Weeklies
Dailies
etc…

02/03 Weekly
Dear futur me,

As I am now officially participating in Scratch's largest camp, there are a few things I am most excited about. Firstly, I am very eager to participate in all the activities proposed, such as this weekly! This is my chance to cooperate with others and have fun! Secondly, I'd like to motivate myself to write more. Writing is such an important skill in our lives, and with the activities proposed, I can reach that objective without too much difficulty. Lastly, I'm excited about the overall experience of meeting others, participating in challenges and activities.

I wish, with all that said, that I will do my best do participate in all activities proposed. It is a wonderful opportunity to be part of such an organised and big camp (and such an amazing cabin, of course!), so be grateful and contribute as much as I can! It will not only award you points but also, as I mentioned above, improve your writing and social skills!

Best regards,
April
*word count = 169

I put down my dirty shovel to examine my blistered hands. Ouch, they hurt so much. It is mid-afternoon, but the sun is still up and high, casting strong rays upon my sun-burned skin. My mouth is very dry, and the last drop of water from my bottle was gone hours ago. My eyes scanne around for a water can. Nope, nothing but holes. Endless holes cover the dry ground. I’ll probably have to wait for another hour. With some difficulty because of the stiffness of my legs, I kneel down to pick up my shovel. With a groan, I feel my skin pressing against the hard wooden handle. I grit my teeth and smash the shovel blade against the dry ground….

The sun was beginning to set, but I was sweating harder than ever. My palm was bloody, and my back was stiffer than a metal board. I couldn’t feel my wobbly legs that were about to give away. One last shovel, I thought, one last shovel. Bam! The shovel hit something hard. Not a rock! I thought desperately, not now… Then suddenly, I saw a golden tube sticking out of the hole. Trembling, I got on my hands and knees. I stretched out a sweaty hand and carefully caressed the metal tube. Oh, it was so cool against my sore fingers! I tucked the tube out of the dirt… I couldn’t help smiling broadly. Finally, after years of digging, I found something worthy! My parents are going to be so happy!

*word count: 253

Daily 02/03

Thump, thump, thump… My heart was beating faster and louder than ever, I was afraid he'd hear it. I felt myself go red. I quickly turned my head away, unable to look at that handsome face. No… it wasn't possible!

That was me, a few months ago. You may be wondering what on earth am I talking about? Well, you know how there's always that ONE hot boy in your class. The most popular, the most trendy, the most handsome. And then all the girls are craving to go out with him. You tell yourself that he's just an empty flowerpot, that you don't care about him. But secretly, you do! He's every where around you, in your dreams, in your diary… That is my case, I mean, was, a few months ago.

In my case, that boy was named Tom. He had sleek brown hair, and a pair of stunning hazel eyes looking at you behind those glasses. At first, he wasn't really interested in me. I wasn't more than a speck of dust on the floor for him. Then, you may ask, how could he have noticed me? My handwriting. What!? Your handwriting? Yes! So I'm gonna tell you how it happened…

It was almost the Chinese, or Lunar New Year, and since I could write Chinese calligraphy, my teacher invited me to write a banner to put up in the classroom. I didn't think much about it, and agreed. The following morning after I had put up the banner, Tom and his friends noticed it. And guess what happened! He asked the teacher who had written it, the teacher said, me, and wowie wow wow! I felt his eyes slowly turn towards where I was sitting.

“Your handwriting is so beautiful!”, he said, just loud enough for every girl in the classroom to hear.

*word count: 307

Daily 03/03

Script anthem~

With the scripts we write
With our talents we might
To make a story come to life!

Let's join our forces
And sing the verses
Unite, people of the theatre!

We make time-travel real
Role play we will
To make a story come to life!

The curtains open
This is it, the big moment
Unite, people of the theatre!

We step on stage
Look around and turn a page
To make a story come to life

We recite our lines
Look for others' signs
Unite, people of the theatre!

The audience claps
We take of our caps
And bow!

We made a story come to life!

*106 words

Dystopian anthem~

The universe has turned
Over and over again
Each time worst than the previous

Unite! People of the fallen world
Let us work to rebuild what we have destroyed!

There is still hope
Among the ancient ruins
To find the solution
We have been seeking

Explore, research, solve
Let us find a ray of light in this darkness!

Be careful, prudent, consider
Before you act
One step wrong, and it would be
Beyond repair

Unite! People of the fallen world
Let us work to rebuild what we have destroyed!

Look towards the future
Not the past
For we have to move on
And build a world of our own!

*111 words

Behind the Scenes Chaos

Act 1, Scene 1
At a theatre, backstage

Olivia: Oh no, there's thousands of people in the audience! It's impossible! All those eyes staring at us… Nooo!

John: Liv! Stop worrying and prepare your costumes and everything! You're not any help to us like this!

Sally: Boss John, we know you're the leader, but please stop bossing us around! Lily's lost her fairy costume, by the way…

John: What!? No way! We have half an hour until the show starts, and this is totally chaotic! Let me see… Lily's lost her costume, Liv is worrying her head off, Sally is retorting-

Sally: Okay okay, we get it, we're all the trouble here. Now please let us be more organised!

John: Sally, can't you see I'm trying-

Sally: Sorry, what I meant is to let me take control of things for a bit.

John opens his mouth to protest, but Sally hurries on.

