YWW Community Guidelines

By creating an account on our site, you agree to follow these guidelines and uphold these standards at all times.

Philosophy:

The Young Writers Workshop Community (YWWC) provides students with a place to interact with each other on writing-related topics, join small groups for critique and accountability, and make friends with other writers.

The goal of the YWWC is to:

• Support writers in their writing goals
• Allow writers to support each other
• Motivate writers to develop good writing habits through regular challenges and accountability
• Encourage students to share advice and knowledge
• Provide a place for writers to get feedback on their writing
• Do all of these things in a way that uplifts students in their Christian faith

What does it mean that the YWWC is a Christian community?

We behave in a manner befitting God’s people.

“For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

We encourage students to discuss their faith openly and freely.

“I will praise the Lord at all times;

His praise will always be on my lips.

I will boast in the Lord;

the humble will hear and be glad.

Proclaim Yahweh’s greatness with me;

let us exalt His name together.” (Psalm 34:1-3)

We refrain from judging one another based on the mercy with which God has judged us.

"Don’t criticize one another, brothers. He who criticizes a brother or judges his brother criticizes the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?” (James 4:11-12)

Principles of Good Community Behavior:

These rules apply to the public spaces, private writing groups, private messages, and individual profile pages.

1. Use Kind Words and Clean Language

In everything you say, aim to build up and encourage. If you are correcting someone, do so kindly. If you are giving critique, do so respectfully.

DO NOT put down, make fun of, bully, objectify, insult, or harass anyone, including people who are not members of our community. DO NOT make belittling, racist, or sexist remarks against anyone or any group of people, including people who are not members of our community. There is no excuse for such behavior in a Christian or in a professional setting.

If you find yourself getting frustrated, wait five minutes before replying. Always re-read your comments before posting, and avoid posting anything impulsively.

1.1. Rules About Swear Words

Every culture has different definitions of swear words, and as a community made up of people all over the world, we must all refrain from using certain words that others count as swearing. To respect everyone’s different boundaries and maintain a professional environment:

• Swearing must never be used or shared on the general Community, whether in writing, comments, snippets, discussions, PMs, or links to your writing. This includes words that are completely starred out.
• If you are writing a character who swears, you may write “he cursed” or “she swore.” But you may NOT use swear words or symbols in their dialogue.
• While writing containing swear words may be posted in the Sensitive Topics spaces, the words must be partially starred out.
• Examples of cuss words include d**n, bl**dy, s**t, and h**l (when used as a swear).
• Do not use the Lord’s name in vain in any context, even abbreviated. “Oh my gosh” is okay, but saying “OMG” or “Jesus Christ” in a swearing context is not.

2. Be Helpful to Others

The YWW Community succeeds based on people’s willingness to help each other. By supporting each other in our writing journeys, our community and our writing thrives.

If you see a question that you can answer, answer it! Don’t be intimidated if you don’t know the person asking for help, or if you think they’re a more advanced writer than you. People come to the YWWC to get help. If you can help them, do so! Answer any question that you can (even in the Ask an Instructor space!), or tag someone that you think might be able to. Similarly, don’t hesitate to give feedback on writing, especially in the Editing and Feedback space.

If you’re having trouble fitting in, one of the best ways to form stronger relationships is to help others. Being helpful to others makes them want to help you.

2.1. Students in Distress

It’s not uncommon for students to bring their struggles to the YWWC so that others can pray for and support them. Some students suffer from physical or mental illness. Some students have difficult home, school, or church situations. Some students get overwhelmed by their writing or their other commitments. On the YWWC, we strive to support each other through hard times.

Even if you yourself don’t often struggle with depressing or anxious feelings, be aware that everyone reacts to stress differently, and some stressors may hit some students harder than others. Avoid making judgments—you don’t know what that other student is going through. Instead, always act with kindness.

If you see a comment that makes you concerned about a student’s physical safety, please take a screenshot of the concerning comment and send it in a private message to the Student Support Advocate and Community Manager. Also message at least two Community Assistants so they can be sure the staff members see the messages quickly.

You are required to alert the Student Support Advocate and Community Manager if you hear of a student being abused or struggling with self harm, an eating disorder, or suicidal thoughts. For more information on what to do in this situation, see our Resources for Suffering Students.

