Young Writers Society

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1. NEW MOD INTERVIEWS
2. FESTIVE READS TO GET YOU IN THE HOLIDAY MOOD
3. 20IN20 INTERVIEW
4. MY 6 FAVORITE HOLIDAY RECIPES
5. WORD & NOTES: ACTUAL MUSIC IN WRITING
6. WINTER POETRY RECS
7. SHAMELESS PLUGS
8. SUBSCRIBERS

NEW MOD INTERVIEWS

written by alliyah < PM: >

This past week a few members got a new coat of slime! @Magebird made the announcement of our newest mold outbreak right here , and it turned out it wasn't a "mold outbreak" at all, but brand new junior moderators! @IcyFlame joined the General Lit Crew while @starlitmind and @Liminality joined the Poetry Rangers over at the Poetry Crew. I sent out questionares to the site's newest mods and here's what they had to say!



starlitmind: I WAS SUPER DUPER DUPER DUPER EXCITED. I totally didn't expect that in a million years, and I was very happy to learn that I would be part of a lovely group of sweet, amazing, awesome, kind, spectacular, wonderful, marvelous, etc. members c:

Liminality: I think I re-read the PM I was sent a few times. You know, just to make sure I wasn't imagining it. My second thought was oh wow ~responsibility~, but you know, a happy ~responsibility~. I was pretty excited to contribute to the site as a mod!

IcyFlame: Thanks a lot! My first reaction was surprise, but combined with genuine happiness. I've been active on and off on this site for a whole bunch of years, so I'm really excited to get a chance to give something back to this wonderful community of amazing people.



s: All I have to say is that being a unicorn gives you a huge advantage...

L: Hmm am I allowed to? O.O Well, I suppose there is combat in the metaphorical sense, but no YWS-ers were harmed in the making of this mold.

I: Hmm, well the readers should know that most of what goes on in the gladiator ring is highly secret and as such I'm not allowed to talk about it very much. But I will say that Liminality appears to be a natural with the sword of destiny and we should all be a little concerned.



s: Hm, I haven't really thought about that yet; for now, I'm focusing on familiarizing myself with all of the rules and parts about being a mod ^^

L: I'm excited for NaPo, of course! Even though 2020 was my first time participating in it, I had loads of fun writing all those poems and seeing what everyone else wrote each day. I've also been thinking it would be neat to have some kind of event based around either the tanka or the haiku form, since I use those often myself. (pending Lim's research though)

I: I'm excited to bring a few more events along for the Gen Lit team! We've just had NaNo and there's a bit of a cooling off period whilst everyone recovers I think, but after that it's back to business! I'm also excited to gear up for another review day and get the Green Room back into good shape.



s: I joined Poetry Crew which is obviously the best crew. The best part about this crew, besides the power rangers theme, is the wonderful people that make it up that I'm so glad to be with! <3 <3 This crew basically deals with everything poetry-related, from poetry clubs to reviewing poems to NaPo, and I'm excited to be here!

L: I joined the awesomely atmospheric Poetry Crew, which is run by @alliyah, @Meshugenah and @PenguinAttack.

I:Sure! I'm part of the Gen Lit Crew, which means I'm involved in helping out for the books and short stories section of the site. I'll be doing lots of reviews, running workshops and keeping the fiction wheels oiled!



s: Omg I've been waiting for this moment my whole life. Here's a lovely inspirational quote that keeps me going <3 : "potato"

L: Hmm . . . Keep a cool head and a warm heart? I'm not the most inspirational slime in the petri dish, but there you go.

Liminality? More like LimeJelly! Sorry that was the best I could do, and I think the colour might be a few shades off too =P .

I:I'll try for both inspirational and funny.
When something in your life doesn't go according to plan, just yell "plot twist!" and keep going.

Thanks you three! Those were great answers! If you haven't had a chance to congratulate our newest mods you can do so over in the announcement thread . I'm confident each one of them is going to do a terrific job!

FESTIVE READS TO GET YOU IN THE HOLIDAY MOODwritten by IcyFlame< PM: >

Whether you're celebrating the holidays as planned or, like most of us this year, being torn between missing what you usually have and being grateful for what you've got, books with a festive feel are a wonderful way to get you feeling merry and ready for the big day.

So, for your reading pleasure, I've rounded up some of the best Christmas classics to suit all kinds of readers!

Little Women
A timeless classic, Little Women is a coming of age story by Lousia May Alcott. It features four sisters, Meg, Jo, Amy and Beth who live in the picturesque New England whilst struggling to survive the civil war and poverty that came alongside it. The sisters are starkly different, but united in their love for adventure, their parents and for one another. If you haven't read this one already (or even if you have) it's definitely the top of any Christmas reading list.

