i'm tired - march '25 writing comp entry

this was first posted here, but it was very long and cluttered the page, so I edited it there instead!

critique collection:
hugo's story https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/post/8446070/

comment collection:
https://scratch.mit.edu/studios/50665171/comments/#comments-298062154

Weekly 3 - Tropes (2245 words)

Part 1: Trope Pros/Cons (536 words)
1. Friends to Lovers
In my opinion, this is one of the best tropes. It’s just so nice to see friends finally share their feelings with each other and it’s just so wholesome. I love it so much because it shows the progression of their relationship with each other. Even better if they’re childhood friends and finally one gets feelings towards the other and they both become lovers. It is just so nice to see people who have known each other for so long become lovers. One of the best tropes. There aren’t many cons, but sometimes these friends to lovers don’t work out. Maybe it’s because it’s difficult to see your friend as your lover or something? But a lot of the time, it never works out which is sad.

2. Enemies to Lovers
I don’t really like this, if I am being honest. It is just so cringe! Like, why are you suddenly dating someone you despised? I never like it when this happens, because I feel like you should just keep them your enemies. Why are you suddenly developing romantic tendencies towards them? I don’t like it at all. I guess there are a few pros, like the fact that both characters develop more when they move from enemies to lovers. Also, it can provide a conflict for the main character on why they are suddenly liking the enemy. But overall, I really don’t like this because the evil enemy still isn’t a good person a lot of the time, and I just feel like they are being manipulated.

3. The Chosen One
This trope is really stereotypical. There is a destined one in the prophecy that finally comes true. Honestly, even if it is done many times, I feel that it’s a solid trope! In a fantasy world, a chosen one can finally save the world. Just as long as it is not repetitive and brings something new to the table, I’m fine with it. It shows how one person can do a lot to change the world, and I like it.

4. Found Family
I love this trope so much! It really brings together a bunch of people with a lot of differences and makes them bond with each other over them. They might share bad pasts, but now, they are sharing a good present, and it’s honestly really nice to see. It’s really heart-warming to see them talk to each other and have fun, and it’s cool because they don’t really have a lot of similarities, yet they still stay together. A con can definitely be how their histories are bad, which can lead to a lot of flashbacks and trauma, which I don’t really like.

5. Damsel in Distress
This trope is alright, I guess. I don’t really have much feelings towards it. It’s just ok. I mean, in the past, it was really cool for fairytales, such as Rapunzel, which could introduce new characters. But now, in the modern day, it might have different connotations in the past, which won’t always be good for some people. Honestly, I feel like this trope is fine in fairytale and fantasy settings, but if it’s in something more realistic, then it might send the wrong idea.

Part 2: Use a Trope – Chosen One/Prophecy (412 words)
Bartholomew was not a hero. He was not the chosen one. He was just a regular farmer who did nothing but farm with his family. He would never be a hero in a thousand years!

In fact, he did nothing but farm his turnip crops all day long. But suddenly, one day, a messenger came to his humble farm. “Hello, I have a message.” Bartholomew was surprised. A message? From who? He had never seen anyone come to his farm before in a few years, let alone a messenger. Anyways, he asked him to continue, and the messenger said “You have been chosen to be the next king of our land. We are currently under war. We need your help to save us. You are the only person that can do it for us. Bartholomew, it is up to you.”

He was surprised. Why him? He asked the messenger who gave him that message, and the messenger simply replied with: “The gods, of course!” Bartholomew knew, deep inside himself, that this was his duty to protect his land. He was the chosen one to save them all.

He went back to the kingdom with the messenger. As soon as he got to the big city, everyone ran to get a glimpse of the new king. “Oh my god! It’s Bartholomew!” A lady said, but then a man replied to her. “Um, you said “oh my god!”, so is that implying that you believe that there is only one god?” The lady was red in the face and disappeared.

Anyways, people all around were clamoring and stampeding to get to the horse to see the chosen king, Bartholomew. “I’m your biggest fan!” An old lady said. “I’ve been dreaming of seeing you ever since I was born!”

Bartholomew was kinda confused. He never knew that anybody knew him. “Excuse me?” He asked. The lady clarified. “There has long been a prophecy in our kingdom that when we are in a war and the king is dead, a chosen one named Bartholomew will save us. I always believed in that prophecy, even though many ridiculed me. But it turns out that the prophecy was true, and that you are the one that will save us!”

Bartholomew was very taken aback, but he welcomed it regardless. He was very happy that he had this chance to finally prove himself and take the kingdom back to peace. He was the chosen one, and he believed it.

Part 3: Trope with a Twist - Hunger Games, but instead of being an underdog, Katniss is rich (spoilers) (514 words)
Katniss loved being rich. That was all she had ever known. Growing up in the Capitol, her parents had a large sum of money and had always given her lots of things to do. She attended Capitol parties on the weekends, eating oysters and lobsters and a plethora of different foods. She vomited it all up and ate it all again.