Sally: I know you're the boss, but I think I just have a teeny little bit more authority than you have, so let me try okay? Great. Sally clears her throat loudly, and raises her voice over the panicking. So, everyone! We've all been working non-stop for months to do this, so we're not going to ruin all our efforts, okay? The actors nod and shout their agreements to Sally. She looks smugly at John, who was looking thoroughly annoyed at her success.

Sally: Now everyone who- uh, lost something, please find what you're searching for as quick as you can! We're not going to waste time on that. She shots a sideways glance at Lily. By the way, Lily, I saw your costume on the chair right over there. You could've really searched before coming up to me panicking all over…

Lily: I'm really sorry Sally, it was because of all the noise and corruption-

Sally: See everyone? Just calm down and you'll find what you want! Now the others, you all go outa the prep room and go through your lines once again. I want, we want, I think, this play to be perfect, am I right in thinking that? The fellow actors cheer. Now, all of you, get working!

A scramble of feet on the floor. Sally goes to John and smiles proudly.

John: Yeah yeah, I know girl, you did better than I did, no need to remind me of that.

Sally: It wasn't that hard, really-

John: Let's skip the how-to-make-a-good-leader part, okay? I remind you, you need to make final arrangements with the lighting technician.

Sally: Oh- right…

*word count: 426

Note: OMG I got 1st person past tense!!! I'm so happy

It was a cloudy day. I sat on a bench in the park, reading a book. Or rather, pretending to read. My eyes stayed fixed, and I randomly turned a page or two. I was really thinking of what happened that day. Tears swarmed in my eyes as I realised what I had done. Something awful, and worst, irreparable. I blinked and bit back the tears, concentrated myself again and focused my eyes on the book. I was supposed to read it by Friday, and I haven't even started yet. It was very strange, because the usual me would have finished the book before anything else. I had loved reading…

I couldn't read, I couldn't bring myself to concentrate on those tiny words when huge images of what happened were swarming in and out of my head. I closed the book a little too hard. Pictures of my best friend's astonished and hurt face popped up here and there.

Yesterday was a perfectly normal day. I went to school, sat by my best friends and listened to the teacher. Then suddenly, the teacher announced a surprise test. No way, I told myself, the test was on something they learned when I wasn't there! I felt my face grow hot as the teacher handed the exam papers. We had limited time, and when I handed my almost blank paper to my teacher, I thought I saw a frown on her very smooth forehead.

That afternoon, our teacher handed in our tests. My bestie, who usually got worst marks than me surpassed me by several grades! It was pretty normal, I though glumly, I got the worst grade of the entire class! Me, who was normally first in class! How was this possible? I felt anger rising inside me. This wasn't fair! I wasn't here when they studied for the test! My best friend, who didn't notice my unease, teased me kindly, as I usually teased her.

But I wasn't in the mood for even the kindest joke! My anger turned to hatred towards her, and I slapped her in the face, hard! And- that look she had, a mixture of astonishment, confusion, and pain… I will never forget it… After that I realised what I had done, and my hatred turned to guilt, and I burst into tears, running out of the classroom. I realised that my things were still inside, but before I took a step back, the classroom door opened and my bestie came out with all my stuff, with a pig red patch on her cheek. She was smiling apologetically. That smile, made me crazy. I turned my back on her, and ran out of the school.

Later that day, her mom gave all my things to my mother, who asked what happened. Of course, I had thought, she would punish me, and that was what I deserved. But she didn't! She just said with a sad smile, “Darling, I think already know the severity of what you have done.” What!? But I wanted some punishment! I ended up crashing everything I found in my way…

I don't hope my friend pardons me. I hope she hates me for what I had done to her. I reopened my book and tried, in vain, to read.

*word count: 547

Daily 05/03

(It's a French book and it's called “La chair du tigre”, but I'm gonna write this in English.)

“No no no! What did you do?” The hunter hurries to the fallen body.
“Oh no oh no!” The other hunter mutters, shaking uncontrollably.

They run to the place where the bullet went, and to their horror they saw a young, teenage girl lying unconscious on the ground, her clothes soaked in blood. The two hunters stare, as though petrified, at what they had done. Slowly, as one of them comes back to sense, he calls the ambulance, voice trembling. Only after a few minutes, the rescue team comes, and hurry to action.

A few days later, Luxi found herself lying in a hospital bed, strange tubes coming in and out of her. Her mother's tear stricken face swims in and out of her head.

“Mum”, she murmured, unable to speak clearly.

“Honey! You woke up!”, her mom said, relieved. She looks uncertainly at her daughter, unable to decide what to say next.

“I'm gonna be alright…”, even she herself couldn't tell if it was a question or a statement.

Her mom doesn't know what to respond, so she just stares on the ground. Luxi opens her mouth to say something, but closes it.

“Luxi… Jade… she visited last night, when you were still unconscious.”

"Jade?! Jade, as of… Jade?“

”Yes, that Jade, yes."

