Young Writers Society

Welcome to Squills, the YWS news bulletin.

This thread is the equivalent of a YWS newspaper, with each post in this thread being a news article. The focus of this paper is on the happenings of YWS at any given day, but members are welcome to submit their own news items. Keep in mind that all postings must comply with the YWS rules.

Submissions will be taken over the span of the day. Tomorrow, this thread will be locked and a new one will take its place. This feature runs all week long, featuring special coverage during events and certain occasions.

If you have questions, news tips, letters to the editor, or if you would like to join the Squills Team, then please PM Griffinkeeper.

Staff Roster
Editor-in-Chief: Griffinkeeper
General Correspondent: alfredsymon

Storybook Saturday
Yay, it's the weekends again! What we gonna do? Storybooking!

Our spotlight for today goes to The Silver Bullet Club, being run by our very own Shino!

What makes this storybook powerful? Its supernaturality. See, the SB club is composed of...special children who have the need to hide their seemingly paranormal skills and abilities to avoid danger and discrimination. This is the impact of the storybook: you have the ability to choose your own power. In other words, creativity to the limit! Isn't that what everyone's yearning for?

The Knights of the Green Room
A new faction has risen on YWS and is storming to victory.

This is Rydia and I am reporting today from a place known as 'The Green Room'. From what I understand, all of the neglected works with fewer than two reviews are gathered here and people passing by are able to save them by writing a critique.

Now normally this room has a few good doers passing through, but today it is filled with a gathering of knights. Can you believe it, they have actually taken on the task of clearing the Green Room. That is right, they are going to review all of these works!

Wait, what's that? Breaking news, this just in! Anyone who joins their forces is able to earn a knighthood for themselves! There's also a once-only chance of a special, super rare badge for taking part in the first Green Room clear out!

I am officially putting down my microphone and signing the enrolment list. Please, join me for this excellent cause and become a Knight of the Green Room!

By Shady

I recently read an article about writer’s block, which spurred me on to read more about what causes this nasty phenomenon and how we all can overcome it. Writer’s block is essentially a mental barrier that you erect between yourself and your creative potential.

It’s not some mysterious rogue who comes and steals all your ideas. It’s yourself, your Inner Critic, who’s really sabotaging your ability to write stellar pieces. You’ve still got all the ideas that you had before, you’re just no longer confident enough to write them.

It could be caused by anything or anyone. It could be one of those dreaded rejection letters, or your Inner Critic pointing to that failed attempt, and that failed attempt, and that failed attempt...or merely a friend laughing when you said you were a writer. You might not even be aware that you’re suffering from it; all you know is that you can’t write anymore.

American poet William Stafford once said “There is no such thing as writer’s block for writers whose standards are low enough.”

I know, that sounds horrible when we first read it. But what’s he really saying? I think what he meant is that we’re all trying too hard. We all want to craft sentences and stanzas that people will remember long after they’ve finished reading our story or poem.

So you sit there...and sit there...and sit there, staring at your screen or notebook, thinking about how poorly you’re doing, wondering why you ever wanted to be a writer in the first place and considering your next move, now that you’ve realized that you’re not cut out to be a writer after all.

Be willing to scrap pages of your work, deleting everything but the few good phrases and ideas that turned up. Then rewrite...and rewrite...and rewrite. Sure it takes work, and a load of patience, but you can do it. How many times do you think I rewrote this article before I let anyone read it?

Another tip that writers often employ, following that idea, is writing out of chronological order. Your readers aren’t going to have any idea if you avoid introducing your protagonist until you’ve written a few chapters and actually get to know him yourself.

Write as inspiration comes to you, and then edit your inspired chapters so that they fit together, rather than making your readers slog through four chapters of filler to get to the part you really wanted to write about.

You’ve got this really great idea for a house filled with terrible, mutant beasts but have no idea how to integrate it into your story? Write it. Most likely while you’re writing it a plot twist will come to you, and you’ll figure out a way to write it in.

