This is where I will share all my SWC writing ^^

Daily - 2nd July
Remember when you used to ask questions to a Magic 8 Ball? Here’s a project in which you can do that! https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/710721692/ Today, ask the ball a plot-related question, which will be related to your prompt. The outcome will then influence what happens in the story. For example, I could ask “Will I meet aliens?” and the answer could be “Most likely”, and then I could write a scene about meeting aliens. For 500 points, write at least 400 words with this prompt, and 100 extra points if you provide proof of your writing!

Writing: 408 words

Deadzone

A pale silhouette remains imprinted on the glass as I peel away my palm, the mark fading away quickly to reveal the black void on the other side. As I exhale, a swirling mist materialises in the cold air. I wonder if any signal could reach the surface anymore, or if I’m separated from human contact…
A robotic voice startles me out of my thoughts.

“We have reached five thousand metres, Current water pressure of four thousand six hundred. ”

I guess it’s too late to go back anyway.

I turn away from the window and walk back to the control room. The harsh echo my boots make on the metal with every step makes me long to be one solid land. It makes me long to be with someone, anyone. Just not alone a league under the ocean.

I pull on my helmet as I open the airlock, water rushing into the room. All at once, the main lights shut off, plunging me into pure darkness. I fiddle with my suit, connecting the air tanks to my helmet automatically. My hands remember the pattern of movements despite the fact that I can’t see.

Nevertheless, I feel a rush of relief when clean oxygen enters the helmet.

After what feels like an eternity, the unit on my wrist lights up, shouting statistics and data through its pretty numbers and strings of letters. A sickening feeling drops in my stomach as I feel myself drifting away from the submarine. What If I never made it back from this mission?
No one on the surface would know for months.

Strong, practised strokes propel me through the water. On my wrist unit, I’m only a tiny dot on a huge empty panel - a tiny dot moving towards a much larger, flashing cross.

A faint light appears in the darkness, moving towards me quite fast. I hold my breath - the only sound being my heartbeat, fast and loud and in the silence. A vast, misshapen jaw appears from out of the dark, rows and rows of pointed teeth glistening in the faint illumination. I scramble backwards, the water suddenly feeling like treacle. I brace myself, but the attack never comes… As I reopen my eyes, the realisation hits me. An angler fish - not capable of eating humans. I almost laugh at my own foolishness.

I need to be more careful if I want any chance of making it to the deadzone city alive.

(to be continued? :eyes: )

Daily - 3rd July (utc)
Today is Compliment Your Mirror Day! We all have good things we’ve done in our lives that we should be proud of, and acts of kindness are one of them. So today, for 400 points, write at least 300 words writing about a time you helped someone! No bonus points for proof today.

Writing: 448 words

Woodtech

Excited chatter echoed throughout the classroom, every student watching the clock as the minute hand slowly made its way towards twelve. It was just a few more minutes until we were free from that place… and then we got two whole weeks for the winter holidays.

It wasn't actually a long time in the scheme of things, but in our eyes as we waited for the bell, it meant 14 days without having to wake up too early, wear a uniform, or do classwork.

We were in a double woodtech class, finishing off our quarter yearly projects - designing and creating a small electrical car. Most students finished their car early, and were talking and messing around in a separate classroom. I’d been sick for a bit, meaning I was a bit behind in what we were doing for the project, so I was still hurriedly working in the woodtech room. The other students who were still working were either very close to being finished, or had that ‘don't care’ kind of attitude towards their project.

I was measuring and cutting out the pieces of wood and foam, and sanding them down to size, before glueing them together. The other students who were working were free handing what they were cutting out of wood and foam, or making their car a literal rectangle on wheels, much to the disappointment of our tech teacher. Eventually they finished and left the room, and I was alone in the classroom. The teacher examined my work, then told me it was fine I was last because of the effort I was putting in. I finished sanding, then made sure my car worked properly.

At this point, it was very close to the end of school, I was alone in the wood tech room and the teacher was elsewhere. I cleaned up my working space and put all the tools away. I then noticed that many other students had left their space in a mess, covered in foam, wood shavings and tools. I put most of the tools away, (well, most – I had no idea where the metal hammers came from…) and organised the leftover foam into a pile. I then went to join the rest of the class in the other classroom.

Soon after, the teacher called us all back to the woodtech room, to wish us happy holidays. He asked the class several times to help sweep down one of the desks before leaving. Everyone pretended not to hear or busied themselves with their school bags. The bell went and everyone rushed out of the classroom. I was the only student who stayed back a couple minutes to help clean the desks.

Daily - 4th July (utc)
Have you ever seen a sentence that could be interpreted in two or more ways? That’s ambiguity. However, that's different from a sentence that just doesn't have the details necessary to understand it, which is vagueness. The difference between the two is what we will be focusing on today. Today, write two separate dialogues, the first one where a character is being vague, and the second where a character is being ambiguous. Each dialogue must be at least 250 words long, for 500 points. Sharing your writing will earn you 200 bonus points!