Luxi's eyes widened in surprise. She smiled. (word count: 221)

Word war… *disclaimer: this is really really bad, please don't read…

I felt outraged! I was applying for the job, but then it ended up with a catastrophe?? I really don't get why. Maybe doors don't always open where you want them to. It was probably the case for me, because a few weeks earlier I was in my study reading the news paper. I wanted to get a job badly, see? My friends and relatives all encouraged me to apply for the job, so I did. I went to the pet shelter! It was really wonderful at first, but then I got really bored and I really just lost the motivation, see? So yeah, I quitted, I don't really know why, do you? I bet you don't since I haven't even told you the full story yet. So like I said it was really fun to take care of all the animals, but then afterwards I discovered I was allergic to all the fur! It was the worst experience I ever had, really. I don't know what was the reason I am allergic but then I just picked the wrong job! I was sorta desperate to find a job, and a job was offered to me, so I applied, but then found out that I couldn't do that job! I wasted my time filling out the application form and everything and now I have to go to the doctor because of my allergies. I'm super angry and frustrated. I just don't know why doors don't open at the right place. I'm gonna try and find a new job.

Daily 06/03

Behind the Scenes Chaos

Act 1, Scene 2
A few minutes before showtime

John: deep breath Okay! Everyone should be ready with their costumes, makeup, and all should be clear about the setup, lights and everything. Do you have any questions?

Silence…

John: Great! That means we can all take our places and go through each scene one more time! Those acting for Scene One, over there! Those for Scene Two, right there continues… And those who are acting in multiple scenes, go to your first scene.

At the group for Scene Five, the actors realise Olivia, a fellow actress has gone missing.

Lily: John? Where's Olivia? She's not in the Scene Five group!

John: What!? Noooo…

Sally: I saw her go to the toilet-

John: You could've told me earlier!!!

Sally: That was the earliest I could manage… Unless you want me to have predicted before-

John: quite impatiently Done with your blabbering? Good.

Lily: So should I go find Olivia?

John: Yes, find her as quick as you can and bring her back.

Lily hurries off to the lady's bathroom.

Sally: snickering Hey, I didn't know you could talk nicely to girls. If it had been me asking the question, you would've practically exploded and roared that my question was stupid and that I should've thought before asking as that would be a waste of your precious time, given that you are very busy-

John: fighting back giggles That's exactly what I would've done… if it were you.

Sally: rolls her eyes Shouldn't you be telling me to go practi-

There is a big crashing sound followed by a scream. Heads turn towards the lady's bathroom, where the sound had come from. Lily comes running out.

Lily: Guys, come quick, Olivia slipped on the wet floor and hurt herself!

There is a scramble of feet as all the girls hurry to the bathroom

John: heaves a big, big sigh SERIOUSLY??? 5 MINUTES BEFORE THE PLAY STARTS??? covers his head with his arms and groans

Sally: for once, sympathetically Don't worry John, we'll find a solution. The show must go on! Even if the sky falls.

John: determined You're right Sally, the show must go on, even if the sky falls!

Sally: Uhh, I was joking on the sky-falling part :0

*word count: 399

1st Weekly

1. Myth- Retelling
2. Hi-fi- If These Walls Could Talk: The Events One Place Has Seen.
3. Hi-fi- Original Characters in Historical Times.
4. A Journey of Motifs: Using Popular Fairy Tale Motifs in Another Story
5. Folklore- Write a Story With a Moral
6. Folklore- Oral Retelling: Show Characters Passing Down a Story

1. Retelling of Icarus and Daedalus

I, or let me say, my soul, deeply regrets what I had done to cause my own death…

It had been a great, sunny day, and father had called me for something top secret and very important! Really, I hadn't seen him as excited as he was for years! Father and I had been imprisoned by the cruel king Minos. I mean seriously, my father had designed the world's best maze for him, but that ungrateful brat had locked father and I up, just because someone had been able to escape from it! Seriously, that was not fair at all. Well, on with the story.

Father called me, and when I entered the room, I saw two, magnificent pair of giant wings on the floor. My mouth dropped open at the incredible sight! Father smiled broadly, and announced formally, just liked he used to do at speeches, that we were going to escape! I was so amazed I didn't quite pay attention to what he was saying, but it didn't matter, because we were going to be free! How I was so wrong.

We took off with our giant wings, and wowie wow wow! I loved the feel of wind on my cheeks, my long hair flowing after me! We were free as birds out of a cage! I flew higher and higher, and suddenly, I began falling! My wings were melting due to the sun's warmth! And so I fell into the ocean, and ended my human life, just like that, leaving my poor father on his own. (word count: 260)

2. If That Room Could Talk

I have been a very peculiar room, being thousands of years old and changed constantly. I have seen kings and queens, stores of food, prisoners and even accused witches! But let me recount to you, dear human my most epic experience!

It was a cold, rainy day… The duke was getting to bed. He was a fair and rightful young man. He soon was sleeping soundly on his bed in me. Then, I heard footsteps! Be warned that I have excellent hearing way better than humans'. So for me the footsteps were distinct, but for the dear duke, alas, no. My door creaked open, quite loudly for me, but again unheard of by the rest of the sleeping castle. A man tiptoed in, looked around for someone that could see him. Of course, there was no one awake to witness him and his actions, but did he not know, that I, the magic room, could see and hear more clearly than any men?! Slowly, the murderer, for that was his identity, took out a sharp knife, the blade glowing in the darkness. He approached the young man asleep, raised the knife, and- Boom! I crashed one of my walls onto him, suffocating the villain under my rocks.