2.2. Spam and Tags

Talking to friends and having fun with them is a big part of what makes the YWWC special. However, intentionally spamming takes up peoples’ time and can make our community run more slowly. Here are a few principles to keep in mind:

• Don’t tag large groups of people without a good reason. An example of a good reason is if people asked to be tagged in posts like yours (e.g., asking to be on the tag list for a snippet series). Another good reason is thinking of each person individually and specifically. But don’t tag tons of random people just to have more eyes on your post.
• Silly conversations are okay, but don’t make excessive posts or comments where the only purpose is spam (e.g., posting hundreds of emojis or blowing up a friend’s notifications with dozens of separate tags as a joke).

3. Ask for Help

We can’t help each other if no one ever asks for help! Remember, we are here for each other. Everyone will need help at some point, including you.

Don’t be afraid to ask a question that seems silly or insignificant. Every writer starts at the beginning, and every writer is sympathetic to what it feels like to struggle with what might seem like the “basics.”

To get the most help, word your question as specifically as possible, and give any necessary background information about your situation.

Do your best to ask for help in the appropriate space. For a list of spaces, go to the Directory (click on the link in the top menu) and choose Spaces. If you pick the wrong space to ask a question, don’t worry—we’ll simply move the question to the appropriate spot or ask you to do so.

4. Do Not Judge

The YWWC is a Christian program in that it supports students in their expression and profession of their Christian faith. However, the YWWC has members from lots of different cultural and religious backgrounds—mainly within Christianity, but also outside of it. You will likely find students in this group that defy your idea of what it means to be Christian, or what a healthy expression of Christianity looks like.

For the sake of keeping the peace and maintaining the community’s focus on writing, we ask students to refrain from judging one another or engaging in unwelcome debates.

This, however, does NOT mean that you should set aside your own convictions, or feel pressured to support a message you’re not comfortable supporting.

Rather:

• Do not accuse another student of not being a Christian.
• Respond graciously, not harshly, to those you disagree with.
• Give other students the benefit of the doubt that they have well thought out reasons for their beliefs, and are trying to do what is right before God.

4.1. Politics on the YWWC

Politics has more power to divide than almost any other topic. Social media sites have become plagued with conflict due to people’s differences in political beliefs.

Therefore, we do not allow students to post political statements or calls to political action, including politically-themed debates, calls to vote for a certain individual or party, requests to sign a petition, requests to contact a representative on an issue, or prayers asking for a certain political outcome.

This is not to say that you must actively hide your political opinions on the YWWC. Politics may come up from time to time, and that’s okay. In order to promote a culture of respect rather than judgment, we ask that students keep in mind the biblical principles in this “Do Not Judge” section when it comes to politics.

The following are the only exceptions to our rule about political statements:

• You may post writing that is political in nature in the Editing and Feedback space in order to receive critique on the writing.
• In the YDubber Publications space, you may post links to your own blog or website with political content, or links to published articles that you have written.
• In the Prayer and Praise space, you may ask for prayers about certain political subjects as long as the prayer does not implicitly support one side or another. An example of an appropriate prayer request is: “Please pray for wisdom for congress as they vote on issue X.”

5. Act with Humility

As a community dedicated to helping each other, we all suffer when people put on pretenses to appear more important or knowledgeable than they are.

Some tips for staying humble:

• Expect that you’ll be wrong sometimes—everyone is! If someone corrects you, don’t feel insulted, but respond graciously.
• Give advice freely, but don’t be offended if someone doesn’t take it. Each writer must do what’s right for their audience, goals, and/or story. And even if you were right, they may have to learn that particular lesson a different way.
• If it comes up, be honest about your own mistakes. It encourages others to do the same, and it may help people who are in the same situation you faced.
• Cultivate an attitude of caring about other people’s success, instead of feeling threatened by it. When people achieve their goals, celebrate with them! Don’t judge yourself by other people’s achievements—this breeds bitterness and leads to pride once you achieve your own success.

5.1. Sharing Your Work to Grow Your Platform

This is a place for young writers to support one another, not irresponsibly push and promote themselves. Make an effort to “give” as much as you “take.”

