Published December 11, 2011
I just want to say that I like this site. I really do but I think this point system is a little...controlling. I think that critiqueing is taken way to far. Why can't it just be a site for someone to post something not in the hope of getting better but to just get their oppinions and feelings out? I don't think that you should have to critique every little nitpick out of something just so you can post something. I hate critiquing because i'm not all 'DETAILS GRAMMAR RAWRRRRR IMMA FIRIN' MA LAZER' I'm more of an 'eh it's okay' or 'i love it' or 'i didn't like your word choice' or something like that. I hate being specific for the simple fact that I hate when people are specific on my writing. 'Dude you spelled cat wrong.' I don't care. I just want people to get the general idea and message of each post. I don't care in any way shape or form if I spelled a word wrong. I don't need every stanza of a poem critiqued. If you think I forced it say it. I don't mind vague-ness. If I really actually care about your imput I'll either ask for it or ask about what you had to say. I'd much rather have a 'dude this sucks i don't get it' than a "-quotes piece" -boring voice- now you did this and this and this wrong. I also feel that for this to be a complete young writers kind of site, people should be able to say exactly and everything they want. We're teenagers for christs sake and the ones on this site are probably the smarter of the bunch so we probably have some of the most important things to say of our generation. If we simply think something's stupid, we should be able to say it. We shouldn't have to write 250 characters on why we think it's stupid. If someone wants to know why they can ask or you can say if you want but you shouldn't be forced to write more than you want in order for your oppinion to be heard. My only other thing to say is there should be a fanfiction subject too. That would make this completely perfect. If you read the whole thing, thank you for reading. This is my first blog ever (if it can be referred to as a blog). I'm Walter Fleming and I approve of this message.
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141,321 Literary Works • 674,343 Reviews
Fullmetal:
The reason you find a lot of non-teens is that although when we joined YWS we were 'younger', we continue to stay because of how much we love the community.
(I just turned 20, like just. I'm still staying.)
I just wanted to say that I love how this seems to be turning into a 'we love YWS' thread <3
fullmetal: You can vent all you like, though a blog is the better place for it. We'll not even tell you off if you want to use chat speak there as the blogs are your own place where you can whine to your friends or the site in general. Or share the works you don't want reviews on or just generally tell people about your day.
I know you probably think I'm too old to understand and a moderator so I'm biased anyway, but look back at my early blog entries or my first reviews. I was whiny. I vented. I wrote short comments. Fortunately, a lovely moderator known then as Claudette who was later to become Suzanne gave me a few tips and I met awesome people through the blogs and community forums. And chat of course, I <3 chat.
What I'm saying is YWS might be about good writing, but you don't have to start off as a good writer to benefit. True, you could go to one of the other sites like InkPop and they wont expect you to write reviews and they will just give you short comments. If that's all you want, you'll find it's a great site. Plus their badges are ridiculously easy to earn. I joined for two days, posted one work and wrote one/ two reviews and got badges saying I was an amazing poet. How cool is that? I'll tell you something they didn't do though. They didn't welcome me to the site - not a single post on my welcome thread. They also didn't listen to me, talk to me or try to help me. YWS isn't just about good writing. I don't tend to share my writing that often but I'm still here because I love helping others and because YWS is about making friends and sharing ideas.
My two cents coming up!
Okay, so I've been a member on here for more than a year, and I have to say I love it to pieces. It's such a close knit tight family.
And here is my question. If you hate to give/be given in depth reviews, WHY did you join? You had to have known that we give really nit-picky reviews. And if you don't like that it was geared towards young writers, why didn't you join a teen site? This site is for young writers to express their feelings and get constructive reviews in return. I joined figment (another writing site) and posted one of my poems for the heck of it. I had already gotten several critiques, but I figured that putting another writing site under my belt wouldn't hurt. I posted that poem NINE days ago, and have still yet to get anything remotely like a review. Maybe it's because I joined YWS first and I'm used to reviews at least a day after I post, but I wondered what the point was if you're not getting reviewed.
Honestly, I wouldn't be where I am in my writing if I had joined a different writing site.
What is the point of posting your work for other people to read if you don't get anything out of it?
I'm going to say what ran through my mind when I read this. 'Let's put up against a dedicated person from this site and see where you are in ten years. With this kind of attitude, you will NEVER improve.'
To me, this is arrogant. Just because we discourage mis-spellings and language, doesn't mean it's not allowed. In moderation. Basically, we only discourage language in clubs, chat and forums. You could compose a poem titled Damn and the only word in it be Damn and as long as it was rated properly, I don't think anyone would say anything.
mis-spellings like cuz, well, it just depends on where you're saying it. Like right here, no one said a word.