After that, they had to rebuild me, but the duke was saved, and in honour of the “coincidence”, he named me after him. (word count: 230)

3. The Great Depression

Father was reading the news paper, for the third time already. He was desperately trying to find a job, not unlike millions of others. Mother and Auntie had put up a bakery on the first floor, but they could barely earn enough for the whole family of nine. I tried to do my part, carrying post to the neighbours, and earning a tiny bit of allowance. I couldn't ask for that much payment, it was already a favour our neighbours were doing to me by letting me carry their post. They could perfectly do that on their own. Mother didn't ask for a lot for the bakery either. People just couldn't afford anything too expensive. We had to be kind to each other, because each family went through its own difficult time.

I asked father, “Any good news?”
“No.”, he replied.

Out of all of us, I think it is Father was going through the most difficult times. He was the leader of the family, but he himself had to depend on the small earning of his daughter, sister and wife to survive! He stared at the news paper blankly, and heaved a big sigh. How I hope we weren't born in this difficult time… (word count: 205)

4. Snow White??? !! DISCLAIMER: VERY WEIRD, DO NOT READ !!

Once upon a time, in a little town, lived a teenage girl named Wonsetihw. Her life was very monotonous: wake up, breakfast, school, home, dinner, bed, and so on… She longed to live adventures and have her exploits written into books and passed down generation to generation.

One day, as she was coming home from school, she discovered a beautiful necklace laying on her path. It was a tiny little rainbow. She liked it and decided to keep it. She put it on, and went back home (no, nothing happens… yet). That night, as she was lying in bed, a strange and mysterious voice spoke to her. It told her to hold the necklace until it grow warm, and make a wish. That wish will be realised instantly.

Very curious, Wonsetihw tried, and formulated the wish to “go into a fairytale”. She felt a swirl of wind around her, and found herself in the room of a princess. She immediately recognised Snow White's bed, from reading that story over and over. She felt immensely joyful, when suddenly, there was a knock on the door. She hurried to open it. She saw before her a nice looking old lady holding an apple.

“Where is Snow White, dear?”, the lady asked.

“I am Snow White, of course!”, Wonswetihw, replied, not thinking of what she had read…

“Oh well, do you want this red, juicy apple, dearie?”

The innocent girl took the apple and- (you guessed it!) She fainted, and fell to the ground.

The dwarves came back, and they saw Wonswetihw unconscious on the floor. They weren't able to save her, because the prince didn't fall for her. (word count: 276) *That “fairytale” is so weird…


5. Moral Story

Once upon a time, there were two neighbours, Hare and Rabbit. They were good friends, and each was a very skilled runner. They often raced with each other to see who was the better runner. Sometimes Hare won, other times Rabbit won. However, not matter who won, they always competed fair and square with no cheating, as cheating is not accepted in a competition, of course.

One bright and cloudless day, Hare and Rabbit decided to have another competition. The news of this upcoming race quickly spread among the animals, and they parted into two groups, one supporting Hare, the other supporting Rabbit. The two best friends trained harder than ever for the race, because the one who won, they thought, would be the star of all animals. As the days went on, Hare and Rabbit spent less and less time together, their minds focused on the race, training more and more intensely.

Then came the big day. Hare and Rabbit had hardly met each other for a few weeks, each focused on training. They positioned themselves at the starting line, and without even wishing the other good luck, as they always did, they started off.

Rabbit took the lead at first, and was very happy with himself, daydreaming his fame among animals, when whoosh, Hare surpassed his friend. Anger rising in him, Rabbit picked up a big rock and threw it in front of Hare. The latter, not aware of the rock, tripped and fell heavily. Rabbit did not waste his chance and took the lead again. This action deeply maddened Hare, and despite the pain swelling up in his twisted knee, he took a big tree branch and threw it with all his might at Rabbit. The heavy branch hit Rabbit square in the head. And so continued the race.

Not far away from the finish line, Hare and Rabbit were still fighting for the win, for the fame. They glared at each other angrily, throwing away all those years of friendship behind them. Suddenly, as they were not looking at the trail they fell into a sticky mud puddle. Still fighting, they rolled together all the way to the finish line. Neither had won, neither had lost.

After the race, Rabbit and Hare learned that friendship is much more important than winning, and they tended each other's wounds, and became better friends than they always had been. (word count: 400)


6. The Stories by the Campfire

I love this time of day. After all our jobs, hunting for men, chores for women, learning for children, we all gather around the fireplace, and we listen to the stories of the elders. I'm rather proud of our organisation. I'm going to tell you how it works.

In our little village, there is a special place in the middle of it, sort of like a ‘square’. There is always a fire burning in the middle, and people take turns guarding it. When the sun sets, we eat around the fire. After we finish eating, the ones on duty will clean the rest of thd food, and the storytelling begins. The elders take turns to tell their stories. It can be stories they invented, but most of the time, these stories were the ones passed down orally from generation to generation. It doesn't matter if two or more elders tell the same story, because they can each add a little flavour, if you get what I mean, to it. That way all stories are different.

After the elders have finished speaking, the men can tell their own stories. These, are often remade versions of the elders' stories, but they can also be stories about hunting, and new, made up stories. The women too, can tell stories.

