Young Writers Society

[Author's Note: Given a sudden change of plans and time constraints, this month's SB newsletter is being written by two authors - TheSilverFox and AstralHunter. Silver has written everything up to the "About the Dungeon Master" section (as well as this note), and Hunter has written everything subsequently. This is just for clarification in the event that you notice a change in writing style in the course of this newsletter, or more than one person is referenced as having written some section of the newsletter.]




Most Popular

In the streets of Los Angeles, an elite boarding school, with all the conveniences one might imagine an elite boarding school to have (if not more), has invited a collection of students to attend. Naturally, in such a warm, peaceful environment, complete with a wide variety of conveniences for the students to enjoy, it has a particular, out-of-the-ordinary quota in mind. But it's not the rich, well-educated people you might expect such a school to focus on. These students possess powers, abilities that stray beyond the realm of the normal and into the supernatural. Yes, yet another school SB, though this one with a unique twist, has displayed an enormous amount of activity and, by far, demonstrated itself as the most popular Storybook of the month - Oceanside Academy for the...Eccentric by @Gravity!

With an astounding 33 SB posts during March alone (and 17 the previous month), Oceanside has shown itself to be a capable SB with a devoted crew of writers working to write about complicated array of characters and character interactions in the setting of a high school for the supernatural. From some of the newest SBers to some of the oldest, this SB is an impressive example of a diverse group of people coming together to create a fascinating story, and I definitely recommend reading through its 5 pages (with more being added fairly quickly) of posts. Once again, congrats to @Gravity and the members of the Oceanside Academy Storybook, this month's Most Popular SB!


Most Deserving of Attention

For our next SB, we travel beyond the high school drama into the apocalypse. Literally. In this Storybook, a frosty apocalypse has all but shut down and led to the collapse of the Earth. The cities have fallen, the countries have been split apart, and countless people have starved as they found fewer and fewer resources in this ice-cold prison. Only a few bases have been fortunate enough to stand and survive the genocide of the human race and maintain themselves in the midst of the crisis. However, a new threat, which comes in the form bloodthirsty and deadly creatures, provides yet another challenge, and the bases are being suffocated by this dangerous and terrifying threat. Naturally, the human race isn't about to sit down and die anytime soon. And that's where you come in. Until Spring Comes, by the notable SBer @HazelGrace16, is set in an apocalyptic world where the human race doggedly attempts to survive. Whether searching for supplies, which are beginning to run dangerously low, fighting off the dangerous monsters that roam the Earth, or even squaring off against each other, our human protagonists have their hands quite full. With the risks that they face, they have many obstacles to surmount in order to accomplish their goal of keeping the human race alive and having a bright future for all those still surviving. Doesn't it sound like a fascinating Storybook?

However, this SB hasn't received much attention lately. Though it does have a small and reliable group of writers, only four posts have been made within the last month, and so the SB is at risk of becoming more and more inactive over time, if not fall into the Archives itself. If this is the kind of Storybook you want to participate in - and did I forget to mention that it contains a world both rich in plot and a backstory? - then don't hesitate to join, read, and enjoy the story that is Until Spring Comes.

Best Concept

This is another superhero story. This is another superhero story set in New York City. This is another superhero story about Pokemon in New York City... wait, what?

In a tale of interdimensional travel set in a modern-day setting, a group of seemingly-ordinary people find themselves waking up with total amnesia in various parts of the city. A quick investigation reveals a letter in their pockets, telling a mysterious and surprising story that leaves more questions than answers. With the revelation that they were formerly a mystical energy-wielding being known as a Pokemon, and will gain several of their former abilites as they adjust to the human world, they have been instructed to find the Police Commissioner of New York City, Archibald Virtue, where he will explain their situation. And such is the beginning to a superhero story set in a world of dark secrets, wonders, friends to make and foes to fight, and an interdimensional conflict set in the massive city known as New York City. Yes, April's Best Concept Storybook is Reverse Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Guardians of Erebus by @AstralHunter.

As the name implies, the story is a reversal of one of the longest-running and currently active Storybooks around. However, it cannot be simply defined as that. While definitely among the more challenging SBs to participate in, this Storybook contains a unique and complex plot, as well as a large cast of characters to befriend or make opponents of. Too, it has a plot that both gives its members control over several elements of the story but also presents a series of tough choices, plot twists, and plot events orchestrated by its clever and inventive creator. Though the SB is closed, it is definitely something you don't want to miss, with its complex and detailed plot, setting, and characters, it's something I definitely recommend you should read. It'll be well worth your time.



The Choices that Made Us

This month's OS is @ChildofNowhere's epic fantasy Storybook The Choices that Made Us. Set in the country Kraeh, conflict seemingly looms in the distance as the Empire begins to craft masses of weapons and assemble forces. The wealthy, small country of Kraeh is the obvious choice for a potential invasion in the eyes of the land's concerned princess, daughter to the king. However, in the midst of this tension, the king, his niece, and several other people, among them the ruler of the Empire, are awakened from their sleep by violent nightmares. They had all traveled nine years previously to the Beyond, a strange world with warped rules and mysterious creatures that fringes the world in which the main characters live, and now find, to their horror, that they are being summoned to enter it again, where they may not come back alive.

The SB already shows a large amount of promise and capacity to become a powerful story, though it definitely is lacking in terms of writers. However, the incorporation of a duel story - focusing on the first voyage into the Beyond and the second - allows for two writers to cooperate and develop the personality and story of a single character, which is perfect for newer SBers trying to learn the ropes of writing with other people and constructing complex characters. Too, the workshops associated with the SB can facilitate the development of further plot and story elements, diverse and unique characters, and is a great example of how cooperation can build a fantastic story. So, if you're interested in a cooperation-oriented, massive-in-potential story, complete with complex characters and a large setting, this month's OS, The Choices that Made Us, is for you.


About the Dungeon Master

The Storybook Section, like the sea, needs fresh meat in order to survive, but if you can survive it, you'll eventually become one of those seasoned storybookers that would be a valuable addition to any cast. One such veteran of roleplay is the @ChildOfNowhere. Recently, she changed both her username and avatar, so I should mention she was once AriaAdams the mechanical clock butterfly. She was on a hiatus for a while, but now she's back and as potent a force as before!

For those of you who haven't yet had the pleasure to share a storybook with her, keep in mind this is the Countess of Characterisation about whom we're talking. Her characters are legendary among the older users, and her fantasy storybooks were like manna to the hungered souls of our forum. This is the point where I should start singing her praises, but none of it would do her justice. Join or stalk her storybook if you want to see what I mean, but be warned: you may emerge mindblown from the experience.




Captain's Challenge: Ad-vers-ary

In honour of national poetry month I'm going to challenge you to add a verse of poetry to one storybook post you make in April. This can be a well known verse recited by your character or it could be your character's own poetry! For including a verse of poetry you get 2 points. The additional bonus points are also available:

1 point - Write the verse of poetry yourself! You can have your character say they wrote it or you can have your character say it's by a famous poet, but as long as you wrote it then you get a bonus point.
1 point - If the poem is crucial to the post and inspires other characters into battle or convinces the pretty girl to give your character a kiss. Or even results in the high school bully beating your character up.
1 point - If the verse is from any Dr. Seuss poem.
2 points if you allow me to select the verse (send a message to Rydia).
1 point - If you choose the verse from the following:

In the cicada's cry,
There is nothing that suggests,
How soon it must die.

The road to wisdom, well it's plain
and easy to assess,
to err and err, and err again
but less and less and less

Not all that have fallen are vanquished;
a king may yet be without crown,
A blade that was broken be brandished;
and towers that were strong may fall down.

A bit beyond perception's reach
I sometimes believe I see
that Life is two locked boxes, each
containing the other's key.

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,

Life is mostly froth and bubble,
Two things stand like stone,
Kindness in another's trouble,
Courage in your own.

A mermaid found a swimming lad,
Picked him for her own,
Pressed her body to his body,
Laughed; and plunging down
Forgot in cruel happiness
That even lovers drown.

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:


Recent Challenges

This month's Captain's Challenge, courtesy of the magnanimous @Lumi, is already a treat and an excellent opportunity to earn some credits, but if you want to earn some more, have a look at the Storybook Badges and Challenges thread. @TheIllusiveIntellect's challenge for Revenant Rising has expired, but @Wolfie36's challenge for Jurassic Paradise, @Steggy's for Billionaire's Curse, mine for Reverse Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Guardians of Erebus, and then also @ChildOfNowhere's for The Choices that Made Us. That's a lot of opportunities to earn some credits, so make the best of them!




Your Staff For This Month...

If you find yourself in a sticky spot and need help in the Storybook Section, simply request the assistance of @AstralHunter, @Rydia, @TheSilverFox, @Wolfie36, and @Jhinx while wearing a jester's hat - preferably a purple one with bells on it.




Dialogue Tags with AstralHunter

If you are one of those highly observant readers, then right about now, you might be asking your screen the question, "Didn't Hunter write about dialogue in his previous newsletter?" In response, I'd tell you that no, I did not. That article was about dialogue in general; this one is specifically about the tags we use before or after dialogue to describe the manner in which the concerned character/s spoke.

When it comes to dialogue, "said" is the most overworked verb. If you don't want to emphasise a particular aspect of a character's dialogue, it is perfectly adequate. However, if you wish to express yourself powerfully, rather than simply, you should consider using a stronger verb. Just remember to be prudent in your choice, since a strong verb can encumber, instead of enhance, your writing if used outside of the appropriate context.

The most obvious synonyms for "said" are the ones that indicate the volume of a character's voice. If a particular character is angry, afraid, surprised, or merely need to speak loudly, words like "shouted", "yelled", "screamed", "raged", "cursed", "exclaimed", or "called" are to be expected. Similarly, if a character is nervous, distracted, concerned, or must speak softly for some reason, then "mumbled", "muttered", "whispered", "confided", or "breathed" would be more fitting.

Despite these two lists of words being well-known, it is still possible to use any of them incorrectly, which is why you can't simply grab a thesaurus and descend on the first synonym you see. Some words are more neutral than others, while others may carry the same emotion, except with a slight difference. If you can tell this difference in meaning between synonyms, your task of choosing one as replacement for "said" becomes a lot easier.

For example, the words "announced", "declared", and "proclaimed" all mean the same thing, but in that order, the authority involved increases. Therefore, you can get away with having a government official announce something, but it would be ridiculous if a teacher proclaimed that the class had homework (unless you want to make the teacher appear pompous, but that's not on what we're focussing right now). If you don't choose the right verb, the effect can range from awkward at best, to hilarious at worst.

Most of the examples I have listed here are commonplace, so I want to dare you all to use verbs that are both strong and uncommon enough to stand out - verbs like countered, mused, affirmed, maintained, and so on. Experiment with what works and even what doesn't, for only then will you find your balance.

Strong verbs are like spices that boost the flavour of your literary dishes, but as with actual cooking, take care not use it too copiously, lest your writing become overpowering. Like plain old salt, "said" still has its place.



Featured Storybooker

Avast, me hearties! Come sit by me fire 'n' hearken ta a tale o' danger 'n' courage, a tale o' a man wit' a scroll o' misdeeds a couple o' leagues long! In a time now obscured by the dept's o' the temporal fog, there sailed a vessel on the waters o' the Storybook Seas... a vessel known as the Flyin' Pidgeon. Laugh at yer own peril! Aye, the mere mention o' this ship's name struck fear into the hearts o' many a brave sailor, and the thought o' her cap'n would make taverns fall still. Back in those days, he was known as Cap'n Verser. He 'n' his brother were notorious fer their masterful navigational skills, their devastatin' broadsides, and their bloodthirsty boardin' crews. They disappeared for a while, and some folks thought they 'ad come ta rest in Davy Jones' Locker. But not I.

Recently, hearsay 'as it this cap'n 'as returned, and under a new name: Cap'n @Poopsie. I 'ad some ships weigh anchor 'n' investigate the reports. A week passed, but then I received a message in a bottle confirmin' all the stories. Ports all along the coast 'ave been soundin' their alarm bells, for the newly returned cap'n was pillagin' academies, raidin' harbours - even imitatin' the Jolly Roger 'n' harassing the ships o' the gods! I say ye better belay any voyages ye may have planned 'n' wait fer the fearsome scallywag ta pass, but if ye cannot delay yer departure, amend yer particulars before ye leave 'n' scour the seas for him 'n' his mateys. If ye happen ta encounter him, divvy yer spoils wit' his crew and pray he doesn't make ye walk the plank, fer while he keelhauls his foes, his mateys ought ta feel luckier than a parrot in a peanut factory ta be sailin' wit him. Be sure ta fire a few hail-shots ta illustrate yer good will the next time ye see the Flyin' Pidgeon pass.


Storybookers To Look Out For

This month, two new landlubbers ventured onto the ocean for the first time. Both set forth from a port known for its Eccentrics, and both discovered three treasures to claim as their very own. But who to commend? After much deliberation, there was decided it would only be fitting to congratulate both @soundofmind and @mcleo1 for their accomplishments. Be sure to give them a salute when next you see them! (Not a twenty-one cannon salute, though - we like our recruits alive and kicking.)

Most Popular

It all started back when many of us weren't even members of the site yet. On June 27th, 2012, a user named paintingtherain97 created Harmony High. When said user disappeared, participant @Nike took it upon herself to continue the legacy and created the sequel on June 1st, 2013. By the time she created Lincoln Wood Private College Prep on October 3rd, 2014, many of us had joined already, and until recently, that storybook was the most active one around. It has finally been concluded, and thus, on the tenth of March, Lincoln Wood College Prep: Senior Year , the fourth installment of this Teen Fiction series, arose from the glorious ashes of its parent.

Everyone can agree that storybooks generally expire before they conclude successfully, so a series of four successful storybooks is an extremely uncommon sight. (In fact, the only other example that comes to mind is The Robin Hood Gang by Kaywiia, which was started on January 31st, 2010, and had five installments.) However, I don't think we realise exactly how dedicated this series' cast is. There are approximately 2400 storybooks in the Archives, and since only 47 of those ended as planned, it means about 98,04% of all storybooks ended successfully. Do these overwhelming odds faze the participants of this school saga? Not in the slightest. If anybody deserves a slow clap, it's them.


Most Deserving of Attention

What would you do if aliens invaded the world? What would you do if only one appeared? Would you ignore it? Befriend it? Pursue it? Kill it? Oh, err, sorry, that last one isn't an option by declaration of the creator. In fact, the orders are very strict about that. There aren't even any rules save for the one that prohibits the killing of Gerald. As for the others I mentioned, you can go crazy with tho- Sorry, I'm interrupting myself here; you can't ignore him either.

The whole point behind @Poopsie's newest storybook, enigmAnomaly , is to find the extra-terrestrial being known as "Gerald Armisen", but that's essentially where the defined plot ends. Practically all the slots are still open, and with the only clear goal being to find Gerald, the possibilities of what your character can do is almost endless. You decide why you want to find him, you decide how you find him, and you decide what your character will do once you find him - you just can't kill or ignore him. (I'm relatively sure torture is still on the table, though.)


Best Concept

The sorry state in which our world currently resides, is cause for much concern and contemplation. Why, then, would we want to escape from reality to a world where matters are even worse? There can be only one possible explanation: Yeerks have invaded our minds!

Wait, they haven't? Then there is another possible explanation: We are not the victims of the affairs of this other earth - we are the cause!

I'm not joking. On this other earth, many nations - one of which is under your direct control - vie for power, but not necessarily in the conventional ways to which we are accustomed. Do not be surprised if one country decides to pass a legislation that will solve the problem of carbon emissions by banning cars, or if another hopes to placate its population by declaring a national Pineapple Day. But most of all, keep a wary eye on The World Forum , founded by @Dreamery, as you lead your nation through whatever may await it, for the Forum's members will definitely have their wary eyes on you. Perhaps having a representative among their number is a good idea, especially considering the old adage about the proximity of your friends and enemies...

PS: The Storybook Crew cannot be held responsible for any gauntlets that may be thrown down during deliberations. (Unless it's to invade Russia, because then we are undoubtedly responsible.)




Monthly Storybook (or whatever usually goes there)

The Storybook Crew is a little understaffed at the moment, which means none of us have had the opportunity to create an Official Storybook. However, this creates an interesting opportunity for the other citizens of Storybook Town, namely you folks. If you have an idea for an Official Storybook, drop by the ship of any of the active pirates, and you might just be given an aaaaargh of approval. That means you might be the Dungeon Master of the next OS.

Of course, there has been an influx of storybooks during April, so maybe it would be even better if, instead of creating more storybooks, we rather joined ones which are struggling. There are quite a few gems among the neglected fledglings, and I, for one, would love to see them become birds as legendary as the Most Popular Phoenix.


About the Dungeon Master

Oh dear; if there is no Official Storybook, there can't be a Dungeon Master, now can there?



Captain's Challenge: Clearing Away the Cobwebs

With the summer holidays fast approaching, it seems more and more people are getting into the storybook mood and we have a lot of new storybooks on the market!

Some of them are looking a bit on the empty side so your challenge this month is to fill up those spaces.

You'll earn 2 points for joining and making at least 1 post in a non-archived storybook which was created between the 1st November and the 1st May (those days included) which has less than 8 participants at the time you join and which isn't owned by yourself. These points are available for every storybook you join and post in so there's no limit this month on how many points you can get!

Or rather the limit is 32 points since there are 16 storybooks currently still in need of people. Let us know in the Storybook Badges & Challenges thread which ones you joined this month.

Here are the storybooks which meet the conditions (make sure you check that there are still less than 8 characters) -

Catalyst
The Choices that Made us
Star Wars - One of the Jedi Order
The World Forum
Marbleward School for the Supernatural
Billionaire's Curse
Into Time: What Happened in Heaven?
MireWorth School For The Gifted
enigmAnomaly
Ares
Highschool Zombie Apocalypse
The Evil Within
Vampires! Werewolves!
When the World is Dying
The Broken Seal
Feather

Recent Challenges

Last month saw the creation of four challenges in total, but of those, only the challenge created by @ChildOfNowhere is still viable as a source of credits; however, it expires on the fifth, so it won't be viable for much longer. Yours truly created a challenge on Monday, but it feels lonely, so the Council of Pirates has decreed that more challenges must be created to keep it company - and one does not simply ignore a decree from the Council of Pirates.




Your Staff for This Month...

If you find yourself in a sticky spot and need help in the Storybook Section, dance around the nearest maypole in five counter-clockwise circles while holding the yellow rope, three clockwise circles while holding the red rope, and then four counter-clockwise circles while holding the blue rope. @AstralHunter, @Rydia, @TheSilverFox, or @Wolfical will appear shortly thereafter, unless you danced in an incorrect pattern - in that case, you were probably just looking to dance around a maypole.

Oh, and if you notice a mouldy @Steggy o' War floating on the waves, don't fret - it's simply the newest member of the Council of Pirates on her first voyages. Seaworthy she may be, but her pillaging skills are as outdated as the dinosaurs, so don't bombard her with requests and messages-in-a-bottle just yet and keep to the maypoles for now. But do issue a cannonade in salute (in the opposite direction) if you come across her!




Control of Power in a Storybook with TheSilverFox

Having been in the Storybooks forum for almost as long as I've been a member - a few months over a year - I've seen a multitude of SBs rise and fall. And yes, many of them do fall; an oft-repeated statistic uttered among the moderating and SB communities alike are the odds of a such a collaborative production seeing the completion of its main plot. This number is not high, to say the least. So I've come to watch many an SB, in spite of the unique and creative ideas that it might have, slip and fall into the dark graveyard known as the Archives. If that place is the grave, I'm the gravedigger, as I've had to deposit a few in the archives due to their prolonged inactivity.

However, I digress. Why do these Storybooks fail? A multitude of causes can lead to the eventual demise of one, whether an inability to find interested writers, a declining of devotion and inspiration among writers already there, or simply that the writers are all busy and don't have much time to contribute. Sometimes it takes luck and finding an SB that people will be curious and fascinated enough in joining in order to make one successful, not to mention the fact you still have to maintain a level of activity through its main plot. Several SBs are unfortunate enough that they never start; not enough people participate, or the Storybook is overshadowed by comparable, but more popular, ones. Nonetheless, sometimes an SB collapses for other reasons. In particular, the amount of control exhibited by the creator of the project. While this is definitely not the only reason behind the success or failure of such a collaboration, and nowhere near the most common one, it is one that can be controlled, and will thus be the point of discussion today.