Writing total: 521 words
Part 1: 268 words
Part 2: 253 words

Vagueness

Lara carefully and quietly opened the door to Oliver’s room - without knocking. She tiptoed over to the far side of the room where Oliver was sleeping in his bed, before yelling.
“Congratulations Oliver!”
Oliver grunted, and sat up. “Yup. It’s that day isn't it.”
Lara nodded in agreement.
Oliver a hairbrush and began combing his messy hair. “Did you do the thing?”
Lara hesitated. “As long as we are thinking of the same thing…”
“You had better be.” Oliver sounded dead serious, but chose not to elaborate.
Together they walked into the kitchen to make breakfast.
“I will make pancakes today, for you! They are your favourite right?” Lara smiled at Oliver.
“What!? How could you do that to me? Especially today…” He looked ready to burst into tears.
“Huh? Fine, you can make breakfast”
Oliver looked hurt. “But you promised. I can not believe you would do this.”
“I have no idea what you mean Oliver, but if you do what you said you would, we're all going to get in trouble. Just don’t even try.”
“Wait… what did I say I would do? The thing we saw that kid do yesterday?”
“At school? Yeah that. Don’t do it.”
“Don’t do what?”
“The thing! Fine… I’ll bake a cake. What colour do you want?”
“Red!” Oliver looked very unhappy as Lara opened the cupboard to pull out a box of food dye.
“What shade of red?”
“Just red.”
“This red? It's a nice colour!” Lara held up a warm shade of scarlet food colouring.
“WHA-” Oliver spluttered. “I asked for a RED cake!”
“What do you mean…”

Ambiguity

Lara kicked the door open and charged into her younger brother, Oliver’s, room.
“Hey La-” Oliver hesitated, staring at the fluffy bundle clutched in his sister's arms. “What on earth is that?”
“A chicken! I won it from the farmer’s fair today.”
Oliver patted the chicken's soft feathers. “That chicken looks ready to eat…”
Lara glared daggers at her brother. “Get away from him! Elliot is a pet!”
It took several seconds for Oliver to realise what she meant. “Oh… no I meant he looked hungry-”
“Don’t bother.” The door slammed shut behind her.
***
A few minutes later, Lara was dealing with the difficult task of explaining where the chicken came from to her parents.
“Well…” She stuttered. “I saw chickens at the fair and-”
Her mother cut her off.
“What do you mean you saw chickens at the fair!? That’s animal cruelty Lara!” There was a horrified expression on her face.
“No! I mean I spotted chickens!”
“You what? Painting spots on chickens is still animal mistreatment.”
Lara sighed. “No… I just mean I could see the chickens, so I went over to them. I put some money in for the lottery they were holding there, and I won Elliot the chicken!”
Oliver walked out of his bedroom. “What? You have to show me this fair Lara. Can you call me a taxi so I can go to the fair?”
“Huh? Why would I do that? Alright…”
Lara looked Oliver right in the eyes, and said with absolute confidence; “You are a taxi.”

Daily - 5th July (utc)
Ah yes, proverbs. We all have in some way heard of these pieces of wisdom passed through short sentences. Today, we will be using them! For 400 points, write at least 300 words of a story that takes inspiration from a proverb (perhaps using it as the story's moral, perhaps incorporating it into the story somehow - it's up to you).

Writing: 362 words

“Curiosity killed the cat”

Silently, one paw in front of the other, it made its way across the fence. A three metre drop, and yet it takes not a single glance down. Nose in the air, it navigates through the darkness with complete ease.

She’s a house cat, as black as midnight and as tricky as can be. During the day, she sleeps. During the night, she slips outside through a narrowly open window, only to return before anyone notices.

She knows her way around the city better than a human knows the back of their hand, and with the confidence of someone who knows they will never be caught.

A glance to the right, a glance to the left, and a duck as she takes a leap into the bushes. She saw something in the distance, and she wanted to know what it was.

The cat’s silhouette was barely visible in the faint illumination from the almost full moon, but any onlookers would have noticed the creature make its way across the fences and between the rooftops of the houses. However, on this cold, dark night, it’s unlikely that anyone was watching what was going on outside.

By now, it would have been clear to said /nonexistent/ audience that her destination was the odd glowing shape coming from the park. Her movements became more determined, her ears pressing back against her head as her walk turned into a bounding run.

Eventually, she stops in the middle of the park, the glowing lights found to be coming from a large oval shape blending into the dark void of sky.

With less confidence now, she steps right up to the beam of green light that spans several metres across the grass. Hesitantly, she lifts one front paw, and sticks it into the light. The fluff on her paw begins to rise, much to the cat’s surprise. Now, if any human had been watching, they would have assumed this was a bizarre, otherworldly happening, and would have attempted to get the cat away from that thing. Unfortunately, that is not how this story goes.

The cat seems torn between instinct and curiosity. She then steps into the light.

