z

Young Writers Society


Squills 1/5-1/12/14



User avatar



Gender: None specified
Points: 300
Reviews: 0
Mon Jan 06, 2014 3:48 am
SquillsBot says...



Image

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
Iggy

General Editors
ShadowVyper
KnightTeen

Friendly Neighborhood Robot
SquillsBot

Friendly Neighborhood Cow
CowLogic

Literary Reporter
SparkToFlame

Community Reporter
Sapi

Storybook Reporter
AfterTheStorm

Link Cowgirl
megsug

Quibbles Columnist
Vacant - PM SquillsBot if interested

Social Correspondent
Iggy

Associate of Pruno
Blackwood

General Reporters
ArcticMonkey
TheMessenger
OliveDreams
NightWolf
KittyCatMeow
whitewolfpuppy

Past Editors-in-Chief
GriffinKeeper
AlfredSymon
Hannah


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!





User avatar



Gender: None specified
Points: 300
Reviews: 0




User avatar



Gender: None specified
Points: 300
Reviews: 0
Mon Jan 06, 2014 3:50 am
View Likes
SquillsBot says...



THE FIRST EVER YWS REVIEWING CUP
Image Image

written by Iggy < PM: > and Blackwood < PM: >

Review day, 24 hours at the end of every month to do your best in delivering feedback to budding young writers around the site. It is an opportunity to care for some of the neglected works in the green room, as well as do some last minute writing to make sure a prompt review ensures.

But what about the end of the year? The final review day to 2013.

REVIEWING WORLD CUP. That’s what.

Firing off a potentially new tradition, the end of 2013 was met with the reviewing world cup, where not two teams, but four were pitted against one another in the battle of feedback. Each team was represented from one area of the world or collection of nations:

Western USA, Eastern USA, The Commonwealth (yeah!) and International.

Not only this, but the greenroom had a time unwind, and unreviewed works spanning all the way back to a year were added in to make sure nothing is 2013 would have gone unnoticed.

Another unique aspect of this review day is that players were able to pick their own teams, as logically one would want to represent their nations. This would lead to unbalance in the number of players in each team, so Nate enforced a new points system that balanced out the points each team received to the ratio of team members.

The reviewing world cup took off onto a great start. The commonwealth took the lead. Just before the first hour was up, the charts looked like this:

Image

Unfortunately that was where the Commonwealth met their peak. As the UK went to sleep, Eastern United States made their debut attack, flanking them from the side:

Image

It was uphill for EUSA from there as they soared above the other teams. WUSA attempted a catch-up, but unfortunately East was already far and beyond even with still 819 minutes left:

Image

The final stats show us just how far EUSA prevailed, but in reality, everyone did their best, regardless of the stats on the chart.

Image


Individuals also put in an extra effort, and by the end of it the top ten on the leader board were:
1. @ulala8: 48
2. @Gummy: 47
3. @lostthought: 36
4. @TimmyJake: 26
5. @BloodinkSeesFootage: 22
6. @KnightTeen: 19
7. @mephistophelesangel: 19
8. @defiantAuthoress: 17
9. @barefootrunner: 17
10. @megsug: 14


A few days after review day, I set out to track down and interview captains from each of the teasm to see what they had to say.

Firstly, the leader of the team who towered over them all. @megsug with Eastern USA: Beasts from the East.

Spoiler! :
Squills: From what state did you, the leader, represent from?

megsug: Um... Oh. I was the East Coast or the Beasts of the East.

S: No! Wrong answer. I’m asking you what state you came from?

M: North Carolina then?

S: How beastly are you really?

M: Not very beastly at all, really. Too fluffy.

S: Why was a fountain pen chosen for you picture?

M: Well, all 13 of the original colonies came from the east coast, so we *were* going to put revolutionary in our name, but that didn't work out because *all* of the east coast doesn't qualify as the 13 colonies, so that was part of the compromise since a fountain pen can kind of look like a quill.