Lastly, but not least, it's the children's time. They do not tell stories, but they do say what they have learned from all the stories told, and which one is their favourite. This way, we can still remember stories from thousands of years ago. (word count: 260)

Daily 08/03

Dear Anne Sullivan,

I have read much about you, mainly about how you taught young Helen Keller, a deaf and blind little girl, the meaning of words. In other words, you transformed her from an illiterate child to a successful author, you carried her from a world of darkness to a world of hope and light. Thanks to you, she became a famous worldwide and hundreds of years later, people will still read her books, and admire that wonderful woman you have transformed her into.

It must have been very hard to teach such a young girl. Helen was six, spoiled, and couldn't hear nor see. That must have been a very difficult situation you found yourself in, if I have the right to say. But non the less, you succeeded in teaching her, after countless tantrums, fights and disagreement. At one point, Helen's parents opposed you even, but you still did not give up hope.

Teachers are all wonderful and should be respected, but you of all the most. If you were to give up, Helen would never have learned to read and write, and we would not find the wonderful writings she has left us.

From an avid reader and a fan of yours,
April

*word count: 207

Behind the Scenes Chaos

Act 1, Scene 3
John is standing in a corner, mumbling to himself, head in his hands, while the others are encircling Olivia, who was lying on the floor, wincing with pain. He looks up and sees Sally and a bunch of others hurrying to and fro, like a bunch of ants. He prepares to go there, too, but his legs give up. They should be fine, he thought.

John: Why, why does she have to get hurt before our biggest every show? Why? tired sigh What am I going to do now? How can I replace her five minutes before the show? I know the show must always go on, but just how?

John drools off, too tired of his busy day, forgetting all the problems. As his head begins to drop, he startles himself, and is wide awake again.

John: I mustn't drool off like that! The show starts in five minutes!

He tries to focus on positive things.

John: Let's see… I'm thankful for such a wonderful team of actors… And I'm really lucky there's Sally operating things… I'm not at all in the mood to do that. I'd also be grateful that only that stupid brat of Olivia, no, I meant that poor Olivia, hurt herself, and not one of the mains… I love my family and teachers for supporting me in this play project… How's Olivia? Should I go see her? Nah… I'm barely awake, I won't serve for much… Anyway, the show must go on… Think of a solution, won't you?

John drools off again

*word count: 273

Daily 13/03

It has been such a long time we haven't spoken. Nothing has changed much. The world is still as it had been. Even the same stars still shine above you and me, as they had before. Yet everything is so different.

You and I are still both here, living as near to each other as we always had. But I barely feel your presence.

Remember the nights we used to spend, out under the stars? You asked me why I wasn't saying a word. And I replied, I'm naming the stars in the sky after you. You laughed. We were so young and innocent!

Sometimes, I asked myself if we were not too happy, too carefree. I wondered. I wondered if we were blessed with this happiness the moment we met… Or if night comes after the sun. I wasn't that worried, our happiness blinded me to what was going to come, because of course, darkness had to come, sooner or later.

It ended up being sooner. Not even a few weeks passed, and you fell sick. Seriously ill. I accompanied you to the best hospital of the city, where you went through operation after operation, each ending with a dozen tubes sticking out of you. I was heart-stricken by the image of your broken body.

From those days one, I was lonelier than ever. I often sat by your hospital bed, murmuring things to you regardless of the fact that you couldn't hear. I wept and wept, for you and for our days of happiness that will not return. You were often asleep, and when I had the chance to find you awake, your mind was seldom clear enough to speak to me. I tried to comfort you, but in reality, it was I who needed comforting. You were ever so distant from me…

*word count: 305

Daily 15/03
Writing Competition Entry


Shut Up!


Head slumped against the desk, trying to block out the world.

Ooh, what did you get for the test, a Z+?

Ignore.

What's that dress you're wearing??? I know! It's yellow for YellowNana!

None of your business.

Ooh, raise your head from that desk, you're gonna squish it even flatter than it already is!

Blablabla…

Yllona shut her eyes tightly, as though it would help to block out the sound of the taunting voices. When would the teacher come, for heaven's sake? She wasn't a favourite among the staff, quite the opposite, but the start of class would bring some order, at least. Then she would be at peace. Well, not really, better than her situation now, anyway. Not that the others would stop harassing her just because there's a grown up.

After what seemed like an hour, class began. Boring. Life had become monotonous for Yllona. Nobody liked, let alone cared for her. Her classmates didn't, that part was obvious; her teachers didn't, she was invisible to them. She wondered if her parents would if they were there. But no good imagining things, because that was not the case.

“The Great Depression was the longest and deepest downturn in the history of the United States and the modern industrial economy lasted more than a decade, beginning in 1929…”

She only caught passages of what the teacher was saying. Not that she didn't want to listen, it was just too difficult to concentrate with all the stupid paper notes her classmates were throwing at her, carrying insults in every form. At first, teachers tried to control the note-throwing, but it was no use, and of course they didn't want to waste that much of their time for Yllona. Nobody cared for her anyway.

After hours of supporting the mockery, Yllona found herself on her way home. As always, she put on her hood and walked quickly with her head down. As she crossed the street, she noticed a dark, hooded figure approaching her. A prank from a classmate, she thought. It wasn't as though she wasn't used to this sort of thing. But nonetheless, she couldn't resist to steal a rapid glance at the person. No way, they were way too tall for her classmates. Curiosity mounted in her and she stopped to have a good look at the strange figure. Suddenly, without warning, the mysterious person grabbed her with a pair of white, bony hands. Yllona almost jumped in fright as those abnormally cold hands, or rather claws, touched her skin.