Daily - 6th July (utc)
Do you believe in horoscopes? Today, find your sign’s horoscope at https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/711163750 and use it as a writing prompt! Write at least 500 words to earn 600 points for your cabin, and earn an additional 200 points for sharing proof of your writing. If you would prefer not to reveal your zodiac sign, you can choose a random horoscope. If there are other reasons you are uncomfortable with this daily, contact someone on the daily team (see bottom of description) and we’ll give you an alternative prompt.

Writing: 643 words

Horoscopes

It sounds like daggers are raining down on the roof, but as I glance outside the window for the thousandth time tonight, I am assured, it is only hail. Usually, I would think it was kind of cool that ice was falling from the sky. Tonight though, it’s only a reminder I’m stuck inside while all my friends hang over together at their houses.
I pull the curtains closed over the window, shutting out the faint light from the street lamps and the neighbouring buildings. My bedroom is illuminated as I turn on my phone and pull my headphones over my head. That blank white screen is taunting me. I glance at the various messaging apps lined up at the bottom of the homepage. No notifications. As far as they have told me, they should all be at their own homes not doing much on this late night. The photos they have just posted suggests otherwise.
“Why me?” I whisper the words without considering what I was saying, but my question is genuine. All my friends are out together tonight, but none of them considered messaging me. Did I do something wrong?
I lie down on my back and stare into the darkness. I’m probably overthinking everything. It doesn't mean anything if they want to hang out without me. Perhaps they just forgot to ask me…
I pull my eyes back to my phone. There is no point wondering, no point wallowing in any self-pity. Afterall, what do I have to lose at this point? I sit up and turn the lights on, filled with a defiant determination I didn’t realise existed until a moment ago.
I tap the small green speech bubble symbol, opening my friend’s chat group.
“Hey” It takes less than a second to type the simple word, but my fingers hesitate over the send button. I can’t do this through a text. I open my saved contacts. I click on my best friend’s number - and I call her.
The ringing echoes with the sound of the storm outside, my bedroom becoming loud and almost overwhelming. It’s not overwhelming though - it helps drown out the nervous feeling that has settled in my stomach.
I let the phone ring out for a while - After All, I know all my friends have their phones on them. After what feels like an eternity, but is probably only several dozens of seconds, the ringing goes silent. Small white numbers begin counting up from zero on the screen.
I lift the device to my ear. “H- Hey Jas”
“Hey Lara.”
“What's up?”
“…”
“…”
“Not much. Why?”
“What are you up to?”
“I’m at Charlotte’s house. We're organising stuff.”
I take a deep breath, mentally preparing myself for the next question I need to ask. I go through the words in my head; ‘I was just wondering, how come you haven’t wanted to hang out with me recently? Did I do something wrong?’
I open my mouth to speak, but the words don’t come out.
Jas cuts me off.
“Why don’t you come over!”
“Uh- alright?”
Jas hangs up the phone, and I’m left in silence again.
It’s a five minute walk to Charlotte's house, but I manage to make it in under three minutes, sprinting through the hail with a soon broken umbrella.
I knock on the door, but no one answers.
“Oh seriously.” I mutter the words under my breath, and let myself in. After all, this time I did get an invite.
I walked into the main room, where colourful decorations, tables and streamers hung up.
No way. I felt a grin forming on my face, as much as I was trying to hold it back. I had completely forgotten. I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I turn to face my smiling friends. It's my birthday. It’s May. Afterall, I am Taurus.

Daily - 8th July (utc)
Today is another classic SWC daily — copy and paste a song into Google Translate, translate it into a few different languages, and then translate it back to English and use the messed-up lyrics as a writing prompt. Write at least 400 words to earn 500 points for your cabin. Also, make sure to prepare your cabin for cabin wars tomorrow!

The song Eggs and Soldiers through google translate:

I looked over his shoulder, Just think for a moment, But I'm running out of time, I always eat fruit with the army, I stayed for a while, In the third, it happened in the basket, Switch to beef and peas and grow, Shoot the clouds, Songs are grown in the wrong soil, Fluffy flops around, Cut down the trees, Explore the sky underground, Lost, but now found, Because we drink the sea, We will play like the fall of Venice, The ship will not be rescued from the water for the time being, We climbed a hill but fell to the ground, We climbed a hill but fell to the ground, We climbed a hill but fell to the ground, I looked over his shoulder, Just think for a moment, But I'm running out of time, I always eat fruit with the army, I stayed for a while, In the third, it happened in the basket, Switch to beef and beans and grow, Shoot the clouds, Songs are grown in the wrong soil, Fluffy flops around, Aloha Tom Thumb, This happened, You never get an answer until it's over