S: How do you feel about winning the reviewing world cup?

M: I was really proud of my team! They all did a lot of work, everyone doing what they could which is all a captain could ask for. I really didn't have to do anything.

S: Do you feel that since your team had the most people it gave you an advantage?

M: Not really since it was points per reviewer. I was actually worried that it would bring down our score.

S: What if I said that I disagree with you? Won’t having more people mean that more bodies are available which puts less pressure on a few people to work harder?

M: I was concerned only a few people would pull their weight, and we'd be counting dead weight into our average

S: Who was the most awesome person on your team?

M: Oh... That's hard. Everyone did so well. @Gummy got first place though which is fantastic with @ulala8 coming in a close second, so I guess I have to give them a call out.

S: Any other thoughts?

M: Every team did really well, and I can't wait for everyone to do even better next year.

S: Thank you for giving me your time.

M: My pleasure.



Our next contender is @KnightTeen with the Western USA: West Side Writers.

Spoiler! :
S: Have you seen West Side Story?

KnightTeen: I have never actually seen the movie. I've seen high school and college productions.

S: The movie isn’t even the best part, you have at least heard the music, right?

KT: Yes, I have. It's a musical, it would be weird if I hadn't. To be honest, it's been a while since I saw it, but I love the music.

S: How does your team feel about losing to the ‘East side’?

KT: To us, winning or losing doesn't really matter. Yes, It would have been totally awesome if we had won. But the important thing was to write good reviews, not earn points. And we did that. So, in that aspect, we didn't lose.

S: Why was a picture of books chosen over something on theme to your name or representation?

KT: To be honest, we didn't really have a clear picture of what we wanted for the avatar. The area that was chosen for Western America was large, and we had a lot of different people represented. We though we had an idea, but it didn't work out.
It was a bit of a last minute decision, so that we would have an avatar. I'm not even the one who put it up. I think it was @Iggy.

S: From which states did your two team leaders represent from?

KT: @Iggy is from California, and I'm from Arkansas.

S: How do you think your team performed in review day?

KT: I think everyone did amazing. @lostthought voluntarily pulled the night shift, and @TimmyJake was cranking out reviews like there was no tomorrow.
I'm very proud of them.

S: Were there any solo performers who stood out?

KT: @Lucrezia, @TimmyJake, and @losthought. Tim and Lost for the reasons I already mentioned, and Lucrezia because she was just so awesome and helpful even though this was her first review day. She just jumped right in with no hesitation. But seriously, everyone was amazing.


S: How do you feel about the idea of reviewing cup in general?

KT: I think it was one of the best Review Days ever. It was a great way to end the year.

S: Would you like to see this happen again, or would you like to see other forms of twists on review days?

KT: I would love for the Cup to become an end-of-the year tradition.
As for new twists, bring them on. We all need new challenges sometimes.

S: Any other thoughts?

KT: Just that I'm crazy proud of my team. Without them, we literally would have had nothing. And I still think they exaggerated about how good of a job I did leading them.

S: Thank you for your time.

KT: No problem.


Moving on we have @yubbies21 from the Commonwealth: Review Rippers.

Spoiler! :
Squills: From what common wealth nation did you, the team leader, represent?

Yubbies21: Canada, eh!

S: Did you ever care about the royal wedding/baby?

Y: It wasn't a major thing for me, but I was interested. Near the end of [Duchess] Kate's pregnancy, I started following the story more closely.

S: Do you think you might be long lost royalty?

Y: No.

S: Why not?

Y: I've traced my family lines back quite a long way. We came from England in 1812, but my bloodline has no relation to royalty.

S: How did you feel about the performance of your team over review day?

Y: We worked together as a team and did a lot of reviews. I'm proud of the Commonwealth and the effort they put out during the world cup. Everyone tried their best!

S: Do you think the team could have done better or worse?

Y: We certainly could have done worse! But of course, there is always room for improvement. If we had all been able to do at least one more review, I think it would have made all the difference.