“My dear girl… The Hooded Man, for it is I, the Hooded Man, is only here to inform you, that you will reach your end soon… Oh pretty soon indeed, my dear girl!” A raspy voice came out of the hood, for if there was a face, it was hidden by the cloak. A sudden breeze of wind passed, and the hood fell off, suddenly revealing a colourless, sharp angled and rather deformed face. His pale, misty eyes fluttered and met the girl's, and without a sound he slid quietly away to the opposite side of the street, gone from view.

Yllona felt her heart pounding inside her chest as her eyes followed the Hooded Man, was it his name. Reach your end? Does that mean… Death? As she came to the realisation of this, she felt a painful throb going through her body, and her legs menaced to turn into rubber, only to find that she was still in the middle of the street. She hurried as fast as she could, and almost ran back to her apartment, knocking into several people one her way. She pulled on the door, forgetting it was locked. And when she finally managed to get inside, she plopped down on the couch, panting heavily. Death? Dying? No way!

Why was Yllona convinced by a stranger's so-called prediction? She, who normally wouldn't even blink facing an insult from her fellow classmates. She wondered as she laid on the couch, her chest rising and falling quickly. It just sounded so real. Like as though, as though a part of her knew that the Hooded Man wasn't lying.

She closed her eyes trying to shut off the thoughts of that mysterious encounter, only to find blurry pictures of the Hooded Man swarming around her head.

What if, what if the words were true? Really true? What if she only had a few days, a few hours to live? For the first time ever, she was desperately hanging on to her life. Her one and only life. Images of her boring, unmeaningful past formed in her mind, and all of a sudden she was regretting all her wasted life. Why didn't she stand up to the bullies? Why didn't she really try to pay attention in class? Why didn't she consult her teachers and tell them what was happening? Why did she give up hope right at the beginning? She burst out sobbing, tears flowing onto the pillow she was squeezing so hard a few feathers were popping out. She pictured, for the first time, what her life might have been if she had known to stand up for herself. If she had just known to do that…


The principal entered the meeting room, where quite a few teachers were already sitting down. All eyes fixed the newcomer, who said, “Shall we begin? We have no time to lose.” The room became deadly quiet as the principal drew a chair and sat down in the middle.
“As we all know, we are here to discuss the matter of Yllona Wagner.”

An hour passed.

The principal arose from his chair, and before turning to leave, said, “So it is agreed. All members of the staff are to help and support her, and those students who continue to harass her will be punished severely.” Pause. “It is a very serious matter, harassment. It can lead to extreme consequences if not treated on time.”


As the first shock gradually came off, Yllona realised the mysterious figure was probably just a farce. After all, who could predict the future? As she tossed and turned in bed, she rethought the matter of death. It didn't seem that scary anymore. She didn't really have anything to loose anymore. Her parents were long gone, and nobody cared for her. She was as good dead as alive. I might even be better dead. Nobody would bully me then. She said out loud to herself.


A circle of doctors standing around a hospital bed, talking gravely with a grey-haired man in a suit.
“Is there still… any hope?”, the man asked.
“Yes. There is always hope. But the real question, is if the patient wants to live or not.” A doctor answered.
Silence.
“So you mean the choice is not in our hands, but in the hers.” The principal said, jerking his head towards Yllona's lifeless form.
“Precisely.”


*word count: 1,156

Big thanks to @silverlynx for critiquing!

Weekly #2

1/ Flowers

Once upon a time in a magical garden, there were flowers of all colors and shapes. Each flower had its own special meaning, like the red rose symbolizing love and the daisy representing innocence. The garden was visited by a young girl named Lily who loved flowers more than anything else. Every day, she would walk among the blooms, learning the stories behind each one. One day, as she picked a sunflower, a fairy appeared before her. The fairy explained that the flowers in the garden held a secret power and would grant a wish to anyone who truly understood their symbolism. Lily was amazed and decided to learn everything she could about the flowers in the garden. She had to find out more about the flowers. She went to the bookstore and to her great delight, found an old book all about flower symbolism. She studied day and night, reading the heavy book and observing all the interesting creatures that lived among the blooms. Finally, after months of hard work, Lily felt ready to make her wish. She closed her eyes and whispered, “I wish for flower symbolism to remain in the world so that others can take advantage of it too.” Suddenly, the garden burst into a rainbow of colours, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of flowers. Lily opened her eyes to find herself surrounded by the most beautiful flowers she had ever seen. The fairy appeared out of nowhere, and smiled at her as she said, “You have unlocked the true power of flower symbolism, Lily. May your wish bring joy to all who visit this magical garden.” And from that day on, the garden was known far and wide as a place where dreams came true and love bloomed forever, and flower symbolism, became a big part of the world we know now. (word count: 311)

