Notes
Nate-- YWS is heaven-sent, which, in turn, makes you heaven-sent. The site is such a great place for young people in general to improve their writing and learn a lot about growing up while they're at it. It's a great environment and I can't imagine a better place to be a part of; YWS has helped me so much to become a better writer, and, in ways, a better person. All thanks to you! Thanks for the countless hours you put into its upkeep, the questions and complaints you deal with, the general insanity of keeping every running smoothly that you supervise, and the fact that you care enough to keep it going. This entire project is, sure, a bit extravagant, and who knows if it'll actually work according to plan, but it's a small thing that we as a community can do to give back and wish you a happy birthday! Must be nice have 2,000 worshipers, huh? =P Anyway, good luck with that law review article and all the promotion endeavors you've undertaken! Hope you have the best of birthdays. ~Evi
Note for Nate the Great:
Hey Nate, We all gush about how much we love you, especially when you give us a shiny new toy to play with, but really, that love and loyalty is there all the time and there can never be enough appreciation flooding your corner of the web. You put so much time and effort into making YWS the best it can be with your vigilant monitoring, updates, new features, gentle (and not so gentle) guidance, and constant patches. You take the time to prank us, slap us on the wrist when we get too far out of line, keep us safe, and force us outside our comfort zone into the wonderful things out there. I don't know what possessed you to stick with us crazies for this long, but I do know that we will never deserve it. Your awesomeness knows no bounds and I wish you many stacks of internet pancakes. In constant awe, ~GryphonFledgling
Greetings, Mr. King of all the land.
I know you don’t really know me all that well, but all the same, I want to say thanks. I really appreciate YWS and it’s completely changed who I am. I would put it up there in the best few things that ever happened to me. I don't think there's anything else I can say, because “Thank you” pretty much covers it. You're awesome, as I'm sure you've been told plenty of times – but here's saying it again.
You're awesome.
~Grin
Dear Nate,
Well, I would have sent you something better, but I couldn't think of anything that would be awesome enough.... so now I'm writing this. Thanks so much for being brilliant enough to create YWS! You are on my list of heroes, second after only my mother. (She demands to be first at all times -.-) Well, that's about it. Have a happy PsF day ;)
xoxo
Isha
Dear Nate,
This year on June 1st, it will be my one year anniversary on The Young Writers Society...and what a year it's been...
I could go on for pages and pages about how amazing YWS is, but I know it would get boring after a while, and I'll try to keep it from being too sappy. But honestly, YWS has changed my life. I'm always asked by all of my mom's friends if I sing, or play guitar, and I never quite knew what to say. Now when people ask me that I can proudly say "I'm a writer." and it's because of YWS that I can say that. It helped bring the writer in me to the surface, I've always loved books and stories but never considered it something I would love doing. Writing turned into something I rarely did, into a huge part of my life.
I never ever thought in a million years that an site on the Internet would have such a big impact on my life. In the last year I've met so many amazing people, read some absolutely stunning works, and had some wonderful advice for my writing.
The community on YWS is something so rare on the Internet, it astounded me when I first joined, I still haven't seen that kind of closeness anywhere else.You're who the members look up to, you're the creator, the head honcho, the man responsible for it all.
The people are what make YWS great, and you're the great person that made YWS.
This project is to thank you for taking the time to keep this amazing place going, and improving on it.
YWS has made me a better writer, a better person, I met someone who became one of my closest friends here, and I can't imagine how different I would be if I hadn't stumbled across it.
So thank you Nate.
You rock.
~ Bondgirl007
Dear Nate,
I can't ever thank you enough for starting YWS. It's helped me improve so much as a writer. You're pretty awesome for simply starting it. It's a brilliant idea, and a wonderful community. This thank you isn't enough - no amount of words will ever be enough - but I want you to know I appreciate everything you've done anyway.
Sincerely, Kara Hargreaves
Dear Nate,
“Thank you” doesn’t seem like enough.
You have made, in short, my safe-haven. YWS is my second home, and about the only place I can talk about home issues. Or anything else for that matter.