But, in my opinion, mis-spelling things on purpose makes you look un intelligent. If you really want to say what you're thinking and be taken seriously, mis-spelling things is really the wrong way to do it.
Just sayin'
I just found some of your comments very arrogant and rude.
Bottom line, you don't like the way we do things here, just leave. No one will blame you, and really, it's OKAY not to like something. But for everyone who hates the system, there are four people that love it. Myself included.
/rant/essay over
~Drama
Honestly, that's what YWS is. A site for people's writing to be critiqued, a site where those serious about writing get feedback that helps them improve, a site where you will be reprimanded for having thousands of little grammatical mistakes in your writing. You want something that YWS does not have. It's like going into McDonald's and asking for a pair of Calvin Klein boxers.
Unfortunately, you thought wrong.
There are numerous other websites that can give you the feedback you want; InkPop, Figment, Writing, FictionPress, All Stories, Teen Ink, etc, etc. I strongly suggest you join one of those sites or change what you want because you will continue to be disappointed in YWS if you stay.
I had a friend and an ex-boyfriend come on here. The ex-boyfriend hated the point system. And my friend? She said everyone was too "up-tight" about writing. I pointed out that, "They are trying to help you become better with your writing." Because I've read her writing and she NEEDS help with it. She's not a bad writer; she's just...unrealistic with it. And many other things. And I thought of her when I read this. You need the help to develop as a writer. I was terrible with grammar and spelling and a LOT of stuff...then I came here and became a better writer! The site helps you. It really does.
But if you don't care then there are a lot of writing sites that really don't care how you write it either. And if you want some links to those sites then PM me and I can send you some if you'd like.
~LP
One final thought...this isn't a blog, where you posted. You can have a blog, though.
Coincidentally, we are the exact same age, so let me get a word in about this.
a) As previously mentioned, critiques are reviews given to guide a writer towards improvement. 'Comments' don't do that at all, in fact, most times they barely acknowledge the work. If you write something you put loads of effort into, and then post it for some sort of recognition, a stranger giving you a monosyllabic word or a short, gush of praise might inflate your ego for five minutes, and then afterwards you won't feel anything. There's nothing to be gained by that sort of 'review'. If you're not looking for reviews but just want to get your opinions and feelings out then either mention it in a note beforehand, or post on a different website. Wattpad might suit your tastes; God knows that's the only 'review' you'll get there.
b) I'm going through high school too, and yes, there are problems, there are issues I want to get out, but that doesn't justify making some post full of grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. Using correct English has nothing to do with being snobbish or a holier-than-thou attitude, it's practicality and common sense. If you can't spell or using grammar properly, no-one is ever going to want to read what you write, or even be able to.
c) To sum up, if you're disappointed by the site, there is absolutely no point in starting a flame war here. Just stop posting and write for yourself, or go to a different site. Problem solved. This site, as Ahmed said, is geared towards 13-25 year olds. Being young isn't an excuse to write as if you cannot read, or start spelling like a five-year-old.
Did you actually try to engage with the community? Enter chat, maybe, make a few posts to be friendly, review for others. If you wanted helpful reviews on your work, did you ask for them in the Will Review For Food thread? We can't help you if you don't ask us to, because the truth of it is we are real people with our own lives and problems, and even if when we want to help it's impossible to weed out who needs what, when they don't ask.
Those are my two pennies, seeing as I'm British. *end of rant*
Hi, Fullmetal!
I find that in-depth reviews are my favourite and are the most helpful. I know mine aren't as in-depth as they could be, but I'm working on it because I want to give the reviews that I'd like back 
Well, to answer your first question, I joined for a few reasons:
1. To know if I was any decent at all in writing.
2. To improve.
3. To meet other writers and to be able to talk about writing.
It just happened that this site was the best ^_^ In reviews I receive, not only do I normally get a simple opinion, I get reasons, what they liked and disliked etc. I'm incredibly
greatfulgrateful to those who take the time to review my work. To be honest, I hate spelling things wrong and I'm really really put off by bad grammar and spelling. Lots of other people are too - you wouldn't want to find that in something published, would you?As for the point system, I think that it's making sure that the site is up and running well. Who WOULD post if no one reviewed if there wasn't any system? Anyway, some people aren't reviewers. You could greet people instead or do other stuff, but the reason for the site was to review.
I agree with Jas on that point. Those sites are more geared to what you seem to want
Finally, I know this is for young writers, but it doesn't make it just for teens
Dude this sucks.
Actually, he did.
Well, it would be pretty embarrassing if you spelled cat wrong...
Hey look. I'm a teenager and I'm going to disagree with you now.