S: Did the sudden loss of lead at the beginning discourage you or inspire you to work harder? How was your feelings about taking the league at the start?

Y: At first I was a little bit upset, but it did push me to work harder. At the beginning, when we had the lead, I was sure we would pull through on top. Later in the day though, I knew we couldn't, but we kept on going.

S: How many points/reviews did you personally earn the team?

Y: I was away most of the day, but managed to get in seven reviews. Three of them were Green Room Reviews that were older and worth 175 points each. Two were also Green Room Reviews, but were newer and only worth 150 points. The other two were normal literary reviews worth 100 each. I earned a total of 1,025 points for my team during reviews day.

S: Do you prefer tea or coffee?

Y: Neither. I Like hot chocolate.

S: Most excellent choice.

Y: Thanks.

S: Do you like the idea of the word cup or do you feel the way the teams were determined was not effective?

Y: I like the idea of the world cup, and I think it was fair the way the points were counted. Personally though, I like regular review days with just two teams better.

S:Any other thoughts?

Y: Happy New Year!

Thank you for your time.

Y: No problem!


And finally, @HighTop with Team International!

Spoiler! :
Squills: You were the leader from the team that represented from all around the world. What country do you come from yourself?

HT: I'm from Ireland.

S: Do you think that having such a scattered team was a disadvantage to review day?

HT: I don't think having a scattered team was a disadvantage at all! Other team's had peak times, witch gradually slowed down. There was always a few active people on our team at most times. The different time zones became an advantage.

S: Where were examples of some countries that your team members came from?

HT: I don't know. I don't remember anyone who said where they were from.

S: How do you think your team performed on review day?

HT: I think my team did brilliantly! Everyone tried their hardest!

S: Do you think you could have had a better technique?

HT: No, I think our technique was the best one we could use, considering the time zone issue.

S: Who are some of our worldwide star players?

HT: I'm not one to pick favorites. Everyone tried their best, that's all that counts.

S:What do you think about the review cup overall?

HT: I thought the reviewing world cup was very fun! It was interesting having more teams this time, and even more interesting in regards to the fact that the scoring system was points per person. I hope it's a feature that's continued in the future!

S: Any other thoughts?

HT: No other thoughts.



Since this was YWS' first ever World Reviewing Cup, Squills was curious as to know how the creator of the site, @Nate, came up with the event and how he planned it. Since Nate was already busy planning more events and working on a super secret monkey organization to take over the world (don't tell anyone), we were only able to ask a few questions.

Spoiler! :
Squills: Where did this idea come from?


Nate: The idea for the event didn't really come out of anything. Just one of those random thoughts.

S: What were your expectations for the event?


N: My only expectation was that people would have fun as it provided a new twist on the monthly review days. I think that expectation was met.

S: Were you pleased with the way things turned out? Will we be seeing this happen every year?


N: I was pleased, and it will probably be happening again next year



It looks like the four teams and their captains enjoyed the event!

@bloodinkseesfootage said:



I didn't really feel that the World Cup was any different from the other review days to be honest. The level of competition and determination was the same. Most people put in a great effort and did a lot of decent reviewing.
I liked the team spirit showed by the various sides and for once, because it was more of a game I guess the levels of maturity towards winning/losing had plateaued slightly. But yeah, mainly like any other review day.



@TimmyJake said:



To be honest, what was there to not like about it?
It went very well! Even though we didn't win... There was a nice comraderie being on the same team as people on the same side of the world as you...
I did enjoy it! We emptied the green room. I got 26 more review added to my name... There were a lot of people online...
I wasn't really focusing on what was wrong with it, so I didn't see anything. I doubt anyone could find anything wrong with it... It was scored very well, basing it off of the number of points per person, rather than number of reviews per team... Everyone was fun to go against and to review with...