My writing has improved by leaps and bounds, as has my reviewing, problem-solving, and being around people (even if they were just letters on a screen). I probably wouldn’t be doing so well in college had I not found YWS. Heck, I probably wouldn’t be in college if I wasn’t on YWS.
YWS has moved so very far past a writing site, and for that I’m thankful. I’ve made some fantastic friends and what keeps me around even when I’m not writing are the wonderful people. YWS’ fifth birthday came around right at the time I was studying online as a type of media. I’m not sure if you ever read the results, as they’re in my blog, but the gist of it is YWS has taken every way to connect online and used it to full capacity. It’s awe-inspiring and wonderful to look at.
One of my role-models, a guy named Mike Holmes who’s slowly but surely changing the building industry in Canada, has a saying: “You get what you give.” Nate, you have given so many hours, lessons, resources, and all-around dedication to YWS. Every person I’ve talked to on the site, just about, wants to be the best member possible just to take advantage of the wonderful place you’ve set up. And every staff member I’ve talked to just wants to help you, and give back. This project wouldn’t be set up if people didn’t want to give back to you in one way or another, now would it?
As for me, I might not always be around, but I’ll keep my foot in the door and my finger on what’s going on. I love YWS too much to leave, and want to help build it up to the most awesome site possible. It’s the least I can do, after being given so much on the site.
I love YWS and hope this project gives back a little of what you’ve given to us. I still don’t think it’s enough for what you’ve given.
~Rosey
Thanks for everything Nate!
-PenNPaper
Dear Monsieur Caldwell,
So. It's been a while since I first made that fateful Google search of "young writers" and I was pretty sure I wasn't going to stick around back then. But I have. I swear there's something in the water that makes YWSers stay. Forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever-
Anyway. I got invited into Project Snow Flurries pretty near the beginning by one of the beauteous creators and I had ideas that I was going to write poems and stories and wonderful things! Somehow though I never got round to it. Things get away from you, and now I feel like an eejit with nothing for you. I'm sorry.
YWS is great for a number of reasons, but in the end, everything comes down to you. Think about it. Layout? You. Critiquing etiquette? You. Fun stuff? You. Moderating team? You. Security? You. The lovely people attracted to the site? You. We have a lot to blame- I mean, thank you for. For keeping us inside on sunny days and making us laugh until our sides split and giving us an outlet. And for, well, everything. It really shows what a wonderful person you are that you would spend so much time and effort on something that has so few material rewards (but I hope that you get some emotional ones).
There. Now I've done sorry-and-thank-you. But I think I should say thank you again. Not just for the site, because we all know that it was wonderful of you to become a webmaster. But for making it a writers' site, and for being such a big and involved part of it. For being so eager to keep it up to date and speed and healthy and happy. I don't think that there's a more welcoming, helpful place out there for young writers than YWS. And again, it comes down to you.
If I've inflated your ego, good. You deserve it. So thank you for all the personal experiences that I've had in YWS, the opportunities you've given me to improve as a writer and grow as a person. And who knows? Maybe some day those among us will be published. I'm sure they will. And if not... well. I hope that you're still proud of us anyway, because we're what you've made us and we'd be nothing without you.
Love always,
Stella x
To Nate,
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. YWS is super duper awesomesauce, and it wouldn’t be anywhere near as super duper if you weren’t so freakily amazing and dedicated to it. YWS has helped me a lot, so I have you to thank for that. You keep on adding these amazing things to the site, and although I have no idea where you find the time (or, perhaps, the amount of coffee you’d need to stay up) but, well, it’s fantastic. I used to write awful poetry about death and rumbling storms full of foreboding and ominous stuff, and after a few months on YWS I managed to complete NaNoWriMo and write a few, pretty decent, stories. I haven’t been here for a year yet, but already I feel extremely happy in this wonderful community. All thanks to you.
And happy birthday! Hope it’s a great one.
-AquaMarine
Dear Nate,
I find it so hard to write notes like this because things never come out the way I want them to!
I just wanted to say that I am so, so grateful to you for YWS. It wouldn’t be as wonderful as it is were it not for your huge dedication and passion. I love how I can watch other writers improve through it.
