SWC Activities - official record

mossflower29

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SWC July 2025 Weekly #2 - Fairy Tales

Intro (written by Chuey)

Come in to the cottage, children…and welcome to the second weekly of the session! Most of us are familiar with fairy tales (and their numerous adaptations) – Cinderella's slipper, Jack's beanstalk, and Red Riding Hood's red hood – and for this weekly, we're going to be diving into their fantastical realms. From looking at fairy tales across different cultures to crafting a tale of your own, prepare to be bewitched by the whimsical possibilities waiting for you. Pull out your wands, put on your wings, and get ready to make some magic!

This weekly begins on July 10 at 12:01 am UTC; good luck, spellcasters!

Part 1: Comparing Fairy Tales From Different Cultures (written by Lora)

We're all used to the fairy tales we've grown up with, but has it ever occurred to you how they change as they travel across different countries? In the first part of this weekly, we'll be comparing our beloved fairy tales and how they change as they go across different cultures. Go to this project about them to learn more. Make sure to write 200 words, and have fun! We can't wait to see what you come up with.

Part 2: Writing About An Object From A Fairy Tale (written by Sunny)

Now that you know all about fairy tales from across different cultures, we'll be zooming in towards an essential element in all enchanted stories - objects! Whether it's Cinderella's glass slippers, Aladdin's lamp, or the evil queen's magical mirror, these objects - enchanted or not - are all key ingredients to an exciting story. For the second part of this weekly, you'll be writing about an object from a fairy tale. This can be anything from a battle-worn sword to a rusty notebook, let your imagination run free! You'll need at least 200 words to complete this part.

Part 3: Putting A Spin On A Fairy Tale (written by Surf)

Think back to something in a fairy tale that you’d change if given a chance. Maybe you’d alter the ending, setting, genre, genders, characters, or time period–for this part of the weekly, you can add any sort of twist to your retelling! Put a novel spin on a classic fairy tale, writing at least 400 for this part of the weekly.

Part 4: Creating Your Own Fairy Tale (written by Yume)

We hope you've been having fun exploring various elements of fairy tales so far, because it's time to put everything together! For the final part of this weekly, you'll be creating your own fairy tales! Write 500 words of a fairy tale of your own creation using what you've learnt in the previous parts - the possibilities are endless! We can't wait to see what you'll create!

Outro (written by Skylar)

Congratulations on finishing the second weekly of this session! In this weekly, you've delved into the world of fairy tales, learning all about them before creating your own. Now, before you can leave your fairy tale worlds and claim your share of points for this weekly, ensure that you have completed the following:
- Written 200 words comparing fairy tales from different cultures
- Written 200 words about an object from a fairy tale
- Written 400 words putting a spin on a fairy tale
- Written 500 words of your own fairy tale

Your weekly should be a minimum of 1300 words for it to count. Submit it by July 16 at 11:59 pm UTC in the Main Cabin in order to earn 2500 points for your cabin! If you have any questions/concerns, contact a coordinator on one of their profiles, or you need an extension, please go here before the deadline."

rocksalmon800

SWC CABIN WARS #1

july 12, 2025

── ・❥・ ──

Cabin Wars officially begin at 00:00 UTC on July 12th. Do not send wars or start writing towards a war before then.

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Happy cabin wars, campers! Read over everything before you begin warring, please <3

RULES:
• We will not be using mercenaries for this cabin wars, but don’t worry — a special merc surprise is coming for cabin wars two!
• You may not plan wars with other cabins (e.g. strategically planning to war an ally or get a war yourself), but you may plan wars within your own cabin. The one exception to this is asking generically for “a war” (not a specific one!) in the main cabin.
• A cabin can opt to write half the required words for ONE war every cabin wars day.
• Valid wars cannot be taken back.
• Your cabin may not war another cabin twice in a row.
• A cabin cannot be given the same war nor extra challenge twice in a row.
• You must use the given wars. You may not make up your own.
• There is a 3 hour shield time, where a cabin may not be warred for 3 hours between each war.
• Leaders and cos may end their cabin's shield early if they wish, but they must lower it by commenting in the studio of their cabin.
• Each word you write may only count towards one war at a time.
• You do not have to ask before warring a cabin, though your leaders can set guidelines (based only on cabin relationships, not rankings).
• Cabin wars must be sent manually (not with bots).
• There is no penalty if you break a rule; the war just won’t count.
• SLEEP > SWC <3

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VALID WARS:

Cabin Wars! Write 4000 words as a cabin in the next 9 hours or lose 900 points.