Writing: 429 words

I looked over his shoulder, considering the silence. It was almost peaceful here, in the barren fields, but I know it’s just the quiet before the storm. The war had been going for around six months now, but everything had settled down, in an almost eerie way. I watched the sun rise as the morning aged, only to be startled out of my dream-like state to the sound of birds singing, a gentle sound. The grass was showered in warm rays of golden and orange light. My friend was leaning against me for warmth and support.
It was no longer silent in the field, as people in camp were beginning to wake up and prepare for the day. I took a deep breath, exhaling mist in the icy cold morning air. I should head back to the fires before I freeze.
I stood up, shaking my friend gently. He startled awake, only just realising the sun was up.
“Mate… I’ll meet you back at camp in a minute” He muttered, obviously still feeling the heavy weight of sleep. I headed back without him, straightening my uniform and somewhat managing to comb my tangled hair with my fingers.
I didn’t know how much more time we would have until the war got worse. It was difficult to imagine the beautiful surroundings being destroyed by fighting and explosions - but we were in the army. We were here to serve and protect our country.
I stood next to the fires for a while, giving greetings to my friends and fellow soldiers. Someone handed out apples, and I took one gratefully. The army was always provided with enough food - mostly beef, peas and apples. We would not always be able to accept food shipments when the war got worse, for fear of them being intercepted. At that moment though, everything felt as though it would be okay.
One of the higher ranks shot a bullet into the sky, creating an echoing bang across the camp site. They did this every morning, to wake people up and make sure we kept on our toes. What better way to remind everyone that we were in a war.
With no fighting between the other countries caught up in the war, we spend our days doing normal things. Singing together around the fires. Walking the dogs. Collecting resources such as wood, and expanding our camp. At one point, we even had battleships, but they were shot down. A Lot of our day was spent restoring the ships. We didn’t realise how good everything was until it’s over.

Daily - 10th July (utc)
Have you completed today’s Wordle? Go to https://www.nytimes.com/games/wordle and complete the Wordle; if you can’t access the website, you can use this scratch version here: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/639908378/ . After you complete the game, incorporate all the words that you guessed into a writing piece. Write 400 words to earn 500 points for your cabin.
Words totals:

My words:
Roast
Train
Hater
Shirt
Ether
Berth

Writing: 614 words

I stared outside the window, watching the landscape shoot by in a green and gold blur. The sun was setting quite rapidly, casting red and orange shadows and rays of light across the spanning fields.

The sky was huge here. It stretched all the way across one side of the land, and all the way across to the other, as far as I could see. I mean - technically the sky stays the same size everywhere, but it looks much more impressive with no skyscrapers hiding the horizon.

I sighed. The train would only get to my stop sometime after midnight, quite early in the morning. If only I hadn't missed the first train. I’d been travelling all day. At first, I took a taxi for an hour or two, before they dropped me off at the bay. I got onto a ship to travel for a few hours or so across the ocean. That took much longer than I had expected because someone had tied up their boat illegally to the dock, so our ship could not get out of it’s berth safely. That delayed the whole timetable when the authorities had to move the boat and locate whoever left it at the dock in an illegal manner.

At least the scenery of the farms and fields outside was quite beautiful. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the silence. I was alone in this carriage anyway, since most people travelling this remotely caught the earlier train. I was really tired, and I could feel myself dozing off, so I leaned against the train seat, and closed my eyes.

The peaceful silence didn’t last long, and I’m startled awake to the sound of someone entering the carriage from one of the other carriages. I expected them to keep walking to find an empty carriage, because most of the train carriages must be unoccupied at this time. Instead, they stopped, and sat down on the train seat opposite me. I sit up, giving them a confused look. They just glare back at me.

“What?” I said defensively. I have no idea what this person wants.
“Your shirt!” They said angrily, as though that explains everything.
I looked down at my shirt, which was literally just a white turtleneck shirt with long sleeves. “What about my shirt?”
“Who actually wears turtleneck style shirts?” They responded in a criticising manner, stressing the syllables in the word actually.
“Um…” I really didn’t know how to respond to that. “Look… you don’t have to be a hater. If my shirt is an issue to you, why don’t you go find another carriage. No one is making you sit here.”
Honestly, I just wanted to get off that train and get home safely. Images of sleeping in my own bed, and cooking a delicious chicken roast for a very early dinner made my head swim. The last thing I wanted to do was have to deal with an odd stranger who hates turtleneck shirts.

I stood up and walked across the carriage, intending to find another empty carriage away from this person. Before I could open the door to enter the linking room between carriages, the person grabbed my sleeve. I froze. “What do you want?”
“I was wondering if you have any ether?”
“Wha- you mean that anaesthetic alcohol-like stuff? Of course not!” This person is really freaking me out right now. Without hesitation, I pulled my sleeve away, and exited the carriage, crossing several empty carriages before sitting down again. The train speakers crackled. “We are expected to arrive at our next station within fifteen minutes.” I breathed a sigh of relief. Soon I would be off this train.

Daily - 11th July (utc)
In order to connect with our characters, we writers often use their dialogue and inner thoughts as tools to convey their emotions, opinions, and characteristics. For today’s daily, however, neither of those tools will be available to you. For 600 points, write at least 500 words of an emotional narrative with neither dialogue nor inner thoughts. To earn an extra 200 points, provide proof of your writing.

