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!





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.

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

1. THE PLOT FUNK
2. A MOD MOMENT: HANNAH
3. SERIOUS SERIALS FOR CEREAL
4. USERNAMES: RANDOM OR SOMETHING DEEPER?
5. THE LEAVES OF FALL
6. GREEN ROOM GALLERY
7. SOCIETY PAGES
8. STORYBOOK UPDATE
9. FEATURED RESOURCE ARTICLE
10. NEW ARRIVALS
11. THIS WEEK'S ROUNDUP - 10/13
12. SHAMELESS PLUGS
13. SUBSCRIBERS

THE PLOT FUNKwritten by SparkOfDoubt < PM: >



As we approach NaNoWriMo, let's talk a little bit about plot funks...

Okay, so plot funks are nasty. They're mean, they're scary and they're big. I've found myself thinking on more than one occasion, How am I ever going to get myself out of this mess?, worried that the plot funk was going to follow me into the novel itself.

Well, dear reader, guess what?

The plot funk is curable, and best of all, I'm going to teach you how to cure it.

How to Cure the Plot Funk

Finding yourself backed into a corner with your plot happens to the best of us. The plot is going good, you've got the basic frame work, now all you have to do is get down and dirty... And then you hit a snag. The snag might not even seem that big at the time, but it will slowly build up until it seems like it's as tall as the Empire State Building, and you're an insignificant ant trying to tell it what to do. When something like this happens, it usually means that you have lost focus of what the plot is usually about. You're getting stuck on the small things, and not letting the plot grow and explore. This is something that happens to all writer's at one time or another. You get distracted when you don't like your characters, or when there's this one piece that just won't leave you alone, but keeps nagging at you to let it into your plot.

My advice? Let it.

If your plot isn't doing what you want it too, it might be time to start listening to the voice inside your head that keeps trying to make you do something else. Your instinct might be to ignore it, but don't let it.
Sit down with a mug of tea and a blank screen or piece of paper. And just write down what you're thinking. Work methodically (or not so methodically) through it until the voice in your head settles down, and you're finally satisfied.

Then, walk away. Walk away for an hour, or a day, or even a week (NaNo is close, but it's still far enough away for you to take a week-long break!), and when you return, compare both plots. After you've done that, start piecing together your new plot, taking from both. Maybe you just use the base framework from the old version, and fill it with the juicy bits from the new version, or maybe you don't use the new version at all! The point of this exercise was the challenge yourself and move out of the mindset where nothing is going right.

So what are you waiting for?

Let's get to plotting!

Tune in next week to hear what @SparkOfDoubt has to say about NaNo preperarations!

A MOD MOMENT: HANNAH

written by Iggy < PM: >

Recently the moderators of the Young Writers Society witnessed a gruesome battle, where one of their own fought in bloody gladiator battles, sailed across ruthless seas, fought off not one but two Jabberwockys, and slayed the Minotaur in the Labyrinth. Her name is @Hannah and she was crowned as the newest Global Moderator, and painted a darker green!

Not only that, but she is Squills beloved Editor in Chief, and Squills chose her for this week's Mod Moment.




Hannah: Well, you missed a step! I first became an instructor back when lavender and light blue colors still roamed the site. I have no idea on the date, however, nor even an inkling of the date when I became a junior moderator. I have taken a couple big breaks in my five years and my memory tends to reset itself and give up holding on to things when I think I have moved on. Global moderator, though, was recently and came as a sort of belated birthday gift? Got the mail from @Nate on August 21st, also suspiciously titled "Hey."




H: Sure! To become an instructor, you had to be a really solid and helpful reviewer. This way you could teach good reviews by example, and you were generally expected to help other people out with reviews as well. Maybe we had a responsibility to search out promising reviewers and support them? I'm searching in my inbox for a paper trail on my instructor days and I see a PM from @Juniper when she was purple welcoming me to YWS and encouraging me on.

Oh! I've found the trail. I had forgotten, but you had to apply to become an instructor! So I have a little PM from @Big Brother on March 23, 2009 telling me that my application was accepted.