Every year, when the Hunger Games were broadcasted, Katniss loved watching them. There was always a tribute that she rooted for, and it was a lot of fun seeing what happened. Overall, Katniss lived a great life. But suddenly, one day, her father was found out to support the Capitol rebels. Katniss was shocked, she had never realized that her dad could do something so horrible. As a result, he was taken by the government, and Katniss and her mom were moved to live in DIstrict 12. It was a horrible place. Everyone looked like they had not showered in years, and the worst thing was that nobody had money, so there were no parties on the weekend. Unfortunately, she had to go to school with everyone else, but she did end up meeting some friends, like this boy she liked called Gale, and others.

One day, on the annual reaping, Katniss walked with her friends to the town square. She wasn’t really nervous, because she only had her name in there once. Since she was super duper rich, she did not need any tesserae, so it was a very small probability. Unfortunately, her name was called, for some reason? Anyways, it didn’t seem too bad so she decided to go to the arena with this other boy, Peeta.

On the train ride, Katniss was being pampered, and she loved it. Once she made it to the arena, she found out that everything was different. People were out there to GET HER! So she decided to run. She found out that she was good with a bow and arrow, and she actually managed to reach the final two with Peeta. These whole games had taught her things about the Capitol she never knew, and the oppression in the districts. She also had a feeling that she wouldn’t see her father again.

This made her angry – very angry. She decided with Peeta to eat the last few poison berries, and when they put them to their mouths, the gamemakers decided that they both could win. However, Katniss still felt unsatisfied. President Snow needed to pay for the problems he had put towards all of them – tributes and citizens. So, when the opportunity presented itself at the end of the second book, Katniss accepted happily. Her time as a rich person had shown the good parts of Panem, but her time as a tribute made her realize just how horrible the system was. She wanted change. She wanted to be the face of the rebellion. She wanted to support President Coin as much as she could and make a better future for the districts of Panem. President Snow would pay. Katniss was out for vengeance.

Part 4 - Three Tropes: Chosen One, Reluctant Hero, Damsel in Distress (783 words)
Bob was going on with his day when he suddenly fainted. He was just walking in the middle of the road and crossing the street when his vision suddenly stopped working and his legs buckled. Hitting the cement, the last thing that Bob saw before he blacked out was a car headed right towards him. Then, everything stopped.

When Bob woke up, he was in a hospital. There was a monitor with his pulse in the distance, and there were a few syringes that were injected into him by a nurse. There was also a group of doctors huddling in the corner of the room and looking worried, just like the movies. Bob asked the doctors what the problem was, and a really old one walked towards him. The old doctor had a name tag that said “Bib”, so Bob assumed his name was Bib. The doctor cleared his throat for a few minutes, and after he stopped wheezing, he said “You have a very dangerous syndrome…” in a grave voice.

Bob was very scared. A syndrome? Like that one villain in the Incredibles? Terrified, Bob tried his best to look brave, but failed. Anyways, he squeaked “Syndrome? What do you mean syndrome?”. Doctor Bib cleared his throat for a few minutes again before explaining: “You have main character syndrome. That means that the author has made you the main character.”

Bob’s eyes widened. The main character? Of what? And what did Bib mean by doctor? Before he could ask these questions, Bob passed out.

When he woke up again, he was back in his apartment. How did he get there? Never mind that, Bob thought, and he decided to walk around. He was all good. Then, there came a knock from the door. Bob walked slowly, scared to see who it was, and opened the door.

There was a small girl there. “Hello, Bob! It is me, Beb. I am going to tell you more about the plot of the story.” Bob was confused. How did that girl know his name? And, what did she mean by story? Bob’s head was starting to spin, but she continued.

“You are the chosen one. The author chose you, Bob, to be the hero to save the day. It appears that a villain by the name of Bub has kidnapped an innocent civilian for the plot of this short story. It is up to you to save them. It has been destined.”

Bob was starting to doubt this little girl, Beb, but he decided to believe her, for the sake of the story. “No, I don’t want to! I’m just a regular guy! I could never be a hero! And even if I was, I wouldn’t do anything heroic at all!”

Beb patted Bob on his back. “Don’t worry, Bob. You will decide to be a hero eventually in the climax (which will happen in a few paragraphs).” Then, she faded into the air.

Bob was so confused. What was happening to him? This girl was speaking a bunch of nonsense that was scaring him, so he decided to pretend she never existed. He decided to go downstairs and get a cup of coffee in the shop that was right next to the apartment complex.

As soon as he entered the shop, he saw someone. It was a ghastly figure with a lot of hair, and Bob, for some reason, knew that he was the “Bub” that Beb was talking about.

“Um, excuse me? I use they/them pronouns, not he/him.” Bub interrupted. Bob started to apologize. “I’m so sorry, that won’t happen again.” (Also, how did they know that Bob thought that they were male?)

Finally, Bob started to see what was happening in the coffee shop. It seemed as if Bub had this lady in a cage, and the lady was trying to get out. “Help me, Bob! I am Bab, the last B_b person! Please, save me from Bub!” she cried.

Bob was taken aback. Once again, how did she know that his name was Bob? Anyways, he decided to step up as the hero once and for all. “Bub, stop!” he shouted at Bub to get Bub to stop.

“Awwww, ok.” Bub said, and they stopped and released Bab. “Omg thank you so much!” Bab said to Bob.
Bob was finally a hero! He had stepped into his role as the chosen one despite at first being reluctant, and he had saved this damsel in distress.