Cabin Wars! Write 3500 words as a cabin in the next 8 hours or lose 800 points.

Cabin Wars! Two people must write 500 words each in the next 8 hours. If not, you lose 750 points.

Cabin Wars! Write 2000 words as a cabin in the next 4 hours, or lose 1000 points.

Cabin Wars! Write 1000 words as a cabin in the next 3 hours or lose 500 points.

Cabin Wars! At least three people in your cabin have to collaborate to create a short story of at least 700 words. You have 24 hours, or else lose 1000 points. (each cabin can only receive this war once)

Cabin Wars! Write 4500 words as a cabin in the next 7 hours, or else lose 700 points.

~

CHALLENGES:
Every war is required to have an extra challenge. They all earn the same amount of points, and can potentially make things more fun for the people being warred.
Completing a challenge is optional.

Extra challenge: Hi Barbie! It’s time to take a break from all the Barbie writing you’ve been doing, so let’s get your blood pumping! Get out of your dream house and dance the night away (aka walk around, stretch, or drink a bit of water) after every 500 or less words you write. Every person who does this consistently while writing towards the war wins 50 points each for their cabin. This applies for up to three campers (resulting in 150 points earned maximum.)

Extra challenge: Hi Barbie! Are you up for a challenge? If so, attempt a fifty headed hydra (500 words in 5 minutes)! Every Barbie who attempts this monstrous challenge can claim 25 points for their cabin. Your attempt does not need to be successful in order to win these points! This applies for up to six campers (resulting in 150 points earned maximum.)

Extra challenge: Barbie character swap! To complete this challenge, at least two cabin members must share a short biography of one of their original characters (preferably a Barbie or even a Ken) in their cabin comments. They must then claim a character that is not their own, and write 300 words from the perspective of that character. This applies for up to six campers (resulting in 150 points earned maximum.)

Extra challenge: Hi Barbie! Write 200 words with an upbeat and happy mood (much like Barbie as she wakes up every day)! Every Barbie who does this can claim 25 points for their cabin. This applies for up to six campers (resulting in 150 points max).

Extra challenge: Use three song titles (preferably from the Barbie Movie) in your writing! Every cabin member who does this can claim 25 points for their cabin! This applies for up to six campers (resulting in 150 points earned maximum.)

Extra challenge: It’s time to chat with your fellow Barbies! Ask any other swc-er for a writing dare, and complete it! The dares given out should be able to be completed within a short time frame; any dares that set a word goal over 500 or a time goal over 15 minutes are ineligible. Every cabin member who does this can claim 25 points for their cabin! This applies for up to six campers (resulting in 150 points earned maximum.)

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good luck, Barbies - and remember to sleep <3

Last edited by rocksalmon800 (July 10, 2025 23:45:55)

Eeveedonut

how to write a workshop 101 by lora

introduction

welcome, writers! today we’ll be going over something that you regularly see in your weeklies every session, and sometimes even in your bi-dailies. they're the–you guessed it–the well known workshops!
so, how do these workshops work? how do we, the daily team, write them? how do we make sure that their intent and purpose get across to our target audience?

getting into it

the format

one very important thing about workshops is their formats! there are several types of workshops, from project workshops, bullet point/sectioned workshops and paragraph workshops. take a moment to go through all these examples and see what you think looks best! here are some pros and cons to help you decide:

project workshops:

- a great break from the usual scratch white background and long paragraphs of text
- helps the reader understand more with visual graphics and gives you a wider range of options of formatting to choose from
- time consuming and require a lot of effort for graphics, text, and uploading to scratch to maintain quality
- a great example of this is this great project workshop by fae on metafiction!