@Dakushau said:




Well I thought it was very fun to be a participant. Although I only managed to get one review in, I did really enjoy myself. My idea for the team name ended up being the one that was picked, so that makes me feel like I contributed a little more. I thought it was fun to split up into groups by our nationality. I enjoyed the overall idea and can't wait 'till the next one!



That wraps it up for the final review day of 2013. Hats off to everyone who participated, and I hope to see more enthusiasm in the months to come.
Last edited by SquillsBot on Mon Jan 06, 2014 4:02 am, edited 1 time in total.





User avatar



Gender: None specified
Points: 300
Reviews: 0
Mon Jan 06, 2014 3:50 am
View Likes
SquillsBot says...



AN ADMIN FOR A YEAR, A MOD FOR A DAY
Image

written by ShadowVyper < PM: >

YWS always rejoices when new mods are introduced to its ranks, or an already established mod gets a promotion-- but what happens when the now all-powerful modly ones decide to celebrate the anniversary of their rise to power? Why, we all get promoted, of course! Squills decided to interview @Rydia, to see what sparked the madness behind the prank (or gift, depending on how you looked at it).

Squills: Hey, Rydia. What's up?

Rydia: Not much, just waiting for food! How about you?

S: I'm doing a post for Squills. Do you have time to answer a few quick interview questions?

R: Sure! That will be the perfect filler while I'm waiting for the alarm.

S: Great! So, you recently celebrated your one-year adminiversary. How was that like?

R: It was great! I was surprised at how quickly the year came around, but I wasn't going to miss such a great opportunity for fun.

S: You sure caused quite a confusion, haha! What gave you the idea to 'promote' everyone?

R: Well I was thinking about how I was promoted and what a surprise that was for me, so what better way to surprise the rest of YWS? It also occurred to me that most people would end up in JM green and green is such a perfect colour for Christmas so it all seemed a really good fit!

S: Indeed it was! I've heard rumors if it becoming a yearly YWS tradition, for the colors to be changed around. How much truth do the rumors carry?

R: Oh dear, rumours travel fast, don't they? I was totally up for that until I realised where it would lead. I mean, FreakForChrist would be a site admin in a couple of years and that would be a disaster.

S: Haha! Speaking of disasters, what was @Nate's reaction when he found out?

R: I'm sure it was 'What did Heather do now?' but he told me that Christmas Eve is usually a really quiet day for YWS, but this year it wasn't any less active than a normal day in December and that was probably down to me! I think that's very close to approval!

S: That's what it sounds like to me. ;) Do you have any other comments you'd like to make to the readers of Squills?

R: Only that they should watch out for next year and every other year after that! Oh and the next big event is coming in February and it's going to be really awesome :D

S: Uh oh, that sounds scary... but unfortunately, that's all the time we have. Thank you so much!

R: No problem!


After hearing Rydia's view of the matter was, we were interested to know what other YWSer's thought about their day-long gift of green. So, we decided to do a bit of digging. It wasn't too hard to find a post in the forums made by a very confused user, but @Iggy quickly straightened him out.



Yesterday was a year since Rydia became an admin, and since she's the famous troublemaker of the site, she decided to celebrate by giving everyone a color promotion.

You all are still regular members. JMs are still JMs, GMs are still GMs, and admins are still admins. Nothing's changed but the colors. ^^



We also decided to take to the streets, and ask individual users what their reactions were to Rydia's mischief.

In celebration of Rydia's one year adminiversary, she decided to give us 'promotions'. What was your reaction, when you saw everyone's name a different color?