“Um, excuse me? I wasn’t in distress.” Bab said. (How did she know his thoughts?)

Anyways, in the end, Bob listened to Bib and Beb, saving Bab from Bub. It was a great day!\

3/24 - Roleplay Day! (479 words)
“What the heck, 6314 points?????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Clev screeches. “I've never seen something have that many points before!” They pull out a pencil, ready to write. “Weekly 4, here I come.”
Clev looks around in confusion. “WHERE'S THE WEEKLY?????” They exclaim. “Though, to be fair, I'm not complaining about the cats.” Still, they wonder if the 6314 points if a joke…
Clev, standing in the Journalism cabin, feels a strange shaking from underneath their feet. Terrified, they witness the main cabin shatter into pieces as an ear-piercing screech rips the air particles.
For a second, the world stops spinning, and the sound of blissful silence fills the air. Out of the corner of their eye, Clev can see a figure, standing in the wreckage of the main character, wave. “Are they waving at me?” They wonder, but before they can ask, the earth starts breaking apart as a new scream ensues.
Clev starts feeling existential dread. Everything they had known, the Journalism cabin, SWC, everyone around them – it was all imaginary?? Clevs look around, and suddenly realizes that they are floating in space. “THE FOURTH WALL??” they shout. “WHAT'S THAT?? WHAT'S A COMMENT???” they scream, but then they realize that there is no sound in space and that it is all in their head….
Clev announces to the main cabin: “I have an exam right now!!” They pause, and think. “Maybe I can get a few words out of it, too.”
Clev jumps in. “I could critique it really quickly whenever you're ready to share!” They would love to help a friend out, even if the critique wouldn't be super detailed.
Clev jumps in again. “854 words for an exam I just took!” They exclaim, before leaving.
“Of course!” Clev smiles back. “That sounds like a great idea!”
“Of course!!!” Clev says. They'd love to help out!! “Just so you know, it probably won't be super long, and it might be a little rushed.” they say
“Hmmmmm…” Clev says as they examine the two pieces. “I'm lowkey skimming them,” they admit. “But personally, I think I like the second one more, because I'm a sucker for emotional real-fi!” They pause for a second before continuing. “Honestly, I'd say in the end you should pick the one you liked writing the best!!!”
“OOOOH EMBARRASSING!” Clev says, pointing directly at Peggy and laughing.
Clev doesn't stop laughing, tears almost falling from their eyes. For a second, they are concerned for their safety, but then they start laughing again. “HAHAHAHAHAA!!!!!!!“
”Oooh, yay!“ Clev says, picking up the link and entering it.
”Goodbye, Roleplay Day.“ Clev stands in the wreckage of the main cabin one last time, hands in a salute.
Clev looks in alarm as mangoes start shooting towards them, before an idea pops into their head. They open their mouth and begin inhaling and swallowing each mango that exits the cannon. ”YUMMMYYYY"!!

3/26 Pick your daily! I chose the 10 word daily from last session. Words (from Sandy): blue, solitude, yearning, shore, wander, the ghost of your past (558 words)

I stare out at the blue sky. I am standing at the edge of a blue cliff and everywhere I can see only blue. Blue in the darkening sky, blue in the ocean waves at the bottom of the cliffs, and blue is my melancholia I feel everywhere.
There’s something that’s beautiful about feeling blue in a blue environment. Just standing there at the cliffside of a blue landscape and feeling blue. That’s me right now.
I’ve been alone for quite a long time, both mentally and physically. I decided to isolate myself here for many days, and I’ve never thought about anyone this month. I decided personally to work and distance myself from others. I find company and solace in my solitude - it’s a nice thing for a change.
But still, my soul feels a deep yearning for something else. I thought I would find content and satisfaction in my isolation, yet deep down, I yearn to go back. I yearn to go back to the embrace I miss, and to go back to the society where I exiled myself from. That’s my yearning.
Then, I decided to walk and start the slow trek down to the shore of the cliffside. The coastal clearing is beautiful, and the navy blue sky darkens as I slowly start the descent. After a few hours, I get to the bottom of the cliff. There are small waves lapping the rocky shore, and there is no sand at all. I look at the vast expanse of soul blue, and think about what it would be like to be able to see all of it. My feelings are like the waves, they come in all at once, and leave just as quickly as they came.
From the top of the cliff, it had seemed as if the waves were rocking the shore, but now standing here, they’re barely hitting the pebbles that line the ground. I sit, legs folded, and watch as the dark-blue cloudy sky gets darker as each wave reaches the shore.
I am a wandering spirit. I am not alive. I live forever in limbo – the place between life and death. I roam freely in this cage, this trapped world. I am a lost spirit, yet I found myself in this place.
I wander around the world, my feelings, and my experiences. I am a spirit forever confined to wandering.
The ghost of your past is always going to haunt you, and that’s me. I am the ghost of your past, forever making you question what could be. The things that never happened, the lives you never had, the things you could’ve had.
Regrets, sorrows, and the things that never happened. That’s why I isolate myself - the ghost of your past is never going to leave, yet maybe sometimes it wishes it could.
There’s nothing but my thoughts for company, but they make good conversations. I like my thoughts. They’re always there for me when I’m lonely, and whenever I need new ideas, they’re there for me. It’s funny to think how the ghost of your past, stuck wandering and yearning in solitude at this blue shore, needs to turn to their thoughts for company.
I stare at the vast expanse of blue – the sky the ocean and my feelings – and wander in wonder.