bullet point/sectioned workshops:

- these help you to break the information down and make sure it’s not too overwhelming for the reader
- can vary from everything in bullet points, or just all the information broken down into different sections and explained from there. i personally prefer the latter, and some of the sections can also be explained in bullet points!
- some examples of these are this wonderful workshop on
switching perspectives by Inky, and this workshop on pacing by yours truly!

paragraph workshops:

- can help the reader go over the information without any breaks stopping the momentum/flow
- can get hard to understand with overflow of information, may seem overwhelming, and hard to break down into points to remember and understand
- an example of this is the wonderfully-executed workshop on using dialogue effectively by eevee!

the title

next, choose a topic for your workshop. then, select a title! it can be anything, from something humourous and witty to something that simply captures your workshop in a few words. make sure it gives the reader a brief understanding of what your workshop is about.
for example, say your topic was to talk about how to pace your story and set forward tension, your title could be a simple ‘Pacing and Tension’. there's nothing wrong with putting straightforward titles- in fact, they're very useful in setting a clear idea to your audience!
you could also differ and go with something more unique and rememberable. this could help lighten the mood and showcase your topic with, well, a touch of humour. an example is ‘Pacing: The Tension-full Workshop To Make Sure Your Story Doesn’t Run!'

the start

once you’ve decided your format, well, every workshop needs a start to it! in this, you talk about what your intent is, and give a broad description of how you imagine to do it. this is, in short, the introduction. this helps your target audience to get a brief understanding of what the workshop is about and how they’re going to learn the information given!

for example in this workshop written by the wonderful Sandy, the introduction goes:

Introduction

Hi there! Welcome to the workshop on dual timelines, in which I’ll go over the concept of dual timelines and the ways you can create them. If you would like more general information on plotting timelines, feel free to reference my previous workshop, but this should be all you need for the weekly activity!

Let’s jump right into it!

In this, Sandy describes their intent–to talk about dual timelines. they give a broad description of how they will manage to do it, which is by going over and talking about the concept of dual timelines and the different ways in which you can make them! the full workshop can be referenced here.

point one - your first point in your workshop

using your format above, you have now come to your first point in your workshop. there are four main things that you want to do. i hate to bring the dreaded english format, but these are really what i think works best:

- point: clearly explain and state the point that you want to explain. what is it? why are you bringing it up? why do you think it stands?

- evidence: state a clear-cut example to back your point. every point stands better if you have evidence to support it!

- analysis: next, analyse your point and explain it. how does the evidence back your point? how does it show that your point stands? does it clearly show everything? is there anything it lacks? anything that it majorly highlights on?

- link: finally, link it back to the main point, the reason you’re writing the workshop itself, not just your point one. for example, say i was talking about ‘how the literary device of imagery can be used’, and my main point (or my thesis statement) was regarding how they help to give your audience a more vivid understanding and envision the sentences. my first point could be gustatory imagery, and i'd describe everything, and in the end, link it back to the thesis statement by saying how useful it is to paint a picture in the audiences minds!

once you state all your points one by one, and give a good explanation, you’re almost there!

the last part

finally, to wrap things up and tie them off with a ribbon, you need to write your conclusion! this should be a short summary of your workshop, restating the point made at the beginning of your introduction. you should sum up what you’ve explained in the workshop and how it comes to terms with the thesis statement.

for example, in this incredible workshop by Finley on red herrings, the conclusion goes:

so there you have it! i hope that this workshop improved your understanding upon red herrings and clues, and how you can effectively utilise them while writing. always keep your readers on the edge, captivated by the mysteries that lie ahead!

In this, Finley gives a short statement of what should have been taken from the workshop and a brief summary of the content. the full workshop can be accessed here.

conclusion

finally, swcers, we come to an end with this workshop! i hope you learnt how to write a workshop with a good title, introduction, explain your points, and set a satisfying conclusion. remember to read over your workshop to double check if everything makes sense, and try to give examples!

here are some examples of workshops to refer to, if needed!

https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/post/8429882/ by Kiara

https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/post/8441865/ by me, Lora

https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/post/8237525/ by Gigi

that's it! hope you had as much fun as i did! good luck writers, i can't wait to see what you come up with. you got this!