First and foremost, what do I mean when I refer to the amount of control the creator of a project has? With respect to the success and failure of a Storybook, this boils down to one of two things: the creator has too much influence over the events of the story, or the creator has too little. On one end of the spectrum, this peron has unwielding power over everything. They dictate the plot of the story, with not so many gaps for individual writers to fill in own their own. Every event is manipulated to some extent and form, and the writers themselves are usually relegated to specific roles. At its absolute worst, especially when strict restrictions are imposed over the attributes and natures of characters, it can be equatable to micromanaging. On the other hand, the creator might have absolutely little or no control over their own Storybook. In other words, they have not developed the plot much, if at all. Writers are allowed to randomly roam the world of the story - if there is one well-developed enough to explore without having to create a lot of it themselves - and design events in their own fashion. They might have the ability to construct a multitude of different kinds of characters, some of which could be more powerful than any of the others (in other words, god-modding). The rules may be few, alongside most other aspects of the story, and sometimes it may simply be to progress the story in a general direction, or, at its most extreme, just move it along.

Naturally, there are several SBs that have succeeded in spite of the amount of control held by their creators. Sometimes people are still fascinated enough in the concepts, or lack of them, that they are willing to participate. High school themed SBs usually don't have a well-structured plot or are fairly loose about their construction, but have maintained a consistent amount of activity and groups of eager writers. I have also seen Storybooks on the other end of the spectrum, especially high fantasy ones, that have seen the same amount of success and appreciation on the part of the writers to abide by a series of complex rules. However, in general, there are problems with both systems. As is evident, too much power over the plot and characters of a project stifles the creativity ability of the other writers. Micromanaging them may lead them to spend more time trying to stay within the boundaries of a series of rules and restrictions than they spend writing complex and well-developed characters, ideas, and themes. This, of course, can lead them to be disillusioned about their purpose in writing, the feeling of stress or anxiety at being held back, or simply a displeasure at their lack of an ability to write by their own standards and to their heart's content. Thus, interest, and the success of the Storybook, may fade.

Similar feelings of disillusionment can be expressed on the other end of the power scale. Writers, in a Storybook where they are largely left to their own devices, may feel unsure of where they are going next. Spending time to come up with a plot, developing a world, and assuring that it fits with the visions of other writers, who might have different and conflicting ideas, can be frustrating, and distracting from the writing in general. Too, there is always the risk of somebody creating an overly powerful character, or people who are unwilling to cooperate with others and trying to create their own vision, whether that runs over everyone else's or not. Some might even break the existing restrictions of a Storybook, or use their characters to gain an excess of power. Naturally, the odds of somebody going as far as this is unlikely, particularly if they resort to killing other characters without permission or otherwise behave contrary to general Storybook rules and common sense, at which point we mods usually come in to resolve the matter. However, in general, the feeling of randomness, of wandering aimlessly, and the qualms of trying to negotiate a huge vision of a story with a group of others may prove to be as hurtful to the creativity of the writers and interest in the Storybook as too much power can have. This too can hurt the success of an SB.

So, what should one do to balance the amount of power a creator has? To put it simply, give your writers control, but not too much. Assure that you have a plot with a general backbone. That it has an introduction, a logical flow of major events that can happen, and a conclusion. Allow your writers to fill in the remainder of the gaps with their own additions, whether crafting their own characters and backstories and building storylines around said characters or tying together different characters and their experiences to form a collective story. Now, if they incorporate elements into their own stories that might be contradicatory to your own view of the plot, negotiate or compromise. Your plot is not set in stone, and some of the best ones I've seen actually vary depending on writer input, though the introduction, conclusion, and how the story progresses largely stays the same. Make sure that your writers have the ability to explore and add to the world that you have established by giving them a world to work with. Give them a reasonable setting, plot, and set of characters that formulate a general story for them to follow along with and keep them from feeling like they are pointlessly roaming the Storybook. However, don't make it super-specific or ultra-detailed, as you run the risk of unintentionally micromanaging the Storybook. Your writers have come to work together and write a collective story; you, as the creator, should be able to give them the kind of experience that allows them to do exactly that while also reigning them in and keeping them from dragging the story in a series of directions that was not your original intent.

All in all, just focus on keeping them interested. Throw in plot twists, events, and other story aspects that they can devote their own creative talent into, so as to develop it and gain the inspiration to progress through their own storylines. Gift upon them the flexibility to explore their own creativity, while also making sure to pull them back and compromise with them if they travel too far beyond your established boundaries. You don't want to spread among all of your writers the idea that they can stretch the story in whatever direction they want to, as that leads to the member-power end of the spectrum of control and the consquences thereof. Feel free to impose restrictions on the types and nature of the characters they produce, as well as the plot aspects they may introduct to the story, but don't be so strict as to stifle the potential creativity of your writers. Allow them to delve into the depths of their own capacity to come up with unique ideas, and see how they can build complex and well-developed characters that may prove to be ideas that you wished you had come up with yourself. In that fashion, you can find that the people around you can make your story even better than you had originally hoped, which can be a wonderful sensation. This, of course, combined with an excited and curious batch of writers, can allow you to see a Storybook reach the often sought, but rarely reached, conclusion.

Remember that a Storybook is a collaborative experience for all of its participants, where each can pour his/her thoughts, ideas, and designs into building a powerful and well-developed story, and should be treated as such.


Wolfical's Night Out with TheFantasy14

Howdy there, YWSers! Wolfie here with an extra-special, brand-spanking-new section for the newsletter, featuring an interview with a particularly exceptional Storybooker. This month, I got the chance to talk with @TheFantasy14 about her adventures in storybooking.


TheFantasy14: Actually, Wolf, the first SB I participated in was my own. I was brand new to the site and had just discovered the wonders of the Storybook Forum, and poof! Heroes of the Shadows, My first Storybook, was born. Fun fact about that is the HOTS is actually an unfinished story Idea from a couple years back. I loved the experience a lot. Not only did Heroes become a roaring success, but I got to meet some wonderful and talented people and I made some progress on my talent as a writer. I developed a real connection with not only all the Members of the HOTS cast, but I also created a lasting bond with the characters in the story as well.


F: I think what makes a good character, whether good or evil, is a unique history. You could have the most pure and charming hero you can think of for your protagonist, or the most twisted cad for your antagonist, but without a good history, without the right kind of motivation, all that would be rendered null and void.

A character should also be able to connect to the readers, make them really feel their pain and joy. Knowing a character's history is a very good way for a character to connect with their audience. I think a twist in a character's general design also makes a wonderful character. Leon, for example, was the main villain of Heroes for a while, but he also wasn't really bad. He was the main antagonist for a time, but he was also just as much a victim of Blak's actions as the others.

As for my character-building skills, I think they have improved greatly. for me, watching a beloved character develop, especially one of my characters, is like watching a child grow up. Being able to bring about a gradual change in a character is a useful skill to have as a writer, and when done well, it can really make a difference in the quality of the character. I for one am grateful for the opportunity to improve that skill.


F: Well, I think most of it has to do with pacing myself. If you can find a way to balance your everyday business with your other interests, then you'll do just fine. It has more than a little to do with picking the right time to start working, also. For me, the time that's best to start writing posts is at night when I don't have any other responsibilities. And as a general rule I don't work on two posts at the same time. I find that prevents me from really getting in to character while writing each post. When life starts getting busy especially, I have to pay attention to what needs to be done and what I want to get done, and then organize from there. It takes a lot of planning ahead and more than a bit of hard work, but once you find a good balance with daily life and daily writing, it's actually easy.

Thanks for your awesome insight, Fanty!




Featured Storybooker

Throughout the month of April, we've had many an active and energetic member contributing numerous posts to the SB forums. This activity has been what's keeping these forums alive and kicking, and so we celebrate the creative efforts of these fantastic members (hey, we're trying ourselves, but there's only four of us, and life is proving to be more than a sufficient challenge. So these guys are doing our job of moving the SB forums along without us, which is absolutely vital. But don't worry, we should be back in the summer. ). In particular, there has been one who has been a constant and lively force, having written 10 posts this month and 6 the previous month. Each of these are not only long, but great quality-wise, and have been influential in the development and progression of several Storybooks about everything from teenage escapades on deserted islands to teenage escapades in high school. So, who is our Featured Storybooker this month? None other than the wonderful @Savvy! She has remained an active writer and contributor over these past few months, on top of being a friendly, fun, and amicable person, and is definitely worth paying attention to. With complex and astouning posts, she definitely deserves this title. Everyone, a round of applause for our Featured SBer, Savvy!


Storybookers to Look Out For

The SB forums have had a profileration of new additions to its ranks in recent times. While some of them have jumped ship (given the sharks down there, I dunno why), many of them have gone on to become fairly active and noticeable prescenses. Some have created new SBs, while otherwise have produced a myriad of high-quality posts in a variety of SBs, on top of interacting with the rest of the community in an open and friendly fashion. In particular, @EmmaKi has shown herself to be a capable and skilled writer. Her posts are great in both quality and length, not to mention depth and her ability to write fascinating characters, and she has maintained a level of activity that shows signs of potentially developing into something profound. While life is life, and we evidently don't want to rush any of our SBers, I'd like to applaud Emma for her present efforts and contributions to the Storybooking world, and spotlight her skills and potential to become a Storybooker you'd definitely want joining yours. Congrats, EmmaKi!

Most Popular

For all of you out there who've prepared your apocalpyse bunkers, now's your time to use them. It's your time to shine, overzealous zombie/undead/some variation thereof preppers. English blokes, raise your Union Jacks in celebration. Because here is our overwhelmingly most popular SB of the month, with over 40 posts in recent times - the post-apocalyptic When the World is Dying, by the notable SBer @Basil.

Set in a reality where a strange fungus-like infection resembling mold has been spreading to humans and all kinds of animals, the world is in ruins. The painful disease produces zombie-like results, as it grows from open wounds and generally consumes the body, leading to aggression, violence, and possessed with the desire to transfer the infection to others by the standard means - biting. As a result of its spread, the majority of the human population is now dead, and it has led to a survivalistic world whose members fight each other for resources and survival. However, a series of people - some surprisingly immune to the disease, although at the cost of some aspect of their body being distorted or diminished - have been informed of rumors of a potential safe spot. Where might this be, you ask? Naturally, it's in England, which closed its borders when the infection began across the waters in North America. Now they must work together in order to fight the Infected, survive, and reach England, where they might finally be alright. Maybe. But do they have any other choice (it'd be a boring story otherwise, after all)?

With a devoted crew of writers, the SB already has an excess of 40 posts, all of great length and quality. And only within the space of a month! Thus, it was a given that we would appoint this SB the Most Popular of the month, so let's have a round of applause for Basil and the crew of When the World is Dying!



Most Deserving of Attention

As an aspiring author myself, I know I shouldn't bash books, but Lord of the Flies was a terrible book. (The descriptions were too long-winded for my taste, and the logic of the plot was flawed in places.) That's just my opinion, however. Fortunately, the storybook that we feel has the most potential this month is The Island by @TakeThatYouFiend.

As this SB creator has expressed before, plot is of little importance to him. Instead, he chooses to focus more on characterisation, and as with Lord of the Flies, that is to be the driving force behind the story. Moreover, heroes and upper class citizens are strictly forbidden. The cast will consist of people likely to be found on a budget cruise liner, since that is exactly on which your character was... before a storm sank it.

After everybody wakes up, they finds themselves on a deserted island. You'd think surviving would be the greatest challenge, right? Err, no. Circumstances are ideal. Surviving with people who have so many delicious flaws... that will test their mettle. And morality, if William Golding's novel is any indication of what will happen.



Best Concept

In our merry month of May, we saw the creation of many new storybooks. One chief contributor was @Lareine, who provided the forum with two well thought-out stories. It was difficult to decide which one shows more originality, but in the end, Feather won out.

Be wary of the name, for it is not nearly as light-hearted as one might think. The land of Lorne is quiet, true, and little disturbs the residents, but that's because they keep their doors locked at night. Even during the day, it is best not to venture outside the town outskirts, and woe to those who are foolish enough to venture into the forest. You cannot leave, and no help will come from the lord's castle, for it stands empty. Meteor showers and a steady increase in the local crow population bear grim tidings, but their meaning is obscured. Perhaps it is better that way, as ignorance is bliss. Right?





Monthly Storybook

Whatever quest may have led you here, turn back now; there is nothing here for you to see. Although, I have heard of plans that we may once again have an OS during the month of June, so this section may not be empty during our next edition. Or, rather, not empty of any Storybooks - you get the idea.


About the Dungeon Master

"There is no OS this month that has been created by a Dungeon Master" is pretty self-explanatory.





Captain's Challenge: Music for the Soul

"Music imprints itself in the brain deeper than any other human experience [...] Music brings back the feeling of life when nothing else can."
~ Dr. Oliver Sacks

As the name of the challenge and the quote up there indicates, this month's challenge will be all about music. While Classical and Renaissance or folk music is most likely to feature in fantasy storybooks, and to be frank, those are my favourite genres, music as an artform includes so much more. Therefore, the diversity of music is key.

For each post you make that contains music, you get a credit. However, the music has to affect the concerned character in a powerful way, such as reminding them of a childhood memory or filling them with hope. Of course, I did mention musical diversity, so you only get one credit per genre, and you can only use it for one post. You can earn one extra credit each time if you post in a different storybook.

Music has no limits, so neither does this challenge. If you make five different posts with five different genres of music, you will earn five credits, and if each post is in a different storybook, then you earn five more. (Your first post will thus automatically earn you two credits.) Even four credits are more than you can earn in a standard challenge, so you can climb the ladder exceptionally quickly if you are dedicated enough.

Devote yourself to music, and your life will instantly be more enjoyable. After all, it is, along with love, one of the most powerful forms of magic.



Recent Challenges

There was only one challenge made in May, and that was for the recently revived Maze of the Guilds. Hopefully, June will see some more challenges made. Perhaps another Crew Challenge is overdue...





Your Staff for This Month...

If you find yourself in a sticky spot and need help in the Storybook Section, request the assistance of @AstralHunter, @Rydia, @SpiritedWolfe, @Steggy, @TheSilverFox, or @Wolfical. No fireworks or fanfare are needed - save that for next month.





NPCs with AstralHunter

Storybooking is all about collaboration between the creators of different characters to write a story together by means of roleplay. The characters controlled by these authors are therefore the stars of the show, but as with any storytelling medium, there will always be extra characters. If said characters only serve a limited purpose, then they really are simply extras. If they play a more important role, but aren't the MCs (main characters), then they are called NPCs (non-player characters).

While not nearly as crucial to the plot as the MCs, NPCs are nevertheless vital to any good story with an expansive cast. Like the MCs, recurring NPCs need to have their own history, personality, mannerisms, and flaws. In fact, the most prominent NPCs are usually the villains, and we know how much fans love a good villain.

The key to writing a good NPC is therefore dedicating enough time to them. If you know an NPC will be with the cast for the entire story, then creating a character profile for them would be greatly beneficial. Sometime last year, @Lumi even created an account with the username "NPC", the sole purpose being the use of this name to indicate a character's status. (You can read more about that here .) If you spend enough time thinking about a character, you're bound to become invested in them, which means you will take greater care when writing for them.

Seeing as, by their very nature, NPCs aren't controlled by any one contributor, the entire cast needs to commit itself to their maintenance. If everybody helps a character to grow, then everybody will want to keep writing for them. Alternatively, if that character dies for whatever reason, the cast will also be emotionally affected, which is exactly the point. An NPC needs to be moving. They must make you care.

The next time you decide to create an NPC, devote just ten more minutes of your time to their background. Even with that little extra attention, they ought to live up to or even exceed your expectations.



AstralHunter's Night Out with Caesar

Last month, Wolfical kickstarted an idea the crew has had for sometime. Fittingly, she interviewed a familiar face we've all seen around the forum. This month, however, I decided to interview a face not seen as often as it used to be. In the past, of course, he was one of the tycoons of storybooking, and in future, he may rise to attain such heights once more. He is, of course, @ItalianIlluminist! Oh, sorry, that was his first username. He is, of course, @Judas! No, that's the one he had when I joined... @Holofernes? (Never got used to that one anyway.) Last time: He is, of course, @Caesar! Wait, I got it right? Yay! (Did I mention he changes usernames a lot?)




Caesar: Too long ago for me to remember. Probably right after joining the site. Sounds like something I'd do.




C: Oh, the memories haha. If I'm not mistaken, it was a storybook on people with the power to turn into animals, by pixiestix. I played a villainous guy who summoned spiders. Incidentally, that one was the first (and only, hehe) time I was called out on godmoding.




C: I remember it well, actually. I wasn't at the stage where I was fully aware of the collaborative-story nature of storybooks, and viewed the contrast between the characters as a ompetition, basically. So to dramatically foil the heroes' plans, I accidentally teleported to their location. Silly, right? Goes to show even godheads of a field aren't infallible ;D




C: Not viewing storybooks as fighters, for one! I would say my greatest improvement happened around 2012, I think? When I storybooked closely with Lumi. I learned to consider a lot of the metastory aspects of storybooks, and witnessed first hand how to orchestrate one masterfully. Of course, a lot of it depends on your personal skill as a writer, which is a never-ending quest to improve.




C: Now that's a million dollar question. I could probably write even more than what I've been saying in this interview. So off the top of my head, I'd say: collaboration with those more experienced is key. It was the turning point for me; it might be for you! Then, creating storybooks and experimenting with them is also important, because it helps you understand the process of collaborative storytelling. Finally, I'd say storybook a lot. It's obvious, but not meaningless. Experience is key. It also helps you never to grow stale on old knowledge - something I have sinned of, I'm afraid c;




C: Oh dear, modesty out the window this evening. There was a time when I did a bunch of different storybook things, experimenting with different formats and so on. I also like to think I tried formalizing them a bit, with posts in the general storybook discussion, workshops and official storybooks. Thinking back on it, I may have been aiming a bit high, but sometimes people are interested in formal resources. That's basically it, I think.




C: You mean my glorious return to the storybook section? You will know by the rising orchestra crescendo and/or the legion of angels descending upon YWS, like a celestial choir. Meanwhile, my activity continues in the chit chat forum, with Arcadia, where I am still experimenting.



When Caesar eventually does rejoin the storybooking community, he may have changed his avatar and username again, so just be wary of that. For an old dog, he never seems to be out of new tricks.





Featured Storybooker

Our most prolific Storybooker this month is none other than...wait for it...prepare your most dramatic music...just one second more...an SBer.

...eh?

...

...you don't have to be so quiet. Tough crowd.

Alright, terrible jokes aside, this month has been amazingly active with respect to SB posts. We've had hundreds pouring into here through the month of May, especially thanks to a surge of popular RPs, and a multitude of SBers have been devoting their efforts to write multitudes of posts for those of multiple genres, from fantasy to science fiction to high school dramas. And no SBer is more representative of the focus on quantity, quality, and diversity by the members of these forums than this month's Featured Storybooker. With an impressive 19 different Storybook posts this month alone, they've focused on everything from mysterious academies and science fiction soap operas to survival stories and even more mysterious academies! They've been an active, friendly prescence reputed for writing posts both great in quality and quantity, and have been cooperating with a multitude of other users to weave complicated plotlines and backstories. What else can we do but honor someone who provides so much of their time, effort, and devotion to making our SB forums a more exciting, active place? Thus, for these reasons, as well as many more, we're happy to announce that our Featured Storybooker for the month is the prestigious @ChildofWriting! Congrats; you're an awesome person, and we're happy to have you as a member of the SB community!



Storybookers to Look Out For

It's not every day that we find a couple of new SBers who stroll in to our generally active, but somewhat quiet, threads and forums, and kickstart an immense amount of growth. But that's exactly what has happened this month, as our number of SB posts has risen from 144 in April to an astounding 732! As is evident, few people have been as spontaenously influential as they have. They've created a series of RPs that have attracted several new SBers looking for a relatively low-effort, easy SB to take part in, and to great effect! Hundreds of posts have been produced throughout these RPs, and their efforts have extended onwards towards other SBs that they've contributed to. Furthermore, perhaps most importantly of all, they've helped to inspire a spirit of cooperation, the creation of complex characters and their development, and a general mood of activity and eagerness among SBers throughout the forums.

Needless to say, the moderating staff appreciates their efforts, and admires the persistent devotion of the forum members to creating a fun, complex, and exciting environment. It might a tad presumptuous to appoint them as Featured Storybookers, as life has proved to be an unpredictable and challenging force, and one's activity might fluctuate over time (as most every single active SB mod has experienced). However, we feel that they are certainly deserving of being appreciated for their contributions and assistance in making these forums more active, not to mention the multitude of new users they've helped introduce to our group. So, be sure to look out for this month's Storybookers to Look Out For: @Eternity and @Gymnast2801! Well done, the both of you! We hope you keep up the good work (if you can. We're not cruel. )!

Most Popular

I am certain every author hopes to join the list of great names someday, for once you have, your stories have the power to influence the lives of people around the globe. One of the most popular authors without a doubt is Joanne Rowling, for reasons no-one need explain. It is therefore natural that fan-fictions of Hogwarts abound, and here on YWS, that is no exception.

We have seen many storybooks revolving around the great British school of witchcraft and wizardry, but one in particular seems to have quite the dedicated cast. Return of Hogwarts by @NympheaLily has only four participants, but despite this small number, it has reached page three already. If they have even a fraction of Ron, Harry, and Hermione's determination - and it seems like they have that in spades - they will keep the menacing threat of the Storybook Archives at bay for a long time still.