i'm tired (writing comp entry) - author's note

hi! thanks sooo much for reading, i appreciate it so much that you read something that i wrote and are interested enough to read the a/n here :) anyways, this “story in verse” (?) was written on december 27 of 2023, which is pretty cool because that was like two years ago (time flies amirite?). i'm pretty sure the six days from christmas to new year's day are a little bit depressing because it's like the awkward transition time before the end of a year to the start of the next, and you don't really know how to feel – like, how did that year end already? i know the story was a bit on the sadder side (ex: i'm not okay, i feel like nothing, i'm not enough) but i PROMISE i'm okay and i was okay at the time of writing this, i just felt like being emo.

i chose to enter this piece because lowkey i'm too tired to write something new (which is ironic because the story is about being tired) and i'm pretty proud of this piece!!! i think there were some cool ideas in the story – i especially like the “how can someone who has had enough not be enough?” quote and the puns! i've barely edited it because i kinda wanted to keep the original thoughts and message i had when i first read it, though it would def be cool to try something like this again. also, i wrote this piece in one sitting – exactly one hour and thirty one minutes, thank google docs version history – which is really impressive; i guess it was something that was (and maybe still is) on my mind.

thanks soooo much for reading and i hope you liked it!!

3/27 daily - pangrams! i didn't do the daily specifically, but i created a pangram: The good kid, Jacob, says to preview the extremely hard quiz on Friday (71 characters)

UPDATED 4/20
A good kid, Jacob, says to preview the extremely hard French quiz (65 characters)

UPDATED 4/26
A good kid, Jacob, says to preview all extreme French quizzes (61 characters)

CleverComment wrote:

Daily 3/18 - Bad Similes (870 words), mine was “she was as helpful as autocorrect: it truly depended on every tiny detail of the moment” from charlie!

Emily was always someone that you loved and hated, depending on the day. There was no in-between. On some days, you might hate her guts and find her annoying. On others, you might be grateful for her words. It truly depended on what the day was like.

My name’s Brian. I’ve known Emily ever since elementary school; we’ve been at the same school up until high school. I wouldn’t call her my friend – we rarely talked, but we still knew each other. “Acquaintance” would be a better word. She had a few friends that she talked to; only girls, though. She never dated anyone before – I’d feel sorry, but who really feels sorry for Emily?

Walking into 4th period Trigonometry on the first day of sophomore year, I notice Emily’s bright pink outfit in the classroom. I grimace – hopefully I won’t have to sit with her. Fortunately, the teacher, Mrs. Angle, lets us pick our own seats, so I walk near the back to sit with some of my friends. I can already see Leo’s curly hair and Elijah’s signature black t-shirt.

“Yo, Brian, what’s up?” Elijah waves from his seat. (Though I can’t really see him because he’s slouched in it.)

I smile back. “How have you guys been?” I say, as I take a seat next to him. Before he can open his mouth, however, Emily butts into the conversation. “Great! I went to Paris for a few weeks,” she says, smiling.

I try not to clench my teeth. It’s always her. The others are already laughing from their seats. “Wait, so like Emily in Paris?” Leo says, tears in his eyes.

It doesn’t seem like she understands the joke, but the good thing is that Mrs. Angle starts talking. The bad thing is, Emily is sitting directly to my left.

“Good morning class,” Mrs. Angle starts. She’s talking in a really animated way, and her floral dress isn’t helping. “I hope you all had a great summer. I’m excited to teach trig to all of you this year. I know a lot of you have trouble with math,” she smiles. (Is it just me, or was she looking straight at me?)

Anyways, she goes on for a while about herself. It’s a bit boring, so I start zoning out and thinking about lunch. Suddenly, I hear “Brian, would you like to share?”, and I jump back to reality.

Everyone’s looking at me, so all I can say is, “What was the question again?”. There are a few laughs, but it’s okay because Mrs. Angle says “I said, what did you do over the summer?”. I sigh in relief – I can do this!

“It was pretty cool. I went to New-found-land to visit my family!” I say, and she smiles. I internally jump up; I wasn’t humiliated! But I thought too soon, because I hear a familiar, nasal voice say “Erm, actually, it’s New-fin-lin, NOT, New-FOUND-LAND”.

OH MY GOSH I CAN NOT DO THIS ANYMORE. Emily had just stood up when she said that. The whole class is looking at us, and I feel my face getting hot. She’s so annoying, can’t she just know? I think.

The rest of the class passes by okay. Hopefully nobody remembers what just happened. But the occasional snickers in my direction tell me otherwise. I try my best to concentrate on the lesson, but I just can’t stop replaying the moment.