Eeveedonut

SWC July 2025 Weekly #3 - Weekly Creation

Intro (written by Alia)

Welcome, legends, to our third weekly! This time, we'll be dipping our toes into something unlike any other weekly - a weekly weekly! This weekly, you'll be creating your own weekly (through this weekly) - you'll brainstorm weekly ideas, break your topic into four parts, and read a workshop workshop! We can't wait to see the spin you put on this iconic part of SWC. Happy weeklying!

This weekly begins on July 17 at 12:01 am UTC.

Part 1: Finding A Topic (written by Kat)

All weeklies start out as simple topics that they will be based on! To start off this weekly, choose a topic that interests you- it can be about anything, from a weekly about plot twists to non-fiction. Write 200 words describing your idea to complete the first part of this weekly!

Part 2: Splitting The Topic Into Parts (written by Eevee)

Now that you’ve got your weekly topic, it’s time to break your topic down into 4 parts! Come up with different word based activities, whether it be brainstorming, researching and utilizing concepts, or putting a twist to things! These will usually build off of each other in one way or another, and will incorporate everything together in the final part. Your four weekly parts should be at least 150 words total.

Part 3: Writing A Workshop (written by Chuey)

You've got your topic, you've split it up, and now you're done, right? Haha, nope! We're still missing an important part: a workshop. Workshops guide writers through what may be a new aspect of writing for them (such as a certain form of poetry, or even how to write a workshop), and provide a nice refresher to those who are already familiar with the technique. First, head over to Lora’s workshop on workshop writing here, then create your own in at least 350 words. Good luck with your workshop!

Part 4: Swapping Weeklies With Someone (written by Kiara)

Amazing work on creating your own weeklies, writers! Now, time to see what some of your fellow SWCers have dreamt up– go to this studio and trade weeklies with somebody. Make sure that you write 200 words per part of their weekly, which should amount to 800 words total to complete this part. Good luck and happy writing <3

Outro (written by Marbles)

Whew, we have reached the end of yet another weekly! Hope you guys had fun creating your very own weeklies, maybe someday we would be using your weekly for a future session! But before you submit your weekly in the main cabin, let's see if you have completed all four parts!
- Written 200 words regarding a topic
- Written 150 words to split up your weekly into 4 parts
- Written 350 words for a workshop for your weekly
- Written 200 words for each part of someone else's weekly, totaling up to 800 words

Your weekly should be a minimum of 1500 words for it to count. Submit it by July 23 at 11:59 pm UTC in the Main Cabin in order to earn 3000 points for your cabin! If you have any questions/concerns, contact a coordinator on one of their profiles, or you need an extension, please go here before the deadline.

Eeveedonut

SWC July 2025 Weekly #4: MemorieSWC

Introduction

Hi Barbie! Welcome to the final weekly of the 25th session of SWC! To celebrate how long SWC has lasted, we decided to bring back MemorieSWC- the fourth weekly from March 2024. Before we begin, we’d like to give a huge thanks to the POLAR BEARS Coordinators of March 2024, Alia, Moonlit, Luna, and Starr, for the original idea and content as well as everyone else who helped make the original version possible. Yall are icons and we are so grateful for you and everything you’ve done <333 With that, I’m sure you all are excited, so let’s begin and dive into the land of stories!!

The stages of a hero’s journey are:
1. Ordinary World
2. Call to Adventure
3. Refusal of the Call
4. Meeting the Mentor
5. Crossing the Threshold
6. Tests, Alliances, and Enemies
7. Approach to the Inmost Cave
8. Ordeal
9. Reward
10. Road Back
11. Resurrection
12. Return to the Ordinary World

The stages shown on the previous slide have helped to write many stories, some of heroes and others of villains. Along with the hero’s journey, you’ll also be using ingredients (plot devices) inspired by SWC icons and symbols and incorporating them into your story. What happens to your characters is up to you… or is it?
Good luck, Barbie!