Most Deserving of Attention

It's really a shame when a storybook that someone has worked so hard in plotting out and building up goes without an recognition or activity. It just slowly floats to the bottom of the storybook seas as stronger currents climb above it. This storybook has only two participants, and one of those is the creator himself. Still, it earns its spot as Most Deserving of Attention for another reason, and that's its extremely unique execution.

@TheIllusiveIntellect's Children of the Dawn is more of an experimental storybook in the sense that it is both a storybook and a novel. I can hear your queries ("How is that supposed to work?"). The two are set in parallel where actions of one shall affect the other, but it is still an extremely sandbox idea in the sense that the participants will help shape the world. The genre is high fantasy with vast amounts of races you can choose from across the many nations TII has set out. Give it a read, give it a try, and get that SB rolling because it'd be a shame for an idea like this to go to waste.


Best Concept

If you thought mermaids were friendly and sang songs while being conducted by singing red crabs, you've been watching too many old Disney animation films. After reading the introductory post of this month's storybook with the Best Concept, I don't think I'll ever view them in the same light again. Who would have thought all mermaids are descended from witches and warlocks that commited genocide; create mermen by reanimating drowned humans; and are led by an immortal council of seven potent sorcerers?

The storybook of which I'm speaking is of course Blood's Curse by @Craz. The sinister history of the merfolk aside, all participants are humans, mundane or magical, who have to embark on a quest to save the kidnapped prince from - you guessed it - the mermaids. The different types of magic available to the cast differ from what you'd normally expect, for they vary from talking to animals to making yourself a shadow in the water, as opposed to the more typical wielding of the forces of nature. All these elements, coupled with the generally unpleasant disposition of the characters, will make for one dark but suspenseful journey.





Wordsmiths: A Tale of Preemptive Disaster

It's been a little bit since we've had an official storybook adventure. That's probably because the forum has been extremely active on its own, with so many new storybooks just popping up (both from veterans and newbies wandering in)! However, here to try his hand at the art of hosting another July Official Storybook is @AstralHunter with Wordsmiths: A Tale of Preemptive Disaster .

This is a tale of a fantasy world where the art of wordsmithing is far more powerful than you realize. Sometimes crafting words together to make a story can just as well make something occur in real life? But alas, the inspiration required to make this reality cannot be your own. As well, a horde of monsters has invaded the Archduchy of Ishaven and a new Adventurer's Guild is being created to fight the force. Shall you join the adventure?


About the Dungeon Master

Here he is again, the extremely ambitious AstralHunter, at it once more. He joined the SB forum a little over two years ago (wow are we really that old, Hunter? >.>) and the forums have never been the same. You've probably seen him with his massive posts that drag you into whatever world he's decided to try his hand at this time and the amount of thought he puts into any project he undertakes is astounding. While he hasn't had massive amounts of success in the hosting of an adventure, you can be sure he's a valuable crew member you wouldn't want to travel without.

[This message has been brought to you by SpiritedWolfe because AstralHunter is not actually this pretentious. He would also like to note that he does not talk about himself in the third person >.> At all.]

[And this side-comment was brought to you by AstralHunter to mention that SpiritedWolfe helped with other parts of the newsletter too and should be given credit. In addition, the previous sentence wasn't written in third person, but rather reported speech or some variant thereof.]





Captain's Challenge: Emotions Ahoy!

I watched "Inside Out" with my family the past weekend (it's the first Disney film in months, so no, I'm not a hypocrite), and since I quite enjoyed it, I decided to base this month's CC off of it. Don't worry; watching the film is not required to complete it, and I shall refrain from revealing any spoilers. All you need to know is that people are controlled by the personifications of five different emotions: Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Anger, and Fear.

You can probably guess where this is going. For each emotion you include in your posts, you get a credit. You can only earn a credit for any given emotion once, but you needn't use all the emotions in one post or a different one in five separate posts. That means you can get a maximum of five credits by writing as few or as many posts as you like, as long as the posts clearly convey the chosen emotion.

Does that sound easy enough? Wait, it's too easy, you say? And here I thought I was doing you all a favour. You know what? I'll just add an optional aspect to the challenge for those of you who want something more trying: At one point in the film, Anger, Disgust and Fear are left in charge of controlling their human, with predictably disasterous results. If you include these three in a single post and have it end disasterously, you will earn two extra credits, but like in the film, Joy and Sadness have to be completely absent.

There. You can earn anything from one to seven credits simply by doing what you should technically already be doing, so there really is no excuse for not completing the challenge. *glares playfully* Just remember to claim your credits in the Storybook Badges and Challenges thread, since I shan't be able to check everyone's posts for them. Have fun, and remember that emotions are what makes us human! (If your characters are of a different race, pretend for a moment they aren't, otherwise you'll ruin the expression.)


Recent Challenges

Only @TheIllusiveIntellect's long-expired challenge was present during the month of June, but only because its expiration date was due four days after the May Newsletter's publication. Why the silence, people? I thought June was supposed to be the start of summer break, and therefore one of our busiest months. May saw the posts skyrocket to 700+, but now we're back to the usual 110-160. Let's see if we can't get July's post count to soar above the clouds too.





Your Staff for This Month...

If you find yourself in a sticky spot and need help in the Storybook Section, request the assistance of @AstralHunter, @Rydia, @SpiritedWolfe, @Dinosaur, @TheSilverFox, @Wolfical, or @Auxiira by- Wait, the fireworks have been launched already? Eh, then just poke one of us until you get a response.


Most Popular Storybook Genres

As many of you have noticed, a new venture has been launched by the Storybook Crew to gauge the interest in certain kinds of storybooks. In both the announcement and the main thread, there was said that the results will be posted here, and it will, hence the new section. The poll has only been running for two to three days, so the most accurate results will appear in the next newsletter. However, there are three distinct preferences already, so there can't be any harm in giving a preliminary report.

Sixty votes have been cast already, with most genres receiving two to five votes. The three genres with the most votes are Sci-Fi, with nine, Adventure, with twelve, and Fantasy, with seventeen. Is it really a surprise that Fantasy is quickly taking its place as the most popular storybook genre? Of course, a lot can happen in a month and one of the other two can overtake it, so the final tallying will have to wait for approximately thirty days.





Illnesses with AstralHunter

I had a nasty case of the common cold the past week. I want to call it flu, but I'm not sure that would be entirely correct... Well, whatever I had - and still partially have - it was unpleasant. (It's the middle of winter down here in the southern hemisphere, by the way.) Did my brother have to go on a quest to find a cure? Nope, I waited it out and eventually took some medicine. Did I die? You know, I'm really not sure about that one. Did I have an emotional outburst of sorts? Pretty much...

If you're expecting some sort of riveting tale about my personal life, I'm afraid I must disappoint you (not because my life is boring, mind you ;P). The point of those rhetorical questions are to show that illnesses are quite common. That may seem like the most obvious thing to say, but if that's true, then why do we predominantly read of illnesses in stories only when it needs to prompt another character to find a rare cure to save their friend/relative/lover? Or you, know, when the author needs a convenient way to kill off a character?

Now sure, you can say that illnesses don't contribute anything other than filler scenes to a story, but I disagree. In my opinion, the best use of illnesses is to further characterisation, as they are inconvenient both in effect and timing. If your hero should technically be able to beat the villain but you need them to lose the battle during the next encounter, why not give them the flu? On the other hand, illnesses tend to make people grumpy and impatient in addition to tired and weak, so you can use it to show that even the "infallibly" good characters are still capable of having bad days.

So, we've established that illnesses can be used at any time, from fillers to essential plot arcs, and that they can show you sides of a person you might otherwise not have seen. That still leaves the illnesses themselves. I've already mentioned the flu and the common cold, but goodness knows there are many viruses and harmful bacteria out there. Nowadays, fevers are a nuisance for a day or two and then you're ready to go again. Back before reliable medicines existed, a fever was a battle with death itself; you either survived the night, or you didn't. To top it off, fevers can be caused by the simplest of infections.

Speaking of infections, the most fatal kind in the not-so-golden olden days was gangrene. The lack of knowledge about alcohol's and boiling water's sterilisation properties coupled with the poor treatment methods resulted in a staggering casualty rate, and it's a horrible death, I assure you. For those of you who love to write about wars and bloody battles, keep in mind that infected wounds, if not treated properly, can turn a yellow-green ringed with angry red and ooze pus. Not a nice image, eh? That's gangrene, or sepsis, for you, and it is described in further detail by @DrThomas in this lovely Writing Gooder article about the different kinds of shock . Consider that the next time your character takes an arrow to the knee.

Though it is tempting to stick with the most common illnesses or the all-time favourite, the bubonic plague (that's the Black Death, yes), what is common for us may be exotic for people from other regions. Malaria and yellow fever are excellent examples to keep in mind when your character is in a tropical region. Tapeworms and food poisoning can wreak havoc if you eat poorly prepared food. Even just walking in tall grass can result in the spread of disease by means of ticks.

Illnesses are a harsh part of reality, but if we have to live with it, so too should our characters. And seriously, if we can kill their families and slaughter communities with impunity, then spreading a few bugs around is the least of our sins. Add it to your literary arsenal and be brave. After all, what doesn't kill your characters makes them stronger, and if it does kill them, well... mission accomplished?


SpiritedWolfe's Night Out with TheCrimsonLady

Coming back this month, I've gotten a short interview with another older SBer, @TheCrimsonLady! If the name doesn't sound familiar, don't fret! She's gone through yet another name change after a break from the forums, but I assure you, she's been around longer than even me. ~



TheCrimsonLady: The part where I don't control all (if not most) of the characters. It's more freeing than limiting, in that I don't have to worry about them. I also enjoy figuring out how other writers interpret the character I've come up with.


CL: Mentally unstable characters, because it's hard to think you know everything about them, and I like seeing other characters interact with them.


CL: I look for people that I know are dedicated, a good story idea that can go somewhere, and enough freedom for it to be fun.



We hope to see you around these parts more in the near future, TheCrimsonLady!





Featured Storybooker

In the past two months alone, our featured storybooker of this month has done forty posts, not including the five they did in the first three days of July. Color me impressed. They're also one of the huge contributing participants in this month's most popular storybook (Return of Hogwarts if you haven't heard ~) as well as three other storybooks. Their dedication is phenomenal, espcially considering they're still fairly new to the forums. Two months to be exact.

Figured it out yet? I'm talking about none other than @Mage (-storrow because name changes). Mage can be seen across the storybook forums, as shown by the fantastic post count, but that's not all! They've also been posting all over in a not-so-highlighted section known as Character Chit-Chat and gathering more activity there. Keep up the great work, Mage.


Storybookers to Look Out For

This month we have a YWSer already fairly acquainted with the site just now diving into the wonderful world of storybooking. And that YWSer is none other than the lovely @Desdemona! In the month of June she wrote six quality posts in three different Storybooks, as well as joining a fourth before the month's end! That takes real commitment. And I'm sure she's not done yet, so look out for her as she prowls around the forum, looking for another adventure to undertake.

Most Deserving of Attention

As it has been quoted many times before, "Nobody wants to see the village of the happy people." This Storybook whole heartedly agrees. Not only focusing on death and despair, it shines a spotlight on the life and times of one of the most infamous murderers in history. @Gravity's Killings in Whitechapel - The Hunt for Jack the Ripper is a fast-paced, mystery/horror epic about the eponymous killer. Set in Whitechapel, London, in the midst of Victorian England, a gathering of people, whose lives have been afflicated by the violent demise of loved ones, have come together to bring an end to Jack the Ripper. Work together to piece together the lives of those dead, build profiles of potential suspects, and come to terms with the suspicion that perhaps anyone can be responsible - even family and loved ones. If you're lucky enough, you might just end this mystery, and England's scourge, once and for all.

Without a single participant as of yet, this Storybook has remained quiet and obscure. Is that fair? Given the quality and potential that this dark, potentially grisly Storybook provides, it most certainly isn't. If you don't mind a complex, heavily cooperative-focused, and energetic Storybook, and are willing to focus on more mature and violent topics, this is for you. Will you discover the truth about the Killings in Whitechapel?


Best Concept

A lot of Storybooks have characters boasting magical powers or abilities, but what happens when the beings who gave you those powers disappeared, and your abilities started waning? In Something wicked this way comes, witches, given powers by the Fates, have to now rescue the very beings who bestowed powers onto them in the beginning. During this time, these witches are slowly losing all power given to them by the Fates, and many questions arise while they hunt. Why would someone kidnap the Fates? What are they hoping to accomplish? Are they even alive?

@Auxiira's newest Storybook brings a new scope to the plate. It's a large cast of people who used to be strong witches, viewed above in all ways to humans, now slowly losing their powers in their search for the Fates. A compelling story and unique characters will definitely be shown when this Storybook starts. For all these reasons, we had to pick this Storybook as the best concept for this month. I'm definitely going to be following along once this starts. Will you?






Shattered Moons

In a world (where "In a world" is not a cliche way to start a sentence) very unlike our own, humanity has gone a long way in the direction of technological advancement, forming an influential and fearsome society based on the powers conferred by the Dust. This Dust, from which humans have come from, has gifted upon them exceptional powers and abilities to use in the advancement of their own species, as well as to fight the corrupt, soulless, bloodthirsty Grimm. Locked in endless combat with their rivals, some of the humans have had to become Hunters and Huntresses. These people use the powers of the Dust to unlock and mainpulate components of their own aura, creating a manifestation of their being in the form of a Semblance, which can make them far more effective and destructive, at the cost of slowly draining their energy.

Thanks to The Great War, in which many organized governments were overthrown and reorganized, the Hunters and Huntresses have risen to prominance as the first line of defense against the ever-relentless Grimm. Academies have been formed to train eager individuals into taking on this monumental task and lifestyle, and this is the story's beginning for @Jhinx's love letter to RWBY, Shattered Moons. Set a decade previously to the main storyline, this story already boasts a large cast of main characters, a plotline that is proving to be incredibly complex and dark, and is displaying itself as yet another impressive creation from one of the masters of SBing himself. So, how will this latest Omnibook unfold? How will the main characters fight the Grimm menace, and deal with the tension between each other and other, potentially more dangerous, unknown enemies? While this Storybook is already closed and preparing to start, this is a story that I definitely suggest you read.


About the Dungeon Master

This month's Official SB is brought to you by the immortal, glorious, ninja-slaying, elemental lord of the new era, Jhinx. He is a master of carefully-considered, slow-and-precise movements, and his writing always leaves an impact on anyone nearby. If you're lucky enough to join the OS for the month, be ready to undergo some excellent training wtih tons of fun along the way. The guy's a riot, and his RPGs are to die for.






Captain's Challenge



This month's Captain's Challenge is heavy and hot and ready to trot--dear God why are we rhyming? THE CHALLENGE IS for Storybook Leaders to create challenges this month. Each challenge created will award you two points, no negotiations.

Each completed challenge under your direction will earn you a bonus point.

There is no ceiling to the reward you may receive. That's right. If all thirty-nine of your cast members completes a challenge of acceptable difficulty, you will earn thirty-nine bonus points.

This makes August a great time to start your own storybook, don't you think? The heat is real, Bookers, and it's not going anywhere (until September 2nd).

FLAMEO, HOTMAN.


Recent Challenges

Unsurprisingly, there hasn't been an abundance of challenges to come by lately - many have expired by this time, and the Storybook Badges & Challenges topic is looking small and dusty these days. However, there are two worth noting. @Jhinx's challenge for the Shattered Moons Storybook, although the deadline for points for the first component of the said challenge has already passed, still stands. In the meantime, @Lumi's Aether SB challenge still exists, and is an open oppourtunity to earn a rather large number of points. Why just write Storybook posts when you can be rewarded for them? Go out and complete the challenges given to you, SM and Aether teams!






Your Staff for This Month...

If you find yourself in a sticky spot and need help in the Storybook Section, stop by your local Starbucks (#mermaidmasterrace) and grab a frosty coffee to bribe the services of @Rydia, @AstralHunter, @Auxiira, @Craz, @Dinosaur, @Jhinx, @Lumi, @TheIllusiveIntellect, @TheSilverFox, or @Wolfical. If you're not sure what size to grab, a scone will do the trick.


Most Popular Storybook Genres

It's almost a month since the SB genre poll was launched, and though sixty votes had already been cast by the time the previous newsletter was published, the tally has since increased to an astounding 109. With the larger number of votes, we also saw a more accurate preference among storybookers.



As the statistics show, about half of the genres received few to no new votes. Fantasy/Adventure is without question still the most popular storybook genre, but Post-Apocalyptic and Sci-Fi nevertheless have an adequate lead over the other options. I have a feeling that Fantasy won't be going anywhere for a long time, but perhaps next month may see other genres on the winner's podium.






Lumi's Night Out with chibibo!

Hello! It's Lumi here with @chibibo to talk about the long, long history of the SB forum...and how awesome it always is. Our guest has been there for it all, and we want to share some factoids with you!

Lumi: What was the first Storybook that you were in?

chibibo: It was definitely Chat Room Adventures.

Lumi: Who was in the SB with you?

chibibo: We had...Alteran. Rydia. Nutty. Um. Bella...with a B. And Alice.

Lumi: So Bella like Bella Swan?

chibibo: If that's how you see the world, yes.

Lumi: Anyone else?

chibibo: Don't tell anyone, but it was--no wait, he got banned. Not talking about him. Can of worms.

Lumi: Can of worms?

chibibo: Can of worms.

Lumi: Over the years, what stands out as your favorite storybook of all time?

chibibo: My one favorite. Oh boy. It would proooobably be one of the Academies? Probably number 5.

Lumi: Oh God, Academy 5. When Bea was in charge. Mine will always be #4.

chibibo: Number four. Number four. ~*Number fou--

DEAR GOD STEGGY PETTED A SPIDER EW EW EW EW EWWWWWW. his name was carl, if i must add. STEGGY GO HOME AND KILL CARL. N O. HES MY BUDDY. STEGGY I SWEAR TO G



Lumi: *cough* So. You've seen the forum and community evolve over the years. Do you think it's improved? Gotten worse? Or is it constant?

chibibo: I've been a ghost for about a year, but from what I can tell, I really think it's gotten better? Or at least it's constant. If that makes sense.

Lumi: I like that idea. Any plans for your storybook future?

chibibo: Um. I would like to soon do...Academy 7 or...Secret Agent Wizards.

Lumi: You realize that now that you've said that in public, you'll have to hype it up to people, right?

chibibo: ...

Lumi:

chibibo:

Lumi: You realize you're paying for this call, right?

chibibo:







Featured Storybooker

This month's Featured SBer has been a familiar face in the SB forums, but, surprisingly, hasn't recieved much recognition until recently. Why not? With an impressive array of good-quality posts, she has remained a persistent and active force among us over this illustrious, active summer/winter (does political correctness apply to hemispheres?). With an impressive 18 posts during July alone - and did I mention in a wide variety of Storybooks? - she has outpaced all of her contemporaries (not to mention a combined 84 posts over the previous two months), on top of being friendly, cooperative, and open. Thus, it is appropriate that @NympheaLily, for her activity and contributions to the SB forums, should be nominated this month's Featured Storybook! Congrats!


Storybookers to Look Out For

Now, I'll be honest - we haven't had many new SBers this month. New faces come relatively infrequently, while a core gathering of active, older SBers tends to dominate the activity in the forums. However, we appreciate those who do join us, particularly when their contributions to the Storybook culture (no, not a bacteria culture, get that idea out of your head) here are high in quality. One has been particularly noteworthy in the oft-ignored Character Chit-Chat forums, providing a little more emphasis upon this fascinating, but undervalued, area. The other has written a couple of Storybook posts already, and both come across as eager, willing to cooperate with others, and otherwise having a good time reveling in what the SB forums have provided for a long time - a place to write amazing stories with friends. As a result, our Storybookers to Look Out For this month are the wonderful @CupcakesForRealMen and @Remington38. Well done! Let's have a round of applause for the both of them, everyone!

Tightest Cast

You know it's impressive when the most active, energetic, and closely related Storybook crew of the month has been active well beyond their Discussion Thread, which seems almost quiet in comparison. Don't be deceived, the cast of Shattered Moons have communicated in crazy amounts since the day the Storybook was posted. However, most of this was not in the Discussion Thread. It has been, in all honesty, one insane journey. From the start, the writers gathered together over a massive WFP and wrote their Character Profiles over the space of a few days, slinging jokes and ideas like firecrackers in an hyperactive Fourth of July parade. When that was complete, they separated into not one, not two, but three Skype groups - each working on developing the plots and interactions for the members of one of the three teams (this was the wonderful @AllisontheWriter's suggestion). A small contest was even held to determine the names picked for each of the teams (credit goes to the lovely @Omnom and @Lareine for those, and special mention to Lareine for constructing the marvelous banners for each team and character. <3) Then came the writing of the posts themselves; two groups have already gone to work writing for the prologue and first chapter, and not a single post goes by that hasn't been the product of a collaboration of at least two people. So, who else should deserve the title of Tightest Cast more than the crew of Shattered Moons? Congrats, you guys! Keep up your amazing skills of cooperation and collaboration, and the high-quality posts it's produced!