2/ Constellations

Once upon a time, there was a poor, young man living alone in a wooden hut. All he had with him, was his loyal, old, yellow cow. Together they lived in poverty, but they were happy nonetheless. They owned a small patch of land, and made their living from their small production of crops. One day, as Cowherd, for that was what people called him, was walking besides a beautiful lake, his old cow spoke to him. It told Cowherd that seven fairies were bathing in the lake, and one of them left her clothes on the shore. All he would have to do was to take the clothes of the fairy, and return them when the others left. Cowherd hesitated at this idea, but decided to follow his loyal cow's words. He did as he was told, and met a beautiful young woman, searching for her clothes. “Here you are, my lady.” Cowherd said with the most courtesy he could. The young lady blushed as she saw the handsome young man. They decided to marry, and had two children. The young lady was in fact a goddess, and soon the absence of her return was discovered. Her mother charged lots of guards to come and bring her back, away from the mortals. Nobody could do anything, and she was carried away into the sky. Cowherd was heartbroken. The old cow told Cowherd to peel off his skin once he died, because he was getting old. If he put the skin on his shoulders, he would be able to fly and rejoin his beloved wife. Not long after, the cow died, and so Cowherd once again did what he was told, and he flew with his two children to join their mother. The gods weren't happy that a mortal could outsmart them, and so they made a river between the couple just as they were about to join. They became the stars Vega and Altair. The birds took pity of them, and so once a year, they formed a bridge so that the couple could unite, but only for one day. (word count: 351)

3/ Aesthetic set

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/983872523/

4/ Fan-fiction

The daily… What should I write for the daily? The prompt is, ‘constellations’. What!? How can you expect me to write about constellations??? I live in the city, where there aren't any stars in the night sky! I've never learnt about them. What do you want me to do, search up in the internet for ‘famous constellations’? No way… And six hundred words? I'd never be able to write about something completely unknown to me for that long. How I wish I'd taken astronomy classes… Or maybe if I got transported into the Scratch Writing Camp World, along with another few SWCers, maybe I'd discover some tips about writing unknown things, or maybe somewhere I could observe some constellations and learn about their uses??? Nah, I hate learning, that would be too difficult for me. Instead, what if I could… CHANGE THE DAILY? Without permission from the daily team? Oh- wow! I could change the daily, submit my writing for points, and then change it back! What if every camper could do that? That would really, really be superb!

I might have ended up dozing a bit, but you definitely won't believe what happened! When I woke up with a start, sure, I found my laptop on my lap, but then no way! We, because there were others with me as well, I noticed, were inside the Main Cabin. That is to say, swc march 2024 ➷ main cabin! And with inside, I mean inside! The wall was covered in words, which was the studio description, apparently. There were some shelves, and on them- ‘writing comp ❄ swc march 2024’, ‘critiquitaire ᨒ swc march 2024’, ‘Warrior Wharf ⛵︎ SWC March 2024’, etc… There were also a few doors, one leading into scrolls and scrolls of studio comments, others leading into tons of Cabins!

I began examining the people around me. They were probably SWCers as well, since they were looking around in awe, as I had been. There was a pink-haired girl and a serious looking person examining her surroundings. “Uh hi! Where are we?”, I asked them. Of course, I thought, my question was absolutely stupid. I knew where we were. At least I thought so.

“Ooh hi! Tricky question there- But I think, we're in the Main Cabin… Aren't we?”, the pink haired girl answered.

“According to my calculations, I believe we are currently located in the SWC March 2024 Main Cabin.”, the other girl said, in a pretty formal tone.

“I do agree with you guys… I'm April by the way!”, I said.

In turn, they introduced themselves. We explored a fairly long time, and as we were questioning how we came here and how we were to escape, it came to my thought that I might have been the one who brought them here. I was wishing to be able to change the daily, right? Well…

At last I decided to do what I was sent here for. I brought up the topic of the daily, and as I shared my idea of changing it, my companions were both a little worried about ‘breaking the rules’. “But there aren't even any rules telling you that you can't change the daily!”, I retorted. With a bit of persuading, I managed to convince them. We began working. We each searched a part of the description for the daily part, because the walls were covered with tiny writing we could barely decipher. After what seemed a really long time, I found it. Excitement mounted in me as I took out a big marker to cross out the current daily. Just as the tip of the pen was about to touch the wall, my eyes fluttered open, and you guessed it, I was once again before my laptop, my half-written daily displayed on the screen… (word count: 635)

Daily 16/03

Hi! I'm Blossom, you're newest SWC member! This is my first time joining, and so far I'm having a blast! A week earlier, I didn't know what SWC was. At all. I think I saw something about a writing camp a few months ago, but I wasn't interested and passed it. Here's how I really discovered Scratch Writing Camp. Believe it or not, I actually really found out about it with the Leader Applications! I was really curious about what this whole big camp thingy was all about, and you know what, I even considered joining as a leader! Ah yes, me, a total stranger to SWC, leader? Yeah, I know, I wasn't right in my mind. I didn't know what it was all about, I was just curious, and you know when you're really curious about something you know nothing about? You explore! So I did explore, and drumroll please… I found the Camper Signups! Wow, I was really thrilled to see that in order to participate, you don't need to go through all the steps and write that much to apply for a leader. Instead, you can be a simple camper! So, I filled out the form quite quickly. Then, I read lots and lots of project description and forum posts about it, and I found out SWC was the biggest camp on Scratch! I was thrilled!

After that, a few weeks passed…

Picture me, bored in front of my laptop. Opening Scratch for nothing really. A message… Wooowww! I got accepted as a camper! I really forgot about the camper signups for SWC to be honest, and suddenly all the information I read about it surfaced in my brain! Wow, I'm actually going to participate! That's how I found myself in the amazing cabin of XXX! Eager for the rest of camp!