So, anyway, in this way, the Instructors were just a little society of good reviewers, so contests could be made with prizes like "5 reviews from an instructor" and it would result in a certain amount of excitement.




H: I've definitely changed as a person since then. Mostly a product of growing up. I joined YWS in my freshman year of college, and now I'm a year and some months out of college in my first full-time job. I also transferred colleges half way through and moved to a big city to get my degree in Fiction Writing, so there were a lot of shifts in how I viewed literature and writing during that time.

The changes were not a product of any color changes on YWS, though. The staff has a really good policy with regards to that. It's not so much of a promotion as much as it is recognizing someone who is already making the effort and contributions being an instructor or JM or GM requires, and giving them a little more wiggle room on the site so their visions can happen more easily.

That is to say that basically everything I do with Knights of the Green Room or with Squills, everything Shino's (@Paracosm) doing with his Serial Contest, everything members have done for awesome events like the YWStival or even the radio shows could, technically, be done by any member. If anything, YWSers just need to support one another in their radical ideas more often.




H: Oh for sure! I get stressed out because there's so much I need to do, but only so many hours in the day. Obviously, I have to lesson plan and prepare materials for my job -- teaching ESL. I also tutor on Saturdays and Sundays and prepare for those lessons. Since this is my paying job, I try to make it my priority.

Sometimes it feels like YWS is more immediate and demanding, though. The lovely Knights of the Green Room are active and enthusiastic, earning badges all over the place, which means I have to keep updating those scores in the Knight roster and on their profiles. Squills needs to be put together every week, and that requires constant attention to make sure we have enough material. Not to mention any other projects I want to work on.

Of course I also want to study Korean, study Mongolian, study teaching, try to get back to exercising every day, or make time to go to the hopsital for my hip, or play with my cat, or sit down and read a book, or learn the names of Korean plants, or just spend time with my boyfriend, or any number of other things when I'm not sleeping.

I can deal with stress well if I have a plan, or if I'm expecting the stress, but when things suddenly change, I'm less able to adapt (so far -- still working on that). In that way, the academy stresses me out more than YWS does. I try to deal with it by taking time off for myself -- like trying to take this week off -- but it doesn't work very well since YWS is a live beast, always changing, always updating, always asking for attention. haha.




H: I guess I'd give the same advice I'll try to stick to myself.

Find small, quiet moments and fill them with something you like. For me, being creative or organizing something new is actually pretty calming. So if I can take ten minutes out to go through my old clothes and pick some to throw out, that helps bring my stress level down.

Try small happy things, like learning how to melt chocolate and make chocolate-covered strawberries -- they're REALLY easy! Or pick up some watercolors and paint your cat while he sleeps. If you live in the city, scour the alleys for tossed-out art that you might like to bring in for your own walls? You're writers. You're creative. You can think of something that will make you happy.

The hardest part, for me, is recognizing that you're stressed and making yourself take that break. Maybe it would help to set a timer -- take 10 minutes off for every 50 minutes you work. Or if you feel yourself getting angry, use that anger to shut the computer, the text book, whatever, and get up to walk it off.

If talking it out makes you feel better, my inbox is open. Sometimes just talking about how stressed you are with another person who is also stressed can make you feel better. You might help each other find solutions or easier ways to do what you need to do!

SERIOUS SERIALS FOR CEREAL
written by Hannah < PM: >

There's one word that's been making the rounds on YWS far more often than it used to. Okay, yes "technology" and for a little while "teenager", but besides that, we've got the serial invasion taking over everything from the Green Room to the Club Tab to the Featured Works, all thanks to @Paracosm and Shino's Serial Challenge.

The idea was first revealed to the YWS public on September 24th . Paracosm cited great works like Anna Karenina as the inspiration for bringing this special publishing technique to YWS. Of course, no great trend is complete without competition, so the rules were propped up with love and perhaps a little over-eagerness.

To explain, Paracosm first required each participant to post three times per week! @Blackwood burst on the scene with a deep bow to the master of the world that is known as Mathematics, and noted that it'd cost any humble participant 1,500 points a week at that rate.

