WVA National News Issue #2

Hello all and welcome to the second issue of the WVA National News! So sit back, relax, and enjoy this issue!

Challenges: The most current challenges of our amino.

Are you new to WVA? Maybᙓ you’re just having trouble getting your creative juices flowing and the words pouring from your fingertips. Well here’s a post dedicated to the current challenges that could help you out with finding and expanding your writing process!

Active Challenges

Polls: See and participate in the current Polls available made by of WVA!

Member Jace Ravenwood is asking your help to decide on making more chapters of their work “Alienated.” Help them out by catching up and voting!

Jace Ravenwood

First chapter is below!

Chapter 1

Updates: Important updates to the WVA

Happy One Year! WVA turned one on July 23, 2018. WVA , Alpha posted a sweet post, reminiscing on the accomplishments and growth of the group, reminding to keep an eye out for updates, new changes, and general fun. Let’s keep moving up and growing together!

WVA Turns One!

Showcase Your Work! WVA has updated the categories to show off your work via their Instagram and Wattpad s. Just create the post, and add them into the particular categories. They’ll need time, however, to get through all the entries, but your time will come and your work spread.

Showcase Your Work

WVA has a few new curators! Have you met them yet? Come by and check them out! (Three are WVA NN !)

New Curators!

The Results are In! The winner of the #CrimMem challenge have been posted! Check them out! Congrats to all the winners and good job to all that applied!

#CrimMem Results

A great post by our very on WSS shines light on comma usage! See the post below!

Commas and Their Uses

Come one, come all! The Leaders of WVA have opened up Challenges to us! However there’s a catch. Read up to find out and maybe get your own Challenge featured!

Introducing: Member Challenges

{Updates by Fae}

TIP OF THE MONTH:

"Don't panic. Midway through writing a novel, I have regularly experienced moments of bowel-curdling terror, as I contemplate the drivel on the screen before me and see beyond it, in quick succession, the derisive reviews, the friends' embarrassment, the failing career, the dwindling income, the repossessed house, the divorce . . . Working doggedly on through crises like these, however, has always got me there in the end. Leaving the desk for a while can help. Talking the problem through can help me recall what I was trying to achieve before I got stuck. Going for a long walk almost always gets me thinking about my manuscript in a slightly new way. And if all else fails, there's prayer. St Francis de Sales, the patron saint of writers, has often helped me out in a crisis. If you want to spread your net more widely, you could try appealing to Calliope, the muse of epic poetry, too." — Sarah Waters

✿✰ ·⟡✦⟡· ✰✿

Introduce your main characters and themes in the first third of your novel. If you are writing a plot-driven genre novel make sure all your major themes/plot elements are introduced in the first third, which you can call the introduction. Develop your themes and characters in your second third, the development. Resolve your themes, mysteries and so on in the final third, the resolution." — Michael Moorcock

[CI] {Tips by Charlotte}

VOCABULARY:

Part(s) of Speech: noun

Definition: Ordeal-An often painful trial used to determine if a person was guilty or innocent. There are many different types of ordeals.

Sentence: Many Ӿ prisoners underwent painful ordeals.

Part(s) of Speech: noun

Definition: Vassals (Fief)-A person who owns a piece of land and serve their lords. They tended to perform military-like duties.

Sentence: The lords had many vassals.

Part(s) of Speech: noun

Definition: Scriptoria- a building or room that was used to copy, write, and illuminate pieces that were made by monastic scribes

Sentence: Many people work in the scriptoria.

                        This was Raven, g Off~

GRAMMAR

Expressions: have and of

In our writing, we can often make the mistake of using ‘of’ when the correct term is ‘have’.

For example:

Incorrect: ‘Mary should of cleaned the table.’

Correct: ‘Mary should have cleaned the table.’

Correct expressions

should have - should’ve

Might have - might’ve

Could have - ᙅould’ve

Would have - would’ve

Must have - must’ve

You see how we use ‘ve’ at the end when using an apostrophe? Think of that when trying to figure out what is correct between ‘have’ and ‘of’ in your writing.