New-fin-lin??? Who even says it like that??? I think, trying to get a sense of vindication. But then, out of the blue, my thoughts are interrupted again. “So, Brian, what is the answer to the question?” I snap out of my thoughts.

Mrs. Angle is back at the whiteboard, and it seems like she has a complicated theorem on the board. The whole class is looking at me. WHY IS IT ALWAYS ME??????????? I scream internally.

I can’t even begin to comprehend the board. Why are there letters?? And why are we even doing this on the first day of school?? I literally can’t anymore. Mrs. Angle clears her throat. “So, Brian?”

I need to say something, but I can’t formulate any words. I try to open my mouth, but my throat is dry.

Then, to the left of me, I hear a familiar nasal voice whisper something. “Sixty-seven…. The answer is sixty-seven……”.

Did I hear correctly, or was I hallucinating again? I don’t have a better answer, so I just say it. YOLO! “Um, is it 67?” I say tentatively.

“What did you say?” Mrs. Angle shouts. I cringe.

“Sixty-seven????” I say. I brace for the impact, but after an infinitely long pause, her face breaks into a smile. “Correct, great job!”. Then, she moves on.

I can’t believe what just happened. Emily in Paris had just helped me??? I look back at her, and she’s smiling at me. I can’t believe it.

Suddenly, I am filled with so much gratitude (just like the Grinch when his heart grew three times). “Thank you SO much, Emily,” I whisper to her, and she smiles back.

In the end, Emily is as helpful as autocorrect; it truly depends on the situation and every tiny detail. But still, I’m grateful for her.

This story is really good, I love the references you hid in there through the story it really depicted the mind of our character well. I’ve always noticed stories tend to write internal monologues similar to a robot which takes the life out of it but as I read through this and heard it in my head it sounded like a very believable internal monologue of a person of that age. I love how you set a scene before going into the story, it gave me a good idea of the characters personalities and helped the reading feel like it wasn’t just stuck in an empty void. The wording you used visualized the classroom perfectly and as the story went on I felt like I could connect with the main character a lot. You really have a talent for setting the scenes and I think you should write more stories and books in the future you really have a knack for it.

3/31 thank-you notes
this session marked my 10th swc session, ever since november 2020. that's honestly SO crazy. this was such an amazing session and i'd like to thank people. i don't want to make it too long because i'll probably get demotivated then (heh), and i might not have everyone here bc i don't have the energy but i appreciate you so much <33

to swc: thank you for all these years! the community formed is literally the only reason i'm still on scratch after all these years. i look forward to every march, july, and november, and i'm so excited for what the future holds. some of my best memories come from swc, so thank you.

to journalism: wow, what a great cabin!! we did so good in cabin wars and the community was sooo fun, i loved it so much, and it was so cool being in the debut of such an epic cabin.

to cj: thanks for being such a great leader!! it's crazy that this is the third cabin we've been in together (i can't believe that thriller insect academy was a year ago, and magreal was soo fun as well), every single one of them have been so cool!! the newspapers are super duper cool and thanks sooo much for creating this

to kit: thanks for such an epic cabin!!! i loved seeing you around and you were such an epic co-leader. cabin wars was sooo fun (thanks for lowering the shield hehe) and i loved interacting with you. also, thanks for adding all the words xDD

to cd: you're so cool!!! i'm sooo happy we were finally in the same cabin (heh) and even though this month was hectic a bunch of the times, i really appreciate everything. the cabin promo also is soooo cool

to lili: this session really flew by!! you were suchhh a cool cabinmate to have. whether it was cabin wars (you carried) and writing the collab story about kev*n or the character swap, it was sooo cool having you around. also your word count is so cool heh, hope to see you around swc in the future!!

to luna: yoooo you're super cool!!! i'm super happy to be in the same cabin with you (especially after seeing the trackbear last session), and it was super duper fun the collab story with kev*n was so fun, and i also loved the roleplaying!! it was so fun with you hehe. ALSO good luck on 100k!!!

to nova: hi!!! just wanted to include you here because the roleplaying we did was sooo fun haha, i loved the breaking of the fourth wall and it was so chaotic so thank you

to eevee: thanks for being here all throughout the session, it was soooo awesome. whether it was talking about being tired (physics *cough*), planning the writing comp entries together, or just talking about cabin wars, thanks so much for being there, and it was so fun talking with you!!! also good luck on reaching 100k (woaj) hehe, and see you around!!

to peggy: woah it's sooo cool that we're both doing swc again, especially since it's been such a long time. it was sooo fun and awesome talking with you. also it's SO cool knowing another lorde fan!!! and sunrise on the reaping was literally so amazing, i'm still not over it. and the roleplaying with the mango cannons was super funny as well xDD but thank you for this session and i hope to see you in the future !!

to me: self love is the best love, and YAY i finished these notes – i guess there's always a first for everything because this is the first time i ACTUALLY did thank you notes, even if it's my 10th session. great job me for finishing another session, and also for getting my highest word count ever!! right now, there's only seven minutes until the session ends, which is super bittersweet. but i can't wait to see what the future holds!!