It’s remarkable that it’s not intimidating as it is such a big site and that is down to the way that you run it. You care a great deal about the members, and that really comes across in your operation of the site, and gives it its homely feel! You work so hard to add new features, to introduce new ideas, and to simply make YWS the best it can be, while still being fun and crazy, and that’s what makes the site so attractive.
You really are great and I owe so much of the improvement which I have seen in my writing and editing skills since I became a member almost three years ago, so thank you so much!
Jas
Dear Nate,
You. Are. Awesome. Did anyone ever tell you that? Of course they did, because you're awesome! Who would have thought?
Anyways, I hope you received the shock of your life when you found out about PSF. It is the biggest and best-kept secret in YWS history, I would think, and all for you! Must feel pretty special, huh? Well, I could have made a poorly-rhyming poem about the Nate-monster or a five paragraph story about how great you are, but sometimes it's better to just tell someone. Like now.
I first joined YWS back in June of '09. I haven't been around for even a year, but already it feels like a home away from home. The site and (most of) its members are like family, and provide endless support to me, not to mention a release from damn-near-perpetual boredom. That is so important to me, because I honestly don't know what I would have done without YWS. I would just be another selfish, moany teenager who thought everyone was out to get him and no one understood what he was feeling. Now, I know who I am, and love everyone else more because of it.
Weird, I know, but it's the truth. Those people who say how much they love YWS because it provides a distraction from their oh-so-terrible lives don't really understand what it means to truly love the site for what it was intended for. I guess that means I do. ;)
So yeah. That is why you rock. You rock socks. I am eternally grateful for everything you've done for us (many complete strangers), and fervently hope that YWS keeps going strong. I have too many memories invested in it to see it go down now. Thank you.
Yours wicked truly,
Mr. Knightley
Nate-Eleven months ago, I was a very different person.
I was insecure and shy and eager to share my writing. I tried several online communities with writing sub-forums. Most stories didn’t receive comments, those that did had one or two that said, “it was good” or something along those lines. There was a discussion about this on one of these forums, and my eye crossed a particular comment that said,“Try The Young Writers Society. They’re really good.”
Curious, I typed in the web address and I registered. Within a minute I was hooked. I posted a story and “reviewed” another. I made a ton of awesome friends.I didn’t know I would like it so much. I tried to find the person who recommended the site to thank them, but I just couldn’t. But they wouldn’t have recommended it if you hadn’t have created it.
You’ve spent time, money and your own personal life to bring us something amazing. You’re a visionary because you’re always improving the site and adding really, really cool stuff.
I’ve met amazing people here. My writing has improved so much. I’ve looked at some of my writing from way back before I joined. I cringe. I didn’t know anything. The only people who really looked at my writing were my parents, and of course they didn’t say anything bad.Without this site, I would be absolutely nowhere. That’s why I love to help it out by reviewing and writing articles. I want to help everyone realize what YWS can do for them. You’ve brought happiness to so many people, and you only deserve to be acknowledged.Thank you so very, very much, for everything.
—Elinor Brynn
I long onto my email, grin at the emails from my friends and scroll downward, looking at all the subject lines and frowning at the stupid petition sites that I can’t figure out how to get them to stop emailing me. I see the email from my mom and frown, she never emails me. I click it and the link pops up. “Here’s a site! Looks pretty good, check youngwriterssociety.com” That was the day I found out about the site that would eventually lead to some of the most beautiful, hilarious, profound, and sad things I’d ever read. Not only was this a place of learning the craft I wanted to pursue in my life, but it was a place of relaxation, and collaboration. To share in experience and lend a hand to those whose help was needed. But the day I first looked at the site, I thought it looked nice, and it seemed like it may be good site to show my work. Never once did I think I would make the friends that I have now or that I had so much to learn.
There are many people who have made this experience so incredible. But the most is the creator of the site, Nate. Without all the time and energy Nate puts into this site, I don't think any one of the members that loves and actively contributes to this site with their works and reviews doesn’t go through one visit to this site and see something new Nate’s done, and feel thankful for it. I’ve read several of Nate’s blogs and am impressed with how much time and effort and actual money Nate puts into his creation. YWS costs around $110 dollars; I recall reading at one point and was amazed. It got me thinking about how many things Nate has to consider when making changes to the site, just for the benefit of people like me.