Most Outstanding Character

A new add-on to the newsletter is the most outstanding character in all of storybook land. Basically, we snope through endless storybooks to find a shining an example on a well-developed and outstanding character. It was incredibly difficult to decide on just one, because there are just so many fascinating characters that have popped up within the past month.

Some of the things we look for are how dynamic the character is, both in the Character Template and in actual writing. They should have strengths and weaknesses, a fleshed out and diverse personality, flaws and imperfections, and something that's make them... well, them.

This was not an easy decision. However, the character chosen this month showed all of the traits above but stood out from the competition with a unique twist. Not just the character herself, but the writer grabbed our attention with her drive to make this character as fleshed out as she could be. Creating not one, but two short stories about her character before the Storybook even started, there's no surprise that this time around it would be @AllisonTheWriter's character for Shattered Moons, Midori Foster. With a classic and somewhat childish charm, Midori manages to tug at the reader's heartstrings and have us relate and even sympathize with her thoughts. Definitely well-deserved, Allison! We hope to see Midori grow to fruition in the following months.




Captain's Challenge: Character Exchange

My sister's getting married this month - how exciting is that? It means I get to be a bridesmaid for the first time in my life and I get to wear a vintage gown and sparkly shoes and where on Earth is this relevant to this month's challenge? Well, since I'm switching my pirate hat for a damsel's handful of flowers, I think you should all switch characters too. Join a storybook and create a character and then see if you can convince someone else to switch with you so that you're playing the character they created for that storybook (and possibly the role they claimed as well!). You'll then play their character - doesn't that sound like fun?

To prove you've switched characters, I need to see a post from at least one of the participants, from the point of view of the new character. Don't forget to let the storybook creator know what's going on in the storybook discussion thread!

This requires getting someone else to participate in the challenge, but I'm happy for you to pre-plan a switch with a friend, just so long as you don't go telling each other what kind of character you want to play! This is about being versatile and trying out a character you wouldn't have created for yourself.

The reward will be 4 points to each person who completes the challenge and you may complete the challenge two times for a total of 8 points.




Your Staff for This Month...

If you find yourself in a sticky spot and need help in the Storybook Section, stop by your local Starbucks (#mermaidmasterrace) and grab a frosty coffee to bribe the services of @Rydia, @AstralHunter, @Auxiira, @Craz, @Lumi, @Omnom, @Steggy, @TheIllusiveIntellect, @TheSilverFox, or @Wolfical. If you're not sure what size to grab, a scone will do the trick. (But if you're bribing Rydia, you may get further with hot chocolate, especially if it has some of those adorable mini marshmallows and yummy chocolate and cinnamon sprinkled on top.)


Most Popular Storybook Genres

After the initial announcment, only about a fifth of the original number of users voted in the poll. Though this makes the statistics less reliable, it was still sufficient to identify the top three.



Interestingly, it took only a month for Fantasy to be dethroned and bumped down to second place. Paranormal now holds first place, while Sci-Fi is barely hanging on in third. Considering how each of the winning categories has only one vote less than the one above it, no-one can say whether the poll truly reflects August's expectations. Then again, perhaps it does? Next month will show whether the tide has swifted once more, or whether this is just the start of a long-standing victory.





Wolfical's Night Out With Gravity

This month, I took a seat with someone who's been around the storybook forums for a long time. Enter @Gravity!



Gravity: Sure!



G: That is a really loaded question, haha! Yeah, I'll have been storybooking for two years on October 13th. My first ever storybook was Lincoln Wood Private College Prep, and I'm so happy to say it is still going strong.

I fell in love with my characters, I guess that's what has kept me going. When you're in a storybook for a month, 6 months, a year... your characters grow and develop. My characters personally all embody some trait of mine. My first ever character, Colette, embodies my love of art and all things French. Aside from my characters and being able to live through them in alternate realities, it's the people I storybook with. Without people I've been storybooking with for a long long time, @Nike, @HazelGrace16, @TheFantasy14, @TheForgottenKing, or even new people I'm getting to know like @TheCrimsonLady and @LordZeus, I would not have the support, the drive, or the passion that I have for storybooking. It also has given me the opportunity to write a more well developed story line because I can never get through writing a novel.



G: I actually normally like the little high school story books, ones about teenagers and such. My storybook, Oceanside Academy, is all about teenagers that have supernatural powers. I'm really in to stuff like that. I also think dystopian storybooks are really neat, though I've never written in one that actually lasted. Also, it turns out I like historical fiction storybooks as well! I really love the Jade storybook, I'm sad that not many people are posting as much as I thought they would.



G: Yes, I have. I created one named Reign that lasted for a little over a month and another one called The Killings in Whitechapel that no one ever signed up for.



Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions. Keep up the awesome writing!


How to Successfully Write Dynamic Character Relations With Craz

Have you ever had two characters whose hate for each other burned so brightly and so fiercely that you thought: hey, they should totally be forced to spend more time together until their relationship becomes painstakingly complex and ambiguous? Well, here are a few simple steps to successfully bloom your characters' absolute loathing of each other into a beautiful, completely platonic, bromance.

Step One: Make it More Than "I don't like your face". While, sure, there are sometimes moments where you just don't like someone (or their face) for no particular reason, but that isn't what makes a good story. The people want background, and more than that hatred that is reasonable. Maybe a character stepped on another character's flower garden; yeah, that kind of sucks, but you know what would make it suck more? If those flowers were the last reminder of that character's pet horse named Frodo, who loved flowers. If that isn't enough to set your characters going after each others' gardens with their hearts filled with flowery-revenge, then feel free to add some more reasons for them to hate each other. The more the merrier.

Step Two: Discovering the Common Commanderie. Surely they must have some common ground, and you, my dear writer, cannot let that go to waste. Maybe, after angrily trampling each others' gardens, they find out that the flowers they both trampled upon contains the key nutrient that could combat a spreading epidemic that has been infecting horses all around their region - and that they are the only ones on the planet capable of nurturing those flowers back to life. Now they must team together to save all the Frodos of the world. Forced to work side by side, they discover more to their nemesis than they had initially perceived, creating depth to their relationship and to the overall tone of the writing itself.

Step Three: Finding Closure in the Rough. Maybe in the end it won't be the easiest thing for your characters to stop hating each other completely (that one character really did love Frodo), but at least the two had come to an understanding of each other. Through saving all of horse-kind with their botanist skills, they unearthed a connection between them that, one could say, is strong in the bromance. And through this relationship there's been character development, maybe even an arc or two, that allows the readers as well to fully relate to these characters and come to love their gardens as much as they do. Keep in mind that not all characters will end up wanting to make flower crowns for each other, and it is possible that leaving the two to their stubborn sentiments might even be a better way to conclude the story. Not every duo must end on a pleasant note.

Well I hope this has been as fruitful of an article about botanists and deeply seeded horse appreciation as I hoped it would be. This is Craz, wishing you the best of luck with tending to your blooming flowers of character creativity.




Monthly Dragonslayer

This month's Dragonslayer seriously should be no shock to people. I know it wasn't for us. Almost immediately, we knew who had braved through an insanely active and wonderfully hectic month to rise to the top. You've seen her around, dabbling in different Storybooks here and there with her bright and bubbly personality (and no doubt you've seen her welcoming new members to the site or being awesome oh her wall), but TO TOP IT ALL, she's the Dungeon Master of one of the most successful fan fiction Storybooks of August: The Revolution.

By now, if you haven't realized who we're talking about, you must be living under a rock or something. Truly deserving the title, this month's Dragonslayer is @Mage! Although I haven't officially joined The Revolution, I have seen the admirable work she's done for the Storybook, keeping people motivated and keeping communication alive. It's a true wonder to see a Storybook you've made explode like it has. Hats off to you, Mage.


New Challengers in the Ring

Good evening, citizens of Bookvale. Our final report of the night comes in under the deadline with quite an incredible rapport with the community. Have you met our new writer? They are a kind writer. A strange writer. A crescent moon would be best to describe this writer, though a crescent moon could also be best to describe what is made in the croissant shop near the fruit markets. We feel it best if you avoid the fruit markets for the time being, as the widespread death of bees has not affected these fruits, and quite simply stated, that's unacceptable. Our citizens deserve the very best, and if the rest of the world is eating poorly-constructed and pollinated fruit, we heavily insist that we do, as well.

Regardless, we'd like to return the feature to our new writer, crescent-moon as a descriptor. Their name is Sheyren. They are a writer. Perhaps this is all you need to know.

More information could be available about Sheyren, but this par-none fruit just simply will not do. Protest the fruit vendors. Protest the bakery. Do not protest the dog park, or the dog park may protest you.

Sheyren will appreciate this feature. They have contributed much to our community. They do not protest the dog park. The dog park does not protest Sheyren. We appreciate Sheyren. We think Sheyren will do quite well here. Sheyren is best described by a crescent moon.

Most Popular

Three years ago, an orphaned, young British boy with a lightning-shaped scar, living in a closet under the supervision of his cruel uncle, aunt, and cousin, learns that his dead parents were, in fact, wizards. Specifically, wizards who died under tragic circumstances that have the boy famous. Since then, he has been enrolled in the school of Hogwarts, learning magic, fighting off evil, and making many friends in the process, all the while learning about the past of the school, the history of magic, and his family.

This Storybook is not about that kid.

Hogwarts Students and The Years We Lived with Harry Potter is exactly what it says on the title. Focused on the perspective of the students who were at Hogwarts during Potter's adventures, this is a unique take on many of the major events within the original stories. Already popular, it has gained a large and well-versed cast that has pored out multitudes of good-quality posts. The rules themselves are simple - the participants may alter or distort major events, but cannot outright change them. The rest is up to the authors, who have already begun to build a complex network of character relationships while investigating the Harry Potter universe through the eyes of their characters, and the implications thereof. It's a fun SB, on top of an active one, and has remained impressive thus far. So, cheers to @Nike and the crew of this month's most popular SB - Hogwarts Students and The Years We Lived with Harry Potter!


Most Deserving Of Attention

It is with a heavy heart that we have called each of you to this emergency council. We realise that many of you had to travel through several systems to arrive here from your home planets, or to return from your missions, but this is a matter of possible galactic implications.
Two weeks ago, an Oklarrian Frontier Outpost intercepted a communication line of the Enderian Collective. It seems to have been a science ship sent to survey possible high mineral or energy source planets. The ship stayed within the Frontier Outpost’s sensor range until it disappeared on the 8th, which was last week.
Now, what you are about to be shown is highly confidential, and may have catastrophic impacts on the populace if it were to be leaked. This is the last three transmissions by the Science Ship, named the END Forager.

It's maybe five or six stories per year that veer into our lot so fleshed-out and decked with weaponry, ready to enter combat. The Creatures of the Void by TheSunderedSorcerer is a tragic tale of a space mission gone horribly wrong, and the price brave souls are willing to pay to salvage what is yet lost. If you're a sci-fi junkie, you need to hop on this ship.

I hear it has warp drive.


Best Concept

This one hurts me to think about--that is how much of an impact it already has. Taking the form of second-person letters, Boy Next Door by @Savvy allows you to write to fellow victims and proxy-victims of a school tragedy that is all too common these days. Does it seem too real? It feels that way, and that's why we in the crew adore it.

While we caution you to remain sensitive to the topic at hand, it is a wonderful chance to sit down and get into the mind of someone who has been victim to a shooting akin to those that come each day in America. What a sobering experience. We applaud Savvy for having the guts to put it together and keep it together, and this is one that Lumi is dubbing a contender for Best Concept of 2016.

While we do warn you of triggers, we also encourage you to explore the experience with us.





Captain's Challenge: Interaction in Action / Get your Spooky on

A lot of these challenges I set you are just that, challenging, but it's time to go back to simplicity for a moment. I've got two very easy challenges for this month and I hope you ejoy them.

Challenge one is to have interaction with other characters in your posts. Storybooking is all about collaboration between multiple authors and that can't happen if you don't write a part for your co-writer's characters into your post. I want to see at least four pieces of dialogue from other people's characters in each of your posts. For every post where you have these four lines spoken by a character which is not your own, you get 1 credit. That means the credits you can earn are limited only by the number of posts you make.

Challenge two is more in theme with the month of October: I want you to write a post which is either spooky in nature or which involves one or more characters being spooked by something or someone. It's that simple and completing this challenge will earn you 3 credits and it can be completed twice by each adventurer for a maximum of 6 credits.


Recent Challenges

Last month we saw an explosion of storybook challenges thanks to the August Captain's Challenge. While there wasn't the same incentive during September, storybookers were still eager to post more. Not all of them were completed, but if credits were really that easy to earn, those shiny badges wouldn't mean much, would they? Let's see if we can have October equal or even exceed the number of posted challenges - little makes the crew happier than awarding credits and badges, since that means more activity in general. More activity = more power = higher odds of the crew successfully conquering the world.





Your Staff for This Month...

If you find yourself on a high-stakes gameshow and need help answering "Which of the Kardashians has the flyest Instagram????!??!?!?" then, well, here is a list of our names. @Rydia, @Lumi, @Craz, @Auxiira, @TheSilverFox, @AstralHunter, @TheSunderedSorcerer, and @Wolfical. Note that Lumi messed up the alphabetical order to screw with Hunter. Though, really, R always comes first anyway--and for GOOD REASONS.


Most Popular Storybook Genres

The voting went much better during September, with the poll receiving exactly double the votes of August. We're still far from the initial 109 votes of July, but the number of votes was sufficient to indicate the leads this time.



The balance of the universe has once again been restored now that Fantasy is back in first place with ten votes. Adventure follows in second with nine, and third place is tied between Sci-Fi and Post-Apocalyptic, both with six votes. This means- wait, am I the only one getting déjà vu? Oh, never mind, looking at the July newsletter confirms results are the same as those of the first poll. October may show the same trend, but seeing as fanfiction will replace Medieval, things may turn out differently. (Although, with the Harry Potter SB having already launched, I think it might come a month too late.)


Finch's Cage

October's Official Storybook is Finch's Cage, a historically fictionional, possibly romantic, and conceivably supernatural mystery that takes place at the beginning of the American Civil War and sweeps across the entire western fronteir on the trail of the Pony Express. Finch Redhage, a very likable character, is one of the riders, but just a few minutes away from his final destination, he and all the letters he was carrying disappear. His horse is found slaughtered on the trail, with only a riddle that hints at how to get him back.


About The Dungeon Master

There is a wolf. There is a writerly wolf. The wolf writes wolf things but never like bark bark things more like "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day" things, though really wolves and dogs may think about summer days, too. I know mine do.

What's that? We were talking about--oh, right. Wolfie.

THIS OCTOBER PREPARED TO BE guided along properly by a pretty great dungeonmaster because we are totally out of jokes for the night. GOOD LORD.

And don't worry--her bark is worse than ber bi--what's that? No lying. Huh.

Have fun, kids!





Wolfical's Night Out With Persistence!

Tonight I sat down with a recently renamed YWSer, @Persistence, a wizard who likes candy, poetry, good novels, and storybooks. It sounds like he might have a new SB idea up his sleeve!



Persistence: Mannaric because he was a cool, though admittedly overpowerd wizard.

[Originally used (and probably more accurate) adjective for Mannaric: bada**.]



P: I do, but it might be a while till it's out.



P: No, because it's a pretty original idea and I want to be worshipped for it.



P: Of course! Go ahead.



P: A body building xP Or a road. Cause it ways the least.




Success and Failure in Storybook Posts with Rydia

When we break a storybook post down to its most basic components, one of those components is the actions our characters choose to take and a vital part of that component is the result of those actions: failure or success. While it's fair to say that our characters choose the actions, they do not choose the outcome. That's where we writers come in and deciding whether your character, or indeed another writer's character, succeeds or fails is perhaps the most important decision of the post.

If you choose to have your character succeed, that affects their character development but it also affects how the other participants view your character. If he or she succeeds too many times, it may place them in a negative light, while having your character fail can make them sympathetic, but too many failures could have them become everybody's chew toy. Sometimes that's not a bad thing as other writers are more likely to interact with your character if they feel you'll not mind taking a few beatings, while characters who always succeed can seem unapproachable.

If your character and another character are battling vampires and your character defeats four of them, while you have the other character fail to even defend themelf, you may find the other writer chooses not to include your character in their next post or chooses to have them come to harm.

On the other hand, if you write a post where another writer's character defends your character, then perhaps in their next post, they'll have your character succeed at an action as well. Certainly they are more likely to include your character in their post and to interact with you in a favourable way.

So as tempting as it might be to make your own character the powerhouse of your post, why not try distributing some of that success magic to other characters and see if it's returned somewhere down the line.





Monthly Dragonslayer

This month's Dragonslayer is a new face to YWS (three months old, to be exact), but that hasn't daunted him from already starting three of his own Storybooks and joining a multitude of others. He has been very active ever since he joined and shows no sign of stopping, with six posts in September and a whopping eighteen in August. He's known for his upbeat personality, quirky characters, and his love for Pokemon and Undertale and all things RPG. His enthusiasm is very contagious and encourages plenty of activity in the Storybooks he joins. He's definitely someone you'd want in your Storybook.

Give a round of applause for @Sheyren, everybody!


New Challengers in the Ring

Understandably, newcomers to the storybook section are often confused, overwhelmed, and enthralled by the sheer awesomeness of it all. They are therefore treated with patience and care so that we may help them harness the glory of roleplaying as only storybookers can. One newcomer, however, seems determined to defy these expectations, and indeed, she can easily be mistaken for a literary veteran after one has read her posts. @reikann has astounded us all with the quality of her writing, and if this is where she is now, she may quickly become an SB celebrity in no time.

Most Popular

Is there any limit to the popularity of @Nike and her fanfic-driven SBs?! We certainly hope not. Following the tales of students who weren't featured in the main cast of the Harry Potter books or films, Hogwarts Students & The Years We Lived With Harry Potter is a jet-fueled fanfic that's taken the forum by storm, already generated over five dozen posts in just over a month! While definitely a fun play, we on the crew also found HS&TYWLWHP a fun read, while maybe not a fun acronym. . . check it out here!


Most Deserving Of Attention

Oh, it was a lovely month for the spooky and spoopy here on YWS. One fruit of the spoop that we on the crew came to admire more than it garnered attention was Eclipse Circus by @KiraThePotatoChip, which is a story that follows a demonic-led troupe of carnies ranging from superhumans to the supernatural. The scary factor is real in this one, and once it gets off the ground, we look forward to a fascinating read!


Best Concept

I_OWN_YOU.

@Dreamery blew our minds and spirits with this one, guys. Utilizing fantastic plotting, setting, formatting, and gimmickry, the setup of Executable is absolutely mindblowing and deserving of an award. However, we believe so strongly that this reward would be redacted that we've decided not to waste our time on making it. Instead, we're gonna gush over the amazing development Dreamery and crew have put together. With dystopian science fiction abundant, Executable is a story that follows the dismantling of The System, comprised of three key components of government. While the world may seem like a utopia, the very intro post makes it abundantly clear:

I_OWN_YOU.





Captain's Challenge: Birthday Candles

November is birthday month for YWS but it's also bonfire night so this is a hard pick for me... fire or birthdays? Birthdays or fire!

Of course, I could always combine the two. So! I will give 1 point for the mention of a birthday in a post for a maximum of three posts and I will give 1 point for the theme of fire in a post for a maximum of 3 posts, and I'm willing to give a bonus point if you're creative with your use of fire as a theme. Like, it doesn't have to be physical fire but could instead be the fire we feel in our bellies when somebody hurts our friends or the spark of creativity which allows us to overcome obstacles!

As another bonus challenge, I am willing to award 4 points to anyone who can use these 7 words (or their derivitives) in a single post while not referring to fire: burning, flickering, ignited, sparked, fuming, blazing, smouldered.

Good luck!





Your Staff for This Month...

We here in the storybook section DO believe that a time exists between Halloween and the snowy Holidays...but we're not quite sure what to call it? We're doing our best to research, but if you need help in this time of peril and poultricide, feel free to send missive to the pirates who sunk your ship before you could reach the New World: @Rydia, @AstralHunter, @Craz, @Lumi, @Steggy, @TheSilverFox, and @Wolfical. We'll be glad to sink any other ships that come your way.


Most Popular Storybook Genres

The number of votes the poll received has yet again increased, but this did not happen on its own. Special thanks is due to Lumi and Fox, without whom the number of voters would probably have stagnated.



Fantasy yet again keeps the lead with eleven votes, but it was a narrow victory. In joint second place we have Adventure and Fanfiction, both with ten votes. If you remember September's results (or just scroll up to that edition), you'll recall/see that the latter replaced Medieval. It seems to have done quite well, so I don't think it will be going away anytime soon. Sci-Fi is still in third, but it's keeping bronze all to itself this time. Will that change during November? Only time and those gifted with knowing the future may tell.