*word count: 305

Daily 19/03




Rain splattering against the window.
Thunder rolling like an angry lion.
A journal lying open on the floor, revealing a messy, scattered handwriting.
Blotches of ink staining the crispy yellow pages.
And a word.
A word written in bold.


An alarm clock. Willy turns in bed and her eyes flutter open. She reaches a hand out to turn off the alarm. Beep. She sits up, yawns and gets off the bed. She walks blindly towards the light switch. Bam. She trips on something and falls onto the floor. Ugh. What a great way to start off a day. Wincing slightly, she touches her head, where a big bump has already formed. On fours, she crawls to the other end of the room to switch on the light. Click. The light fills the room, blinding her eyes. As they adapt to it, Willy sees what had made her fall. A book. A journal, more precisely. A journal that wasn't well cared for by its owner. One page had been torn apart, and she comes to the realisation that she had ripped the page when she fell.

Who had put it there? In the middle of the room? It wasn't Willy in any case.

She stares and stares at the curious sight. First of all, the journal wasn't there last night. That is strange. And it doesn't seem to be someone she knew who possessed it, as far as she is concerned. She walks closer to it, carefully, as though the book might bite her. It does look quite creepy. Slowly, Willy kneels down and delicately caressed the old, rusting, page. She shivers slightly at the eery touch.

rivalry…ambition….catastrophe… Curiously, those are the only words Willy can decipher. And of course, HOPE. Written across the middle of the page. Nobody could miss that. And such a strong word, too. As Willy moves her fingers once more across the words, she realises the ink is still wet. As if the words were written not long ago. Her mouth falls open at the thought.

Thousands of thoughts rush to her mind, a blurry mixture of fear, curiosity and astonishment swerving in and out of her brain. Who does the journal belong to? Why did they leave it here? How did they leave it here? When was this written, and by who's hand? And what, what are the meanings of those words?

*word count: 409

Critique with @stvrriii

Overall, I think it's a pretty good story, but if you were to improve it, here is a few points that you could consider:

1/ In the 3rd paragraph, you might want to be more precise on why Amy and Emily wanted to leave their hometown and explore the world. It is a bit… unclear, to just write “they felt like outsiders” and “they didn't belong”, because after all it is their hometown we're talking about. It is also a little contradictory to write at the end “it was where they belonged”. Instead, you could develop about how they wanted to discover the world and live adventures.

2/ To add a little more detail to the story, you can imagine a special event that made Amy want to go home. Although you wrote that Amy was overwhelmed by the constant movement- which is a pretty good reason, being more detailed would make the story more interesting. For example, you develop on how Amy disliked meeting new people, or how she missed her family, etc…

3/ In the last paragraph, you wrote “They felt more confident and more self-assured.” and “the adventure had changed them”. I think it is okay to say that as long as you give a reason somewhere in the story. However you did not give any suggestion to why the two friends would feel “more confident” after their adventure. For this, you might want to add earlier in the text what changed them.

4/ Overall, you might want to add a bit of flare to the story to make it more interesting. A bit more action, maybe, or a problem encountered by the characters that they'd have to solve.

That's all! If I misunderstood some parts of your writing, please tell me! I hope this critique helped! And of course, you are not forced to make these changes, these are just suggestions.

"word count: 316

Critique with @silverlynx-

First of all, I'd like to say that you did a really good job! Your writing created an immersive and vivd image. The use of sensory details, such as the eerie moonlight and the rough fabric of the train seat, brings the scene to life. The introduction of Fyrian, the dragon character, adds a touch of fantasy to the narrative, providing an interesting and unexpected element to the story. The gradual build-up of tension and suspense as the protagonist meets the mysterious character, Night, is well-written and keeps the reader engaged.

For paragraph one: It is very well written with many details and adjectives. However I find that the ‘eery moonlight’ and ‘ghostly moon’ are a bit contradictory with ‘I sighed happily and a smile curled on my lips’ and ‘warm and tempting’. Although the descriptions of the moon give off a mysterious vibe that would be proven as the story progresses, it doesn't correspond well with the last sentence of the first paragraph.

Paragraph two: Again, I really admire how you can make readers alert with the ‘screech’ sound, and of course all the detailed description. But I do find that in the latter part of the paragraph, the sudden change to ‘I was shrivelled up, the once-vibrant petals of my soul fading and drooping.’ is a little too brutal. As a reader, I did not understand why the protagonist suddenly felt ‘shrivelled up’. For this, you could work on the flow of the passage.

Paragraph three: This is a really minor punctuation error due to inattention, but you forgot a period after the first sentence Before ‘I smiled softly’, you might want to add something like ‘I relaxed…’ or other because it just doesn't correspond that well with ‘my brow furrowed’. Again, the flow.

Paragraph four: Nothing to say.

Paragraph five & six: I really have nothing to say, these are written perfectly.

To conclude, there are moments where the pacing and the flow could be improved, particularly in the transition from the initial train ride to the sudden appearance of Night. Additionally, further exploration of the protagonist's thoughts and emotions could help deepen the reader's connection to the character and improve the overall impact of the narrative.

*word count: 376