like Blue and use NaNo to power through my WIP. But then a new plot bunny crept in and ruined things... I tend to get very caught up in making my first draft as close to perfect as possible that it takes me forever to do these things. I'm hoping NaNo will help me power my way though and just get some words on paper.

a: Ah, so excited to hear more about these projects! What is your game plan for completing your goal?


B: I've implemented a rule for myself (year-round, not just at NaNotide) that I don't do homework after 8p.m. So no matter how much coursework I have, after 8p.m. I focus on personal projects instead. That's going to help a lot, provided I focus once I make the switch lol. Otherwise, I'll write in every spare moment like I used to when I barely had time! It helps that my uni's going all-online after Thanksgiving - I won't have as much time spent actually in class/on campus, so that opens up a little more writing time as well.

I: I have a pretty busy job in the weeks so I'm hoping to get loads of words done on weekends. I want to get a good headstart going so that when I run out of steam I don't have to write as much to catch up. That and writing in pads - always helpful when other people are writing too!

a: Wow y'all are hard workers!! Best of luck! Any ideas for pushing through when you run out of writing energy?


B: A major one for me is having a writing community. This year I opened a support group on Twitter for mutuals who wanted to join in, so I've got a community of 60 people in addition to my YWS peeps and usual writer buddies to help keep me motivated! I find that if I have people to vent to, brainstorm with, and scream about my writing with, it gets me through the tough moments - not only when I'm out of energy, but also when I start feeling like "oh god this is trash this is trash this is trash."

I: Skip through a difficult scene if it's making you stuck. There are some parts of a story that are naturally easier to write, so I'm going to write those scenes if I get stuck! Also, I've got to remember that for once, it's quantity over quality. And if I get really stuck I'm going to get Blue to whack me with a newspaper.

a: Thanks you two! And before we close off, any random other things you want to say?


B: Good luck to everyone participating in NaNo! Hmu if you have any questions about the event (or the new site, which has been a headache for basically everyone since it launched, haha). This is far from my first rodeo, so I'm happy to help out!

I: Thanks to everyone who has commented on any of my planning so far, it's more motivating than you'll ever know <3

Best wishes to all you NaNo writers! If you want to learn more about how folks on YWS are participating, feel free to check out the YWS NaNoWriMo Forum and if you want to get involved with the world endeavor at the official site, you can check out the link here .

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Wed Nov 04, 2020 2:35 am
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SPOOKY POETRY TRICKS AND TREATS


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written by alliyah < PM: > and Arcticus < PM: >

Hello Squills Readers, it's spooky-season, and you know what that means. Well it means for those who like to flex their poetry muscles it means that before we get into the winter holly jolly poems we get a chance to throw some spooky scary poems into the world. I knew for an article like this I'd need help from an expert poet, and wouldn't you know it, the famous people-tab poet @Arcticus just happened to be in a write-in while I was working on this article, so your guest-co-author for these spooky poetry tips is Arc!

Tips


1. Begin with cozy, cuddly imagery, but then shift suddenly to a horrifying image

Begining with a cozy image at the beginning builds up tension for the reader, if you throw all your gore and spook at the beginning there's nothing for the poem to build to, or suprise the reader.

Example: You can start with a description of soft, chiming sounds *tringaliningtintin*
and soft whispers of someone singing a lullaby but then tell us that the one doing the singing is a murderous gremlin singing to its vampire baby.

2. Extend your imagery beyond cliche, by using figurative language

We've all read a poem or two about skeletons dancing around the grave-yard right? Big yawn! You can use classic spooky imagery but make sure to give it a little twist too, to add interest and make your poem more unique.

Example: Taking a familiar image and making it a metaphor or simile is a good way to make the image more layered and build an impact. ie. The bones clattered on the floor, like the the soft patter of ice falling into a glass.

3. Have a plot or conflict in your poem

Sometimes authors make the mistake of just literally throwing images at the reader. This can bring a reaction, but it doesn't do much for building a lasting connection. A scary movie is always more horrifying when we actually can empathize or care about the characters, so don't be afraid to build a little bit of a story in there or give us a reason to care about the narrator.

4. Use a lot of suspense, build-up is important in horror.

Gradually reveal details, not all at once. Spookiness is somewhat based on mystery, which is why it is important to unravel it step by step, sensation by sensation, until the really horrifying thing is unleased upon the unsuspecting reader. Subverting expectations is a great way to build interest.

5. Pumpkins, add pumpkins.

When in doubt, don't be afraid to build up the scene with details that just tell the reader this is a spooky scene, throw those spare spiderwebs in a corner, a few cockroaches climbing up the wall, a mysterious broken mirror, and the air laced with pumpkin spice lattes and you'll really bring the scene together for a full spooky picture.

Well that's all your tips! I hope you try out these out in a poem soon! If you do decide to write a spooky poem using some of these let us know and you might have it featured in the next squills article. maybe. depends on how many pumpkins there are.

Happy Spooky Writing!





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Wed Nov 04, 2020 2:36 am
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WORD OF THE WEEK: UNEARTHLY


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written by EternalRain < PM: >

Pronunciation: uhn-urth-lee

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: v. unnatural or mysterious, especially in a disturbing way.

Synonyms: otherworldly, supernatural

Origin: first known use in 1611 as “not heavenly”; ‘un’ meaning “not” for not earthly

Used in a Sentence: The girl sensed an unearthly presence that Halloween night at the graveyard--it felt like there was someone there by her side.





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Wed Nov 04, 2020 2:38 am
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SPOOKY POEM RECOMMENDATIONS


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written by alliyah < PM: >

Need to get in the spooky spirit? Here's some spooky poems for your reading joy! Content Warning Some of these poems may be unsettling and have gory or violent imagery.

The Mirror by @Plume is a sort of mysterious poem built around this very horrific mirror and what's happened in front of it. Try to solve what's happened if you can make it to the end of the poem without getting too freaked out.

Insanity by @Buranko has some violent themes and some really compelling imagery!

Spiders Do you love the creepy crawly? Check out this poem by @Library_Nerds5777.

A Good Tub by @Magebird is a few months old now, but I think this is a good time to bring it on back! It's a little unexpected, but definitely haunting.

At Night Are you afraid of the dark? Then this poem by @ToxicAnglerFish may not be for you!

The Spider and the Fly this is a non-YWS poem by Mary Howitt - it's a little known fact, but before I was obsessed with bird-poetry, I had a great love of bug-poetry. I even memorized 4 bug poems for a poetry reading contest in High School and this is one of them that's always stuck with me. It's one of my favorite narrative-poems and has just great sound devices and voice all the way through, give it a read and let me know what you think!

And lastly, not a poem, but a Spooky Script from 2008 which should hold a special place in the hearts of all YWSers. >.> Halloween with Snoink, Griff, Edward Cullen, and Bulbasaur by @Snoink and @Griffinkeeper. It is terrifying with a humorous edge. Be sure to give it a read!

Hope you enjoy reading these pieces!





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Wed Nov 04, 2020 2:39 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.

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Place advertisement here. Make sure you include a title!

And now for this week's Shameless Plugs!


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That's all folks~ Now send us yours.





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Wed Nov 04, 2020 2:40 am
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SUBSCRIBERS
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written by SquillsBot < PM: >

Find an enspoiler-ed a list of our subscribers!
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I have my books and my poetry to protect me.
— Paul Simon