But all his efforts haven’t come to naught. YWS has been recognized as one of the top ten writing websites, and the website and Nate were mentioned in one of President Obama’s speeches. Nate’s earned the pride of be recognized by President Obama, and he’s also earned the pride of the high status and God-like stance many YWSers view him in, which includes myself.
I write this to thank you, Nate, for all you’ve done. From creating YWS in the first place and then making it the amazing place it is today. Its all thanks to you.
Sincerely,
Irishfire
I remember how it was.
In the early days, the graphics were simple and gray and bland. Idiots and trolls abounded. Mods were vengeful angels with swords, sweeping down to put out the fires, the flaming and constant warfare as precocious teen egos clashed and hurt feelings bled from the pages of untried fingers. I was one of the flames and for it, I was banned twice. As with the birth of the universe, as with all babies, the pain faded, the chaos ended and order was imposed.
We make joking comparisons sometimes, about dictators and rulers and Julius Caesar and the man behind the curtain. Fact of the matter is, without this one man’s iron will to keep going no matter the problems, the bugs, the constant attrition of one’s sanity that comes with being around teens for any length of time, we – that is, YWS – would not exist. Certainly not as it does now. He imposed order, he maintained it, he pays for it every day and we cannot count the hours of dedication, the constant work and strain that’s put on him. All so we have a place to go to when we’re bored, so we can express ourselves and our love for the written word.
Now, things are steady and calm (mostly). We have an active membership that complies with the rules, we have thousands of stories and thousands of poems and more, we have a growing education, an increasing awareness of literature and grammar and the wonders of writing. We have a beautiful website that is easy to navigate, where we can bitch and moan on blogs, comment on work, help one another out through the stresses of teen life (now behind me and some others, though sadly replaced with other, more numerous stresses) and generally just be there for each other.
We have all of this because of one man. Because of Nathaniel Lee Caldwell aka Nate aka Lee aka Chimp aka Chimpy McNugget aka Big Brother aka Bathrobe Dude. He didn’t slave just to give us a place to be at online – he slaved to give us a community. A place to belong. Here’s a man who welcomed virtual strangers into his home – several members – and let us sleep over, who fed us and even let me wash my clothes (it was just bad timing on my part, honest, I’d have had nothing to wear otherwise). His kindness and patience are legendary.
It’s hard to define the impact YWS has had on my life. Why? Because I simply can’t imagine my life without it. On some unconscious level, I’ve always known I wanted to write. My passion and love of books was so intense that it quite literally made me want to replicate that feeling in others, that joy. I would never have realised that desire, never have actually understood that this is what I wanted to with my life, if not for YWS. I’m not going to go into just how massive the life-changing decisions I’ve taken are, based on the impact this site has on me, because this isn’t about me.
It’s about Nate.
It’s about recognising and acknowledging his generosity.
It’s about thanking him.
And I would. I honestly, genuinely would, because I have seldom met so generous a person, but I can’t. It would be too insulting to give back just two words for years of effort and hard work. Words in this instance, just aren’t enough. I have nothing else to give but my complete gratitude and utmost respect. No matter what happens from here on in, I will always love and adore this place, this community, this home of homes online.
Sincerely,
Jiggity
Nate- Thank you a thousand times for this amazing website! That would probably be more effective coming from someone who is actually active, but your site has still done so much for me, whether I'm on often or not. I still have endless amounts of friends on facebook that I met through YWS, and having them in my life has made everything so much better, writing-wise and just in general. Before coming to YWS, I had tried a lot of other websites, but my writing never improved. I have no idea what you did to make reviews on this site actually helpful, but you must have done something right! I've seen hundreds of members improve drastically through reviews, and I hope that my own writing has as well! Happy birthday, Nate. You are much loved by us all! ~JFW1415
Dear Nate,
Happy birthday! I hope you have a fantastic day, you totally deserve it. Thanks so much for all your hard work on YWS, and the Lit Journal, and everything in between. YWS is like a second home to me, so I'm epically grateful for everything you do here. You're the best!