Word War with Eevee! (319 words) - this was written on the 29th
It was a great day, I had been having a lot of fun playing with my friend and having a fun time. We were in the pool and it was a very big pool that had a lot of water and there was a lot of things to doo. First, there was a big water slide that we played on and had a lot of fun splashing each other on. There was also a big raft in the middle of the pool in which all of us had turns going on it and making it seem like we were the rulers of the pool. THen, we played a bunch of games together in the pool, such as marco polo. I was the seeker for a long time because my friends were really quick at swimming and i could not catch them in time unfortunately, but it was okay because after a while, we decided to go out o the pool and eat some fpo.d there was a bunch of food abvvaialbe, such as a watermelon and a peach and a big cake and an ice cream sandwich and there were so many options. i had a lot of fun because there were so many options and i love ating food. I was so hungry anyways after playing, and the sun was very hot, so we decided to drink something cool. i picked out some tea, because i love tea. it is such a great drink for when you are cold and it is a great thing to eat overall. i love tea and i wish that evyerone could enjoy it the way tbhat i do. anyways, near the end of the day, we decided to play one last game of basketball before evyerone left. i hit a hoop at the last second and our team won. it was a great day and i had a lot of fun.

Excerpt (500 words)
Rachel looks up from her polyatomic ions and gasps. It’s dark outside, and the library is deathly silent.

How long have I been studying for?

She gathers her items and rushes out the dimly-lit building.

Rachel breathes the cool air as she walks home, streetlights illuminating the midnight sky. She glances behind at the dark street.

There’s nobody there, yet she still hurries back home.

Once she reaches her home, Rachel opens the front door, careful not to make a sound. She places her books on the floor, heads through the kitchen, and freezes.

There’s a dark figure standing in the kitchen. Covered in the cloak of darkness, its tall shadow seems to be waiting for something. Me.

Rachel’s heartbeat races at the intruder in the house. “Who–”, she manages. “Who are you?”

There’s a pause in the silent house. A brief moment where breathing stops, where the crickets’ songs pause, where the air conditioning is silent. An overwhelming silence.

And then:

“I am Atropos.” The figure walks out of the shadows, and a middle-aged woman steps into the light. Dark hair, a deep crimson cloak, and tight lips. Head high, bronze eyes fixed on Rachel. She holds a thin string and a pair of scissors. “The third Moirai, guardians of fate and destiny.”

“Or, simply put,” she says, strolling towards Rachel. “I am Death.”

It turns out that Death isn’t a Grim Reaper with a scythe. Death isn’t a skeleton with a black cloak. Death isn’t a demon, or an angel.

Death is a lady with a pair of scissors.

Rachel’s mind races. What is happening? This lady is Death? How did she get in here? Is this real?

But she doesn’t say this. All she manages is one single word: “What.”

Atropos lets out a short chuckle. “Don’t be scared. Life has to end someday, no matter what. And for you, that day is today.”

Rachel’s eyes widen; her breathing becomes shallow. Her body trembles. “You’re going to–”, she falters. “You’re going to kill me?”

“Yes, and I truly hope you do understand,” Atropos rehearses. “We all have to die. I am simply the one to do it.”

Rachel can’t think. She can’t breathe. I am literally going to die now. Like actually DIE. She doesn’t know whether to fight, cry, or accept her fate. This is going to be my last night. The thought pierces her mind with striking clarity:

I’m going to die tonight.

Atropos watches as she starts breaking down. That poor girl, Atropos thinks. The young ones always are the worst. But she doesn’t let any of that change her unwavering facade, bronze gaze directed at the girl. “So, are you ready?” Atropos says.

“No, I am not ready,” Rachel cries. “And I don’t believe anyone will ever be ready for their death.”

“That is true,” Atropos concedes. “But the sooner it happens, the less pain we feel.” She holds the scissors and moves them towards the string. “Goodbye, Rachel Bergeron.”

In the heart of rarely-ventured woods, there lies a small clearing. Thickets of thin trees surround the small space, branches reaching towards the giant blue cosmos. White snow coats the forest, a welcome visitor in a familiar time. In the clearing resides a small log cabin made of old wood – a sign of human residence in a forbidding environment. Countless stars dot the night sky, holes peeking through the blanket wrapping around earth.

For a moment, the forest maintains its everyday status quo; the occasional gust of icy wind, the hum of the mighty trees, the creaking of the log cabin. But, a quiet, unwelcome crackling sound emerges – the sizzling of fire in an icy wonderland. Within moments, the crackling grows into a roar, and the cabin is enveloped with biting, caustic flames. The status quo of the forest is overshadowed by the roaring blaze of red. The smoke reaches into the night sky, joining the towering branches.

A scorching fire is burning in a wintry forest; two starkly different forces of nature, both as unforgiving as the other. The heat of the fire, the cold of the forest. The flames continue to consume the cabin as the trees watch in cold apathy.

In a way, it is beautiful.

The fire goes on.

7/1 daily (intro) 411 words
hi! i’m clev, and this is my into for the july ‘25 swc session! i’m going to be keeping this brief, because i don’t really have that much time and motivation either (if i’m being honest heh). i am an ambivert, a hufflepuff, and an infp-t (which means i’m an idealist!). in my spare time, i like talking with my friends, reading, and also debating. i also love listening to music. my favourite artists are taylor swift and lorde, and i also love keeping up with eurovision every year! if you have any music recs, i’d love to hear them. i also love admiring nature, and whenever i can, i take a picture of something i like to see.

i think writing three goals for this session would be good for me, so i can keep track and motivate myself throughout it!