Don’t believe me? Just say hello to chapter eight of the novel I’m working on. I wrote it while I was struggling through my fifth chapter...as I had been...for two months. Once I got the inspiration to write about my Creature House, I had a plot twist to work towards, build up to. Writer’s block suddenly vanished.

If you still need help to just write your ideas out, go to the chat room and issue a challenge for a Word War. That’s one of the great things about having YWS to run to: other writers to encourage us and spur us on. WWs unleash our natural competitiveness, which is another powerful force that can help bash our Inner Critic in the head.

Alright, I know there are you extreme introverts out there who are still quaking from the very idea of you venturing into the (gulp) public chat. Never fear. Simply talking to someone, even in private chat, can help you overcome your writer’s block. Trust me.

Your friends can help you brainstorm (or at least laugh at your distress), and give you a fresh perspective of things. Like I said: most writer’s block is us taking ourselves too seriously, so someone who’s reputation isn’t on the line can help us to laugh at our own insecurities, because you really are over thinking things. God, your Mama, and I will all still love you if we see a less-than-perfect piece.

With that said, it might help you to think about where your inspiration comes from, and how you write best. Sure inspiration just hits us sometimes (usually trying to wait until we don’t have a notebook in reach, of course), but other times there’s a pattern to it.

I write action scenes better after I watch a certain television show and select movies, and so always try to have at least a few minutes afterwards to write down ideas that come to me. I can write descriptive scenes best when I’m outside listening to the birds chirp and the leaves rustle in a soft breeze as the cattle graze in the pasture (yeah, I live on a farm).

All other writing requires me to be hiding in my room, usually on my laptop, while listening to music. I can’t write in a library where there are people milling about and it’s silent. I listen to rock while I write poetry (don’t judge). Figure out what strange quirks drive you, and learn to accommodate them.

But most of all get someone to hold you accountable. Get your friends, either real-life or virtual, or family to demand to see your writing. That way you can’t hide behind your insecurities and either a) not write or b) keep it locked in the depths of your computer in a zipped file. You’ll either write or get chased down by an angry mob, which is great motivation.

So no more excuses. It's time to write.

How To Do Commands In Chat-- A Guide

Have you ever wondered how those super cool cats of YWS carry out all those commands in chat, such as attacking, hugging and rolling a dice?


Well, here's your answer. It's very simple, and once you master it, you can attack people and hug people to your hearts content!

To attack someone, you type this--
/attack "the user you wish to attack" "the weapon you wish to use" .
The amount of damage that occurs varies, and you can't control it, but if you and another user get into a battle, it records the points you have, so you can defeat, or be defeated!

To hug someone, you type this--
/hug "the user you wish to hug"
hugging is also healing, so if two people are in a battle, and one is dangerously close to death, you can jump in and save them by hugging them and healing them points! (remember, don't put 'hugs', put 'hug', or it won't work!)

To let people know you want a hug, you type this--
/hug "your username"
It'll say "your username" wants a hug. Just a fun little tidbit which usually gets replies of hugs and snugs. :3

To roll a dice, you type this--
/dice
Not one of the better commands, but it's still fun to use to play a game against another YWSer!

To have a random quote pop up on your chat, type this--
/quote
I tested it, and you can't type your own quotes, but it comes up with a bunch of different ones every time you do it.

And last but not least, to perform an action, such as ("SparkOfDoubt flops" instead of SparkOfDoubt: *flops*) You type--
/me "action"


Always remember to not put spaces between the "/" and "action" or it won't work!

And that is how you carry out the list of commands available in our current chat!

Don't Forget the Newbies!

It's just as important to make new friends as it is to keep old ones!

YWS gets new members every day, and that means every day, we have to make them feel welcome!

And it's really not that hard! All you have to do is greet, review and be an all round friendly person!
Sometimes, it's as simple as a post on their wall, to make some of the best friends you can have!

So do your duty as a YWSer today, and get out there and greet!