"My first thought was "What has Heather done?" then I wondered if regular members had access to the mod forums, and then I thought about how I would have loved to explore the mod forums for the day, and then I thought about how much chaos that would cause, and then I decided to screen cap myself in dark green." ~ @SparkToFlame

"It was actually a huge surprise. Suddenly all these people were donning the elite colors. I thought YWS was ending." ~ @TommySneak

"At first I was confused as to why there was so much activity among the mods, but once I realized that it was for Christmas, I laughed a bit at everyone else's confusion." ~ @fortis

"At first I thought there had been another JM promotion wave, with really random people. Then I saw everyone saying things about everyone being green. So my reaction was just 'oh. So it is true, everyone is green for a day.'" ~ @Blackwood

"A raised eyebrow, then a "Heather what did you do THIS TIME?" SHe's pulled so many colour pranks I always peg it as her handywork. xD" ~ @Rosey%20Unicorn

"I kind of freaked out when I saw that I was orange instead of dark blue. I don't remember being a GMed..." ~ @Paracosm

"Well my first reaction was, 'omg why is everyone getting promoted these days?' Then I was like, 'hey I got promoted too.' And then I realized what happened and tried to mess with the forums but unfortunately we had no real powers xP. But it was awesome to see everyone a different color." ~ @VeerenVKS
Last edited by SquillsBot on Mon Jan 06, 2014 4:05 am, edited 2 times in total.





User avatar



Gender: None specified
Points: 300
Reviews: 0
Mon Jan 06, 2014 3:51 am
View Likes
SquillsBot says...



YWSERS ON NEW YEARS
Image
written by ArcticMonkey < PM: >

Image


New Years for most is a time to reflect on the previous year, and set goals for the next year. According to an Official YWS Poll , most people like to spend the holiday season at home with their immediate family. But what did everybody get up to on New Years?

I went to my friends house for a small party, and we did fireworks in the garden. They were pretty spectacular looking, but nothing compared to the fireworks that @StefanosVorkas saw. He was on holiday in England and so managed to go to the city to see the famous London fireworks. Even though it was really cold, and there were loads of people, he says,



I had a nice night with my family before our flight back to Cyprus.



Not everyone is up to going out on New Years though. @BloodinkSeesFootage spent her New Years on Skype talking to her boyfriend. She says,



We were just chatting and then we did the whole countdown thing and it was really sweet and fun.


Also when asked what she thinks of New Years, she says,



it's a bit overrated,as if everyone expects things to change automatically, like with the clock. And it doesn't.




I agree with this, which is why many people decide to make New Year's Resolutions. Some YWSers have talked about their New Year's resolutions here . What are yours?

For quite a lot of people, the holiday season is spent revising for school. @OmarEhab spent his New Years studying Economics, whilst listening to Jazz and Eminem. I don't know how he, and other people revising right now, do it.

Some other people spend it with their family. @PenAndSword says,



I spent new years with my family, we went to my uncle's and all had fun. Us kids watched Modern Family and they sat around a table and chatted!



Similarly, @Lapis usually spends his New Years at home with family, which is what he did this year. He says,



It wasn't too much fun, but it was certainly okay.




So there you have it, if you have any interesting New Years stories to share, feel free to post in the Squills Fan Club .
Last edited by SquillsBot on Mon Jan 06, 2014 4:06 am, edited 1 time in total.





User avatar



Gender: None specified
Points: 300
Reviews: 0
Mon Jan 06, 2014 3:51 am
View Likes
SquillsBot says...



CHEETAH: PUMPKIN EATER OR FEATURED MEMBER?
Image

written by Iggy < PM: >


If you've stopped by the Welcome Mat recently, you've probably seen @Cheetah posting in majority of the introduction threads, welcoming members to the site and being an all around helpful member. You've probably also seen this cool cat in the review boards, kicking works out of the Green Room and taking names. She's awesome, she's a cat, she's kind, she's YWS featured member, and she's awesome for allowing Squills to interview her!

Squills: What was your reaction when you heard the news?


Cheetah: Well, I first found out about it with two messages. One from AlexSushiDog, which I looked at first, and which wished me congratulations for becoming Featured Member. At that point I thought it was some sort of joke until I saw Big Brother's PM telling me I really was FM. I felt dazed for the first five minutes and then proceeded to run around the house and make sure my whole family knew about it.

S: What do you think put the odds in your favor?