1) enter something new for the writing competition; last session, i didn’t have time to write anything new for the competition, which was a bummer. i still liked my piece though!! and since i’ll have more time this month, i’m definitely going to try and write something i’m proud of (and maybe even a potential fanfiction entry, if i have time… i have an idea).

2) stay active in creating the storyline! since i’m one of the bi-fi co-leaders (YAY!), i want to be there to help maintain the storyline (especially since this cabin has a big one). specifically, i want to help create the tasks and puzzles, plan character interactions, and reply to the forum posts in a timely manner. i know that, personally, it could be a bit difficult because i don’t really have much experience with complex storylines. however, i definitely want to work with kiara and sophia and make it work in the end!!

3) spend more time towards writing! i think something about summer is that i have a lot more time to do things that i usually don’t have time to do during school (that was a long sentence). i think, specifically, i want to spend at least thirty minutes each day of this month writing. whether it’s for a daily, a personal story, or journaling, i want to develop more of my writing skills and have more pieces i can be proud of!

that’s all i have right now, thank you for reading and i’ll update you on how they go at the end of the session!! i’m so happy it’s july

7/2 daily - letter about goals - 300 words partner: maddie
hi maddie!!! i’m clev, and i’m part of the bi-fi cabin this month. i think(?) we’re allies with utopian, so that’s cool!! and if we’re not, then oh well haha. i really like your goals for this session, i think that both of them are really important as a writer, and that you definitely can complete them!

i know that writer’s block is literally the worst thing as a writer; last year, during the summer, i also had writer’s block, i couldn’t write anything that i had an idea for. something that helped me overcome it was just sitting down and writing anything that came to my mind. i wrote it on a piece of paper (because i was on a flight) and once it was filled up, i had a whole page full of words i liked!! they weren’t perfect, and i didn’t really edit it, but i think it really helped me; maybe it can help you too! but everyone definitely has different ways and strategies, and i hope you can find yours. swc is a super good way to do that!!!

and for the second goal, graphing out the novel idea, that’s super duper cool!! i’m super interested in what idea you have for the novel, and i’d love to hear what you have planned so far :0 but anyways, i think drafting and planning your idea is definitely a cool goal. i think that novels are super cool, and drafting is also very important too. (idk if i’m even making sense right now). BUT GOOD LUCK!!!

in the end, i hope you have success with these goals this month!! i’m always here if you’d like someone to talk to about them, and swc is once again really helpful in pursuing writing goals. GOOD LUCK maddie; you got this!!

Word War with Chuey!! (240 words)
They drank the moon, like they always do. That is what these people do. They are specialized moon drinkers, they do nothing but worship the moon. It might seem contrary, because why would they drink something that they worship? Well, the truth is that they do it to please the heavens. They believe that, by drinking the moon essence, they will be able to get a reward from the gods and appease the heavens above. They collect their moon essence by filtering out the moonlight at nighttime and distilling it into a drink. However, this time, it was different. This time was the last time they drank the moon, because there was nothing left to drink. In fact, they had already drank so much of the moon that there was no more moonlight left. That meant that the night sky was completely dark. And what happened when they drank the last bit? Well, literally nothing. It was a whole scam. However, this actually did happen many years ago, and the solution from last time was that they had to put all the moon essence back into the sky. So, the remaining moon drinkers gathered up all the moon essence that they could find and put it into a pan. The pan was then thrown into the night sky, where all the essence scattered into the stars. The moonlight filtered through the air and the sky was back to normal again.

Word war with Celeste (413 words)!
Maybe the cliff jumping was a bad idea. It had all started one day when I woke up and saw that the sky was blue. In our planet, the sky was always green, so it was very surprising to me that the sky was blue. I decided to go outside the house and look outside and see if it was true. In fact, it was. Everyone was looking outside and wanted to know what happened to change the sky’s color. I was very shocked, I remember learning in school that a blue sky meant that you had to fall from a great height. Of course, that was just a legend, and nobody knew that it was true, as the sky had never been blue before in our planet. So, without thinking, I decided that I had to follow the legend. I was about to walk to the car and drive to a nearby cliff when my brother told me that the legend was a lie. He showed me a video with people who were debunking the myth and showed that it was just created for a certain company to get more money from healing people. Naturally, I was very surprised, but I did not believe him, because I still wanted to see for myself. I drove to the cliff outside our town very quickly, and saw that there was nobody there yet. Good. I wanted to be the first in the town to jump off the cliff. I saw the blue sky still, and without thinking, I ran right off the cliff. When I was in midair, right before gravity pulled on me, I regretted my decision. There were many daners in jumping off cliffs, especially the injuries that could happen to me. So there I was, regretting my decision midair, with the ocean 1000 feet below me. I was literally doomed. So I did what I could and moved my body into a crouching position, to help me and brace for the impact when I reached the sea. The winds were very big and were blowing against me. At the end, I fell into the ocean and I was alive! I survived, and started swimming towards the top to save myself. After a few seconds, I made it to the top of the ocean and I started swimming towards the shore. I had survived the fall, which was great. I was never, ever, going to do that again, no matter what happened.