Hopefully, this will clear some things up:
1.) If someone isn't reviewing your work, then it's probably because you're not being patient enough, or it's because you haven't asked. There's a Will Review For Food (WRFF) thread here (it's a link- click on the blue letters and be instantly transported to that happy little thread) which is where you can request reviews from other members. However, realize that if you come here, you're requesting an actual review, not a comment. And if you want people to review your work? Review theirs! What goes around comes around, they always say.
2) We don't simply say "I hate this" because it's degrading and rude and it doesn't help the author grow in any way. We want constructive criticism, not hurt feelings over things that people have a right to be hurt about. What sets YWS apart from other writing websites is that our reviews are in depth and constructive, and they actually help the writer grow. If you want to know why we give constructive criticism, then go look at some of the older members' writing now, and dig back to when they first joined. Their writing has improved substantially and that's what the goal on YWS is. To help writers develop their own unique style and to help them grow. Simply stating "I hate this" or "I love this" doesn't do much for that. Those comments are okay, yeah, but they don't help much.
If you have any further questions, then by all means, PM me. If I think of anything else I have to add, then I'll add it.
I get what you mean but at the same time I completely disagree. You have to make yourself known to get quality reviews. You have to give quality reviews to get quality reviews. When I was a new member, I rarely received helpful reviews because my reviews were about two sentences long and were basically 'I liked this! Write more!'. I've noticed a lot of the more active members and reviewers on YWS are new and don't give long quality reviews and that's a problem. If you see a pointless or unhelpful review, you can click the tiny, red exclamation mark in the corner to report the reviewer to the Moderators so they can help whoever that was become a better reviewer. The point system on YWS has never been used by me to 'get money'. I review because I want other people to review my work and I want to help other writers. If it's a shortage of points on your part that's bugging you, I can donate some points to you.
If you don't want long, in-depth reviews then I can suggest a number of other great writing sites aimed for teens that give shorter reviews. If you write novels, check out Inkpop.com and if you write poetry, check out Figment.com.
Remember, if you don't like YWS, you definitely don't have to stay. I personally, think it's the best writing website on the internet, but that's because I put in the effort that helps make it so. This is the internet. I'm sure you can find what you're looking for somewhere else, if you don't find it here.
I love how the actual teenagers who comment on this are the ones who agree you know the people that this site's aimed at. YOUNG writers. i knew i'd have more support from people my age than from know it all -i'm too good cuz i have more experience and knowledge- older people. thanks
Well said, sir. And I completely agree. I signed up, thinking this would be a great opportunity to improve as a writer. However, I find myself logging on rather infrequently for a few reasons.
1) The community here isn't very supportive. For all the "thou shalt critique!" stuff I hear, I've received maybe two comments that have actually made me think about my writing. The rest haven't been helpful. I haven't made any friends here that weren't friends from previously and it's very difficult to find comments that were posted simply to benefit the writer, and not just so the commenter would earn points. I think it's an example of doing the wrong thing for the right reason. In fact, I think it's twisted from its original intent. It's become a selfish way to just get "money."
2) As previously mentioned, the critiques I've received don't help much, at least in my experience. To add to that, for all the "supportive community" stuff I hear on this site, I've gotten very few critiques myself. I know that giving is better than receiving, but seriously, I get more feedback on deviantART, a much larger site where it's harder to get noticed.
3) I completely agree with what you've said. The point system really has turned me off of this site. When I first joined, I was looking forward to sharing my stories with other young writers who had the same writing interests as me. I was anticipating useful reviews and one or two were, but, as I've mentioned, the rest were just "enh."
I think from this comment, it's easy to see that I'm all for stating your full opinion in a critique, just make sure it's actually going to help the writer grow as an artist. I would rather be part of a community with a wider age range that supports actually posting stories than be part of a more restricted, controlled one.
Well, there's my two cents. Adios.
jas...i love you right now...i love that you're comment is the only one that hasn't totally made me rage and rant
Lol, Snoink, he actually didn't spell anything incorrectly.
thanks for proving my point snoink
Hi! This actually isn't a blog post. Our blog section on YWS can be accessed by clicking here. You can make a blog and everything! It's neat. I recommend it.
The place where you posted is for general articles... which means that you are putting it up so that it can be torn to pieces.
In any case, the spelling and grammar is rather atrocious, so I couldn't read all of it. Sorry!
I love that this created traphic on here. I enjoyed reading the comments. I just wanna say i don't leave cuz it was hard as hell finding this ((yes i spelled it cuz. ooooo nooooo and i said hell. sue me)) it's sort of tolerable. i was just expecting teenagers going though highschool going through relatable issues (which neither of you are lol) and instead i got a site full of people with an english teacher itch to put red circles next to every grammatical error. I'm not stupid because i'm young or even new on the site. I'm stupid because i wanna say and do what i want and i thought this site was something to help with that because that's what teenagers need. A place to vent with fellow writers. Excuse me for being dissapointed.