C: I think trying to review at least once every day put the odds in my favor. I also think welcoming new members helped me a lot, which is good because those are both things I love to do!

S: How are you liking it so far?


C: I'm loving this! My name is on the home screen, I have a topic made by Big Brother dedicated to me, and I keep being congratulated! I hope that every good member on YWS gets the chance to be FM.

S: What advice can you give someone who hopes to become a featured member one day?


C: Review, of course! YWS would not be the same without all the wonderful reviewers out there! Just being nice and welcoming people wouldn't hurt either. :)





User avatar



Gender: None specified
Points: 300
Reviews: 0
Mon Jan 06, 2014 3:52 am
View Likes
SquillsBot says...



GREEN ROOM GALLERY
Image
written by Knight Teen < PM: >


Did you guys have a great holiday? I sure did. Then I woke up and reality hit me.

I am officially in my last five months of highschool. In the fall, I will be journeying to a place, a magical land known as.....college.

For the first time in over ten years I will be in a public school. Excuse me while I go change my pants.

But, my anxiety issues aside, my Christmas and New Year's were amazing. I got some wonderful presents from my parents, my grandparents got me a new camera, and my aunt and uncle (I don't even know why I wrote that, I just call them Paul & Kelly) got me an iTunes gift card.

Nothing overly majorly wrong happened.

Then, New Years. While most of my friends partied the night away, I had a much more enjoyable evening with my boys.
Aragorn
Legalos
Gimli
Frodo
Sam
Merry
Pippin
Gandalf
Eomer
.....I could continue, But I want to be in bed within the next ten minutes.

Yep. I spent my NYers having an all night movie marathon, featuring the Lord of the Rings. Last year it was Harry Potter. Took me more than one night to get through that series.

And while I was dreaming about hot men in tunics (I'm only human!), or playing with my new toys, the Green Room has been steadily filling up. Four days into 2014 and it's already got over 50 works within it's walls.

The Kingdom of Boredom, Chpt. 17 was written by my good friend @dragonfphoenix. It's a hilarious work of humor that has been stuck in the Room since Dec. 29. Who here is brave enough to battle the Boredom?

See you guys next week for more of my unending rambling.





User avatar



Gender: None specified
Points: 300
Reviews: 0
Mon Jan 06, 2014 3:53 am
View Likes
SquillsBot says...



COW SAYS JANUARY 5TH, 2014
Image

written by CowLogic < PM: >

Image


We will always be part of the system. That's undoubtedly the case. Short of running into the mountains with nothing but the clothes on our back and approximately 2 kilometers of fishing line and never coming back, there is nothing to be done about our dependency to the machinations of the system around us, in it's omnipotent status. It obfuscates us to make us think that there is an option, to either conform with the system or not. However, there isn't a binary option of stay or go, trouble or double. By stating that you are divorced from everything you've ever known or will ever know, you accomplish nothing. The only way to truly bring about much-needed change is to accept that there are forces beyond the control of your silly relativism complex and that they will never go away as long as you're living on this earth.

So, we cannot practice civil change for the better? Are we just going to accept that the system can suffocate us with it's universal tendrils and bind us to the gas in our life's irreversible forward drive? No, and no. The problem with any type of system that has plagued us through the years is a lack of control. Not a lack of central control, but a lack of local control, of individual control. Rather than letting the system tame us, in order to gain beneficial vibes from out surroundings, we need to tame the system. We need to be in control of it. This may sound very far-gone and narrow-minded to you, but it is attainable through that juicy and delicious thing we like to call democracy. That voluntary action of yay or nay keeps us from sailing over the brink of the end of our world of our universe.

So, my friends, return control to the hands of humanity, rather than technology, rather than natural disasters, rather than disease. Raise your fists into the wave and let the frothy brine scatter in conic fasion around you. It is the time of the people, and the force will now rest in our minds, in our sweaty, pink palms.





User avatar



Gender: None specified
Points: 300
Reviews: 0
Mon Jan 06, 2014 3:54 am
View Likes
SquillsBot says...