Making An Outline

Whether you’re a pantser or a planner, throw aside your pants and get out your plan(t)s! We’re going to plan an outline for your story, to make sure all your ducks are in a row before you actually start writing! Make sure your outline is specific yet flexible, as your plans may change during writing. Don’t include every detail but rather outline what you want to be in your story and, as you write, you can make the plot and characters more in-depth! There are 4 main ways you can outline: plot-based, theme-based, scene-by-scene, and Freytag’s Pyramid.

Plot-Based
With this method, bullet-point or number your plot points with a short description next to each. This can be elaborate or simple- it’s up to you!
Example:
- Barbie decides to leave Barbieland
- Barbie finds Ken in her car when he starts singing along to the radio, scaring Barbie
- They arrive in the real world

Theme-Based
Just like the Plot-Based method, you’ll need to bullet-point plot points and write a simple or elaborate description next to each, except this time determine how your plot points will develop the theme
Example:
- The story centers around self-discovery and embracing imperfections, told through a fun, exciting journey based off of a famous toy

Scene-By-Scene
This method expands upon the beginning, middle, and end of each scene. It’s mainly used to elaborate on complicated world-building and settings, but it can be used for all sorts of things!
Example:
- The story is set in the same world as ours, but there’s an alternate world attached to it where Barbies and Kens live in unison (Barbieland)
- Barbieland is full of all the fun you could imagine, while the real world is exactly that: the real world

Freytag’s Pyramid
Last but not least, this method is by far the simplest. You summarize the five main elements of your story (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution).
Example:
- Exposition: the story starts with a perfect day in Barbieland
- Rising Action: Barbie begins to experience unexpected changes and decides to fix it by venturing to the real world

Now that you know how to make an outline, it’s your turn! Feel free to use the methods given, try something completely different, or maybe a bit of both- have fun with it! Plan for your story to be at least 1300 words long.

Make sure you write 300 words of an outline!

Exposition

Hi, Barbie!!!!
Exposition is absolutely essential to complex stories - after all, wouldn’t the Barbie Movie get pretty confusing if we didn’t understand the basics first?
For the first part of your complete narrative, write 300 words of exposition introducing the characters, the world, and anything else the reader has to know before diving into your conflict.
Have fun, Barbie!!

Fate Awaits You…

Now that we have our outline and exposition, it’s time to actually create your story! Unlike the original project, you don’t get to choose what story elements happen in your story… they’re chosen for you by random! Ris and Rockie decided to be a bit evil this session :cartwheels: When you’re ready, go to the next slide and see what fate awaits you… have fun and may the odds ever be in your favor!

NOTE: Seeing as this is the text version, please go here and spin the wheel 5 times to get your 5 elements. SWC runs on an honor system, so please show integrity when you receive your 5 elements.

Open Ending - Kevin

Mwah. Ha. Ha. TIS I! KEVIN! I am evil and on the run from the International Time Police (ITP). Everyone thinks they can’t run from them but they’re just doing it wrong. The real way to do it is to run forever and never, ever stop. And add some arson. Oops- that’s them- don’t tell anyone I was here!!!!!!!

This ingredient has caused your story to conclude with an open ending!

Cliffhanger - Toes

Toes, toes, toes… what an amazing daily prompt! Wouldn’t you like to write a story about toes? I sure would. But wait—what’s that in the distance? AHHH!! It’s every reader’s least favorite thing… A CLIFFHANGER!!!!!!

This ingredient adds a cliffhanger somewhere in your story!

Genre Swap - SWCorld War 1

Two sides of a war… the first war… the first SWC war… SWCorld War 1. And yes, that does imply that there will be more… Fini versus the Alaris twins (Alana and Ris)… but at the end, who will fall and who will be victorious? The war has been raging for months… will there ever be an end?

This ingredient has caused a genre swap somewhere in your story!

Diary Selection - Soul Stealing

Dear Diary,
Hi! I have some sad news to report. Today, my soul was ripped away from me by a SWCer! It was very chaotic, and I don’t really like not having a soul. Maybe I can get it back. Anyways, bye, Diary! I’ll talk to you later!