I'll keep my comments to merely saying one thing: you are more than welcome to post comments instead of reviews. The only problem that will come of it is if you place filler in your comments to make it larger than 250 characters. That's when perfectly fine comments become spam reviews. There's a difference, and there is no rule saying that you have to review. It's recommended, and it's what keeps the site running, but if it makes you upset, dude, just don't bother.
There's nothing on this site (within reason, given it's a young writers' site) that will hinder your freedom of speech. So I definitely want to encourage you to learn more about the way the site works before getting angry.
Oh, and blogs can be found and posted here. What this forum serves is a place for essays and general...non-fiction things.
Enjoy YWS.
There's nothing stopping you from giving a brief opinion on things, so long as you do so politely. Just don't expect to get any points from short comments.
There are a couple of reasons why reviews only give points if they're over 250 characters, but one of the main reasons is to encourage members to give more in-depth reviews. Since this is a site geared towards helping young writers improve, more emphasis is placed on critical reviews that go into detail and offer suggestions rather than shorter comments.
As for the points system, it exists so that everyone has a good reason to want to help other members — if they don't, they don't get points, and so they cannot post more of their own works. The more you help others, the more of your own works you can post, and the more help you can receive in turn.
YWS actually has a pretty relaxed system compared to to other sites geared towards improving writing. Some sites require that you go into painstaking detail, and even line-by-line in all your critiques, in addition to requiring approval for all new submitted works.
But if YWS's system is not to your taste, there's nothing forcing you to stay here, and there's plenty of writing sites out there that don't place an emphasis on improvement you always could join.
I know that this is for betterment but why not make it for freedom of speach. I haven't been able to find one like this that has as good of graphics or as good of a system as this one i just think that the restrictions should be limited. I'm not talking f-bombs i'm talking being able too say something as simple as 'i hate this' in stead of 'i hate this because of blablabla' or 'this and this is wrong' i think that writing should be something to be seen and judged as a whole and as a message. That's more of my oppinion I guess. Maybe that doesn't make it better....I think that the critiquing should be left to the teachers. I roll my eyes either way. I think that this site can be more and can be a bit friendlier if it wasn't so 'blablabla adjective noun you can't put e before i' kind of thing.
Hey Walter, (my grandfathers name was Walter so it is an amazing name.)
I myself review things on character, and plot content and not so much the mechanics of punctuation and spelling.
I totally can tell you're upset about this whole critique part of YWS and if this was any other site this would be a wonderfully valid point.
But, this is a site for the betterment of young writers- submitting our work and having others giving us "detailed" reviews is the only way we are going to improve in out skills and technique. It is hard having people shred something we have poured out souls into, it is a horribly painful thing, but we need it!
If you are really that bothered- or just don't want reviews- try putting a little note above your work to that effect. Most who post work here WANT the detailed reviews so those who review your work aren't trying to shred your stuff to be mean or obnoxious- they really are just thinking you want a detailed and thorough review.
Also every singer person on this site reviews differently- just like there are thousands of different styles of writing out there. Some people on the site like to do their reviews in the quote form, others simply a detailed narrative of what they liked and didn't like, there are also just those people who just give a quite note as to whether they like or don't like something.
I myself have a learning difference that makes those two things hard for me, and to discourage those reviewers who like to point out those errors i simply state that at the top of my work when I submit. I put a disclaimer at the top asking for what kind of reviews I am looking for- maybe you should try that, it might really help the reviews know what you are looking for- they just want to help.
Maybe doing something like that would help you to get what you are looking for, but I don't think calling the WHOLE site controlling or every reviewed nitpicky is fair- we are ALL different in our writing and reviewing styles.
And as writers we need to have that difference of opinion if we are ever going to grow and become amazing. 83
There is freedom to say what we are passionate about on this site- within reason. There is a HUGE age gap between writers and what is appropriate for a twenty-something to say- isn't appropriate for a twelve year old to hear. That is why the mods keep such close tabs on everything, to protect the innocence of our younger child writers. We as older writers need to be responsible for what we say- even as we exercise our right of freedom of speech. you wouldn't use the F bomb in-front of a child on the street- why would you use it on the internet? There are things that you might say that will offend people, and they have the right to tell you that- but even the passionate disagreements but me tempered, we can't just blow up at someone for their differing opinions- "your mom" insults never got any of the great debaters far. ;D
I hope this doesn't come across as if I am trying to be a ass or mean in any way- I mean it with the best of intentions.
Good luck with your writing and may writers block stay far away!
~Shady~
ps. there is a fanfiction section on the submissions tab.