The Night Before Christmas
No Christmas reading list is complete without a reading of Clement C.Moore's famous poem. A short read, but a must have for Christmas Eve.

Last Christmas in Paris
August, 1914. Will and Tom are off to war whilst Will's sister Evie looks on. They plan to meet in Paris at Christmas, thinking that the war will be long over. But we know differently. This story is told through the letters of Evie and Tom, who finally arrives in Paris for Christmas in 1968 where one final letter is waiting for him. This is less of a Christmas classic, but a personal favourite and one that comes to you highly recommended.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas
The book that inspired the family favourite film, Dr Seuss' Grinch is sure to bring back those festive feels. The original book is full of wonderful rhyme and beautiful illustration. Bonus points if it makes you go ahead and watch the film too!

The Christmas Egg: A Seasonal Mystery
In pre-Christmas London, Chief Inspector Brett Nightingale is called to a gloomy flat where the body of an elderly woman has been discovered. This woman turns out to be Princess Olga, an emigrant of Civil War Russia who fled her country and has been terrified of being discovered ever since. Less heart-warming and more thrilling with a fast paced narrative, this book is perfect for those who want their Christmas cheer delivered with a dose of mystery and excitement.

A Christmas Carol
A book that needs no introduction, A Christmas Carol is one of the most famous chilling, heart-warming and festive tales in existence.
"Every idiot who goes about with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart."
These words may not seem like those of a particularly festive story, but Scrooge is soon visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, who lead him towards redemption. The Dickensian characters add a rich texture to this Christmas classic, which will leave you thoroughly heart-warmed.

There are, of course, many others that didn't make the list but are no less wonderful. If you do happen to read any of these (or any other festive books) over the holidays then be sure to share what you thought. Who knows, maybe it will inspire you to write your own festive classic!

20IN20 INTERVIEW

written by alliyah < PM: >

With 2020 wrapping up, the hope is that some day soon we'll get to wrap up all the mayhem that came with it. It's been quite a year hasn't it? Well if you think back to January 2020, you'll remember it didn't start off so bad! In fact a new version of an old event (15in15 by @niteowl) was reintroduced by @ShadowVyper! Shady challenged writers to spend at least 20 minutes every day of 2020 in writing! A pretty neat challenge! I actually interviewed ShadowVyper back in January about 20in20 for Squills here which kind of makes this article feel like the year has come full circle.

I was excited to try it out as the year started off, and even got maybe through January, but then lost the consistency and kind of gave up a little! Other users though kept at it, while others joined half-way through the year. Two users who were very consistent with 20in20 were @BluesClues and @mellifera. Their consistency with the daily #20in20 posts has really impressed me this year honestly and as 2020 draws to a close I thought we could check in to see how their experience has been with this challenge.



BluesClues: I love a good writing challenge! It's good for my motivation. And 20 minutes seemed super manageable, especially since any kind of writing counts (e.g., essays for school, research notes).

mellifera: At first, I just really enjoyed the idea of it! I like site-wide activites like 20in20/LMS/etc, especially when they pertain to novel writing and I can continue to write mostly as normal or in a way that boosts my activity. And then, after a while, I stuck with it, because it was helping me continue to write through the year!



B: Stubbornness, mostly! I also counted all the different kinds of writing I had to do: drafting, revising, and line editing; writing queries and query materials; taking course notes or research notes and drafting or revising papers. So I had more than enough writing to keep me busy every day!

m: I really wanted to get all 365 days, for fun mostly. At some point, it just because a huge boon, because I was flagging and not wanting to write on certain days, especially after LMS ended this summer. But just doing the 20 minutes was really helpful, because it's a nice big-sized chunk that can turn into longer sessions if I got motivated (and if I didn't, it just helped me get a little writing done each day!).



B: Omg, so many projects! I finished a final draft of the Chosen Grandma story and got it query ready, did agent research and started querying agents, started a first draft of GroundskeeperWIP , completed a draft of Hungry Girls , and did alllllllllll the coursework. Writing each day helped me stay on track with various projects and ensured that I didn't take too much time away, especially from fiction writing - I took a semester off from writing anything fictional toward the end of my undergrad, and it was [i]really hard to get back in the groove when I came back to it. #20in20 helped prevent that problem![/i]

m: I got the second draft of Colonia Heights written, I finished the first draft of my LMS novel, Starry Veins , I started the third draft of my Untitled Pirate Novel (which I got partway into and then rewrote, but 20in20 was good help towards my motivation for that), I started the first draft of my NaNo novel (which I'm almost done with!), Rival Bards , all of which got so much more attention because of that 20 minutes every day, which would often turn into longer sessions once I got motivated! I also did a lot of online lecture work and I take a lot of notes to help me digest it better, so it was definitely helpful for that to! Sometimes it was also just novel planning or notes, I did a lot of planning for way too many novels to list here, but sometimes those 20 or more minutes were just dedicated to plotting out everything!