YWS' Bowser Castle Birthday Bash

Every November, we like to put on a party for YWS in the SB section (since it's YWS' birthday and all,) and we figured this year, we'd take the party to Marioland. As a tagbook, feel free to enter and leave as you like! Newcomers will receive the Tag! You're It! badge, just as with any tagbook! Happy birthday, YWS!


About The Dungeon Master

SB Crew as a whole will be spearheading this assault, though Lumi has his eye on the prize in particular. . . as if anything about this is new. We swear, that man is beyond the bargaining stage.





Reducing Adjectives with AstralHunter

Knowing how to use adjectives creatively is a valuable tool in any writer's arsenal, but more often than not, knowing when to leave adjectives out is of even greater value. This stands in direct contrast with the Captain's Challenge, but contrast emphasises both elements, doesn't it?

To start, we'll look at the above paragraph. It was written in my usual style, so naturally, it can be made more concise. If I had used words like "really", "actually", "literally" or the like, removing those would take priority, since they rarely add substance to a sentence. However, there aren't any blatantly redundant adjectives, so then it's time to consider all of them. In the first sentence, removing "valuable" would diminish the meaning, but that doesn't mean it can't be shortened; the entire "valuable tool" can be replaced with "asset", which by extension removes the phrase.

Also be cautious of what might be called "subtle clichés", which is to say, a set of words that often appear together, but isn't always necessary. Have you ever heard of "far-reaching" consequences? You most likely have. Now ask yourself if you've ever heard of far-reaching... anything else. If you haven't (I haven't), then it might do to reconsider using a different adjective, if the word itself isn't entirely sufficient on its own.

When you look at your writing in this way, you become so much more self-doubting - my experience writing this article is my basis for that claim - but that could just be what you need. Dispose of your adjectives at your discretion, but don't forget to keep at least some of them.

For more information on the topic, there's a lovely article about the omission of adjectives right here on the site! If you have the time, do read it. I found it quite helpful, and I'm sure you will too!





Monthly Dragonslayer

Our monthly dragonslayer has proved to be an incredibly active and prolific SBer, with at least 11 posts of good quality to her name between two relatively dark Storybooks - one horror-themed, and the other Harry Potter-themed. Skillful at crafting dramatic and complex in both (which, despite their overlap, vary sharp enough and have constrasting enough casts of characters to make this task difficult), she's proved to also be friendly, cooperative, and respectable. She is motivated and willing to take incentive, and it is for this, on top of their other redeeming qualities, that we nominate @Remington38 as our most vibrant Storybooker of the month! Well done on earning this wonderful achievement with your good work and spirit! :D


New Challengers in the Ring

It's salty, delicious, and completely addictive, and hence has all of the perfect qualifications for ...ah, I'm thinking of the food. The SBer in question here, however, has not been any less impressive thus far. Despite, having only begun to write in the Storybook forums this month, and being only half a month old on the site overall, he has already established a dark-themed SB with a coherent and well-organized plot. Friendly, welcoming, and willing to cooperate and build characters with other individuals, he has also extended his reach towards other Storybooks, and written 4 great posts in the month of October. It is this kind of activity that does not go unnoticed by the all-seeing Storybook Moderators, and so we appoint @KiraThePotatoChip as our exceptional new challenger. Though one's activity on YWS should not supersede their life and its challenges (as yours truly is beginning to find out very painfully), we celebrate your efforts, and we hope that you continue to devote yourself and your energy to the Storybook forums, so that your activity may serve as an inspiration for us all. In other words, great job! Keep up the good work!

Most Popular

Long, long ago in a place far away from here is the school called Accademia Firenze in Florence, Italy and here, the newly awaken poets from years past are called to campus for their opening ceremony and among other things, a small hint of terror lurks within.

In Dead Poet's Society, made by the lovely @Audy, there are twist and turns (yet to come) that feature same well-known poets such as William Shakespeare, Walt Whitman, and many more. The Storybook that just started in October with a cast of 20 people seems to moving along quite nicely. Of course, a school without drama is just well, a school, there is a killer running about in Accademia Firenza, just to be solved at the Homecoming Dance.
Look out for this mysterious storybook and to answer the age old question: who's the killer?


Most Deserving Of Attention

In this storybook, it isn't the government that runs things. It's the CEO's, the fat-cats, the monkey suits, the kings of Wall Street - people who have ruled you since birth. They saturate the media with their propaganda and convince the masses into idleness so their oppressive capitalism can swell and thrive. They tell you that this is good. They say humanity has not seen a better world.

You know better.

In Excutable, a Storybook by @Dreamery, you are either a White Hat or a Black Hat, and live in this plutocratic version of the United States. If you are a White Hat, you believe the propaganda. If you are a Black Hat, you are one of many fighting against the powerhouse called Society Tomorrow, the epitome of monopolies, under the anonymity of a hacker. With a simple requirement of posting regularly, this Storybook is the perfect futuristic spin on the question of how far capitalism should be allowed to go, and is definitely worth taking a good look at.


Best Concept

In Waxing Crescent, delegates come from all over to visit the lava filled city, hoping to gain votes from the surrounding people. For most people going there, they do not expect a murder to happen. August Schulz is found dead in the cellar of the inn. The news spreads quickly. The killer is about. Could it be within the singular town or an outsider wanting revenge?

In Charcoal made by @Megrim is filled with red-herrings galore. The characters, there's 13 (such an unlucky number hehe), are supposed to solving for the case. They are normal people like you and me but one has the roaring feel for killing. As rumors spread out about August, people start making assumptions, and often times these assumptions are true.

Starting only recently, this storybook is a mix of steampunk and whipped from the concoction of Stephen King himself. The fire itself is lit and waiting for the charcoal to be added.






Captain's Challenge: Christmas Spirit

This year I'm more interested in the 'spirit' part of Christmas spirit and we will be awarding 3 credits for every post which makes use of the spirit of another character. Whether this is their physical spirit or a significant memory of someone who has passed away/ is currently absent is up to you but I'd like to see some ghostly visits in your posts! I'm going to limit completion of this challenge to three times so that's a max of 9 credits up for grabs.


Recent Challenges

November saw an explosion of credits claimed for completing storybook challenges, the number totalling at sixty-one. Sixty-one! Saying it once isn't enough, so I'll say it one last time: Sixty. One. (61!) This makes November 2016 the single most successful month the Storybook Badges and Challenges thread has ever seen. Let us bask in our own glory for a moment before we continue.

*basks in own glory*

*continues*

Of these sixty-one credits, only two were for a regular storybook challenge, which is a little disappointing, but that will change in December, oh yes. You see, your favourite moulds occasionally encourage credit earning and claiming by creating what's known as a Crew Challenge. Only storybook creators can be tagged for it, but if they are, they can earn credits by posting a challenge for their storybook. In November, the inspired @Wolfical created one such challenge that offered additional credits for the use of literary devices. All SB creators in whose storybooks were posted within thirty days prior to the challenge's creation were allowed to participate. Six grasped the opportunity for free credits, collectively earning twenty-three.

The remaining credits were earned by completing Fleet Admiral @Rydia's Captain's Challenge. We all know what Sun Tzu said about leading by example (if you don't, you should have read the quotes at the bottom of the screen more often), so the ever-awesome Storybook Mods followed the deceased general's advice and earned thirty-five credits. We can tell the general populace was so amazed, they immediately resolved to tackle the next CC with verve. So dawdle not and let the tackling commence!






Your Staff for This Month...

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the plot is so delightful--and since there's no fire to light, let's all write! Let's all write! Let's all..okay, we'll save the rhyming for poetry crew. IF you find yourself on a holiday-themed ice floe and need assistance from jolly pirates, we have just the crew for you! (See? We can rhyme...) Contact @Rydia, @AstralHunter, @Craz, @Lumi, @Steggy, @TheSilverFox, and @Wolfical for assistance!


Most Popular Storybook Genres

November experienced a lull in participation regarding the casting of ballots for electing @Rydia for president the most favoured storybook genres, but that is predominantly the fault of the somewhat absent-minded @AstralHunter who forgot to reset the poll after the October Newsletter's publication. Nevertheless, after some last-minute campaigning, he managed to snatch victory from the jaws of @Wolfical, Rydia's competitor defeat, as a decisive public opinion was achieved.



Though it may seem like Adventure and Fantasy are tied in first, Fanfiction is in second and Post-Apocalyptic and Sci-Fi are tied in third, five votes are not shown in the screenshot. One of these votes is for Fantasy, bumping it into a narrow first place. The remaining four votes are split between Post-Apocalyptic and Sci-Fi, meaning they actually share second place in a three-way tie with Adventure, leaving Drama and Sandbox tied in third. (What a crowded winner's podium, wouldn't you say?) Supernatural received no votes, which is why it is being replaced by Mystery on popular demand. Considering that at least three Mystery storybooks have already been created, it seems the masses were unwilling to delay having and eating their cake - and we all know how masses love to to eat cake.


Official Storybook: Clue: Heathermire Hall

We all know it, we all love it, we all thought the butler done it...(I'm still trying to rhyme, guys, jeez.) If you've ever played the game CLUE (and fallen in love with it because of course you did) then you're in for a treat this December. There's been a murder! Follow this whodunnit to find out...whodunnit! See the official thread for details and the DT for juicy info!


About The Dungeon Master

The dungeonmaster for this murder mystery is a powerful lycanthrope with talent to spare (and ambition for sale.) We know her, we love her, we want to see more of her Storybooks--it's @Wolfical! Contact her if you have questions!






Musically Enhanced Writing with Steggy

In any sort of writing, there is bound to be some form of music. Of course, some people chose to listen to silence or the continuous hum from a nearby computer. I think writing with music gives the writer something to imagine. Like oil for a car. It sets the tempo to how fast the writer could write or even just give them push in the write right direction. Although, there are different kinds of music, chose something that doesn't include words. Studies have shown that lyrics can cause distraction from what writers are writing. Music should help you calm, not make you want to dance randomly in a middle of a suspenseful part.

When writing with music, use something soothing like rain water or classical music. White noises, in my opinion, just make me annoyed and I can't focus.

Music enhances mood. There are times where you want to write something soft and slow, so then you would use classical or slow music. If you wanted to write something intense and hardcore, listen to rock music. Or, it could be the other way around for you; whatever works for you.

Another thing is a writing playlist. You can have one or two or three hundred. A certain playlist can be about writing action scenes or having a lovey dovey pair, dancing in the moonlight. The possibilities are endless. It gives your brain to seek out power to convey words through the woes of the main character. There are times where music prompts our inner Steven King or Nicholas Sparks.

Although listening to music can ignite our imagination, be wary of sound. As a teenager and upward, there are cases where people have lost their hearing. So, tune down the music to something suitable to you

Maybe during this holiday season, listen to some Christmas tunes while drinking hot coco and watching the snow fall. Whatever the occasion might be, music and writing go hand and hand.


Craz's Night Out With Auxiira!

For this month's interview, I talked to someone who has seen it all in the Storybook Forums. From being a boss in all of the Storybooks' sections (most especially DTWH), persevering through that time when you had to post your character profile in the DT because there was no neat little sidebar to do it in (shivers), to being infected with the moldy disease and surviving (us mold victims are coming for you), @Auxiira is a familiar face in this Forum and is definitely my favorite British person in the world (total bias). I decided to sit down with her and ask her just how she has managed to survive so long through this Forum's insanity, because yes,


and that is a-okay.



Auxiira: Hoo boy.. that was a while ago, I'll need to check. Oh! I thought it was The Adventure Chronicles with Rydia, but apparently it was The Survivors.



A: I honestly don't remember much about them, haha, it was over three years ago. Looking at them, I think they went pretty well, but didn't go very far? That seems to be a pattern with a lot of storybooks.



A: Shhh I'm not that old! I've known a lot of storybooks with really good premises, it just seems to be hard to keep the momentum. Otherwise, Long Live the Living did fairly well, with superbly long posts (not really PG), and it got restarted twice, but also with a lot of writing happening off site. I feel like I do better with DTWHs though, as I'm sure you'll agree



A: For me it's definitely because I'm doing them with people who I know and find it easy to write with. It's a lot easier to go at your own pace and pick it back up again after a long time. I definitely find it easier to focus on the interactions between just two characters rather than multiple ones. It helps that I'm doing them with awesome writers~



A: Probably 3 bits of advice:
1) Develop your SB, but don't obsess over the details. Having an informative and interesting info post is very likely to get people to join, but the flip side to this is if it's too long, people get tired of reading it, even though it's probably a really interesting concept. There's a nice middle ground. Think of the info post as the blurb of a novel. You can always put more information in the DT.
2) Don't be afraid to have standards. This one's harder, even as an older SBer, but we know how it goes. Someone joins, but their profile isn't /quite/ good enough, or their posts are a bit too short for your liking. You can ask them to change it, you're allowed to set a minimum Wordcount. Just because it's your first or fifteenth SB doesn't mean that you can't be picky. Think of it as helping the other person with their writing skills.
3) You can ask for help. The SB mods are here to moderate the forum, but also to help people. The other SBers are often friendly. We can give you feedback on an idea before you write it up and help you get it started. Please don't be intimidated by us or anything, we're really nice. (whoo boy that was long)



As always, Auxiira is an amazing person to talk to. We hope to see your face around the Forums some more soon!

*Mold lurks in the distance*






Monthly Dragonslayer

December's Monthly Dragonslayer wrote a whopping seven posts in November, six in October, five in September, and, uh... three in August. Because she's so awesome, I wouldn't be surprised if she maintained the pattern and wrote eight posts in December (no pressure)! This month, @Oswin1800 is in the limelight for her continued excellent dedication to the plethora of storybooks she's in. Keep it up, girl!


New Challengers in the Ring

Two of the best ways to wake up in the morning is to (a) drink cocoa-colered caffeine and (b) hug a fuzzy feline friend and mutter in its ear about life's difficulties. December's storybooker to look out for seems to know what's up; just check out her username! Miss @CoffeeCat has only been storybooking a little over a month, but she's already written five posts of excellent quality. Whatever SB you have planned for the future, you're going to want this caffeinated feline on your team.

Most Popular

Ever has our resident candelabra BARK BARK WOOF'd at folks that it's not what goes into the opening post or character profiles that matters because skeletons are, at the end of the day, skeletons. Our Most Popular SB of December 2016 is living-pixel proof of that, as the posts for Peculiarities: A Fantasy Storybook have come ALIVE and flourished in a fantastic way that we in the SB Crew felt deserved a wonderful feature in a wonderful time. The story follows kids ages 5 - 18 as they discover mysterious abilities and learn to handle and control them. It's certainly a great story, and certainly a great read. Congrats, @NympheaLily, because we're impressed with all the success!


Most Deserving Of Attention

You know hammerspace - that apparent pocket of midair from which cartoon characters can pull any object? Well, I have always suspected it is in fact an invisible portal to a dimension used for storage purposes, and according to @BiscuitsBatchAhoy's @BiscuitsLeGuin's latest storybook The Family Faerie, my suspicions were well-founded. However, it is not cartoon characters that make use of this ability, but Faeries.

The complication arises when these other dimensions are not used solely for storage and contain life of its own. Naturally, a young Faerie would want to explore these dimensions. If it was wholly forbidden, every teenager would do it anyway, so their society agreed upon one day on which it could be allowed. But there are conditions that apply, such as a restriction from visiting black-listed realms like Medieval Earth.

...I guess we know which rule the protagonists decided to break, don't we?


Best Concept

It takes a special touch, we think, to tap into the same brand of mystic and creepy as The Brothers Grimm coated their pens with--but @StellaThomas has proven to the whole SB Community that the magic is still there (no pun intended.) In this month's Best Concept, Stella takes you on a journey to a fabled land where a wickedly enchanted forest haunts the inhabitants of Wasserland. The King & Queen, wanting to make a statement on bravery, brings their entire family to a town nigh surrounded by the forest, and their granddaughter is kidnapped by a mysterious, abominable creature. That in and of itself was enough to sell us, but knowing Stella, anyone in and/or reading this storybook is in for an abundance of plot twists and lore-shaking magical displays. As the disclaimer says:

Expect your character to have interactions with magic - and not come out quite the same on the other side.

Double Trouble Featured Huddle

After a mass earthquake that shook the world to its core, Evan Kim has only one goal: to fullill his mother's dying wish to reunite with his father in South Korea, which so happens to be one of the only countries that managed to avoid the global cataclysm. On his journey from America to the new oasis of the Eastern world, he meets Gyeoung and her brother Jae-Young, wanderers that share a similar tragedy. Together, they travel across the world with the promise of sanctuary only being a couple thousand miles away, all the while struggling to survive in the aftermath of a world in ruins.

This Double Trouble is relatively new to the scene but is the most recently active, with Storybook powerhouses @Lael and @Europa (formally known as TheFantasy14) being the creators. Their storyline takes the classic post-apocalyptic genre and focuses upon themes of hopelessness, family, and beating the odds. Simply titled Lael and TheFantasy14 and with only a few posts up so far, this Double Trouble has lots in store, and is definitely worth keeping an eye on!


Character Chit Chat Chart Toppers

In our (the Crew's) very first month of our brand-new CCC category, we've come to celebrate one prolific CCCer, and one noteworthy CCC thread. In the case of the former, though her posts are not the most detailed or highest quality, have proved crucial in revitalizing quiet CCC threads and sparking activity once again in a place that needs as much energy as it can. The quantity of fun and unique posts and characters she has produced are also noteworthy, and I (Silver) must admit that I've had a wonderful time reading through them. Thus, I'm quite happy to announce that the Crew has chosen @Kelpies as our first featured CCCer!

Secondly, the CCC thread that has won our monthly category has proved that it is quite possible for an inactive thread to find itself with a reborn, energetic successor (and if we could do the same thing to our SB threads, that would be marvelous, wouldn't it? *hint hint*). Having already gained 7 pages since its creation in mid-November, the thread has seen its fair share of quirky characters, complex settings, and strange, exciting plot threads. Under the watchful eye of the friendlist Castle of Blood, well, ever, I am more than happy to state that @Mage's A Chance Meeting 2.0 is the SB Crew's CCCCT!

Congrats, guys - your imagination, spirit, and energy are boundless, and I love how you've kept the CCC active with your good-quality posts!





Captain's Challenge: Smooth Sailing

2016 was a very steady year for the Storybooks forums with at least 100 posts made every single month so I want to say a big thank you to all of you for making that happen!

For the Captain's Challenge, we often set you tasks which we think will inspire you to make a post or which we hope might get you to take a step out of your comfort zone and try something new and fun but to start the year off right, January is going to be simply about posting and nothing else. Credits will be awarded for every post of at least 250 words as follows:

1 post = 1 credit
3 posts = 2 credits
5 posts = 3 credits
7 posts = 4 credits
9 posts = 5 credits
11 posts = 6 credits
13 posts = 7 credits
15 posts = 8 credits
17 posts = 9 credits
19 posts = 10 credits
21 posts = 11 credits

Across at least two different storybooks = 1 additional credit
Across at least three different storybooks = 2 additional credits
Across four or more different storybooks = 3 additional credits

That's 14 credits up for grabs and there's no need to post in the thread to let us know how many posts you've made because we'll be counting them up for you!

**All credits and badges will be awarded in the first week of February.


Challenge News & Cool Stuff

December of last year saw a decent number of credits awarded to veterans and newcomes alike. Considerably fewer storybookers completed the Captain's Challenge, but seeing as it was the festive season, one can understand why. Nevertheless, seven new badges were earned, and that is nothing to scoff at, so congratulations to these enthusiastic individuals!

The new year will not be merciful, though. For those of you who were around during February of 2015, the month of our very first newsletter, you may remember the CC requiring the submission of five posts in a single storybook not owned by yourself to earn five credits. Well, submitting five posts (in any number of storybooks, this time) won't earn you five credits, but three; if you want those two extras, you'll have to submit nine posts. Good luck with that, since everyone will be needing it.




Official Storybook: The Witches' Switches

And so it came to be that thirteen years later, at the biggest supernatural gathering of the year, 26 year old Evelyn Rosewood, who had never quite outgrown her red pigtails, stood on a balcony overlooking the vast ballroom and cast the right spell on the wrong person.

The witch has 13 days, 13 hours, 13 minutes, and 13 seconds to undo the disaster she has caused - jumbling the souls and bodies of ten characters. Can she do it in time?

Hop on your broom and join the The Witches' Switches. It's gonna be wicked.


About The Dungeon Master

Need I say anything? Doesn't her very name speak volumes?

Storybookers, bow down before January's Official Dungeon Master: @Rydia.

*pause of respect*

Alright, that's enough. Now get back up on your feet and join her storybook.


Your Staff for This Month...