What’s the difference between sharing appropriately and a lack of humility? It’s largely a question of intent and of scale. Here are some things to avoid:

• Posting links to your blog, website, writing, event, or product outside of the appropriate spaces—examples of appropriate spaces include Blogging and Social Media, YDubber Publications, or your profile.
• Posting the same post in multiple spaces at once.
• Posting links to your blog, website, etc. unreasonably often.
• Re-posting a link over and over again to try to increase the traffic.
• Posting affiliate links (i.e., a link that you get commission from when somebody uses it).
• Using the YWW community as the sole means of developing your platform.
• Using the YWW community only for developing your platform.

6. Do Not Manipulate

It is never acceptable to try to manipulate your fellow students. Examples of manipulative behavior include trying to make the other person trust you more than their loved ones, guilt-tripping people into helping you with something, making people concerned for your wellbeing on false pretenses, or pushing people to discuss content they’re not willing to engage with.

Do not attempt to push anyone into believing or doing something through nagging, repeated posting, pointed questions, bringing up the topic over and over, insulting the person, or insinuating judgment if they don’t agree with you.

If someone asks you to stop doing something, stop.

7. Respect Everyone

Everyone here has different beliefs, philosophies, and backgrounds. Everyone is made in the image of God and precious to Him, and therefore worthy of respect.

Use Romans 14 as your guide when seeking to respect your fellow students.

“One person believes he may eat anything, but one who is weak eats only vegetables. One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat, and one who does not eat must not criticize one who does, because God has accepted him. Who are you to criticize another’s household slave? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand. For the Lord is able to make him stand.” (Romans 14:2-4)

“Therefore, let us no longer criticize one another. Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in your brother’s way.” (Romans 14:13)

For example:

• One who uses swear words in their writing must not look down on one who does not, and one who does not use swear words in their writing must not criticize one who does, because God has accepted him. Therefore, let us no longer criticize one another. Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in your brother’s way by using swear words in front of him.

Here are some guidelines that we have put in place to avoid placing stumbling blocks in front of each other:

7.1. Images to Avoid Posting:

• Sexually suggestive images, objectifying images, or nudity
• Images of devils or demons
• Images in which a person swears or makes a lewd gesture
• Images of underage people smoking or drinking alcohol (under age 21)
• Images that depict illegal drug use (including marijuana use, which is not legal everywhere)
• Images of R-rated gore or violence
• Images depicting death, imminent death, or dead bodies
• Images depicting physical or sexual abuse
• Images that depict any other illegal behavior

The instructors reserve the right to remove any image that they deem inappropriate for the community, even if it does not fall into one of the above categories.

7.2. Content and Discussions:

Our students have many different ideas about what’s appropriate to write about, and we do not aim to dictate what our students include in their writing. However, for the safety and comfort of all our students, certain topics require special precautions.

Discussions, depictions, and descriptions of the following topics MUST be posted in the Sensitive Topics space:

1. Demons, devils, or demonic forces
2. Swearing or racial slurs
3. Abuse, whether physical, emotional, or sexual
4. Self-harm, eating disorders, or suicide. Writing that includes depictions of the act of suicide (attempted or successful) should never be shared.
5. Sexual encounters or sexual temptation. Writing that includes explicit sex scenes should never be shared.
6. LGBT+ topics
7. Extreme violence or horrific medical gore
8. Recreational drug use or alcohol abuse

Discussions, depictions, and descriptions of this content should ONLY occur in our Sensitive Topics spaces, not in public spaces, nor on your profile, nor in private messages. (See the FAQ for more details.)

You are allowed to mention these topics directly on the community as long as they are truly just a mention. True mentions do not discuss or elaborate on the topic past a single sentence.

Do not link directly to web pages containing sensitive topics outside of the Sensitive Topics space. Direct links to websites that have sensitive topics on them, but NOT on the page you’re linking to, can be linked with appropriate content warnings. Be aware that following any link off the YWWC may result in seeing content that would not be allowed under our guidelines.

Exception: You may include sensitive topics in a book you share with Alpha or Beta readers on the community, even if they’re not members of the Sensitive Topics spaces, because the context of an entire book provides much more nuance than a short snippet. Readers must opt in and receive the link via private message; it cannot be posted directly on the community.