Word War with Qwerty! (260)
No. Whatever you do, DO NOT start the fire. PLease. I”m begging you. Do not start the fire. Please, let me explain.

It all started three weeks ago. I watched my house burn on fire in my dreams, and something about that dream really unsettled me. It was very vivid; I could see all the details and small things of the fire and the house. And it really scared me. I could see everything that we live for disappear; our lives were basically over when the house collapsed. We were both safe, of course, but the dream still shook me. When I woke up, i was in a cold sweat. I could not move for many minutes. I was too scared of it being real. So of course, I pretended everything was fine. But for the rest of the week, I was scared and kept having vision.

Now, we are back in the present day. You are cooking something in the oven and are thinking of starting a fire to make the food cook faster. But whatever you do, do not start a fire. Please, I know what is going to happen. My dream was an omen from the gods. It will happen if you start the fire. Please.

Okay, thank you for believing me. OUr food is going to taste good, whether or not it is scorched or not. Thank you for believing me, for a second I thought that you were going to laugh at my face and start the fire anyway. That would be very funny.

7/6 Spoof Story 265 words
In this dystopian story, the world has changed. As a result of nuclear fallout and war, only one nation stands: Bread. Its name is Panem in Latin, but the people there don’t speak Latin, so they chose bread. There are twelve divisions (Florida sank and is now underwater, RIP), and every year, they choose two competitors, one boy and one girl, from the lottery to compete in the Hungry Games.

Contrary to popular belief, the Hungry Games are not a fight to the death; there aren’t even weapons! Instead, the Hungry Games are all about eating. You see, the nation of Bread really values eating; they believe that eating is the answer to life. After all, without eating, there is no life. Without eating, there is no happiness. That’s why they devised the Hungry Games.

In Bread, the citizens are slowly losing their way; they are eating less. That’s why the annual Hungry Games challenge the 24 contestants to eat as much as they can. The gamemakers make lavish meals, 10-course dinners, and only the most expensive gourmet foods. Each contestant must finish each meal; otherwise they are eliminated (nobody knows what happens to those who are eliminated). You have a tree nut allergy? Too bad, either eat this pistachio or face the consequences!

In the divisions, everyone loves watching the Hungry Games. It heals their relationship with food, and they love seeing all the new meals that the gamemakers make. They find specific contestants to cheer on as they eat their way to victory. After all, that’s what the games are all about: food.

Word War with Waterfall (313)
No No No, do not set it on fire. You see, it is a cat. It is a living, breathing, animal. It is not a fake soft cat. It is a real animal, and if you set the cat on fire, it will die. You see, the answer is not violence. It is not subject to your violent whims. The answer is peace and not setting that cat on fire. I know that it kind of looks like the cat is a fake cat, as the whiskers seem like it was made of plastic. However, that is not true. If you take a closer look at this black cat, you will notice that it is slightly breathing. It is only if you look at it very closely, and then you can see that the black cat is alive. You see? That is my cat. Her name is Bat. I know her very well, ever since I was a child. My family thought that Bat was an unlucky cat, as she was black, but that is not true. I have found comfort all my life with Bat my cat, and if you set her on fire, I will be very sad, as she will be gone in this life. That is why I am telling you, do not set Bat on fire. Please believe me, I know that many people in your life have wronged you, but that is not an excuse to wrong the cat and me as well. The answer is not violence. Bat is the nicest cat I have ever met. Bat is my friend. Bat is my family. Bat was there when nobody else was. Please. I promise, I’ll do anything afterwards. Just do not hurt my cat. She was there for me when I was very down, and I need to be here for her right now. Thank you.

7/8 Lipogram Daily - U, 319 words
It was a pretty good day in the city today. Nothing bad really happened to the people, and nothing bad really happened to the animals. It was overall pretty good! No bad villains, and no bad monsters were present in the city.

Emma liked to go to the city sometimes. She liked the people, and she had some friends that lived there. One of her friends, Sam Red, had lived in the city for her whole life. Sam Red liked that nothing really happened in the city; when nothing really happened in the city, Sam Red had the ability to predict everything that happened. That was the fact.

One day, when they were walking together, Emma and Sam Red walked to the park in the city. There was a small pond in the park, and they decided to sit there together on a small bench. The bench was a pretty thing, a little old, yet still very nice; it still got the job done.

When they were sitting on the bench, Emma started talking regarding her new life. She had recently completed high school, and was looking forward to her new college, which was in a city where so many things happened. Sam Red, on the other hand, was going to a college in the same city where nothing really happened.

The two friends were having minor problems with each other over this fact; one of them wanted to go to a place that was not predictable, while the other friend wanted to stay in a place that was predictable. The two friends both had opposite plans for their respective times ahead; this was what was wrong with them.

In the end, they reconciled with each other. They both recognized that they had different paths in life, and they both respected that. Emma and Sam Red still remained in contact and were still good friends for years to come.