This is a pretty easy error that someone can make, even though, it doesn’t seem too big of a deal. If you know this all already, then it’s just something to remind you of.

{Grammar by Red}

AREAS OF CHALLENGE:

Please note that in these things being noted about the writings about WVᗩ, it is in no way the reflection of every member in the WVA National News team. This advice is not meant to harm or hurt anyone’s feelings, but to assist in bettering the work one would put forth and aid one in their writing capabilities. No works will be pinpointed, no excerpts taken, and no specific examples made.

Idioms: Try to dig up some unique idioms! We all know some very common phrases, and while they’re not horrible to use, it’s great to throw in ones that are not used as much. You can find many websites with uncommon idioms.

Descriptions: A great tactic for writing descriptions of stories is by including questions to intrigue the readers to your plot. However, while writing questions like these, keep them broad. Don’t write questions that are very specific and follow your plot, because that’ll just give the story away.

Beginnings/Introductions: Don’t introduce your main character with a little detail about them in the first sentence. Start off with maybe a line of dialogue or an action that a character did. I like to introduce my main character with dialogue from another character, with them saying something like the main character’s name. This way your writing will flow better and sound less awkward.

{AoC by Red}

Question: If you have an organization method to creating, what is it?

Baileys answer: “I am not organized when it comes to my writing. I don’t tend to plan anything I generally write poems and I find them easier to do since I let my words flow and I don’t need to plan anything.”

JayO’s answer: “When creating I think of what type of book I want to make. Then a plot, then I start freely writing.”

Question: How do you go about characterizing your characters less as characters and more as actual people?

Baileys answer: “I honestly can’t really give a straight answer for this. I just think of a character name and go from there. Sometimes i’ll think of a basic description such as a specific hair colour or eye colour but that’s generally rare. I mean if my character seem realistic that means i’m doing something right haha but probably not.”

JayO’s answer: “I characterize people based off of their personality.”

Do you go through the full creative process (outline, first draft, edits, ect) or do you simple write and edit as you go?

Baileys answer: “I simply write and edit as I go. Although, I don’t edit as I go much haha. Probably why my stuff isn’t that great because I write, edit a few spelling errors and post, I don’t go through a whole process. I never have enough motivation to do that or I would have put everything I have written in the trash by now.”

JayO’s answer: “I simply start writing after thinking the main idea of what I want to write.”

{Interview by Ryker}

This issue, we had two member posts to feature. One by our own WVANN MEMBER, Ray. And another by a new apprentice, Rebirth!

Witch Attack

Banners danced in the wind as the carriages moved closer to the castle. Eleanor, princess of Oxford, was on her way to marry Henry, king of Cornwall. She had (of course) never met the man in person but - like everyone else - she had heard of his great deeds. The stories seemed rather exaggerated and somewhat far fetched in her personal opinion. Everyone knew that dragons didn’t exist. Even her handmaiden, Merylin, and she believed everything she heard. Gossip was like catnip for her.

Eleanor was grateful to her father for having arranged such a good marriage for her. Nothing would ruin her opinion about that. Not even Merylin’s insisting that it was only to secure an alliance in the fight against Yorkshire.

Suddenly, the carriage pulled to a stop. The horses dropped dead. Ravens circled the party.

”Witchcraft!” gasped Eleanor, voicing everyone’s thinking.

”God save us all,” prayed Merylin.

The guards started shouting and forming a defensive circle around the carriage. Merylin held her bible as if it were a shield. Terrible screeching was heard. With imagination, one may have pictured it as a laugh or cackle of sorts.

Outside, a battle commenced. Eleanor screwed her eyes shut tightly. She couldn’t stand violence. Something pulled her out of the carriage rather suddenly and thrown to the ground. Her eyes flew open. In front of her, loomed the ugliest face she had ever seen. Green, like the stories, and covered in warts with terrible teeth and breath that smelled like the plagued towns and cities.

Eleanor screamed. The witch cackled.

In a flash, the witch was knocked to the ground. There stood Merylin with her bible and dainty one metre and fifty-two centimetre stature.