Writing: 548 words

Ruins

Bright beams of light reflect off the huge shards of metal jutting out from the ground. Holly pushes through the dense barriers of twisting vines and plants, her mouth parted slightly in visible wonder.

The remains of the ancient buildings here look like metal skeletons. It’s merely a ghost of what once stood here for hundreds of years. Nothing lasts forever though.

Holly lifts one arm up to her face, to wipe off a smudge of mud. She continues walking, pulling herself free from the bushes that seem to grip onto her clothes as she passes. The bright blue sky is framing the sparkling silver skeletons, making the place look like something out of a fairy tale.
Once, hundreds of years ago, this place would have been bustling with people - people going about their day without a hint of knowledge of how their own inventions would eventually be the end of their city.

Holly navigates her way throughout the plant ridden ruins, taking care with each step but not hesitating. She takes each turn confidently, as though she has been here many times before. Eventually, she stops next to one of the structures. She placed one hand after the other, onto a metal wire, the type of flexible metal wire that would have once been used to hold up an elevator. She flinches from touching the metal, probably icy cold so early in the morning, despite her hands clothed in leather gloves. Holly begins to climb up the wire, each movement smooth and practised. When she reaches the top of the wire, she pulls herself onto the solid remains of an ancient multi storey skyscraper. Around her, the shimmering ruins of a grey and silver city are dotted with green life. Nature always wins.

Orange splattered rust consumes the debris of technology and smaller structures. Shells of cars all pointed towards the exit of the city are visible evidence of the attempt of escape that commenced all those years back. Holly moves towards the side of the building, sitting down with her legs over the edge. She swings her bare feet back and forth, almost casually, her gaze slowly scanning the long, deadly drop below her. Her eyes are sparking in the sunlight, matching the steel around her. Her face curves into a faint smile, presenting no visible fear of where she is, or what once happened here.

After a moment, she pulls her hands over to the corner of the metal on either side of herself… and she pushes herself off the edge. She’s free falling for a moment, but the playful smile has not left her face. She is silent as she plummets towards the ground, but she spreads out her arms like she thinks she can fly.

The moment only lasted a couple of seconds before she twists to grab the metal wire, her leather gloves creating enough friction to slow her fall and protect her hands. She slides down the wire to land solidly on the ground.

Her smile is wide now, genuine. It’s as though the moment of falling brought her new life, her posture seeming much more alert. She laughs, a sweet, crystal clear sound in the silent city - something no one will ever hear in the abandoned ruins of the past.

Weekly 2!

Total word count: 2472 words

Part 1: 814 words

Fake crime

Strange accounts from local citizens have been reporting sightings of illegal firework use and arson, this July. Furthermore, a significant shortage of mangos has been evident within all supermarkets across the country.
Investigator Ace Charleston looks into what has been the cause of the sudden increase in crime rate.
“The general area that all these sightings have been observed in, leads us back to a remote forest outside of the city.” Charleston says.
The police have sent several officers into the forest to examine the possible source of the sightings. On July the sixth, reports were filed by the local police department of a large, unofficial camp made up of hundreds of children and young adults.
“Is it possible that this camp is the origin of these sudden, minor crimes?” Charleston wonders.
On the seventh of July, Investigator Charleston, accompanied by several police officers, made their way into the camp to confront the camp’s authorities.
The police said that they were initially “Surprised by the lack of “responsible” adults in the camp” but that “when asking the children who was in charge, they all, without hesitation, pointed us towards a wooden log cabin. When entering the cabin, we were greeted by a group of teenagers and young adults who were all talking around a large wooden table. It seemed that they were single handedly supervising this camp made up of hundreds of children of all ages.”
The police officers admitted that the teens seemed to have everything under control and well organised. The children seemed relatively safe, and happy, although the police officers were alarmed to find that “several of the children had fire related tools on hand.”
Charleston says, relating to the investigation, “we still have to talk to the managers of the camp to find out whether they know anything about the events of arson and firework use.
On July the Eighth, the main concerns about the recent crimes have died down. Being out of the city, the rules for fire use and fireworks are different where the camp is being held. The police explain that “one of the teenagers, a girl with green and purple hair, presented us with a valid licence for fireworks. As for the fires, technically campfires are allowed in the forest, and the campers claim all fires are controlled.”
“Everything seems fine within the camp, and the ‘crimes’ turned out to be false reports.” Charleston confirmed. “We still have the issue of the sudden mango shortage.”
When asked whether he believes the camp has anything to do with the mango shortage, Charleston responded “I believe so - but high rates of mango consumption is not a crime. The local supermarkets have not reported any known mango theft to the police.”
…
Further investigation by Charleston and the police has revealed that there are large stashes of mangoes kept inside the camp. The police are debating whether anything has to be dealt with, as it turns out no crime has been committed, but the camp has created several visible issues in society. Firstly, the local citizens have been complaining about the lack of mangoes in the supermarkets. The police reported that they were not sure “whether this should, or could even be taken into the hands of the law.” Many complaints from citizens were sent to the authorities in the police department, however many have gone unanswered as to the current moment.
“The police decided to talk to the camping children about their excessive stash of mangoes.” Charleston explained. “Apparently, the children found the mangoes very important in a symbolic manner, and refused to stop buying them. They did, however, agree to not buy anymore mangoes from certain supermarkets, leaving them for the public and local citizens. It seems that they believed those mangoes to not be of highest quality, although I don’t see how this changes anything.”
“Complaints surrounding the lack of mangoes in the supermarkets have stopped coming in from the public, so I believe that this issue has been solved.” The police report states. However, the supermarkets are now complaining about the insistent children who hang around the fruit section every morning, waiting for the mangoes to be replenished in the empty stands. The amount of children waiting by the stands every morning has evidently been increasing quite significantly every day as it gets nearer to the tenth of July. When questioned, the children simply answered, “It’s cabin wars soon. We need as many mangos as possible.”
On the 11th of July, there were only a few children waiting by the stands, and the Supermarkets are no longer complaining. With no more public complaints from the locals or the supermarkets, and no true crime happening in the city, police are left to wonder if they need to intervene with the camp, and the so called ‘wars’ happening within the camp grounds. Read more on page 12.