We. Love. Waffles. That's all. Want our help? Grab some batter and get to ironing. We'll know when it's done! Our names are @Rydia, @AstralHunter, @Craz, @Lumi, @TheSilverFox, and @Wolfical. Mmm, waffles.

(For the canines in the crew, leave out the chocolate chips, please <3 However, Hunter is no ordinary canine, so his metabolism can digest the chocolate chips; therefore, they are compulsory in his case.)


Most Popular Storybook Genres

Only twenty-five votes were received during December, making it the month with the second lowest total. The festive seasons tends to draw attention away from dull activities such as participating in a poll, but now that the New Year is upon us, the hope is that people will be invigorated to vote more.



We have a new genre in first place, with Adventure having ousted Fantasy with a total of seven votes. The lead is very narrow, though, for Mystery is in second place with six and Fantasy in third with five. The result is unsurprising, considering how the majority clamoured for the addition of Mystery in the poll, and who doesn't love a good adventure? We shall see how the forum feels in 2017 when the next newsletter is published.


Writing With a Message in Mind by TheSilverFox

Perhaps one of the most significant reasons by which droves of writers, inexperienced or otherwise, young or old, methodical or disorganized, are called into the art of speaking their minds is the expression of some idea. Whether a specific plea, such as demanding an oil facility stop polluting the surrounding environment, or a generic one, like the concept of environmentalism itself, a multitude of ideas are professed in the good majority of stories, poems, and novels. This is not a discussion on those ideas that arrived by accident; they were merely created due to the author's thought process subsconsciously imprinting itself on the story and its logic. It is the intentional expression of ideas and concepts, or the purposeful arranging of a story to satisfy an author's thought process. that will be discussed here.

As Storybook writers, we come into our craft with our own prejudices and opinions, and sometimes have that overwhelming urge to discuss them. As these are stories we are talking about, rather than nonfiction essays or editorials, we must integrate such ideas into what we write, and fashion our plot, characters, and setting to represent the theme. How, then, do we do so in a manner that communicates our point to an audience that may have not thought of it otherwise? How do we not alienate that audience while providing an enjoyable and thoughtful story? In my opinion, that can be effectively resolved with two questions - what is the audience you are addressing? How blatant do you want to be about that idea?

These questions are actually quite intertwined with each other. In effect, if you, as the writer, are addressing an audience that already agrees with you on a specific topic, be as blunt as you want. The audience knows what you're talking about, and can relate to you through the discussion of your argument and idea. You don't necessarily have to attract them with an effective or resounding story, so much as you can pull them with your message and ideas. Preferrably, if you want to convey this effectively, you might want to be heavy-handed about it, or at least firm and undiluted in your stances. However, that is, by no means, a requirement, and being too Anvilicious, as TV Tropes put it, can just as likely bore your audience. After all, your audience already knows about the topic, and while sensibly preaching to the choir can attract them, you are still preaching to the choir. If you feed them the exact same message that they have already heard, and do not provide them a story, they are liable to walk away having learned nothing, or having not connected to your story at all. If you, as the writer, cannot get people to be interested in your story and the ideas behind it, you have failed.

However, while a stable firmness (without going overboard) can attract an audience that already agrees with you, what happens when dealing with an audience that might feel differently, or is just ambivalent? Here, bluntness can still be the answer, although it depends on what point your readers have come to read the story. If they have come to focus on the idea of the story, instead of the story itself, they might appreciate your being direct and resounding in your stances. This honesty can allow you to connect with your audience by giving them exactly what they came for, and persuade them to at least consider your opinions. However, if they wish to read the story, rather than the ideas behind the story, bluntness is more likely to alienate the audience that disagrees with you. This contrasting reader group feels suffocated by your ideas worming their way through an enjoyable story, and is likely to step away. It does attract the choir, but that was never your point, wasn't it?

In situations like these, be tactful. Your message should be a core piece of your work, because it is what you are trying to convey, but it should be more subtle. Let your readers pick up hints and pieces of it throughout the work, and build up a general set of conclusions as to the point of the work. In that sense, you can enthrall them with your story, and win the hearts and minds of the readers as they relish in the work's successes, and subconsciously absorb the ideas you have expressed. Yes, it is possible that they might complete the puzzle and walk away in disgust, but at least you got them to think and work on constructing the puzzle in the first place. And, in the end, giving your readers a puzzle of ideas to build into a general stance is your point, isn't it?

So, when it comes to a disagreeing or ambivalent audience, how do you decide whether or not to emphasize the story or the idea? The best advice I can give is just to write it down, and intertwine the idea with the story. Consider how blunt you want that idea to be, and what you'd be able to foresake in terms of the idea/story for the story/idea. Then, find an audience, get them to look through what you have written, and ask them what they preferred more. More often than not, as the audience disagrees with your core ideas, they may choose the story. Do not fret; give them what they want, but remember to convey your central idea in a subtle fashion to accomplish your own goals. Remember that, though you are the writer, you are serving the role of a persuader as well, and you need to find what best suits your target group. If it makes you seem conciliatory or subservient, so be it. Though you are the persuader you are solving the role of a writer as well, and you should be able to convey your point regardless. If you, as the writer, simply cannot address a group that disagrees with you in a story in any other way than being blunt and heavy-handed, you may need to work on your writing skills, or reconsider your target audience. A writer should be able to discuss any topic in multiple ways, from blunt to quiet, and do so exceptionally well. Bluntness can still be the solution, especially if your audience has come to debate your ideas, but it, more often than not, can hurt your ability to persaude your audience, and defeat the point of your work. I'd suggest avoiding bluntness, unless it is the entire point of your piece and you do not have enough interest in potential audience distaste to do otherwise, and go for more subtle methods, as hard as they might seem to achieve.

And that's about all I have to say about that.


Wolfical's night out with Mage

When I sat down with this month's interviewee, her name was @Mage. Halfway through, she called herself Celestial. Now she's Mage again. Talk about magic! Anyway, this awesome YWSer is bound to be a familiar face no matter where you spend the most time on YWS, Storybooks and Character Chit-Chat included.



Mage: Hi, Wolfical! ^_^ I would love answering a couple of questions.



M: I used to a roleplay a lot with one of my online friends over on Fanfiction, so it seemed like something I might have enjoyed! I tried out a couple of different roleplays there and found it to be a lot of fun.



M: That's like asking me to choose a favorite child.

I usually end up roleplaying as the characters in the current book I'm writing, or characters that I know will have interesting effects on the other characters and the story in general. As of right now, my characters Schadel H. Kueper (a grim reaper who owns a detective agency) and Nendros Exel Xenon (a dragon-human hybrid) are the ones I tend to use the most.



M: I would say that Character Chit-Chat and Storybooking are very similar to each other. In both, you write a story with other people from the perspectives of your characters. The only difference I can see is the amount of planning that goes on (there's more planning for storybooks) and how you usually don't get to write as a character you already have for a storybook.

I'm not sure if I have a favorite. Both are a lot of fun to do! I do like the higher level of planning that comes along with a storybook in its DT, but we do alright with that by using spoilers at the ends of our posts in Character Chit-Chat. And in Character Chit-Chat, it's always a lot of fun getting to see what other characters think of the characters from your own stories.

I think both have things I like and dislike, and that I'll always enjoy doing both! ^_^


A big thanks to Mage for taking the time to answer those questions for the benefit of our most faithful Newsletter followers. I for one have never participated in CCC (Character Chit-Chat), but after talking with Mage it sounds like something I need to get into.





Monthly Dragonslayer

It's an honor to crown January's Dragonslayer because this guy is a storybooking pro. Nine posts in one month? Whaaat? They're all very well-written ones, too. A number are from his very own storybook, Welcome to the Zombie Apocalypse!, which has an amusingly chipper title for such a gruesome setting. If it wasn't already clear enough, @XxXTheSwordsmanXxX is said amazing SBer! Congratulations, and keep up the good work!


New Challengers in the Ring

During the final month of last year, a new face frequented the forum and fearlessly created her own storybook, Dirty Paws, which focuses on the relationship between predator and prey in a Furry society. Unfazed by the unfamiliar environment, she has already submitted five fabulous posts for it, which is why the fantastic @felidae is our featured feline fresh from the fight. Don't forget to congratulate her, and if you find her SB fascinating, feel free to fly over there and express your feelings. Hopefully, Fate won't provide a reason for us to bid her farewell for a fair few years to come.

Most Popular

Back in the dark and dreary days when Forks, Washington was on everyone's travel destination list, I made a prediction.

"Zombies." My friend Kitty15 fell back in shock, awe, grotesque gasping! Surely adolescent werewolves would come first! Surely no one would want zombies in their popcorn culture!

But, oh, friends, let me tell you...wait. I just said popcorn...y'know what? Leaving it. Lumi made a mistake and it's staying in. EDITOR, TAKE NOTES.

I say all of this expository banter because the most popular storybook for January of the two-oh-one-seven is the deceptively welcoming




The story lives up to its name as we follow our band of inglorious survivors (knock on wood) through the simple name of the game: survival. Through their story they must find out how the zombies work, what the zombies are, what made 'em, and ultimately just make it to another dawn. If you're in for a read or in for a write, you're in for a thrill and in for a ride. This is a fabulously-deserved pop-feature, and we expect to see great and horrible things from these guys.


Most Deserving Of Attention

This next storybook doesn't currently have any free space but it's definitely one to watch for spaces opening up or drop-outs because it has so much heart, you won't even believe how cool it is! That's right, we're talking about Fireheart, the early steampunk/ high fantasy hybrid storybook where a ragtag group of adventurers must journey far and wide to save the missing heart. @Omnom is keeping his cards close to his chest but with some big stakes to play for, like, you know, the fate of the world, it's bound to be an exciting and tumulous adventure!

What we do know is that there are six hearts in this beautifully fleshed out universe, complete with concept art and descriptions of the five nations, and these hearts provide energy and magic to the world. In a land which already seems to be on the edge of collapse, the removal of one of these hearts is sure to bring destruction on a colossal scale if it can't be returned in time. And nobody wants to see that happen, right? (Except maybe whoever took the heart but we're just speculating now...)


Best Concept

If Storybooks were to be divided into cliques, with popular kids in one and nerds in another and so forth, high school/college SBs would easily worm their way into one of the more prestigious ones. As it stands, yet another has climbed since its creation to provide a noteworthy and complex plot based on a show from the CW. @Gravity's Gossip Girl focuses on the lives of the children of ultra-rich parents as they bury themselves within scandals, drama, and high school. Set in the exceptionally common setting of New York City, this Storybook has distinguished itself for its eponymous, omniscient Gossip Girl, who has a likeness for dropping bombshells on the private, dark lives of the teens in two sibling schools. Love her or not (know it or not), the SB's narrator is more than happy to add to the intrigue through revealing secrets, and it is up to the characters to pick up the pieces and survive in a tough school environment with their lives and secrets as intact as they can be. Promising complex characters, an elaborate plot, and an intricate story mechanism, this Storybook has already gained some momentum thus far this month, and should be something to watch out far. So, congrats to the team of Gossip Girl for helping to make this SB this month's Best Concept winner!


Double Trouble Featured Huddle

@Tenyo's The Last Man Standing: Companions Thread is the perfect place to find other LMS writers to team up with. Whether you need a steady reviewer or just someone to cheer you on through the long and gruseome weeks of holding your ground in the writing arena, this is the place to find them!


Character Chit Chat Chart Toppers

A rift has occurred in time in space caused by the natural entropy of the universe.

And guess who's gotten themselves stuck in it? Your character, of course! (And Kitty15)

What did you expect? This is character chit-chat, y'all.

When it came to choosing a featured CCC chart topper, this one was a no brainer. The Rift, marked by its spectacular activity levels in the past month, was initiated by @Justlittleoleme2 and features contributions from writers such as @writerkitty, @Mage, and @soundofmind. Keep it up, guys!





Captain's Challenge: Love is a four letter word


Sometimes our characters have trouble expressing themselves to others and the words that they intend to say get tangled up in their heads. So for this month's challenge, I want to see a character set out to express some form of admiration, love or gratitude - basically a positive emotion - toward another character but back out at the last minute. What they say instead is mostly up to you but that line of dialogue must include at least three four letter words which are not love! It must also be a single line of dialogue.

Completing this challenge will earn you 2 credits, with 1 bonus credit if all three words are nouns (not including proper nouns such as a character's name)/ verbs. You can complete the challenge a maximum of three times.

Please post the line of dialogue and the corresponding storybook name in this thread to claim your credits.


Challenge News & Cool Stuff

Since I only wrote two sections in this particular edition of the newsletter and mostly just handled the bookkeeping and publishing (blame me for the delay :$), I'm not sure if this has been said yet, but the crew would like to express their deepest thanks for everyone's participation in the forum during January. An astounding two hundred posts were submitted, which makes it the best January to date. That truly is a legendary achievement. If this wasn't a site for minors, I'd give each man and woman a Bells.

Anyway, it's worth mentioning that many storybook creators capitalised on this great influx of posts by submitting new challenges. I lost track of how many badges were earned, but to put it in perspective, we usually grant about one or two per month. In January, our smiths had to create at least seven. And that's not counting the badges for the Captain's Challenge. Those... hah, well, let me show you.

Enspoilered you will find an alphabetised list of everyone who earned credits by completing the CC. If you wrote a post of two-hundred-and-fifty words or more, you automatically earned at least one credit. That alone means all the first-timers will be getting their Adventurer Badges. If you're eager to see how many credits you got, then go ahead and check it out. I'll shush for a bit. XD



Those are a lot of credits - 174, to be exact. The number of badges earned were equally mind-blowing, with the total being 45. The badges will be handed out in the appropriate thread, but I felt it was necessary to recognise your achievements here too.

Adventurer: AnarchyWolf, Basil, chibibo, Desdemona, Dracula, DreamingForever, ElizabethLovelace, Europa, EvangelineFire, featherstone9086, felidae, fictionfanatic, HazelGrace16, Jexy, KAL, Kelpies, KiraThePotatoChip, Lau2001, marmalade, Nicolmemo, Ninlil, NympheaLily, passenger, Remington38, RippleGylf, Sevro, SirenCymbaline, TheForgottenKing
Recruit: ChildOfNowhere, Falconer, LeftyWriter, Megrim, SirenCymbaline, ty7lucky, Vellichor, XxXTheSwordsmanXxX
Apprentice: Nike, Oswin1800, Sacredlege, Sheyren, XxXTheSwordsmanXxX
Novice: Gravity
Graduate: Lumi
Warrior: TheSilverFox
Dungeon Master: AstralHunter

Congratulations to all who earned credits and badges! Your enthusiasm is simply remarkable. Keep up the excellent quality posts I've been reading!





Official Storybook: V

A bit of an avant-garde storybook, V is a story about Russia, the apocalypse, massive walls, carnations, reincarnations, and the group of writers who can make it all come alive. Each person in question will write short (no greater than 1,000 words) posts revolving around the experiences of a man named V and his life in a strange apocalpytic Earth, which he recounts his successor while dying. This is the kind of world that the writers are free to create and develop as they so wish; one where they can provide beautiful backgrounds and captivating scenarios on V's experiences. With few participants thus far, it is honestly your best chance to join this unique Storybook and figure out who V was, what his world was like, what happened to it, and what has happened to him. In this vibrant and strange a land, combined with a word limit that makes it easier on your time and forces you to consider every word, as well as a clever point of focus, how will you write V's story, from beginning to end?


About The Dungeon Master

The DM this month is one of our newest GM appointees, as well as one of the most distinguished and creative people to ever enter these forums. Energetic, friendly, and seemingly perpetually active, @Lumi has made a name for himself with his spirit and talent for writing. V is only the latest of a long line of Storybooks of his creation, but all share his knack for expansive world-building (through both his and his co-conspirator's efforts), fascinating characters, and gathering groups of active participants to continually write for those SBs. It says quite a lot that one of the few Storybooks to ever be finished in our forums is one of his. And, if luck will have it, he will continue to remain and amaze us with his posts.


Your Staff for This Month...

In an enchanted forest in the center of a dystopian metropolis where The System is The Enemy (or is it?), there are Four Elemental Stones that, according to an Ancient Prophecy from a Bygone Elven Civilization, when combined with A Pure Heart when The Planets Align, will summon one of the Fabled Guardians of the Realm. Their names? We know them as @Steggy, @TheSunderedSorcerer, @Wolfical, @Mage, @TheSilverFox, @AstralHunter, @Lumi, and Kitty15@Rydia.


Most Popular Kitty15 Genres

January saw a limited number of votes, but interestingly, the total was the same as that of December, namely twenty-five. Hoping doesn't seem to be getting the poll more votes, so hyping will have to be tried next.



Again in first place - oddly enough, again with seven votes - is Adventure. Fantasy is back in second with six votes, while Fanfiction is now in third with four votes. The other genres are mostly unaffected, though Mystery experienced a significant drop from six to three and Paranormal gained a bit more interest, rising from nothing to two. These numbers are largely influenced by the opinions of a few, however, so an effort shall be made to boost the number of votes, and therefore its accuracy.


Paused! with Lumi

This'll be a short article because IT is mostly an announcement. Am I cheating by doing this? Hehe nahhhhhh (maybe.)

Last month, SB crew talked amongst ourselves and created a new tag for the SB forum for Storybooks that are on hiatus for one reason or another--totally up to you--and it's aptly named Paused. It's pink! Like the color Kitty15 turns your names for pranks. Or, I guess, like. Salmon? You know, let me just go and get a little...

<The sounds of pots and pans banging in the background seem to indicate the Lumi is digging for something, but we all know better. He's just making noise to seem busy. Eventually, he returns with a picture.>

VIOLIN!



As long as your storybook has this tag on it (within reason, we suppose; we'll talk to the owner of the thread if it seems rather potato-like), it will not be archived after the typical three-month juncture. Once you start back up, simply remove the tag and be on your merry way!

This has been a public service announcement with Lumi.

::::]

Oh, and Carl, who is Kawaii.


Steggy's night out with XxXTheSwordsmanXxX
Featuring Special Musical Guest Kitty15

For this month's interview, we have the ever amazing @XxXTheSwordsmanXxX!



XxXTheSwordsmanXxX:The first Storybook I joined was When the World was Dying set up by @Basil. It has an interesting plot and the characters for it make it all the better. First Storybook I started myself was Welcome to the Zombie Apocalypse! It has been doing surprisingly well and I look forward to the many adventures that we will have.



XxXSwordsmanXxX: In truth, what makes a character a character is their flaws. Their vulnerabilities. The reminder that the strong, calm, and collected leader is still just a human being. He goes to his room to cry in private because he lost his best friend and he doesn't know what to do from here. Those moments that even the superhuman are revealed to still be HUMAN. That is what makes a character.



XxXSwordsmanXxX: The collaborative creation of the world and characters. The way that a multitude of people can come together and develop an entire world of trials and adventures while working out who will save whom at what point. That is the best thing in my opinion.

Thanks for your time Swordsman! And thank you Kitty15 for the background music.





Monthly Dragonslayer

Somewhere in the vast and perilous waters of the Storybook realm, there is a dragonslayer of renown to all who lived in these waters in the time of Janus. Some say this warrior started off by gathering together a team of mages to defeat several dragons who were set upon conquering the city they call their home. However, some say that this since no one has ever seen the face of this warrior (and reportedly does not have any either), that they are therefore not real, but I am here to assure you that they are real. Very real.

If you still do not know who this renowned dragonslayer is, then you must have been listening to an evil red voice. Our monthly dragonslayer is the highly active, productive, and amiable @Sheyren! Seriously?! That's who you picked?

Yes, Red entity, and this is why. Not only was our dragonslayer the most active warrior of the Storybooking realm during the time of Janus, but he also created not one, but two storybooks during that time, one of which already has twelve posts and a highly dedicated team, and another that is daring and unique too, and will surely succeed as the former.

@Sheyren, the Fabled Guardians of the Realm are honored to proclaim you January's dragonslayer. Take your place in the Hall of Dragonslayers, and we hope that you continue to serve our humble realm and bring us new and extraordinary SBs and contributions to protect our realm from the dragons of tedium and writer's block.


New Challengers in the Ring

With the dawning of the new year, we were all looking forward to new and exciting Storybooks, meeting new and interesting users as we collaborated on creating worlds many would never have thought could exist, and forming friendships as we lived through our rich and vibrant characters.

It was no doubt with this mindset that our new Challenger decided to brave the waters of the SB realm. Not only is she known for her contributions to the two Storybooks she joined in January, but also for her great presence on the social side of the collaboration and communication factors of every Storybook.

We would thus like to congratulate and welcome @Pentavalence to our ranks as a SBer, and we hope to see her grow and florish in our waters, and hope, nay know that she will almost certainly be someone to keep an eye on as the year progresses.