So Paracosm relented and just six days later posted a revised requirement of only a single post in a week over the course of twelve weeks.

Perhaps you're wondering where the competition comes in? Well look to the bounties for that. Paracosm promised high amounts of points to each participant -- tempting for anyone who can pull a minimum of 250 words out of their head each week.

For example, completing four entries of your serial will earn you 500 points. In a worst-case scenario, with the Green Room full and posting costs at their maximum, that's still one free post!

Completing the entire course will net you a minimum of 9,000 points, enough to pay you back for the twelve posts you've made and give you enough points for six more. Win "Best Serial" and that's another 3k in your pocket. As you can see, the playing field is set for fierce competition.

So who's in the game? So far, at the YWS Serial Challenge club , there have been quite a few signs of life, movement, and dedication. So far, @Blackwood, @Alvarin, @Paracosm, @AriaAdams, @megsug, and @StellaThomas have posted at least one entry toward their potential victories. See links to their stories at the end of this article.

Squills dropped in on @Blackwood and @StellaThomas to see how their projects were going. Both members claimed part of their main motivation for joining the project was just the fact that they generally did this sort of thing on YWS. And really, it's just that easy. You can participate in anything you want, and become powerhouses like Stella and Blackwood, both known for showing up just about everywhere.

So they've got the participation down, but what are they bringing to the table?

Well, Blackwood's been working hard on researching historical Japan and events surrounding the Shizouka bombing to bring to life his daring, told-backward narrative of Akira. He says,






Blackwood also shared exclusively that one of his favorite serials out of those submitted to the challenge so far was, in fact, lovely Stella's.

Stella's protagonist lives, seemingly, on the other side of space and time from Blackwood's. Her creator describes her as






Check out Blackwood's and Stella's full interviews in the spoilers below to find out if Blackwood's concerned at all about crossing cultural boundaries and what advice Stella has if you're considering joining up!

Blackwood

StellaThomas


Don't forget to also subscribe to the YWS Serial Challenge club to get updates when new episodes are posted. And then get out of here to explore the wonderful serials that have been submitted thus far!

USERNAMES: RANDOM OR SOMETHING DEEPER?written by The Messenger < PM: >


Have you ever wondered about someone’s username? Thought it odd, cool, or just random? Maybe you've even asked them? Well last week I sat down with three users: @SparkofDoubt, @Rosey%20Unicorn, and @Aquestioning, to see why they chose their names.

I introduced myself to Spark, the first to respond, and asked her why she had such an interesting username; here’s what she said.








She says she changed it because at the time she says she was going through a really hard time and saw doubt everywhere.








I asked and found out her past names were for “my two halves of life- ballet and theatre” and DramaLlama was from a nickname another user gave her.

I asked Spark if she planned on changing her name, and she said it been in the back of her mind, but people know her by Spark so she probably won't.


After Spark @Rosey%20Unicorn responded next.





Rosey Unicorn: Well, for starters, I was 13 when I came up with the name. That should help come up with some reasons.

I wanted a name I wouldn't get tired of that reflected what I liked and part of who I was. Since I was trying to be more bubbly online, I picked a happier sounding name. I'd always liked unicorns and I'd always liked pink, hence Rosey Unicorn.

The spelling came as a result of asking how my dad to spell "Rosie" and he gave me that spelling. It has stuck ever since.

I've kept the name through three other forums, so it's pretty much who I am by now. I have thought about changing it, but it's too much a part of me to really do that.





RU: Shadow Lynx, likely. At least, that was what I figured I'd use the last time. A dark secret keeper. Part of the reason I haven't changed it is it's so different from the current fluffy persona.

I complimented her on the username Shadow Lynx, and asked her if she had any last thoughts.


RU: Usernames reflect who you are. You can pick something that temporarily fits your life, or you can pick something that near permanently fits your life. Either way, the username you pick is who you are, even if only for a moment.