Part 2: 810 words

Music review - My opinion on various musicians

My Opinion on AJR.
AJR are a well known indie pop trio who compose and perform original music. The trio is made up of three brothers, Adam, Jack and Ryan, hence the acronym AJR. AJR has been making music for more than 17 years, and are still creating music today, after forming their band in 2005. Ajr has currently written 38 songs in total, including their most popular songs, “Bang,” “Way less sad,” “Burn the house down,” “I’m Ready,” “Sober up,” “Weak,” “Pitchfork kids,” “I’m Not Famous,” and “100 bad days.”
I have mixed opinions of AJR and their music. For a while, AJR was my favourite band when I was younger. Most of their music sounds upbeat, simple and fun. The music, not including the singing, is composed well and in a unique way, using a range of different instruments including guitars, keyboards, percussion and programming. When reading comments on their albums on platforms such as youtube, generally AJR seems to be a very unpopular band, the large majority of people giving comments expressing their dislike for the music. Everyone has different music tastes, however the people commenting these things on various platforms seem to have formed this opinion not because of the music composition or the singing, but the lyrics. The lyrics are quite simple and repetitive, but many people find them not very interesting after you listen to the song more than once. Overall, I do like AJR’s music, as it is fun and upbeat, however I do find their music slightly boring, and I think their lyrics could be less repetitive.

My Opinion on Jack Stauber.
Jack Stauber is an American musician and animator, who has been creating and sharing his music since 2013. He composes pop music, using various instruments including vocals, the piano, drums and guitars. He also composes ‘micropop’ songs, most of which are under a minute. His songs are composed in a very unique way, filled with random and surprising sounds. Jack Stauber also seems to edit his voice in all his songs, making it at a different pitch, higher or lower than it would be naturally, or changing the tempo of the music. In his song ‘Bumblebees Are Out’ he edited his voice to change between being more normal, and sounding like a child. His lyrics are often somewhat strange, especially in his micropop songs, which are sometimes just made up of individual words. His micropop songs each seem to be made based on a single topic or opinion, for example, his song ‘Coffee’ seems to literally just be about coffee, and how it feels like he can’t live without it. I do like Jack Stauber’s music, as they are upbeat, mostly positive, and fun to listen to, as well as being quite unique from most other music I have heard. His music is also quite popular to use in animation memes, because of its strange lyrics and the fun and unique way each song has been composed.

My opinion on Cosmo Sheldrake.
Cosmo Sheldrake is an English musician, who has been creating music since 2014. He is also well known for creating good music with odd lyrics that do not make sense. His lyrics could be interpreted in many different ways. Some of his songs kind of tell a story, such as ‘Tardigrade Song’ which is about what he could do as a tardigrade, and ‘Pelicans We’ which is about how pelicans live, and how they think pelicans are superior to other birds. His song ‘The Moss’ is composed around many different legends, stories and fairy tales that don’t make much logical sense, some of which were made up by Cosmo Sheldrake. In ‘The Moss’ the lyrics include ‘Or how the dong came to own a luminous nose, or how the jumblies went to sea in a sieve that they rowed,’ which does not actually make much sense. He has also composed and shared many songs about different birds, the majority of which are instrumentals, from an album called ‘wake up calls.’ The music is made from instruments and odd, peaceful sounds that resemble the song of each bird, the title of each song being the bird it is based on. Cosmo Sheldrake’s most popular song is ‘Birthday suit,’ a song about… a birthday suit? The lyrics include “Weighed down by morning, In my birthday suit, Lift up the evening, Just for a while, Backwards, upside down, and inside out, So hold on or we'll all fall down, Oh, heave the oceans too, won't you?” The rest of the song does not give any context to what this could mean, or what the song is actually trying to say. I think this does make the song more interesting though. I do like Cosmo Sheldrake’s music, as the lyrics are interesting and the music in his instrumentals are kind of soothing.