Love Matt Bellamy
Dear Nate,
Arial on a white document page comes sometimes across as hostile and that's why I was going to write this by hand at first. But it would've taken a lot of pages and time, since I don't know where to start and where to finish when trying to describe all that gratitude I have toward the Young Writers Society and you for running it. You do so much for us everyday, often without getting so much as a mere smiley as a thank you – :) –, it's a wonder you haven't lost your devotion over the years.
I just passed my second anniversary on YWS -- time goes by so fast! It's amazing how much one can learn in two years. I've always been very fond of the English language, but after joining YWS, it has become a permanent part of my life. I've improved my language skills so much – not to mention my writing– and this is mostly because of YWS and all the friends I've made there.
And that brings me to my second point… I don't know how it's possible, but YWS seems to be some sort of a super-ness magnet -- the people creating the community are just brilliant and so clever and smart and wise and fun and talented, it's been such an honour to meet them. I'm not lying when I say that I've made some of my best friends on YWS, some of whom I talk to every day.
You have truly changed people's lives by creating the Young Writers Society, and I can't thank you enough for that. And to top it all, you're an amazing person -- there should be more people like you!
Thank you so much for everything! You rule!
Demeter
x
Note for Nate the Great:
Hey Nate, We all gush about how much we love you, especially when you give us a shiny new toy to play with, but really, that love and loyalty is there all the time and there can never be enough appreciation flooding your corner of the web. You put so much time and effort into making YWS the best it can be with your vigilant monitoring, updates, new features, gentle (and not so gentle) guidance, and constant patches. You take the time to prank us, slap us on the wrist when we get too far out of line, keep us safe, and force us outside our comfort zone into the wonderful things out there. I don't know what possessed you to stick with us crazies for this long, but I do know that we will never deserve it. Your awesomeness knows no bounds and I wish you many stacks of internet pancakes. In constant awe, ~GryphonFledgling
Greetings, Mr. King of all the land.
I know you don’t really know me all that well, but all the same, I want to say thanks. I really appreciate YWS and it’s completely changed who I am. I would put it up there in the best few things that ever happened to me. I don't think there's anything else I can say, because “Thank you” pretty much covers it. You're awesome, as I'm sure you've been told plenty of times – but here's saying it again.
You're awesome.
~Grin
Dear Nate,
Well, I would have sent you something better, but I couldn't think of anything that would be awesome enough.... so now I'm writing this. Thanks so much for being brilliant enough to create YWS! You are on my list of heroes, second after only my mother. (She demands to be first at all times -.-) Well, that's about it. Have a happy PsF day ;)
xoxo
Isha
Dear Nate,
This year on June 1st, it will be my one year anniversary on The Young Writers Society...and what a year it's been...
I could go on for pages and pages about how amazing YWS is, but I know it would get boring after a while, and I'll try to keep it from being too sappy. But honestly, YWS has changed my life. I'm always asked by all of my mom's friends if I sing, or play guitar, and I never quite knew what to say. Now when people ask me that I can proudly say "I'm a writer." and it's because of YWS that I can say that. It helped bring the writer in me to the surface, I've always loved books and stories but never considered it something I would love doing. Writing turned into something I rarely did, into a huge part of my life.
I never ever thought in a million years that an site on the Internet would have such a big impact on my life. In the last year I've met so many amazing people, read some absolutely stunning works, and had some wonderful advice for my writing.
The community on YWS is something so rare on the Internet, it astounded me when I first joined, I still haven't seen that kind of closeness anywhere else.You're who the members look up to, you're the creator, the head honcho, the man responsible for it all.
The people are what make YWS great, and you're the great person that made YWS.
This project is to thank you for taking the time to keep this amazing place going, and improving on it.
YWS has made me a better writer, a better person, I met someone who became one of my closest friends here, and I can't imagine how different I would be if I hadn't stumbled across it.
So thank you Nate.
You rock.
~ Bondgirl007
Dear Nate,
I can't ever thank you enough for starting YWS. It's helped me improve so much as a writer. You're pretty awesome for simply starting it. It's a brilliant idea, and a wonderful community. This thank you isn't enough - no amount of words will ever be enough - but I want you to know I appreciate everything you've done anyway.