”Leave. The. Princess. Alone. And. Go. Burn. In. Hell. You. Vile. Creature.” Merylin shouted at her, each word punctuated by a blow of the book. After the third one the witch had already been unconscIous.

Merylin took hold of Eleanor’s arm and dragged her to her feet. Then, she pulled her in the direction of the Castle they could just about make out in the distance. Eleanor was at a loss for words. Who knew her handmaiden could commit such violence. She quite literally couldn’t harm a fly.

—by WVS VNS member Ray of Starlight

I hear her

As she brushes her golden hair

The sweet notes

Floating out the window

I see her

As she glides through the halls

Her soft shoes

Masked by her dress

Read the rest:

Eyes for Her

{Member Posts by Elle}

Book Review

Title:

The Name of the Rose

Author:

Umberto Echo

Any Warnings:

Somewhat graphic descriptions of dead bodies

Setting:

Medieval Monasteries

Short Summary:

Although the work stands on its own as a murder mystery, it is more accurately seen as a questioning of the meaning of “truth” from theological, philosophical, scholarly, and historical perspectives. The story is told, first person, by Adso who is the main character and a novice to William of ᙖaskerville a learned Monk. Their main focus of the story is the trials of this duo as they solve the reccurring murders of fellow monks during the time when the church was split.

What you liked:

I enjoyed the suspense and philosophical touch to the story. The book kept me hooked to the very end.

What you didn’t like (Optional):

It did seem a bit long winded and at times it was slightly difficult to understand the old fashioned ways of speech. Personally, I think this is a testimony to the authors talent because he was able to make Adsos character come to life even more through the speech patterns.

Who is this book for:

People who love murder mysteries and historical fiction.

{Review by Ray}

Title:

The Dead Girls Of Hysteria Hall

Author:

Katie Alender

Setting:

Rotburg, Pennsylvania.

Short Summary:

Delia Piven is a rebellious teen who received a house from her great aunt Cordelia, after her death. Except, this house wasn’t any ordinary home. It had once been an insane asylum nicknamed “Hysterial Hall”, and even if most the immates were merely disobediant and stubborn, there laid a dark presence that wanted to keep the women trapped.

Delia ends up falling into the house’s web, and she learns the house is covered with ghost girls, haunting the institute, some never having known any other home. These girls were twisted and tormented, full of secrets almost as depraved as the house itself. She sets to work on finding the true nature and setting free every ghost being held from the dark depths of the institute.

What you liked:

The book is well written to leave you on your seat, yet viewing the life of the characters through sense imagery, you can feel for the hearts of the misfortunes placed among the characters. The plot twists and mysteries to be discovered makes this book a page turner, putting yourself into the shoes of Delia and feeling the pressure she has, yet still wondering how the life of a ghost could really be.

Who is this book for:

The book is an easy read and has content to entertain ages 10 and up. Although it may seem like children books aren’t as good, this one brings a spark of maturity to the mix.

Open Ended Question about the End of the Book:

How did Janie feel after she helped her sister be set free? What did she do with her life since she had been focusing on that for so long?

{Review by Charlotte}

Character Analysis:

Character Name:

Lillian Linton

Book/Series:

Storm and Silence series by RobThier on Wattpad

Character affiliations:

Private Secretary of Mr. Rikkard Ambrose

Character stance:

Main character

Memorable Line:

“You chauvinistic son of a bachelor!”

Character Profile:

Lillian (or Lily for short) is a very proud suffragist. She managed to talk her way into a job with THE Mr. Rikkard Ambrose after getting kicked out of a voting booth dressed as a man. Her work life is a secret as women are not allowed to work in this time period and thus she works under an alias: Mr. Victor Linton. Her work takes her on exciting and many a perilous journey under the staunch and handsome Mr. Ambrose.

Character Fate:

Well, you’ll just have to read ᙀp.

{Analysis by Fae}

Thanks for ᖇeasing!

Did you catch the hidden word this issue? First person to correctly identify it and pm the word to Fae will win a one day feature on a post of their choice!