Most Popular

In a world is the most cliche way to possibly open an article on a fantasy story centered around magic, dragons, and rare abilities. Thankfully, a self-referential jab or two dispels that phrase and casts it into the realm of literary comedy, thus preventing it from defaming a legitimately good Storybook. @Sheyren's The Curse of the Wyvern has proved to be an immensely popular and intelligent Storybook, with 12 posts over the course of this month. Focused on the war between the titular wyverns and the humans, this Storybook centers itself around a group of heroes fighting the wyvern threat with their abilities. Whether Magicians, the Inheritors that can gain such magic with time, or the Nulls that lack magic, our coalition of protagonists must fight against a tribe of wyverns that is now hungry for the magic of the city of Vyheria. That, of course, doesn't say much about the strong writing and worldbuilding. Though Sheyren is relatively inexperienced, they have done an amazing job of recruiting a large group of competent, active writers, with fantastic results. As such, I invite you to enjoy the complex plotlines and adventures of the cast of characters as they deal with their personal lives and the conflict at hand; it should be well worth your time.


Most Deserving Of Attention


For some reason, I want to say Purple Rain because well, they both have rain in it.

This month's Most Deserving of Attention is a storybook that includes only two people. This storybook, called Wolf's Rain by @regismare, is filled or yet to be filled with amazing possiblities. It has a great storyline, beginning with a form of suspense that it set in after the world is destoryed. In the aftermath of this, there are wolves who have been with humans to survive. The main challenge that the wolves have to face is either stay home and suffer or steal something known as the lunar maidan, a scent that reminds the wolves of Paradise, and flee.

In this adventrous storybook, based on the anime Wolf's Rain, anything is possible.




Best Concept

We all use them at some point in our lives. Well, most of us (if you're a resident of a cave, burrow or a particularly badly designed broom closet, you can just call this "the annoying thingie those cave-with-the-triangle-on-top-dwellers use") We may never really take notice of it (unless you don't have the key, in which case you are forced to blast it open)

However, not all of us are so oblivious of the endless stories this thing holds. One such unique person is my fellow artisan of the magical art in the SB ranks, our very own @Mage. She spent most of her time listening to the tales these things tell, and one in particular caught her fancy, bringing her to retell this tale to us along with the rest of her kin, who willing (mostly) joined her dedicated team.

It is a tale of magic, adventure, and generally being between a rock and a hard place; forced to choose which evil is worse. Whether it be a new and adaptable threat (which completely lacks any need for cardio exercise), or an ancient and dangerous threat that had a very bad case of hypersomnia.

If you still have no idea what I'm talking about, then you most definitely have to treat yourself to going to take a look at Gateway. It is a gripping concept, with well thought-out lore and great characters. They are still welcoming anyone else who can speak to those pesky gates to help build on the action and the story, so go join now (Watch out though, the Heartless might be coming for you next


Featured Geeks

A new segment for a new beloved part of SB Crew's watchlist, Role-Play Geeks has taken the club scene by storm! Founded by @featherstone9086 last December, this club has already generated thousands of forum posts and roleplayers are flocking to its gates by the droves! We in SB Crew personally love these guys and plan on featuring them in the future...

...and by the time you read this, it's the future, so let's start now!

Our first featured Open RP comes from feather themselves, titled On The Job. Started in December, this puppy is already nearing the legendary 1500 posts mark, which my sources tell me is more than 3. To quote the RP's opener:

Whether your character comes from a land of magic or a vast city filled with technological wonders, you are on the job- no matter what. As you work, however, you encounter something- or more accurately, someone. What happens? Do you fight? Talk? Part ways?

It's definitely a great one to jump into if you're looking to join an RP Club. We look forward to the coming Geekage, and we hope you do too!





Deckhand's Challenge: ...Was It Ides or Ires?


March 15th is held in absolute disgust--or absolute adoration!--as the day Julius Caesar was...well, let's avoid spoilers. *makes a slicing motion across his throat* But the Ides of March aren't to be feared, Storybookers!

Your challenge this month, however, should be.

Your challenge is to stab a character in the back. Read that as you will. For each post in which you hurt, betray, or crush a trusted or loved one (or literally stab someone in the back--let's be honest, it'll happen) you will receive 2 points for a maximum of 8 points over four posts.

Of course, we'd prefer you didn't go on a killing spree in one storybook, so you will be fairly compensated for your violence as committed across many storybooks.

Two bonus points will be awarded for backstabbing across five different storybooks.





Official Storybook:The Ides of March

The dead rising once again - particularly the notable dead - is neither an enjoyable nor pleasant prospect. Not when they are attempting to create an independent state in the midst of an economically ruined and divided world. In the backdrop of sometime twenty minutes into the future, TheSunderedSorcerer's The Ides of March is focused on an assortment of scientists and researches in an isolated facility. Almost all other facilities, government-run or otherwise, have been overrun by naive protestors and individuals seeing to free those brought back to life (known as Chronos). However, those Chronos, though lacking the memories of their past lives, have quickly ascended to power and infamy by stealing memories from the people around them, causing chaos in a world already reeling from the third World War. This facility, in particular, houses the genius Nikola Tesla, and debate rages on whether or not to keep him, send him away, or use him. Promising vibrant worldbuilding, a colorful cast of characters, and a brilliant story outlined under international struggles that may produce a 4th World War (which, contrary to the expression, will not be fought with sticks and stones), this Storybook only lacks the cast by which to make this ideal come alive. Will you contribute and shape the fate of the world?


About The Dungeon Master

Higgitus Figgitus, Zoomba Kazim! I need your attention: everything! These aren't actual incantations, but we imagine that, when this dungeon master was young and just learning the art of wand-waving, he may have practiced using these very words! You never know, Storybookers. You never. Know. This month's OSB Dungeon Master is the pride of our Scholasticate and owner of a thousand tomes: @TheSunderedSorcerer! He has a remarkable knack for creating remarkable and intricate worlds with enthralling methods of magic, engaging plots, and incomparable characters. We certainly adore him here in SB Crew, and we know you do, too. Give it up for the Wiz, y'all.



Your Staff for This Month...

When an eel bites your eye and a second jaw's inside, that's a moray! We here on the Pirate Crew don't care for double-jawed eels, but we don't wish them harm. However, if you come across an eel, we suggest taking out your yPhone and calling one of the local Eel Authorities: @Rydia, @Steggy, @TheSunderedSorcerer, @Wolfical, @Mage, @TheSilverFox, @AstralHunter, and @Lumi.


Most Popular Storybook Genres

Since this is the first time in over a year they have allowed me out of my broomcloset to post the Newsletter, I have no idea what to do with this section. I was told that apparently the information for this section appears after the Newsletter has been posted, but that can't be right. Can it? (I have a feeling my cosmic comrade @AstralHunter has something to do with this strange phenomenon... I dunno, I'm just a cranky old sorcerer living in a broomcloset)

Ahem. *checks notes* Right, so last time, the number of votes the poll had received were 23% of the total during the month following the poll's launch. (That means January received 25 votes as opposed to 109.) Hoping for the best was proven futile, but it didn't help that during February, I had forgotten to reset the poll. *embarrassed grin* As a result, I went about shamelessly advertising the poll, and lo and behold! More votes. (18 more for a total of 43, to be exact.)



Though still less than a quarter of the initial tally, a day's hype did wonders for the poll's numbers. As usual, Fantasy and Adventure are perpetually duking it out for first place, though with no clear winner evident by the time of this newsletter's publication, as both have a substantial ten votes. Paranormal continues to enjoy some popularity, taking the third place with seven. Mystery and Sci-Fi get honourable mentions for receiving six and five votes respectively. The other five categories were largely ignored. We shall see whether things change, but for March, the storybooking forecast is clear skies with the occasional fire raining from the sky.


The Importance of Dispensible Characters with Wolfical

You've started a storybook with ten slots. Nine people join you enthusiastically within the first couple of days. The first round of ten posts go by smoothly.

But when you're about to embark on the second round of posts, someone notifies you that life is suddenly crazy and they need to drop out. You nod, smile, and wish them well. But your heart is sinking. What are you going to do? You need that person's character! You can't just kill them off or leave them as a flat NPC. It would ruin the plot!

These things happen all the time. A storybook might be born with the initial enthusiasm of a gleeful puppy, but it's likely to wind down to its end hobbling on three legs.

Thus, I bring you one simple bit of advice: make all character slots, except perhaps your own, despensible.

If you create a storybook with ten slots and only five people join, you'll be fine because the others aren't essential and can become NPCs. If someone has to quit, their character can be killed off or dismissed in some other way without harm to the SB.

In fact, a character's death might be an exciting plot point. From my experience, it certainly has been in my Jurassic Paradise SB. It's not a good thing when a writer decides to leave your SB, but it doesn't need to be detrimental. You might as well make the most of it.


Mage's Night Out With @Sheyren!

Hi, Sheyren! You haven't even been a member for a full year, but you already have the title of Monthly Dragonslayer under your belt and have run several storybooks. When did you get bit by the storybooking bug?

Actually, storybooking is the reason I joined Young Writers Society! There is a storybook called Revolution (you may know something about that, Mage), and a friend of mine (you may something about them, Mage) told me about it outside the site, since she was the creator of it. It sounded like something I wanted to join, so I made an account to participate. And I ended up liking it.

I've heard you're a Hamilton fan, so here's my next question: Why do you write like you're running out of time?

I'm going to assume you're referring to my weekly upload of my novel, Frost Lark News. The way I'm able to post so frequently is because of two things. The first is that I don't put a lot in each chapter... Each one is a page and a half or less. Plus, half the content doesn't affect The story and I can really go anywhere with it. The second is that I only write on Sunday. This prevents it from becoming a chore, since I don't feel like I'm all that obligated to write. I take about an hour on Sunday, rather than days of work each week to make it happen. I wouldn't really suggest this way of writing to anyone else, since it really only works with the style of novel in writing.

I assume you're not throwing away your shot anytime soon. ^_^ How do you go about coming up with ideas for your storybooks? From what I've seen, they cover a wide range of ideas.

Well, Mage, you seem to respect my creation of storybooks more than you should. The reason is because I don't put a whole lot of thought into making them. I decide I want to make a storybook, sit down, and make it. Its that simple. In the case of, say, Curse of the Wyvern, my most popular storybook, I sat down and wrote it out for only about half an hour. Long story short, I tell my brain to make a story, and it just kinda does.

Before you go, do you have any advice for those newer to the storybook section of the site?

I have two pieces of advice. 1. Be in a lot of storybooks, but not too many. The more you're in, the more cool people you'll get to meet and storybooks you'll get to participate in. But, don't forget you need to write posts, so the more you're in, the more time you need to take writing posts. 2. Make a storybook. Participating in them is a load of fun, but you gain a new appreciation for the forum by running one. And who knows? Maybe it'll be a hit, maybe it won't. Either way, you'll have learned something new.

Thanks for letting me interview you, Shey. I'm sure that you'll continue to blow us away, and we know that we'll all be very satisfied with whatever storybooks you pull out of your sleeve in the near future!

Thank you for interviewing me!





Monthly Dragonslayer

By popular demand (and not the least bit of subterfuge), our Monthly Dragonslayer is our swashbuckling captain, kitty15 @Rydia! She's turned another year old only a few days ago, and so we have decided that it would be our honor to, well, honor her! Known for her exuberant personality and vibrancy, she has enjoyed another prosperous year in the SB community, writing exceptional posts while keeping up with bookkeeping, credits awarding, and general activity. The persistent number of high-quality posts she's produced month after month are honorable, as is her commitment to the forums and willingness to keep Storybooks alive through her spirit. We hope that, with her friendliness, love for fun and good pranks, and activity, she may have another successful year as the leader of the SB Crew and a site admin. Congrats, Rydia!

(We love you, Captain. We absolutely and completely and irrevocably do.)


New Challengers in the Ring

This month, we bring you a feature in two parts, and we're Super Saiyan Excited for it. With a perpetual drumroll that may not even quit once this Newsletter is over we wonder where it is coming from and why it won't stop, we begin!

Congratulations to Regismare!
Yep, @regismare is our first New Challenger of the Month. Though only having joined recently, they've shown great promise as an active and friendly user. With an SB post or two already under their name, they're jumped into several others and kept up a friendly rapport. They've even created an SB all their own, as indicated by the MDoA thread - it's proved to be well-written and complex, though it does need some attention. It's not often that we should see new members so enthusiastic and willing to come up with solid posts and Storybooks, and so it is the first of our two-part celebration that goes to regis!

Congratulations to RippleGylf!
Our second feature brings most of SB crew close to the heart, as she's joined what was previously a total mold-fest of a storybook, Mana, bringing SUCH FRESH BREATH DEAR GOD. Her writing is extraordinary, and her involvement in the plotting and discussion process is par none. We're absolutely thrilled to have you in the community, @RippleGylf, and we hope you find a wonderful home here. (I hear the house next to Ziafar is available...)

Most Popular

Do you think we open every newsletter with dragons? Well, you're wrong! This month, we open with Mages. And also Non-Mages. But they're not called Non-Mages. But there are also People Who Can Become Mages. But they're not called People Who Can Become Mages! Alright. Let me get all this straight. This writer is, after all, in the Storybook. This month's Most Popular Storybook is an absolute thrill of spellslinging and sword-swinging--and Wyverns.

That's right, Storybook Town. This month's Most Popular SB Is Curse Of The Wyvern by @Sheyren, which chronicles a troop of mages (who are masters of the arcane arts), nulls (who cannot wield magic at all), and inheritors (who can inherit magic from dead mages) as they defend their home kingdom from the threat of the imposing and deadly Wyverns of Wyvern Mountain. The opening chapters are riddled with camisados, threats, backstabbing, political intrigue, manipulation, and an abundance of gorgeous combat scenes. We on the crew heavily encourage following along with this one--it's definitely a triumph among triumphs, and we admire Sheyren for such a wild success.

(Did you know SB Crew is selling foam pirate hooks and eyepatches just for the month of April? Check them out here!!)

p.s. Little does Sheyren know that he nearly defeated himself by being so active in Pokebook this month. Lumi is crying in a corner because of you, Sheyren. CRYING. We're fairly certain they're tears, too!


Most Deserving Of Attention






I'm certain there are indeed many answers to such a question, but nobody's in the mood for philosophy - instead, we're in the mood for adventure. Unless we aren't, in which case you can go about your life however you like. Fortunately, the characters of Lay of the Land, by @Basil, can do exactly that!

Whether your character desides to investigate the claims of a hooded figure or to dismiss the spreading rumours, they will eventually have to endure the coming war. A war between dragons? No, silly; that already happened, although you are right to be suspicious, seeing as this war will come from the Dragon Isle. Much to the world's misfortune, the future conflict will likely include all races.

Speaking of which, we now get to the lore. The plot on its own is already tantalising, but with so much background regarding the climates, races, and dragons (naturally), world-builders should be delighted by the playpen Basil has created for them. The possible events that may unfold are too numerous to quantify, so I can't speculate where this will end. But! I can assure you the journey will be well worth the effort.


Best Concept

The best concept seems to show how dangerous mutations can be. In this storybook made by @regismare is based on Maximum Ride by James Patterson and from that, I can rest assure you, it's going to be a good storybook. The main idea of it all is mutated people with wings were discarded after a period of time in the Northern wastes of Manitoba. They are considered illegal and have to survive among each other (and a few polar bears) all the while a big corporation is targeting them to be killed and is sending people to do just that.

With seven characters, this storybook has soared to new heights with unlimited possibilites. In this case, the sky is the limit.


Features From The Realm



Yes, this is the first month the Role-Play Realm has its own section in the Newsletter, and me and my brooms are eager to bring to you the news about the first month of the Realm's makeover.

We had an astounding amount of 117 posts during the month of war, which means, we can finally feature both a dedicated RPer and a RP topic.

The first, aka our dedicated RPer for the month (and the first RPer to enter our hall of Features ) is a very joviable person who brings to mind a certain musical I totally didn't reference with my entry song. She was one of the first to venture into the Realm, and has been a good asset to our Realm's activity. If you have been living under a musical rock for the past 60 years, let me sing a little song to introduce our Featured RPer. *clears throat* "The Realm is alive, with @soundofmind!!!" Congratulations sound, and may our Realm still prosper for a long time with you here!

The second Feature, our featured RP topic, is a classical fantasy adventure, with magic, taverns, and, well, adventure. You are one of the last of a unique form of mage, and you and your kind alone can save the world from doom. What am I speaking of, you ask? Go check out The Last Runekeepers by @DragonWriter22 to take a look for yourself


Featured Geeks

After that rousing introduction, I'll take over from Wizard and his broom army to provide you with the second component of our spotlight on the RP Realm and its connected RP Geeks club forum. As part of our present integration (and evil world-dominating plan to gradually control the rest of the site and topple their leaders hahaha) with our amazingly-active RPers, we thought we'd spotlight one of the most active roleplays among the RP Geeks created in recent times. Our choice has already managed an impressive 26 pages since only March 21st, keeping its OOC (out-of-character, to be specific) chat at a minimum! Fast, energetic, and fun, @ObsidianLight's Woods has an (true to the nature of the RP forums) simple premise - you're trapped in the woods, far from civilization, and must forge your own path to survival. Attracting a cast of veteran RPs and relatively new site members, it's already proved to have a colorful plot, diverse cast of characters, and nice pacing. Though you'll probably have to read through a lot of posts, entry is easy, and the adventure should be well worth your time.

Well done, Woods, for earning our first spotlight on an RP!





Captain's Challenge:


As some of you may already know, April is poetry month. I'm not going to make you write a poem as I'm sure some of you are already looking for an excuse to escape the grip of NaPo for the moment, but poetry is about more than the act of writing. It's about looking deep inside yourself and finding a perspective which you want to share with the world. It's about saying something which you feel in your soul and which you hope - or maybe even need - for someone else to feel it too. We are made up of so many nuances and so many different notes that sometimes we think we can't possibly share a chord with another human being. But of course, there are only so many different ways you can string words together to make a different song.

Your challenge this month is to have your character share something deep about themselves with someone else. You can complete this challenge up to 3 times for 2 credits each and there's a bonus credit available for each of those times if your character says it in a poem uses a metaphor to describe the way they feel. It doesn't have to be part of the same sentence but it should be as part of the same conversation.





Your Staff for This Month...

Your staff for this month is delighted to be back in town after a two-year vacation out on the Paranormal Sea out behind the Walmart where they sell spicy mayonnaise on their fruits and vegetables. Yes, Storybookers, we regret to inform you that the past two years you've been dealing with anamatronic clones, but now we're back! You have us. And there's nothing to fear. To address your inevitable, defiant fear, please address our still-active clones as our vacation days are still in the air and we're not quick to give them up.




Most Popular Storybook Genres

There will be no over-the-top statistics this month, but simply the observation that the digits of the previous poll's total number of votes has reversed. As far as tallies for this poll goes, that's not too bad, and what's more, we got a definite result!



Last time, Fantasy and Adventure were tied in first place. That is no longer the case, for Fantasy is once again in the lead with eight votes! Note that the total is eight votes - the actual lead is only by a single vote. Adventure doesn't stand alone at seven, however, for Sci-Fi has claimed joint silver. If fourth place received a consolation reward, it would go to Paranormal, seeing as it was the only other genre with more than two votes, but it doesn't, so too bad. Yet the greatest too bad out here goes to Post-Apocalyptic; while Tagbook has been nominated and seconded as a replacement for the genre that receives the fewest votes, everyone had anticipated either Adolescent or Sandbox to bite the dust first. That's the will of the people for you.


Lumi's Night Out With Omnom!

With a dim kerosene lanturn, Lumi approaches an abandoned house where the Collins family once lived. On the second floor, he sits, placing the lanturn on the floor, whistling a small tune until @Omnom appears from the bedroom area and sits across from him.



The best memories usually are run down. Run down with constant traffic as we re-visit them with rose-tinted glasses. I'm glad you asked me to be here, though, Husbando.



I'm glad that I made a bit of a name for myself here. It was my home for many years. When I first joined, I wanted to be a part of dramatic stories that delved deep into fantastic and fictional plots. I had little care for characters back then; they were only vessels to walk around in the rich and lustrious world we had created together. I remember the first Storybook I co-created was a rich and amazing world, and I expected that much of each Storybook I joined after that. Needless to say, the bar was set high.



Fanfic Storybooks are my life xD But yes, I do remember the community being different. I don't know... I feel like I joined the family during dark times, where it didn't feel much like a community at all. Everything felt closed in and separated, like there wasn't much communication going on and people were fine with it. But, that's changed, and people have opened up. I love meeting new people in my Storybooks and seeing how willing they are to communicate, collaborate, and compromise. The Storybook forum has become a better place for it.



Okay, you didn't hear this from me, but there's a secret pet parrot race in the captain's quarters every fifth thursday of the month. Go there, and bring a cat.

In all seriousness though, activity, friendlyness, involvement, and being well-rounded. The SB crew watches everything in their little corner (everything) and they see when you're being active. But they also see if you're helping out a newbie to the forum, or willing to work with someone on a particularly hard-to-write character or post, or if you only do your own Storybooks or love to join others, or if you make bomb Storybook Challenges. They see everything, and being active, selfless, friendly... that goes a long way.