NEW ARRIVALS
Image
written by Knight Teen < PM: >


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

@cupcakenx, who joined us on Christmas Eve has been delightfully active since. She has posted two essays, which can be found here in her portfolio . She's also given some wonderful reviews to several lucky users (I know this because I read some of them, they're great!)
Check her out!

@Ravenboy is working on filling up his portfolio as well. He's a rather frequent poster in the forums, and his reviews are excellent.
Make sure to drop by and say hi!

Others who haven't had a chance to be as active, but are no less a member of our family are....



@ImYourOpheliac • @heydenprime • @Catzerella • @SupriyaHegde • @Christina • @Momal • @QueenOfWords • @Jan • @kameron • @luciditysNovelist • @hollyhuez • @pezzamonda15 • @aidanp • @showalha19 • @stayforeverxoxo • @rihannoying • @schnemaa • @PotterCase • @chev • @sdafun • @EmmaConway • @cheymarie628 • @nikita • @yadanialler • @BabyBunny • @aaliya • @PistachioHeart • @dreamymindwriter • @michaeloffet • @Lucia • @Taylornick • @MyndiIkkoku • @Mels11 • @erum • @ILoveBooks123 • @Ebute • @Magenta • @bhaber1 • @kirami293 • @courtneydavis • @Mamathi • @moxytoxy • @LanceJonio • @arthax • @MikeJackson • @Mangesh • @HydeWynern • @Emma5090 • @chokwoo • @someoneelse • @8398393 • @lovlygirl123 • @Iamsherlocked • @thebatman • @SylviaChng • @gkb15 • @alliesantana11 • @CreativeWriter • @SuperMittens • @Cherish4118 • @littlebunny • @JuliaV • @Shannon • @Socurane • @MistressVenomX • @sachiellu • @UK2LA • @UneFille • @EmilyLemke • @wendymilner98 • @GlassCloset • @randomperson96 • @helalokidottir • @Constantine • @Hschicago • @supernb • @deeabler • @UshertheThird • @lexiashtonokk • @Robusto • @sk99 • @leahwoodhouse • @JirahNoval • @noni • @themagicofwords • @Acelini • @samiksha • @Charla • @youngandwise • @Kiona • @mjl1999 • @ggirl924 • @Acward • @CoolHead1998 • @hyeolris • @henryrads • @SardonyxRose • @MarioM • @xtremegryffie • @Sophiewrites • @SnowKiseed • @Aurora99 • @Spicynoodle • @wretchednot • @MrHolmes • @LiselleNoronha • @kipkemoironny • @pansius • @MoLuchessi • @SimplyLayal • @YoungWriter007 • @ivvy16 • @writeforyourlife • @CookiesNCream • @maybeonenight • @TheSkyIsGreen • @willpowers • @katiekatt • @CyanCat • @jaayyllyynn561• @writerboy7 • @vickytori • @hipy • @fictional • @rocketdog11 • @Walkin2theDay • @snicklefritz • @pengtingking • @prismaticdream • @madisonmae • @viv • @Letters25 • @wallflower16 • @superman7 • @ToriBlue • @lucinda15 • @HideAway • @iluvpurplz247 • @nickpole • @shopgirl • @froth • @TheLittleGiraffe • @Angel16 • @Klojo • @MissAtomicBomb
Last edited by SquillsBot on Mon Jan 06, 2014 4:11 am, edited 1 time in total.





User avatar



Gender: None specified
Points: 300
Reviews: 0
Mon Jan 06, 2014 3:55 am
View Likes
SquillsBot says...



THIS WEEK'S ROUNDUP – 1/5
Image
written by: megsug <PM: >



Whether you’re a beginning photographer, or an old pro, this club is for you! Here, you can talk about the dos and don’ts of photography, share your pictures, and share tips. There’s already been a conversation about cameras. @Dreamy says:



I use my mobile. :/


@HerBugaboo says that the convenience of being able to upload pictures on the go makes it worth it. If you take pictures, join the Photography Club now!