Discussions, depictions, and descriptions containing the following topics STILL require a content “label” but may be posted directly on the community:

1. Alcohol use or smoking
2. Wizardry, witchcraft, or sorcery (i.e. regular humans using magic)
3. Potentially gross descriptions of injuries or medical issues
4. Hate crimes towards real-life groups and cultures
5. Romantic touch or sexual tension
   

You are allowed to mention these topics on the community without a content label as long as they are truly just a mention. True mentions do not discuss or elaborate on the topic past a single sentence.

Any links directly to web pages containing these topics must contain a content label.

In addition to the above list, the Community Manager and Instructors reserve the right to limit any post or topic to the Sensitive Topics space if they feel the post/topic is potentially disturbing or disruptive to the community.

Click here to read our frequently asked questions about content warnings and labels.

Special note about character deaths:

While death is a heavy topic to write about, it comes up frequently in stories. We don’t require content labels for death, but here’s some guidance to keep in mind:

• Be respectful and keep other people’s best interests in mind. We want to avoid fixating on death in an unhealthy way. Remember that other students may be struggling through grief from losing a loved one, so honor them by treating character deaths appropriately.
• No posting snippets where the main purpose is to describe the death of a real, living person, not even in the Sensitive Topics spaces.

• Snippet series with real people as characters that include occasional death scenes in the context of a larger story are okay (e.g., a series where YDubbers base fantasy characters off each other).
• This rule is in place because while for one person it may be a fun snippet, it may be unhealthy for another student who is struggling.

7.3. Roleplaying

Any extended back and forth interaction in a fictional setting is considered a roleplay, whether you’re acting as a character or as yourself. Students may roleplay only within the designated space, Story Day. The space opens the first Thursday of every month and closes at the end of Saturday.

You can learn more about How to RP and you can find our RP Guidelines in the Story Day space. See the Characters space for our distinction between Roleplaying and Character Interviews.

7.4. Debates

In the YWWC, we are here to support each other in our writing, not to argue over debatable matters. However, some people may write about things you disagree with, so you may at some point find yourself in a debate or tempted to start one.

Asking a person questions is always allowed as long as they are honest questions and not pointed or condescending. Stating that you disagree with someone is also allowed.

However, debating the morality or correctness of someone’s beliefs is only allowed if you mutually agree to debate about the topic. If a debate is not being invited, you should assume the person doesn’t want one.

If something is turning into a debate, stop and say, “This is turning into a debate. Do you want to keep debating this?” A mutually agreed-upon debate can be healthy and enlightening, but a one-sided debate can drive someone away from you, your ideas, and the community as a whole.

7.5. Social Engagement

We encourage students to form friendships and make connections, both personal and professional, with one another. Due to the wide range of backgrounds and ages, there are a few principles to keep in mind:

• Romantic relationships: YWW neither encourages nor discourages students from entering romantic relationships with each other. We advise caution, and minor students should communicate with their parents and seek their input. However, there are a few circumstances where we will intervene.

• Relationships with large age gaps where at least one student is a minor.
• Relationships between any adult and minor student. While these relationships can be appropriate when the age gap is small, YWW staff will notify the minor’s parents to be sure they are aware.
• Flirtatious behavior between students that is excessive, overly public, or unwelcome.

• Adult students:

• Remember that children as young as twelve use this community. While they often show great wisdom, maturity, and skill as writers, it’s important to remember that there is an inherent power imbalance between a minor and an adult, especially with a large age gap.
• Think about younger students the same way you would think about teens at your church or in your community, and maintain appropriate boundaries.
• Remember that minor students are under their parents’ authority, even if you disagree with the rules their parents have for them.
• Even as you become friends and help each other in the writing journey, be sure to exercise caution in what you share with young students. And when you’re looking for help or emotional support, seek it from people close to your own status in life.

• Minor students:

• Think about adult students the same way you would think of young adults who you know in person. It’s great to become friends and help each other in the writing journey, but be aware of the age gap.
• If you ever feel uncomfortable with how an older student is interacting, you are always welcome and encouraged to reach out to the Community Manager or a Community Assistant.

Congratulations! You have found the secret word. The word is Snickerdoodles.

Frequently asked questions:

What if I’m not comfortable with what someone is doing or posting?