Sincerely, Kara Hargreaves
Dear Nate,
“Thank you” doesn’t seem like enough.
You have made, in short, my safe-haven. YWS is my second home, and about the only place I can talk about home issues. Or anything else for that matter.
My writing has improved by leaps and bounds, as has my reviewing, problem-solving, and being around people (even if they were just letters on a screen). I probably wouldn’t be doing so well in college had I not found YWS. Heck, I probably wouldn’t be in college if I wasn’t on YWS.
YWS has moved so very far past a writing site, and for that I’m thankful. I’ve made some fantastic friends and what keeps me around even when I’m not writing are the wonderful people. YWS’ fifth birthday came around right at the time I was studying online as a type of media. I’m not sure if you ever read the results, as they’re in my blog, but the gist of it is YWS has taken every way to connect online and used it to full capacity. It’s awe-inspiring and wonderful to look at.
One of my role-models, a guy named Mike Holmes who’s slowly but surely changing the building industry in Canada, has a saying: “You get what you give.” Nate, you have given so many hours, lessons, resources, and all-around dedication to YWS. Every person I’ve talked to on the site, just about, wants to be the best member possible just to take advantage of the wonderful place you’ve set up. And every staff member I’ve talked to just wants to help you, and give back. This project wouldn’t be set up if people didn’t want to give back to you in one way or another, now would it?
As for me, I might not always be around, but I’ll keep my foot in the door and my finger on what’s going on. I love YWS too much to leave, and want to help build it up to the most awesome site possible. It’s the least I can do, after being given so much on the site.
I love YWS and hope this project gives back a little of what you’ve given to us. I still don’t think it’s enough for what you’ve given.
~Rosey
Thanks for everything Nate!
-PenNPaper
Dear Monsieur Caldwell,
So. It's been a while since I first made that fateful Google search of "young writers" and I was pretty sure I wasn't going to stick around back then. But I have. I swear there's something in the water that makes YWSers stay. Forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever-
Anyway. I got invited into Project Snow Flurries pretty near the beginning by one of the beauteous creators and I had ideas that I was going to write poems and stories and wonderful things! Somehow though I never got round to it. Things get away from you, and now I feel like an eejit with nothing for you. I'm sorry.
YWS is great for a number of reasons, but in the end, everything comes down to you. Think about it. Layout? You. Critiquing etiquette? You. Fun stuff? You. Moderating team? You. Security? You. The lovely people attracted to the site? You. We have a lot to blame- I mean, thank you for. For keeping us inside on sunny days and making us laugh until our sides split and giving us an outlet. And for, well, everything. It really shows what a wonderful person you are that you would spend so much time and effort on something that has so few material rewards (but I hope that you get some emotional ones).
There. Now I've done sorry-and-thank-you. But I think I should say thank you again. Not just for the site, because we all know that it was wonderful of you to become a webmaster. But for making it a writers' site, and for being such a big and involved part of it. For being so eager to keep it up to date and speed and healthy and happy. I don't think that there's a more welcoming, helpful place out there for young writers than YWS. And again, it comes down to you.
If I've inflated your ego, good. You deserve it. So thank you for all the personal experiences that I've had in YWS, the opportunities you've given me to improve as a writer and grow as a person. And who knows? Maybe some day those among us will be published. I'm sure they will. And if not... well. I hope that you're still proud of us anyway, because we're what you've made us and we'd be nothing without you.
Love always,
Stella x
To Nate,
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. YWS is super duper awesomesauce, and it wouldn’t be anywhere near as super duper if you weren’t so freakily amazing and dedicated to it. YWS has helped me a lot, so I have you to thank for that. You keep on adding these amazing things to the site, and although I have no idea where you find the time (or, perhaps, the amount of coffee you’d need to stay up) but, well, it’s fantastic. I used to write awful poetry about death and rumbling storms full of foreboding and ominous stuff, and after a few months on YWS I managed to complete NaNoWriMo and write a few, pretty decent, stories. I haven’t been here for a year yet, but already I feel extremely happy in this wonderful community. All thanks to you.
And happy birthday! Hope it’s a great one.