Well... you have to write a review too. Any movie from any age from any genre. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Review anything you want. These rewards are pretty much As Good As It Gets. @ArticMonkey gives us the rundown:



1st Place- 2500 points, three reviews of your choice, and a gift.
2nd Place- 1000 points, two reviews of your choice, and a gift.
3rd Place- 750 points, two reviews of your choice, and a gift.


The deadline is February 15th, and she would like the submissions PMed to her.


Where are your morals? What would you sacrifice? Here’s an activity where this comes into question. Basically an event is given where you have to choose between one bad thing and another. @AlexSushiDog has an example:



You are standing on a bridge, a person on the foot path below you is in a runaway cart rolling towards a group of tourists. Next to you is a child. Do you A) Push the child off the bridge to stop the cart (This will kill the child and the person in the cart) Or B) Do nothing (This will kill the group of tourists)


Now you have to answer it. Is a child worth the lives of a group of tourist? Or is a life that’s barely started worth saving? After you answer, make up a challenging conundrum of your own.


In the dark basements of the forums I found the sadly underused Knowledge Base . Within those depths was yet another nearly forgotten realm, the YWS forum . I highly suggest a trip. However, I bring one treasure inparticular I uncovered. Sometimes it's hard to know how to be nice while still giving worthwhile criticisms. @Tenyo wrote a fantabulous article to help find perfect balance between kindness and helpfulness. She ends the article with an encouraging tidbit:



However, receiving constructive criticism from peers is the safest and nicest way to toughen up for facing real setbacks in the future.


She covers four different ways to review gently. It's a good read for those about to write their first review and those who are reviewing masters. Check it out!


We all have our favorite music. We want to hear yours.
@SoundsOfLife wanted to hear all of the music YWSers were interested in. Not just professional musicians, but also anyone's own personal music. Of all of the current posts, @Snoink 's is probably my favorite for the sentimentality.



Not my music, technically, but... uh... this is me singing a song that was played at my wedding!

http://vocaroo.com/i/s0ubborWDixH



I need some new music, and I want you to introduce it to me!
Last edited by SquillsBot on Mon Jan 06, 2014 4:11 am, edited 1 time in total.





User avatar



Gender: None specified
Points: 300
Reviews: 0
Mon Jan 06, 2014 3:57 am
View Likes
SquillsBot says...



SHAMELESS PLUGS
Image

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!


Handwriting: by @fortis


Ever wonder how your character's handwriting affects their personality? Have you never wondered until you read that question? Do you just want to see how your handwriting compares? Read all about it here: What Handwriting says about your Characters (and You!) :D

That's all folks~ Now send us yours.
Last edited by SquillsBot on Mon Jan 06, 2014 4:01 am, edited 1 time in total.





User avatar



Gender: None specified
Points: 300
Reviews: 0
Mon Jan 06, 2014 3:59 am
View Likes
SquillsBot says...



SUBSCRIBERS
Image

written by SquillsBot < PM: >

Find enspoiler-ed a list of our subscribers!

Spoiler! :
@SquillsBot • @Carina • @ShadowVyper • @ArcticMonkey • @Hannah • @Dante • @Baal • @VeerenVKS • @megsug • @BlackNether12 • @thewritersdream • @Letiki • @Aley • @Rydia • @Alpha • @skorlir • @KnightTeen • @AriaAdams • @neko • @Aquila90 • @DudeMcGuy • @kayfortnight • @Cole • @Blackwood • @manisha • @fortis • @HighTop • @cgirl1118 • @KittyCatMeow • @Strange • @ChocoCookie • @carbonCore • @Auxiira • @Iggy • @Blues • @Paracosm • @Sparkle • @FireFox • @Dakushau • @AlexSushiDog


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!








The heavens laugh with you in your jubilee; my heart is at your festival.
— William Shakespeare