Copy a link or take a picture of the questionable post, and then pick the option that you’re most comfortable with:

• Ask a Community Assistant for help by sending them a private message
• Ask the Community Manager (Rachel Scheller) for help by sending her a private message

Is it disrespectful to ask someone specific not to edit my work, be a beta reader, or be in my roleplay?

It is perfectly fine to ask someone to refrain from interacting with your writing—as long as you have a reason. Perhaps they are just not part of your target audience and their feedback wouldn’t be helpful, or perhaps they were disrespectful to you or made you uncomfortable in the past. Feel free to seek a CA or the CM for support or advice if you’re unsure of what to do or how to approach the situation.

What if I share a google doc link on the YWWC, and my friends and I roleplay or discuss sensitive topics there? Is that against the rules?

Yes, sharing a google doc link (or link to another app/site) on the YWWC with the purpose of engaging in activity against our guidelines IS still against our guidelines. Just as our guidelines extend to Google Docs containing writing that people post for critique, they also cover links where students are inviting each other to engage in activities or discussions.

If you would like to have a discussion or engage in a roleplay that isn’t allowed on the YWWC, you must contact your friends off of the YWWC (through email, text, etc) to do so.

Note that contacting friends off the community may result in discussions that go outside our content guidelines. While we can take action if we learn that a student is engaging in illegal, predatory, or dangerous behavior off the community, students are not bound by the YWWC’s content and discussion guidelines when they talk to each other off the community. Contact friends at your own risk and get permission first if you’re a minor.

Video/Phone Calls

We take student safety very seriously on the YWWC. One way we do this is by making it difficult for predators to take advantage of our community.

Students sometimes organize meetings and events that involve an audio or video call. These events are NOT supervised by YWW staff, and they must follow certain rules:

• Minors must have parental permission to participate in any call (group or one-on-one). Parents must understand that these are student-organized and unmoderated.
• Regardless of parental permission, adults (18 or older) cannot organize one-on-one calls with minors of the opposite sex, unless the two students are within two years of each other.
• Calls organized or linked on the community, including in private messages, may not have the purpose of breaking community guidelines (e.g., no calls to discuss sensitive topics with students whose parents don’t allow them in the sensitive topics spaces).

The YWWC’s Plagiarism Policy

Students frequently share their writing and ideas on the YWWC. Without this openness, our Community would be far less helpful for everyone. However, this open sharing makes many students nervous that their writing may be copied, or their ideas stolen.

In order to dissuade students from unfairly using the work and ideas of others, the YWWC reserves the right to remove a student from the community if he or she is found to have plagiarized or infringed on the copyright of any other writer, including another student.

So, if you are using someone else’s words, even if you’re quoting from a web sharing site like Pinterest, be safe and acknowledge where the words came from.

Keep in mind that being inspired by someone else’s idea is perfectly fine and very normal for writers. Just be sure that if you decide to write something based on someone else’s idea, you are also adding your own unique spin to the piece.

Finally: if you are helping someone brainstorm ideas for their writing, it’s implicitly understood that they are allowed to use the ideas that you thought of. That’s why you’re helping them brainstorm, after all! However, it’s still the responsibility of the other student to credit you if they use any of your exact words.

In order to understand the nuances of copyright and plagiarism, see The Young Writer’s Guide to Plagiarism and Copyright. We highly recommend that every YWW student watch, read, or listen to this lesson!

Accounts and Membership

Only one user per account. You must not let anyone else (even another YDubber) post from your account, and you must not post from anyone else’s account.

Additionally, asking questions on the community, sharing writing snippets, or getting feedback from other students is part of the privileges students pay for. Therefore, you may not do any of these activities on behalf of a friend (including a former student) who is not part of the program.

For example, you cannot post a question on behalf of a non-YDubber friend who is struggling to finish a draft. (You can, however, ask a question on how you can support your friend, because that pertains to you and not your friend.)

You may post writing co-authored between you and a non-YDubber friend, but you may not post writing solely by a non-YDubber.

Consequences

If you fail to follow these guidelines, consequences vary. Depending on the infraction, we reserve the right to suspend students from our program, either temporarily or permanently. Usually, however, the consequence is simply a reminder and explanation.

Thank you for reading our guidelines and doing your best to follow them!