-AquaMarine
Dear Nate,
I find it so hard to write notes like this because things never come out the way I want them to!
I just wanted to say that I am so, so grateful to you for YWS. It wouldn’t be as wonderful as it is were it not for your huge dedication and passion. I love how I can watch other writers improve through it.
It’s remarkable that it’s not intimidating as it is such a big site and that is down to the way that you run it. You care a great deal about the members, and that really comes across in your operation of the site, and gives it its homely feel! You work so hard to add new features, to introduce new ideas, and to simply make YWS the best it can be, while still being fun and crazy, and that’s what makes the site so attractive.
You really are great and I owe so much of the improvement which I have seen in my writing and editing skills since I became a member almost three years ago, so thank you so much!
Jas
Dear Nate,
You. Are. Awesome. Did anyone ever tell you that? Of course they did, because you're awesome! Who would have thought?
Anyways, I hope you received the shock of your life when you found out about PSF. It is the biggest and best-kept secret in YWS history, I would think, and all for you! Must feel pretty special, huh? Well, I could have made a poorly-rhyming poem about the Nate-monster or a five paragraph story about how great you are, but sometimes it's better to just tell someone. Like now.
I first joined YWS back in June of '09. I haven't been around for even a year, but already it feels like a home away from home. The site and (most of) its members are like family, and provide endless support to me, not to mention a release from damn-near-perpetual boredom. That is so important to me, because I honestly don't know what I would have done without YWS. I would just be another selfish, moany teenager who thought everyone was out to get him and no one understood what he was feeling. Now, I know who I am, and love everyone else more because of it.
Weird, I know, but it's the truth. Those people who say how much they love YWS because it provides a distraction from their oh-so-terrible lives don't really understand what it means to truly love the site for what it was intended for. I guess that means I do. ;)
So yeah. That is why you rock. You rock socks. I am eternally grateful for everything you've done for us (many complete strangers), and fervently hope that YWS keeps going strong. I have too many memories invested in it to see it go down now. Thank you.
Yours wicked truly,
Mr. Knightley
Nate-
Curious, I typed in the web address and I registered. Within a minute I was hooked. I posted a story and “reviewed” another. I made a ton of awesome friends.I didn’t know I would like it so much. I tried to find the person who recommended the site to thank them, but I just couldn’t. But they wouldn’t have recommended it if you hadn’t have created it.
I long onto my email, grin at the emails from my friends and scroll downward, looking at all the subject lines and frowning at the stupid petition sites that I can’t figure out how to get them to stop emailing me. I see the email from my mom and frown, she never emails me. I click it and the link pops up. “Here’s a site! Looks pretty good, check youngwriterssociety.com” That was the day I found out about the site that would eventually lead to some of the most beautiful, hilarious, profound, and sad things I’d ever read. Not only was this a place of learning the craft I wanted to pursue in my life, but it was a place of relaxation, and collaboration. To share in experience and lend a hand to those whose help was needed. But the day I first looked at the site, I thought it looked nice, and it seemed like it may be good site to show my work. Never once did I think I would make the friends that I have now or that I had so much to learn.
There are many people who have made this experience so incredible. But the most is the creator of the site, Nate. Without all the time and energy Nate puts into this site, I don't think any one of the members that loves and actively contributes to this site with their works and reviews doesn’t go through one visit to this site and see something new Nate’s done, and feel thankful for it. I’ve read several of Nate’s blogs and am impressed with how much time and effort and actual money Nate puts into his creation. YWS costs around $110 dollars; I recall reading at one point and was amazed. It got me thinking about how many things Nate has to consider when making changes to the site, just for the benefit of people like me.
But all his efforts haven’t come to naught. YWS has been recognized as one of the top ten writing websites, and the website and Nate were mentioned in one of President Obama’s speeches. Nate’s earned the pride of be recognized by President Obama, and he’s also earned the pride of the high status and God-like stance many YWSers view him in, which includes myself.
I write this to thank you, Nate, for all you’ve done. From creating YWS in the first place and then making it the amazing place it is today. Its all thanks to you.
Sincerely,
Irishfire
I remember how it was.