B: Dedicate a certain time to it! It doesn't have to be a very specific time - for me, I have a lot of coursework, so I decided that I won't do any more homework after 8p.m. Daytime is for homework; the last couple hours before bed are for personal projects, including writing! My other major tip is to find your writing community! A group of friends who write can help hold you accountable and cheer you on on those days when it's hard to do any writing.

m: Start off small! This year was rocky for me in terms of writing (I used to do at least an hour every day that I could!), but having the 20 minute push, and updating, publicly, my progress every day was super helpful! Even if it's only five minute every day, it's more words than you would get done if you didn't write at all! Cut out manageable chunks, and you'll find it's not nearly as intimidating as it seems! And sometimes, like I found, once you get going, you can really pump some words out!



B: I'm thinking about doing a #21in21 ! It's not as catchy as #20in20, but it's only a minute more of writing, and I'll have lots to do again: revising Hungry Girls, hopefully drafting GroundskeeperWIP, h o p e f u l l y doing edits with an agent or editor for the Chosen Grandma story, cross your fingers and toes!!! and, of course, tons of coursework! I haven't made the final decision yet, but right now I'm leaning strongly toward "yes, #21in21 ."

m: I would love to! Having that goal to push for every day is really, really helpful, and it's flexible for what writing you do (which is not necessarily purely novel writing, as both Blue and I can attest). Sometimes you just need a chunk of time that you sit down to plot a novel, or sometimes you just need to write some ideas down. Whatever it is, it's more words that end up accumulating the longer you do it for, and you'll find you've made more progress than you might think!

Thank you both for your answers, and best of luck in the next year with all of your writing projects too!

If any of you Squills Readers are also interested in joining in 2021, let's do it. All it takes to start is 21 minutes. See you next year!

MY 6 FAVORITE HOLIDAY RECIPES
written by EternalRain < PM: >

If you’re like me… then, well, you LOVE sugar and all things sweet. I also love to bake, especially during the holiday season (chocolate… peppermint… cinnamon… ginger… the list goes on and on), and I thought I’d share some of my favorite easy recipes! These are great to make for the holidays and add a little extra festive cheer. Plus, they all taste absolutely amazing.

1. Spritz cookies (Sally’s Baking Addiction)

Spritz cookies are a type of cookie very similar to sugar cookies--they’re buttery, sugary, and only require a few basic ingredients. After you’ve made your dough, you send the dough through a cookie press, which shapes the cookie into whatever design template you choose! I like decorating mine with sprinkles and chocolate chips. Best of all, the recipe makes a ton of cookies, so there’s plenty to share, gift, or eat all by yourself. I use this spritz cookie recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction and love how they turn out.

2. Double chocolate crinkle cookies (Sally’s Baking Addiction)

I made these double chocolate crinkle cookies (recipe also from Sally’s Baking Addiction) and oh my goodness are they heavenly. If you love chocolate like I do, you would love these cookies. The other thing I love about these is that they are so gorgeous and the powdered sugar coating looks soft as snow!

3. Thumbprint cookies (Sugar Spun Run)

Thumbprint cookies are so perfect for the holidays! The best part about thumbprint cookies is that they’re incredibly easy to make… you start off by making a shortbread type of dough, and afterwards just add a bit of jam to the center! They’re really colorful and tasty.

4. Peppermint bark (Dinner at the Zoo)

Peppermint + chocolate = heart eyes. A total holiday classic sweet treat. Plus… the ingredient list is pretty short. If you’ve got white chocolate, milk or dark chocolate, and peppermint, you’re basically good to go.

5. Apple cinnamon bread (Happier Homemaker)

Okay… so, I haven’t actually used this recipe before, but this is definitely on my to-bake list. I ADORE quick bread recipes (pumpkin and banana bread are both some of my favorite things to bake and eat), and this sweet bread with apple chunks + cinnamon sounds delightful. It reminds me of an apple pie as a quick bread!

6. Chewy Molasses Cookies (Epicurious)

I wanted a bit of variety in the type of recipes I included in my list (yes, I love cookies) but I just couldn’t not share this recipe. I actually usually make these around Thanksgiving, but I personally think they’re perfect all year round. They’re spicy (ginger), sweet (sugar), and so flavorful and chewy (molasses).