Redact what? Nothing was being said (every fifth thursday, be there or be square). Also, the person who first dragged me into Storybooks was @CowLogic. We went from a simple character chit-chat to making our own Storybook which didn't do very well but it was amazing and memorable nonetheless. Then, @Carina really just stuck with my antics with some crazy shenanigans of her own. To this day, I still wish she was green and doing Storybooks, but life got her and now she's gone. And last but not least, I want to say @ScarlettFire. She has stuck with almost all of my Storybooks (like, literally, she's joined probably 90% of my Storybooks) and although she was never really active in any of them because she's more of a lurker, she has stuck with my plot bunnies and my personal issues. She's great. Someone go pester her or something.





Monthly Dragonslayer

Dragons come in all shapes and sizes and a wise Dragonslayer chooses the ones best suited to them. A big Dragonslayer will slay big dragons because they find the little ones are hard to find or indeed so small that their speed is greatly increased and they zip away like flies. A small Dragonslayer will go for little dragons because despite being faster than the big dragons and hard to find, their small weapons and lessened strength does nothing more than irritate a big dragon.

What type of dragons then does this month's Dragonslayer slay? Well they hide their identity well with a name which suggests they are both light and heavy, fast and slow and big and small so that dragons hearing of their fame don't know whether they should be afraid or not. The answer though is that they should always be afraid for this month's Dragonslayer is the best kind of Dragonslayer - a slayer of high wit and cunning who lures less savvy dragons into her traps! While they are pondering big ponderings like their existance or what Dragonslayer might be the one to kill them or what they should have for dinner, they fly into snares or tumble into pits or charge into mountains of golden cages, all laid by our incredible Dragonslayer @featherstone9086!

With consistent dragon slaying activity and a friendly, collaborative nature, we salute featherstone9086 as this month's Dragonslayer - congratulations!

New Challengers in the Ring

Look, more feathers!

Have you ever seen a hummingbird type? They have to jab at each letter, one by one, with that super long beak of theirs. With experience, however, I've heard that some of them can zip to and fro across the keyboard at a dazzling 363 WPM.

This month's new challenger not only happens to be one of those hasty hummingbirds, but she's also a royal princess! She's new to the game of storybooking, having begun only last month, but she's already written three posts of splendid quality and length. Ladies and gentlemen, please bow to @PrincessInk, who deserves this title like no one else. You're an inspiration to us, Princess, especially because we know how many calories you must burn to type just one sentence!

Most Popular

What is dreaming? Is it a chemical reaction of the human brain that somehow projects images into our brains as we sleep? Or is it our subconscious' way of speaking to us without a voice? Or is it simply our minds leaving our mortal vessels to explore the boundless worlds that exist within our imagination?

Well, in this month's most popular Storybook, none of these matter! Whether you find yourself in a long dark tunnel, or lost among the molecules and atoms of your brains inner workings, this SB is truly open to all who have the capacity to write.

As the authors of the dreams of a nine year old human boy, the world is your oyster (and might even be an oyster... Who knows?) With no character profiles, and only one main character, you'd expect this SB to be quite a challenge to write for, but @Sheyren's The Dreams of a Human Child is a dream come true for all those who love a free and relaxing Story told through the dreams of a young boy.


Most Deserving Of Attention

This month's Storybook that surely deserves your attention is Land of Darkness by our very own @Remembrance!

What is Land of Darkness, you may ask? Oooooh, well let me tell you, dear reader. It's a tale of the fruits from a forbidden love, stolen in the middle of the night. It's a tale of a lust gone cold from abandonment, and rulers gone hard and stubborn. It's a tale of two kingdoms, seemingly at odds, and the irony of their rulers once being in love.

It is your duty to return this child from the Land of Darkness, but not all is at it seems. There will be perils, challenges, constant twists and turns that will shake your character to their very core.

Interested yet? I know I am! Go and check out the Storybook.


Best Concept

Political intrigue. Corporate espionage. Modern piracy. Steampunk engineering. Ætherial magic. Did I just list the ingredients for a recipe for disaster? Why, yes, I did.

If you thought the skies in Sky Full of Æther by @Feltrix were full only of æther, you are mistaken, fellow storybooker. Some *coughtotallynotthecreatorofthisstorybookcough* may believe the third dimension to be boring in comparison with the fourth, but beware, for dangerous forces strike from above as certainly as they strike from all around you. Running or hiding from the oppressive cloud of peril is futile, as Archora has only a single city - and it encompasses every last space on the planet.

Are you up for the daunting task of making a name for yourself in the global metropolis that is Kryn? The odds will be stacked against you, but perhaps, just perhaps, you may rise from the smothering blanket of anonymity. If this is indeed the case, but one question remains: to shine as a beacon of hope, or to paralyze as an icon of power?


Features From The Realm

In April, Mage woke up some ghosts. Now, allow me to explain. I fear ghosts. I fear lonesome hotels. I fear haunted hotels. This month's featured roleplay from the Roleplay Realm is The Stranded Hotel by @Mage, with roleplayers @Dino, @featherstone9086, @TheMaieuticMesmerist, and @soundofmind. If you're looking for an eerie roleplay to take part in, look no further: this is the one for you.

And this month's featured roleplayer from the official Roleplay Realm is @DragonWriter22, who has been most active in The Last Runekeepers. With well-thought-out posts and strong characters, this is one writer you definitely want on your roleplay team!

If you're new to the SB forum and like classic roleplay, be sure to stop by the Roleplay Realm for all the Roleplay Features you could ever want!


Featured Geeks

This month, we want to feature a thread from the Roleplay Geeks that's gotten over 70 posts this month and has intrigue in spades! To quote the opening post:

You are in a room with many other characters. The only thing on the ground are a bunch of pencils. The pencils, though, can erase anything, and they can draw anything that immediately exists. This could get interesting any way this goes

Yes! This month's Featured Geekery is Pencils by...well, our Featured Geek! @SarukaTheHuman! She has been outstandingly active in the club and in roleplays across the board, and we're absolutely thrilled to have her in our Storybook Community! If you haven't had the pleasure of meeting her yet, head over to her wall and greet her! Maybe she'd join your storybook (especially if it's Undertale-based!)





Captain's Challenge: A Missive in Magenta


Did you know that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of Sherlock Holmes was born in May? Well now you do! To celebrate this famous author, our challenge this month is to include a mystery in your post. This can be from something as simple as 'who ate the cake?!' to the more complicated 'how did that house come to exist underwater?'

There will be 2 credits awarded for creating an unsolved mystery in your post and each adventurer can complete this challenge 3 times.

If you write a post to solve someone else's unresolved mystery then you'll earn an additional 2 credits! Again, credits for this can be claimed 3 times.

What say you Holmes, are you ready to help us solve these mysteries?


Crew Challenge: Challenging The Challenges

Starting with this Challenge, Crew Challenges will
now focus on Storybooks or SB Challenges as a whole
instead of individual participants.

Welcome to this Crew Challenge! May is a fun month. It's the start of summer for many people, and Storybooks will be bursting with activity! This month's Crew Challenge will have Three Tiers, each with points available.

All SB Challenges created in May (in GMT Timezone) will be able to complete this Crew Challenge. Only the first SB Challenge for each SB is able to earn points.

Tier One - Worth 1 Point for All Participants: Create a SB Challenge for your Storybook. Bonus Point for DM: Have at least two challenges for the participants.

Tier Two - Worth 1 Point for All Participants: Have at least 50% of participants finish the SB Challenge.

Tier Three - Worth 1 Point for All Participants: Have 100% of participants finish the SB Challenge.

That's right, you can earn up to three points for each SB Challenge created and completed. Besides only one SB Challenge per SB, there is no limit on how many points you can earn. Have fun and work together! You'll go far!

Author's Note: And Many More
This is Omnom coming in for a note on behalf of the Storybook Crew. This month, we'll be experimenting with more short-term Challenges to complement the month-long Captain's and Crew Challenges. Some of these might even be as short as a 24-hour challenge. If you haven't already, please Subscribe to the SB Badges & Challenges Thread to keep up to date on all of this. While we do tag/mention all we can, we can miss people.

We're excited with the changes and additions for SB Challenges in the future, and we hope you are, too! As always, we thrive off of your input to these changes! We love communication





Your Staff for This Month...

Has something blown up in the Storybook Forum? We know that feel. Has something on your ship caught a leak and needs immediate oceanside assistance? We have a guy for that. But if you were to tell us that you, a beloved Storybooker are indeed in need, we, the valiant and punctual pirates, will row to your aid in a matter of...however long it takes to row! Need one of us? We're always here.




Most Popular Storybook Genres

Thanks to more frequent and consistent reminders by certain members of the staff (staff members who aren't me, I am ashamed to say XD), the poll received its third highest number of votes. Though this is fantastic, I also noted how the number of votes is rarely a multiple of three. Remember, each person may vote for three different genres, so be sure to use all your votes! Abstaining because you don't know what to choose as your second or third options is fine, but I nevertheless felt obliged to point this out again.



April's statistics match those of March relatively well, but it's blatantly obvious Fantasy received much more votes than the next three genres this time around - it stands proudly at fourteen votes. Sci-Fi didn't receive too many new votes, scoring eight, while Adventure experienced the same, scoring just one vote less with seven. Paranormal is still ranked directly after them with six, while the newly featuring Tagbook received five votes, which is good for its first time. The next tagbook is likely only due in October, however, so don't get too excited about that one.


Mage's Magnificent Morning With Feltrix

Hi, Feltrix! To start things off, how did you get interested in storybooks?

I guess I got interested in storybooks through Curse of the Wyvern. I was new to YWS and curious as to what they were like. I like wyverns and enjoy a good curse, so I thought "Why not?" I enjoyed the teamwork aspect of storybooks, although this has only really come together in Sky Full of Æther. Working with other people allows for a far more diverse cast of characters and incorporates situations that I wouldn't come up with on my own. When I write, I normally only have a few narrators, but having seven or more allows for a different kind or storytelling. Also, writing a storybook is sort of like reading because it's impossible to tell for sure how it will turn out, and for much of the storytelling, you're just watching it happen. I has an interesting and unusual mix of reading and writing that I like.

What do you look for in a storybook? Is there a certain genre you prefer, or are you interested in basically anything that comes your way?

In a storybook, I generally look for the same things I look for in a book. Interesting plot ideas, an original premise, etc. The one thing that I look for in a storybook but I don't look for in a novel is: What can I add to this? When I enter a storybook, I always try to make a character who is noticeably different from the rest. Again, when looking at the genre for my storybook, I pick out something I'd want to read, which is also what I want to write. I gravitate heavily towards fantasy (Curse of the Wyvern, Sky Full of Æther), but I also engage in more sic-fi storybooks (Sky Full of Æther, Breach in the Void, The Time Games) and they usually have an action/adventure element to them.

You recently created Sky Full of Æther. From the list of characters alone, it looks like it's a pretty popular storybook. That doesn't really surprise me - it looks pretty interesting! Where did you get your inspiration for such a neat idea?

My reason for starting Sky Full of Æther was simply that I had a world called Archora in my head and I wanted to see what other people would do with it. Archora has some similarities to Kaladesh in Magic: the Gathering, so I guess that would be my inspiration. But Archora is possibly my favorite world in my novel-in-progress, "Ascension." I decided to create a storybook where I would use my favorite world with none of the events that would actually come to pass in the novel. When Sky Full of Æther was first created, I had little to no plot ideas, and I was worried it would fail as a storybook because of this. I didn't have an idea for a story, just a world that I wanted people to interact with. As more people joined, the hazy image of a plot began to form, and by now, the rest of the SBers and I have come up with a pretty definite idea of how it's going to work.

I have one last question. Though you are relatively new to storybooks and the site itself, do you have any advice for any YWSers looking to get more involved in the storybook section of YWS? And if you do, what is that advice?

Advice? Hmm... That's tough. Make sure you work with the rest of the people on the storybook. When I first joined Curse of the Wyvern, it was tempting to make a character who would steal the show and become the main character. I suppressed these feelings, however, (you're welcome, @Sheyren), because that's not what a storybook is. It's not about who's character is the most central or the most powerful or the smartest. It's hard to grasp that at first, because you're used to writing on your own, and you don't have to think about what everyone else wants regarding their characters and the plot. So to sum it up: Don't overstep (an easy mistake to make), work with the rest of the SBers. And, of course, enjoy yourselves! That's the purpose of a storybook, isn't it?

Thank you so much for those words of advice and letting me interview you!


Roleplay What? Roleplay Realm! with TheMaieuticMesmerist

It has been two months since the revamping of the Character Chit-Chat into the now bussling vassal of the SB realm known as the Roleplay Realm. However, to many dedicated Storybookers, the concept of Roleplaying might seem somewhat foreign and best left to the folk from the Role-Play Geeks and Warriors of the Iron Page. There are, however, several benefits Roleplaying might provide for Storybooking, and vice versa.

Before we get to the benefits though, we need to distinguish why they are seen as such different spheres of writing.

Right up there is the speed at which RPing and SBing progress. In general, Storybooks tend to have a slow start, gradual build up, and then finally a consistent flow of posts until the inevitable stagnation starts to occur (unless it's a Pokebook... Those things just keep hammering out posts ad nauseum)
With Roleplay topics, however, the speed tends to be much faster, with the life cycle of a RP being much more accelerated than Storybooks (depending on interest in the topic)

Another difference is the amount of planning and general collaboration that occurs. With Storybooks, much of the plot depends on the thorough planning and discussion of ideas among the other participants, often not progressing until a majority agreement has been reached on the direction to take the general plot in. With RPs, on the other hand, a lot of the discussion and most of the planning get thrown out the hypothetical window, resulting in a much more dynamic progression of the plot, often in completely the opposite direction as the creator of the RP had originally thought of.

A final point before reaching my main points is world-building. With a majority of Storybooks (usually with Fantasy or Sci-fi SBs) a lot of the plot, characters and planning revolves around world-building, and adding to the world the story takes place in. In RPs, world-building is a more gradual process, occurring as the RP progresses and more of the world is elaborated on rather than discussed and agreed upon.

You may be asking: "Why are you telling us all this information we knew?" Well, to that I answer: "Most of the benefits lay in what I just mentioned, obviously."

Probably the main benefit of participating in both RPs and SBs is the chronic tuning of your creative brain. By stimulating both the slow yet consistent part of your creative thinking with Storybooks and the quick-paced "blitz" part of your imagination with RPs, you enable yourself to perform better at both. Instead of rushing through RP after RP without really using your imagination, you write more creative and detailed plots for RPs. Instead of going so slow that you stagnate with SBs, you use your blitz imagination to plan quicker and more efficiently.

Secondly is the planning. Often with Storybooks, the planning becomes so convoluted that it takes away the thrill of writing and collaborating, while the constant spontaneity of RPs becomes same-y after a while. However, in my experience the last two months, I have been able to conceptualise more dynamic plot progressions for my SBs (and ways to rekindle their activity), while my RP posts have become more structured and driven by not my own spontaneity but rather the concept of an overarcing plot which, though structured, can still remain dynamic.

And finally is world-building. This is personally what I love the most about Storybooking (collaborative world-building that is), and I can't find any fault with how it is being done. However, the same as with the previous point, the world-building can often take up so much time and effort that the Storybook inevitably fails, since everyone is focused on expanding the world instead of the story.
For this, RPing brings the greatest benefit of all to the SBing community: gradual, in-post and plot-related world-building. Once again, don't get me wrong, world-building is fun, but after experiencing how the world dynamically and gradually gets developed from the base "sketch" that is provided by the preceding poster, I can safely say that, if Storybookers were to experience this and then incorporate the technique more regularly into SBs, the act of participating is SBs will not only become exhilarating and interesting, but also more alluring to new writers looking to join this humble yet amazing community.


Moar Topic Tags?! with Omnom

Two articles in one month? Whaaaat? Are we crazy? Yes. The answer to that is yes. Very much so.

Moar --okay, more-- Topic Tags, you say? Well, yes, that I do say.

The Storybook Crew is proud to welcome in two new Topic Tags to our humble group of forums: Open to All and Completed!

What do these even mean? Well, they're pretty self-explanatory from their titles, but I will explain these to you, because I'm such a nice person.

First up, we have the [Open to All!] Topic Tag:


This tag is meant for both the Storybook forum and the Roleplay Realm forum! I know what you're saying, "but Omnom! We already have an [Accepting!] Topic Tag! What's the difference?"

Well, I'm glad you asked, hypothetical overly-curious and overly-talkative reader. While we do have a Tag that shows when a Storybook is Accepting or when it's Closed, this new Tag is more... Open (see what I did there) than Accepting. Where people have to create a Character Template in Accepting, do backlogging in both the Storybook and Discussion Thread, and find a way to implement their character into the sometimes convuluted plot, the [Open To All!] Topic Tag lets potential participants jump right in!

Cool, right?

Next up, we have the [Completed] Topic Tag:


This Topic Tag is meant specifically for the Storybook Archives forum! If your Storybook is above 50 posts and has a completed story, PM a SB mod to add this into your Storybook. This lets potential perusers of the Archives in the future know with one look what Storybooks have a completed story arc and which don't. Pretty neat, huh?

Anyway, that's it for me! Thanks for partaking this journey with me. As a representative of the Storybook Crew, I just want to give a thanks to you, the member, for making our forum so wonderful and the experience of managing it exciting and adventurous. We would be nothing if it weren't for you. We try to listen to feedback, comments, and illustrious insults thoughts as much as we could! So, I wanted to give a quick shout-out to @Sheyren in particular for being the inspiration for the [Open To All!] Tag.

We listen to you, our members. We love you, our members. Thank you





Monthly Dragonslayer

There are two people we believe have slewed the dragon. They are both wonderfully active in the storybook realm and haven't stopped to please us with such amazing posts through many different storybooks. Please give a hand for our two monthly dragonslayers, @Feltrix and @LadyLizzLovelace! Congrats to the both of you and a mighty thank you for being so active and wonderful in the Storybooks you've joined! You've given the Storybook Crew many a laughs in your Fools! and Welcome to Night Vale posts. You've provided us with story-filled and long posts (and even a Storybook!). We cannot wait to see what you do in May.


New Challengers in the Ring

This month gifted us with an astounding amount of activity, both from skeletons rising from the dead, prominent members leaving their trademark quality and enthusiasm everywhere, and last but certainly not least, newcomers willing to step their toes into our little corner and were met with adorable fluffy kittens.



To those who stepped into that circle of killer kittens and came out alive, we wanted to give you a shoutout and a warm welcome to our fuzzy forum ^^

Congrats to Terian805!
Our first shoutout is to @Terian805, a newcomer in the forum not afraid of joining the big ranks in Sky Full of Æther. His first dip in the forum was in the shape of a wonderfully written post and the crew definitely hopes he joins more Storybooks in the future ^^

Congrats to MJTucker!
Our second shoutout is to @MJTucker! She ventured forth into our meager and humble forum by starting The Dreams of a Human Child, and what a wonderful post it was! She showed imaginative themes and stark imagery that was certainly a pleasure to read for anyone who ventures into that Storybook. We hope to see you around more often, Tucker!

Congrats to rebelpilot!
Our last shoutout for this month is none other than @rebelpilot! Participating in War of the Wolves, rebelpilot shows such promise with her role-playing. While short, her post in her first ever Storybook was a pleasure to read, for sure!

Welcome to the forum, you three, and everyone else who joined us this month <3 have fun and keep role-playing.

SUMMER BREEZE SB NEWSLETTERwritten by First Mate Lumi < PM: >

Welcome to the first laid-back, quaint Summer Breeze Storybook Newsletter, designed as to give SB Crew a break for the Summer. These will be posted on the fourth of each summer month until the Storybook Newsletter resumes in September. So until then, feel free to send in questions that you'd like answered by me or any member of SB Crew, and the Q&A will show up in the next edition!

First, let's grab some lemonade and talk about what a productive month we had. Stat-wise, which we keep up with magically through Rydia's Crystal Ball, May fell behind our other months thus far this year, but we chalk that up fully to end-of-year stress at school. School is crazy these days! And real life always comes first! So we predicted this through the crystal ball a bit.

The most active Storybooker was @Sheyren, who tied with me for seven posts during the month! I've got my eyes on you, Sheyren! You won't beat the Fairy Gym that easily!

The most active Storybook in May was Gossip Girl, created by @Gravity, so congrats to you and your team, Gravity! Your Storybooks are always so active! GG passed all other SBs by about 45% activity. Do I smell a bit of friendly competition? I think I do!

The SB that most took off during May seems to be Mythical Creatures Anonymous, which reads incredibly so far!

Finally, your staff for this month, who love to serve you sweetly (ignore the swords.) To get our attention, just play some sweet tango music, and we will low-ride our way onto the dance floor to aid you in your time of need!



Have a sweet summer, y'all.
First Mate Lumichu