In the early days, the graphics were simple and gray and bland. Idiots and trolls abounded. Mods were vengeful angels with swords, sweeping down to put out the fires, the flaming and constant warfare as precocious teen egos clashed and hurt feelings bled from the pages of untried fingers. I was one of the flames and for it, I was banned twice. As with the birth of the universe, as with all babies, the pain faded, the chaos ended and order was imposed.
We make joking comparisons sometimes, about dictators and rulers and Julius Caesar and the man behind the curtain. Fact of the matter is, without this one man’s iron will to keep going no matter the problems, the bugs, the constant attrition of one’s sanity that comes with being around teens for any length of time, we – that is, YWS – would not exist. Certainly not as it does now. He imposed order, he maintained it, he pays for it every day and we cannot count the hours of dedication, the constant work and strain that’s put on him. All so we have a place to go to when we’re bored, so we can express ourselves and our love for the written word.
Now, things are steady and calm (mostly). We have an active membership that complies with the rules, we have thousands of stories and thousands of poems and more, we have a growing education, an increasing awareness of literature and grammar and the wonders of writing. We have a beautiful website that is easy to navigate, where we can bitch and moan on blogs, comment on work, help one another out through the stresses of teen life (now behind me and some others, though sadly replaced with other, more numerous stresses) and generally just be there for each other.
We have all of this because of one man. Because of Nathaniel Lee Caldwell aka Nate aka Lee aka Chimp aka Chimpy McNugget aka Big Brother aka Bathrobe Dude. He didn’t slave just to give us a place to be at online – he slaved to give us a community. A place to belong. Here’s a man who welcomed virtual strangers into his home – several members – and let us sleep over, who fed us and even let me wash my clothes (it was just bad timing on my part, honest, I’d have had nothing to wear otherwise). His kindness and patience are legendary.
It’s hard to define the impact YWS has had on my life. Why? Because I simply can’t imagine my life without it. On some unconscious level, I’ve always known I wanted to write. My passion and love of books was so intense that it quite literally made me want to replicate that feeling in others, that joy. I would never have realised that desire, never have actually understood that this is what I wanted to with my life, if not for YWS. I’m not going to go into just how massive the life-changing decisions I’ve taken are, based on the impact this site has on me, because this isn’t about me.
It’s about Nate.
It’s about recognising and acknowledging his generosity.
It’s about thanking him.
And I would. I honestly, genuinely would, because I have seldom met so generous a person, but I can’t. It would be too insulting to give back just two words for years of effort and hard work. Words in this instance, just aren’t enough. I have nothing else to give but my complete gratitude and utmost respect. No matter what happens from here on in, I will always love and adore this place, this community, this home of homes online.
Sincerely,
Jiggity
Dear Nate,
Happy birthday! I hope you have a fantastic day, you totally deserve it. Thanks so much for all your hard work on YWS, and the Lit Journal, and everything in between. YWS is like a second home to me, so I'm epically grateful for everything you do here. You're the best!
Love Matt Bellamy
Dear Nate,
Arial on a white document page comes sometimes across as hostile and that's why I was going to write this by hand at first. But it would've taken a lot of pages and time, since I don't know where to start and where to finish when trying to describe all that gratitude I have toward the Young Writers Society and you for running it. You do so much for us everyday, often without getting so much as a mere smiley as a thank you – :) –, it's a wonder you haven't lost your devotion over the years.
I just passed my second anniversary on YWS -- time goes by so fast! It's amazing how much one can learn in two years. I've always been very fond of the English language, but after joining YWS, it has become a permanent part of my life. I've improved my language skills so much – not to mention my writing– and this is mostly because of YWS and all the friends I've made there.
And that brings me to my second point… I don't know how it's possible, but YWS seems to be some sort of a super-ness magnet -- the people creating the community are just brilliant and so clever and smart and wise and fun and talented, it's been such an honour to meet them. I'm not lying when I say that I've made some of my best friends on YWS, some of whom I talk to every day.
You have truly changed people's lives by creating the Young Writers Society, and I can't thank you enough for that. And to top it all, you're an amazing person -- there should be more people like you!
Thank you so much for everything! You rule!
Demeter
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