And that concludes my short little compilation of holiday recipes! Do you have a traditional dessert you or your family makes during the holidays? Do you have any favorite recipes you’d like to share through Squills? If you’re interested, PM me. I would love to do an article highlighting YWSers’ favorite recipes.

WORD & NOTES: ACTUAL MUSIC IN WRITING
written by EditorAndPerks < PM: >

Hello all, and welcome to a second installment linking writing with music.

This week I wanted to discuss how music, or songs in general can bring to life certain aspects of a text that might have felt a bit bland without more context. I think there’s something wonderful about providing another part to a story, much like how putting parts of “online content” or “social media posts” into a story can open up the reader to a greater atmosphere of overall.

Now, the methods of doing this can be as simple as having the character mention a tune or hum something aloud to themself, or by describing the actual song in the context of the story. Referring to pop culture, especially current popular songs, can be both good and bad in terms of connecting with the reader, as some people may simply not register the title or name of an artist or song, in addition to a story being clearly outdated if the referred to song is actually not popular anymore.

Time pieces, meaning something probably directly happening before mid 2000s benefit greatly from modest references to “regular life” including what kind of music is being played. Movies do a fabulous job at completely pointing out what decade a setting is — the difference between playing a Bee Gees song or David Bowie, and even modifying what kind of character would be listening to this music.

However, a tried and true way, often more seen in romance or high school themed stories can be the switching on of a radio or press of a playlist, wherein the main character scrolls through multiple stations or categories until they find the perfect “mood” song. Scroll through social media websites for a minute, and you’ll probably come across plenty of posts describing songs and how they connect with outside ideas.

The fun part is to determine if that song playing in your head while typing the climax would be better off left in your head or squeezed in between muffled giggles and confessions. I think that sound, especially music, can be under appreciated by writers in terms of how to weave it though the text and catch readers’ attention.

One of my favorite uses of music, also one of my favorite books in general, is enveloped in The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. Charlie, the named main character, creates mixtapes for his friends, spanning plenty of different artists and the same song, Asleep by The Smiths because he loved that song so much. There’s a kind of magic by reading the playlist and reading how the songs are described, how driving in the back of a pick-up truck on the freeway is described.

I hope you get that same feeling when writing your stories.

WINTER POETRY RECS

written by alliyah < PM: >

It might not be the very first thing you think of when you think of the winter holidays, but for many people poetry is actually a big part of them. Through things like hymns, carols, and poems that get passed down through the generations during the holiday season. If you need some nice winter poetry recommendations to read through while you're drinking your cocoa this week be sure to check out my new thread Favorite Winter / Holiday / Christmas Poem .

So far we've got some really delightful poems being shared over there! @Whatchamacallit shared a somewhat untraditional poem that has all of your favorite wintery imagery with a little twist. The poem is Blizzard by Linda Pastan. I shared one of my favorites by Robert Frost, Stopping By the Woods on a Snowy Evening which is a lovely narrative poem about a speaker caught up in their winter surroundings but knowing they need to keep moving. Then @Lavvie shared a super interesting piece by e e cummings, [little tree] . And shared that one of her other favorites is the classic "Twas the Night Before Christmas" - which I can't help but agree with! Lastly in our thread so far, @Valkyria shared a favorite poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Christmas Bells . It's the poem that inspired the hymn "I heard the Bells on Christmas Day" (one of my personal favorites!) and was written in absolutely heartbreaking circumstances, Wadsworth wrote the song following a tragic year where his wife died in a fire, his son was severely wounded in the Civil War, and he was processing "Christmas" in light of all this tragedy and sorrow around him. The song/poem turns to hope at the end and I think is one of the most inspiring Christmas Hymns ever written, that definitely speaks to some of the lack of peace people are going through in modern day too.

We've also got some wintery poems on YWS too that you may want to check out if you're feeling in the mood for winter poetry!

Christmas Song Poem by @MoonIris is a poem that is based off of different popular Christmas songs and is a fun take on a bunch of different Christmas themes all coming together.

South For the Winter by @Faery007 picks up some of the longing-vibes of winter and migration that I recommend taking a look at for a more metaphorical connection to winter.

Dreidle by @Elfboy explores the Hanukkah tradition of playing a game of dreidle from a poetic lens, and it turns out really interesting! This is a great read especially if you're interested in spiritual poetry (and is still in the Green Room!)

Winter Train by @Buranko rounds out our seasonal poetry, with a reflection on different aspects of winter in a somewhat whimsical lyrical piece.

If you have other favorites that I missed or winter poems that you think deserve a shout-out please don't hesitate to contribute to the Favorite Winter / Holiday / Christmas Poem Thread (even YWS poems are welcome!) Happy reading!

SHAMELESS PLUGS

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SUBSCRIBERS

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