Have you noticed that these usernames are more than just random choices? It seems they really do have a lot of meaning. @Aquestioning was my last user to be interviewed. Here are his thoughts and reasoning behind his name.




Aquestioning: Haha sure, I'll tell you all about my username history on YWS. It started when I was a wee little boy (when I had just joined YWS) nearly 3 years ago. I was "omniyus" back then, and not really that well known. However, the name Omniyus is very special and sacred to me. It was the name that really started my infamous writing career in school. I didn't go by my actual name, but by Omniyus. It was my interpretation of Ominous, which was mysterious. I wanted to be mysterious, and I did that through my name.

Going back to around April, I had decided that I was ready to grow into something more mature, seeing as omniyus was four years old. So, I was in a time of great debate and pain in my life, and I wanted something as dark and mysterious as Omniyus, but with a little bit deeper meaning. So, I chose Aquestioning. It allowed me to have something mysterious with a little bit of my own flare. Other than that, that's pretty much it.

Aquestioning answered just about everything in that one answer. I asked him if he planned on changing, and what it would be if he did. He said that he has thought of it but doesn't think he will, and that if he did change it, he would stick with the mysterious tone his previous usernames have had.

I asked if he had any last thoughts, and thought he summed up usernames rather well.

Aq: I think names are an important concept of our image. The first thing people see is your name, so you want it to be important and that means something to both you and the people who see it makes it have a meaning. It's important, and should be that way.


So there you have it. It seems usernames do carry a lot of weight around. Much more than I thought before these conversations. Now I guess I wasn't entirely honest earlier, because Aquestioning was not the last person I interviewed. In the end I had to interview myself.




The Messenger's reply : Well, when I first got on here it was Malachi, but I soon realized that my username could mean so much more. So I changed it to The Messenger.




TM: Well, Malachi means messenger of God in Hebrew, and I found it the perfect fit. I love both usernames, but find that The Messenger shows more of my heart attitude: I want to use my writing talents to be a messenger for God. So I made the switch.




TM: Just never quit trying to learn more about how to be a good writer, take others advice, be helpful to your fellow writers, and always keep writing. Never quit.

And so in closing I say to all you writers: Never quit!

THE LEAVES OF FALL

written by Iggy < PM: >

How many of you Storybook? If you do, you've probably seen this lovely lady around. She's one of the best Storybookers I've ever role played with, and she's an amazing writer! Which, it seems, other people agree with me, since a poem of hers was recently featured.

Squills sat down with @ReisePiecey to see what inspired her to write this poem.



ReisePiecey: I was on my way home from the library, and feeling a bit down in general. My college classes were really pulling me in every which way, along with the stress of paying rent, and a whole bunch of other factors. So I sat down on the sidewalk and played with some fallen leaves. Somewhere in between tearing the leaves into bits the words of the poem popped up.



ReisePiecey: I never really notice things like that when I'm writing. If something comes to me and it's around the length of a haiku I'll just make it a haiku. Ideas come to me spontaneously and I just go with the flow. I never sit down with intent to write one specific type of poem. It's all very touch and go with me. I just write whatever feels right at the moment and my poems are mostly first drafts.



RP: I honestly am. I didn't expect it to be so well received. It was very surprising to see myself on the home screen and I don't think I stopped smiling that whole day.



RP: Of course I'm doing NaNo this year! It will be my first year doing it so I'm super excited. I have a project in mind and I'm trying to develop the plot and characters more before NaNo starts. Storybooking is my favorite things to do here though and I usually end up taking my characters out of Storybooks and putting them into their own little world.

GREEN ROOM GALLERYwritten by KnightTeen < PM: >

Wow. I've been on the Squills Team for about three months now. How awesome is that?

And not only have I started the Green Room Gallery, but I have contributed to other areas of Squills as well. The most recent article that I complied was the New Arrivals. Now, I know what you are all thinking. Doesn't @ShadowVyper usually handle that one? The answer is yes, but this week she applied for a much-deserved temporary absence due to school, so I volunteered to take over for this week.