Part 3: 623 words

Advice

Dark-Ehko was wondering; “How do you commit arson without getting caught? (Hypothetically).”
The simple response is practice. Arson is a reasonably simple concept, however beginners to the act of committing arson without getting caught may find it tricky. Arson refers to the criminal act of deliberately setting fire to property. When committing arson, you want to be sure that no one has proof that you did it, not to mention that being caught successfully committing arson could lead to trouble with authorities. Here is how I recommend you don’t get caught when committing arson:

1. Leave no trace. When committing arson, you want to be sure you don’t leave anything you had on you behind. This includes fire-lighting tools such as matches, lighters, and flint and steel, any fuel such as gasoline or substitutes, and any mangos you had with you. This is because fingerprints on any objects at the crime scene could lead any investigator to your identity. I suggest wearing gloves when committing arson, as it’s always better to be safe than sorry. :]

2. Don’t tell the person who owns the property. Seriously, telling someone that you are about to set fire to their house is not going to help your case later. Don’t tell the police either. You should also check that no one is currently in the property.

3. Check for security surveillance in the area. The most important thing to look out for is security cameras. You may want to wear discreet clothes, such as all black, and hide your face. If you are having trouble lighting fires where you want to because of security cameras, you could light fires somewhere else, until there is enough smoke to block out the camera’s vision.

4. Leave all goats at home. Goats can be noisy, and may alert the neighbourhood of your presence. They will not assist with the fire lighting whatsoever.

5. Talk your way out of trouble. Generally, as long as no one sees you as you committing arson, and you don’t leave anything behind that could be used as proof against you, you are unlikely to be caught. However, if all else fails, you should always have one more trick up your sleeve, literally. The Uno reverse card is the most important thing to have on you when you attempt to get away with any crime, including arson. The Uno reverse card holds the special power to use someone’s words against them. An example scenario in which step five becomes important is:
Person: “Wha- Get out of my house!?”
You: “Give me a minute…”
Person: “Are you setting fire to my property!? I'm calling the police!”
You: *pulls out Uno reverse card* “No, I’m calling the police on you.”
Person: “Wha-”

At this point, there are two things that could happen. Either, the person accepts your Uno reverse without question, or they make the point that you are literally holding a card from a card game, and it changes nothing. If the first situation plays out, it’s seen as a simple win. If the second situation plays out, which is admittedly more likely, you can use the person’s momentary state of shock and confusion as your opportunity to get away.
It’s best to stick to the first four steps when committing arson, as if everything goes well, you should not need the last step.

The last thing to remember is that It is also quite important to practise your fire lighting techniques before you try to commit arson. This is because you don’t want to stand there for half an hour trying to figure out how to use a flint and steel, as this increases your chances of being caught. Hopefully, you now know how to commit arson without getting caught! /j

Part 4: 225 words

Advertisement: (fake)

Do your hands hurt from writing all day? Do you get tired from holding a pencil for hours on end? Does your pen or pencil smudge across your whole hand when you try to write thousands of words frantically? (Looking at you, left handers).Then this new design is for you! The Pencil Glove Two Thousand, Or PG2000 for short, is a high technology appliance that will help you write easier and more efficiently. It is a glove that covers the whole bottom half of your hand and some of your arm, leaving the top half free. Velcro straps are included in the packet, and can be attached to your favourite pen or pencil. (Pencils and Pens not included with the glove). The velcro pen can then be attached to the velcro patches on your glove. Now you no longer have to worry about ever dropping the pencil, or putting any energy whatsoever in holding the pencil yourself! The soft fabric on the glove will take any smudges from your writing, so no ink or lead will get on your hand. The glove is machine washable and heat safe! The Pencil Glove Two Thousand comes in many different colours. You can select Black, White, or Grey, as well as all the shades in between! Buy your own PG2000 now for only ten times $1.99! /j /sar

Daily - 16 July (utc)
Imagine if you were telling someone about yourself using only a story about a brief, two-and-a-half-minute experience - what would you tell them about? Perhaps it would be a time you helped someone up, or maybe something that helped you grow as a person! Today, think of how a character of yours would answer that question. Write a story about their vital two-and-a-half minutes in at least 300 words to earn 500 points. If you share your writing, you can earn 100 bonus points!