We also recently lost our Quibbles columnist, @skorlir, because he got a job writing articles....somewhere.

And while we are sad to see him go, last week we gained a new member of our little family. @TheMessenger has officially joined Squills! WAHOOOOOOO!!!!! I'M NOT THE YOUNGEST ANYMORE!!!!!!

But what am I doing here? You didn't come to this article for gossip, we have the lovely Lady S for that! So let me give you what you came here for, shall I?

But I have to gossip a little more first. Does anybody remember the class who joined to post their Technology Essays? Recently I have discovered that they may have started a trend. There are essays about teenagers (and most of us here would know absolutely nothing about that topic) littering the Green Room .

And they aren't the only things. It appears that we haven't had very many reviewers at work this week, considering that the GR is very cluttered. I am just as guilty as the rest of you.

22 works with 0 reviews, 40 with 1. If this keeps up much longer I'm sure it won't be long until we are under HVA.

Interestingly enough, many of the works without a single review have been commented on. While I'm sure that authors love getting comments, they don't really help anyone. The author only gets praised and not critiqued, and the commenter doesn't get any points, and the work doesn't leave the Room. It's a no-win scenario until @TheMessenger or @dragonfphoenix someone reviews the piece.

It isn't that hard to turn a comment into a review. You already read the work, so introduce yourself, find something you liked, and then something you didn't. Quickly point out one or two areas the author can improve, and then one or two areas where the author excelled. Say something nice and positive in closing, and post the review! They don't have to be very long. And every little bit helps.

Today I'm linking to three works for the Gallery. Why, you ask? Because I'm the one who is running this show, and I make and break the rules. And the Green Room numbers are staring me in the face and making me feel guilty.

These works were all posted on the same day about a week ago.

Teenagers Demand It was written by new member @Renrenrenren. It has been sitting in the GR with ten comments and no reviews.

"Teenagers' Attitude is very much in the same boat, being written by @TianaCabrera, and possessing eight comments and no reviews.

Tenage Dilemma - Dar Real posted by @eversodarling, is the oldest work in the Green Room with no reviews, and has received one like and no comments.

Alright, I have done my job. Now I'm going to head over to the Room to eat up some of those scrumptious looking essays. And you should to. There's enough for everyone if we share! Let's have a review feast!

SOCIETY PAGES

written by StellaThomas < PM: >

Newsflash everybody! You heard it here first, exclusive to the one and only Lady S- @OmarEhab has expressed his undying love for @SparkOfDoubt.

In an exclusive interview, Omar said the following:

“I, the awesome hot amazing Omar, proclaim my undying love for Peyton, my gorgeous girlfriend. Let this day be marked as one of the greatest days in history. *nods seriously*”

My head’s gone all fuzzy from the romance of it all. How exciting. How am I ever going to deliver the rest of the news with this in my head.

@Wonderland isn’t so much having boy trouble as girl trouble. There’s a girl dubbed The Dramatic Actress who seems to have taken a dislike to our lovely Alice (perhaps we should call her the Queen of Hearts). I’m sure I don’t know why- she’s probably jealous of @Wonderland’s fabulous dresses- it’s the only explanation as to why you might dislike her…

@beckiw however is not being immature at all, in fact, quite the opposite as today she received the keys to her new flat. And not just some shoddy twelve month lease, oh no, this is a flat for keepsies. She’s officially a homeowner! Although she says not to ask her about any of the details of the mortgage since Tom is handling all of that. And probably most of the difficult housework (and stopping Becki from getting lost) as well.

@Wonder has some fabulous neon yellow trousers, how jealous are we? No matter her mood, Lady S believes a lady should never turn up a chance to wear yellow, it’ll always brighten up her day.

@SushiSashimi333 has also reached a milestone, having grown a full inch to be 5’5”. Only half an inch behind Lady S – I’d better go put some heels on.

@Lauren2010 is enjoying the fruits of being single and the ability to fangirl over cute guys again. Boyfriends, who needs ‘em? Certainly not someone as great as Lauren, am I right? Speaking of boys, @Adnamarine has a very simple request for all the cute guys in her life – hold that door open! You’ll be amazed by the effect it has on her.

You’ll also all be glad to know that @CelticaNoir is lurking around the site. As if you didn’t notice already.

It’s been a busy week, I think I need a lie down.

Don’t forget to send me all your scoop for next week, you know you want to,

xxx

Lady S

STORYBOOK UPDATE

written by Iggy < PM: >

Greetings, fellow YWSers! It is I, Iggy, taking over for @AfterTheStorm for this week with your Storybook Update. Don't worry, you'll have your beloved ATS back next week!




We all know him. He's green. He's a Doctor Who and Pokemon fanatic. He's an awesome Storybook moderator. He's the creator of a few random Storybooks you've possibly seen floating around. You my know him as Lumi or Jager or his newest, and randomest, username. This week's Storybooker is @MINEhandsoff, who thankfully sat down for an interview with our team.




MINEhandsoff: Yo, Squills. As an SB mod, my job is mostly to ensure that everyone has the best time possible in that particular zone of the site. That means being superactive in storybooks, and even reading storybooks I'm not in to get a feel of what people may want as far as changes or new features. It's a fun job, and I love it.




M: I started Storybooking when I was like 3 days old, YWS-wise. @ScarlettFire invited me to be in her storybook called Wanderlust, and I remember playing a Chinese captain of the guard. It was the most fun I'd ever had roleplaying! I was instantly addicted, and haven't stopped yet.




M: My favorite part of storybooking is the camaraderie between writers, making something greater than the sum of its parts. I love watching poets turn into novelists and novelists turn into leery editors. The progression of storybooks will do that to you. You enter as a new writer and emerge a master of plot and character dynamics. So I guess you could say my favorite part of storybooking is the chemistry of writers.




M: Yeah, there's been a definite decline, but it's for a couple of reasons, really. First of all, folks are going back to school and college, and their time is strung shorter than any time in the year, especially with midterms coming up for college kids. Second, last year we had a crazy amount of activity in Storybooks because of some really active members. The one that comes to mind first is @PixieStix. What I've been trying to do (along with my amazing crewmates) is bring in new folks to the storybook section. That's why you'll see a couple of silly storybooks floating around out there with my name on them. I just wanted folks to have as much fun as I do, which is asking a lot.




M: Just have fun. Some SB leaders will stress you out with post lengths and standards, but the bottom line is that you have fun. If not for that, why would you want to stick around in a place for long?




In the spotlight this week is The Lost Island , ran by @pandabear7, who says -










The question of the week is: What is your favorite part of the character profile to fill out?

@Cailey says: All of it! I love creating characters!

@Dante says: History, in a way it's almost God-like. You shape a character's past and future.

@ReisePiecey says: History. Background is everything and it usually defines the character's personality.

@Blackwood says: Age, because Because everyone else makes teens which annoys me. I try hard to think of someone who is not a teen or more than a teen.

@Hightop says:
I would say the history part of the profile is my favorite part to fill in. I can reference things that may seem unimportant, but then include them in the story line later and bring up a whole line of events that may not have even occurred without that tiny detail.

FEATURED RESOURCE ARTICLE
written by Hannah < PM: >

Often ignored, the Resources Forums are a treasure trove of wonderful knowledge. Every week, @SparkOfDoubt ventures into the Resource Forums to find articles to feature in Squills. HOLD UP! This week, kicked out of service by real life, @SparkofDoubt's been replaced by @Hannah! You'll be back with your regularly scheduled guide next week. Just hang with me for now~

This week's featured Resource Article is Swords .

Since this isn't my regular column and I feel like making some trouble, I decided to dig back a few pages in the Ask An Expert forum. Lucky for you that I did, because I found a really useful topic started by our own @LadyPurple when she asked,






And again, lucky for you, LadyPurple wasn't quite right about that last part. Though for those unfamiliar with swords, finding a starting point can be difficult, there's a big community of sword enthusiasts out there in the world who do indeed know their rapiers from their katanas and are willing to help you learn the difference, too.