Writing: 401 words

I glance at my watch: 6:28. The Authorities will be here soon. I attempt to correct my posture further, pulling my back and shoulders up straight, and lifting my chin slightly. Out of the corner of my eyes I can see the rows of dozens of other people standing shoulder to shoulder, just like I am. I wonder how they feel, because I know I feel absolutely terrified. It’s silent in the huge hall, no one daring to even whisper a word. I can hear my heartbeat in my head, loud, fast and unsteady. I’m almost worried it’s so loud everyone else can hear, but I know that this is irrational thinking. I swallow. There is a chance so thin that I’m chosen above all these other people, but something inside me is still fighting, still grasping onto that tiny hope that it could be me.

It’s 6:29. One minute left.
I’ve spent my whole life training. I was born for this. This is the moment my whole life has been leading up to, where I am either chosen, or I am rejected like everyone else. I know everyone else in this room feels the same way though. Only one person will have their whole life changed with this opportunity, and for the rest of us? Back to school, back to being an average person who failed the only chance they had to change everything for their family - for the world even.

I risk a glance at my wrist. 6:30. The door at the end of the hall opens. I swallow - a difficult action when my mouth feels like it’s full of sand and my stomach feels like it’s full of butterflies. The adults in neat navy coloured uniforms enter the room, lining up before us. The man at the front, with an expression of absolute confidence, clears his throat as though to get our attention, despite every person in the room already standing at attention. We all collectively hold our breath. Any second now, he will call the name of the person who was selected.
Time seems to freeze - and then… “Hannah.”

My heart skips a beat. I step forward, fully aware of every other person in the room losing their composure and turning towards me. It’s suddenly so loud, everyone shouting my name. It takes me a moment to realise they are cheering - cheering for me.

Daily - 17 July (utc)
The meaning of a phrase can be immensely impacted by the experiences of the person saying it, the relation of the person they’re speaking to, and the situation in which it’s said. Today, write a story in which the first and last lines are the same. How do your characters’ and the reader’s interpretations of the sentence change? Your story must be at least 700 words to earn 900 points.

Writing: 748 words

I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out.
The girl notices me anyway, so I settle with a smile. She smiles in return, although hers is as practised and perfect as any of the first class citizens in this room. I avert my eyes, inspecting the marbled pattern on the stone floor instead, taking a moment to regain my composure.
When I look back, the girl is still facing me, one delicate eyebrow raised in polite impatience. If polite impatience is even possible.

I swallow, my mouth feeling like it’s full of sand. I’m fully aware she is giving me a chance, and I mustn’t mess this up. Afterall, she has nothing to lose from refusing to talk to me, whereas I have everything to lose, and I’m certain she knows this.

“Pleased to meet you …” She trails off, leaving a space for me to introduce myself. She already knows who I am. She’s waiting to see what I say.

“William.” I provide, offering her a nod.

“William.” She echoes, giving me another one of her flawless smiles, although this one does not reach her eyes.

I clear my throat, filling the empty silence. “Um… I’m here to talk to you about the plans for extending the city borders into unexplored territory in the forest. Uh… I’m from outside the city.”
I had a whole professional speech in my head, and yet in front of this pretty girl who has got to be at least a few years younger than me, everything I practised just went out the window.

The girl meets my eyes, her expression thoughtful and her eyes a pretty, sparkling blue in the light. What was I even meant to be talking about again? I stay silent, waiting for the girl to reply instead. “Is there an issue with the plans?” Her tone is casual, not giving away anything in her words. She knows the answer. She’s messing with me.

I summon every ounce of confidence I can muster, trying to hide the hesitation in my voice. “Yes, there is an issue. We have not explored past the original site for colonisation on this planet. We have no idea what could be out there, as we did not terraform this planet, it already had natural life on it. As far as we know, there could be dangerous creatures of the likes that we have never seen before on earth, or other planets. If we extend the city walls too far without scouting and exploring the terrain in other parts of the planet, we could end up with these dangerous things penetrating our colonies.” I talk quickly, letting go of the words before I even have an opportunity to consider what I am saying.

“Hmm.” The girl is fiddling with a clip in her hair, the bright red locks contrasting against her pale, freckled skin. It’s no surprise that her skin is so pale, after spending several weeks in a spaceship travelling away from earth. She makes no indication that she is considering what I just said.

I wonder if she was even listening to me.

I bite back an angry response. If I say the wrong thing now, I’m done for. After all, this is Charlotte Addison, the most famous girl in the universe, her name as well known as the fact that Sebastian Addison is the rich scientist and engineer behind all the plans to make other planets safe for humans to live on. Charlotte’s every word and wish is sure to be enforced by her father, whose word is basically the law.

Eventually, Charlotte looks at me. “So… you're saying it’s not safe to extend the city borders because no one has ever explored the rest of this planet…” She does not wait for me to give an answer. “So…” She draws out the pronunciation of the word. “Why can’t we just send someone, or a team to try to explore the planet and let us know whether it’s safe or not to extend the borders?”

I know exactly what to say to this. “No one wants to be the one to risk their life for a planet. We asked for a team of volunteers, but no one responded.”

The girl smiles, a sly expression in her eyes this time. I get the impression that I’m not going to like what she says next. “Why don’t you volunteer?”

I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out.