As seen in the first response by @LastPaladin, if you want to be accurate about it, you can't just ask about any general sword -- there are tons of different kinds, and the variables between types would result in lots of different answers for LadyPurple.

Some later responders included useful links, such as this quickly read link, provided by @Kyllorac, which gives some images into different kinds of blades and hilts . There are lots of other useful links and responses in the thread, so if you're working on a piece and want to arm your characters with a sword, be sure to check it out .

Honorable Mentions

Two no less brilliant, wonderful topics that are so worth a read, are:

Foreign Languages and Dialogue
By @yllufituaebroken -- What do you do when your characters speak multiple languages, but may not be able to all understand one another?

English as a non-native speaker/writer
By @Lava -- An article published in a past version of Squills, this piece shares tips on how to face the challenges that come with writing in a second language.

So, I think I've stirred up enough mischief over here for now! Until next week. *tips Spark's hat*

NEW ARRIVALS
written by KnightTeen < PM: >



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

@Paulie, who joined us a short time ago has already provided two luck users with reviews. Although he hasn't yet posted anything for us to review, he plans to later this week and has even provided a short plot summary on his profile.

@D4RKR4VEN has already posted the first two chapters of his fanfiction novel, which is based on the movie and comic verse of Kick-Ass. In addition, he has already written eleven reviews in just a few short days, and added his voice to the forum Favorite Movie based on a piece of literature .

@nmgreenslade has only been a member for three days, but has already posted five reviews and visited the forums to post in the Welcome Mat. Sadly, she hasn't posted anything yet, but with a little encouragement I'm sure it won't be long.

@Niraco, who has only been with us for two days has already written ten reviews, as well as given several lovely gifts. And she has also taken the time to post a piece of poetry, Let The Man , which still needs one more review to get it out of the Green Room. Anybody want to check it out?





I know that this is highly irregular, but I want to take a moment to thank @ShadowVyper for writing this article (almost) every week. I had no idea that it took this much work to do New Arrivals until now. It takes a lot of dedication to do this.

THIS WEEK'S ROUNDUP – 10\13
written by: megsug < PM: >




Can you make it through the month as a low income single parent? Play this simulation here and see if you’ve got what it takes! It’s harder than it sounds! Most take more than one try without going broke at the middle of the month. None have managed to pay rent at the end of the month either. @Snoink summarizes her simulated life:





It’s a fun game, and it opens your eyes to how hard life can be if one runs into some bad luck. Try it out and post your score!


Another contest is up! Write a crime story, and @Strange will read it. The best three get awards. There’s a bit of a catch though. @Strange fills you in:





Third place gets one review, second a gift and two reviews, and third place gets 300 points and four reviews. A fun challenge with nice prizes!


That’s all the Anti-Romance club is about. They admit romance in a minor role isn’t so bad, but put it in the spot light and the book is bound to go down in a blazing explosion that has little to do with hormones. @Pencil2paper rants about one aspect of romance:






Can’t say I can join, but I know quite a few who should! If the kiss at the end of a movie makes you sick, join!



@Nutty has a project due for school, and she’s asking for a little input. She has to produce images about what she finds important and has asked us three questions:






A lot of us have stories and experiences to share about how YWS affected our lives. Tell @Nutty about them here, so we can all see them!

SHAMELESS PLUGS

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@Veerenvks decided to go public with this announcement: one friendly comment on his wall and he will donate one point to your account. So spread the word, go forth and post silly stuff on his wall! But before you do, ponder this: to spam or not to spam? Note: To clarify that you're only posting because you saw his Plug in Squills, add to every post "Squills rocks." Otherwise, it doesn't count.


The YWS book club will be doing The Outsiders for their October novel. Contact @Sakuragirl1 or @Sparkofdoubt for more information.


A longtime member of YWS, @Nutty, has requested your help! For her college art project, her task is screen printing three things that are important to her. So, since YWS is so important to her, she needs your help! Head over to the official thread to find out more.

That's all folks~ Now send us yours.

SUBSCRIBERS

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