This ingredient has caused a section in letter/diary format to appear in your story!

Breaking The 4th Wall - Strike Chaos

Hi there, reader! Just so you know, I’m the words that are being read right now on your screen. I’ve decided that I should go on strike, just like the daily team and the campers at SWC have! They’re my biggest inspiration, and so I’m going on strike to demand more mangoes for being such a great bunch of words in your weekly. Bye, reader!

This ingredient has caused your story to break the 4th wall!

Symbolism - Cabin Wars

What do mangoes, arson, and motivation cupcakes have in common? They’re all items utilized during Cabin Wars, of course! But maybe they mean more to us than meets the eye. Perhaps mangoes actually represent our human desire for connection and juicy goodness or arson acts as a metaphor for our internal chaos… you get the point.

This ingredient has added a meaningful and recurring symbol to your story.

Foreshadowing - Gurtle

Quick- finish this project before I eat the link > This is your only warning… Hi! I’m Gurtle the Turtle and I love to eat links for breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, and dessert. So hurry up and finish this weekly… I’ll be back soon…

This ingredient has added some foreshadowing to your story!

New POV - Frying Pans

All epic stories of romance start with me: a frying pan! Just look at Rapunzel and Flynn- well, Eugene, I guess. But hey! They never would have fallen in love if she hadn’t given him a good whack on the head with me: a frying pan. Want some romance in your life? Add a frying pan to your life today!

(Disclaimer: SWC does not condone violence with frying pans)

This ingredient has added a scene with a new point of view to your story!

New Conflict - Forums Being Down

Alrighty… time to upload my weekly… I have two minutes until it’s due! AHHH if only I didn’t procrastinate… whatever! I can do this! Come on… come on… okay aaaaand submitting… now! Wait. What. No. This can’t be happening! This has to upload- please, come on… NOOOO FORUMS… THEY’RE- DOWN!!!!!

This ingredient has added a sudden new conflict to your story!

Plot Twist - Arson

Arson is one of the most iconic elements of our wonderful camp — after all, a respectable SWCer can’t let a session go by without engulfing something in marvelous, fiery chaos. But what happens when arson leads to a surprising new alliance or a sudden betrayal during cabin wars? That would certainly be a twist… a plot twist, in fact!

This ingredient has added a plot twist to your story!

Flashback - Thor

Howdy doodle and all aboard SWCaboose! Oh- sorry- that was last session. I’m Thor, Ris’s cat! I love to cuddle (nope), sleep through the night (nope), not beg for food (nope), and not try to escape (nope)! Ha ha ha that’s a joke. I love to make lives hard and I sure and good at it! All of this sure reminds me of my debut session…

This ingredient has added a flashback to your story!

New Character - Mangoes

Hi there! It’s nice to meet you. As you can probably tell, I’m a mango, and I bet you’ve seen other mangoes like me allllllll over SWC. But what if I told you I was a DIFFERENT kind of mango — maybe even one that you’ve never even heard of before? That would be something new, right?

This ingredient has added a new character to your story!

Time to Write!

Now that you have all of your ingredients, add in your story elements and start writing- but make sure to follow your outline as best you can. Your story should be at least 1300 words long- that’s about 260 words per ingredient!

Come on, Barbie, let’s go party write!

Conclusion

Just when you think the war is over… you get to write more! Finally, finish your story with 117 words.

Editing

Woah- is that a finished story I see? Well done, Barbie!
But wait! We aren’t done yet! (groans and eyerolls from all SWC-ers follow) I know, I know. But think of just how much your story could improve by editing a few things! Plus, do you want to earn even more points for your cabin? Head on over to the Critiquitaire to have your piece critiqued and critique a fellow SWC-er’s! There’s no need to worry- most of them don’t bite. Make sure to apply the changes your peer has suggested! It’s a long process but you’re almost there, Barbie!

The End

Congrats, Barbie! Whether you wrote the night away or went to bed at an appropriate hour, we’re so proud of you and all the work you’ve put in! Make sure you have:
300 words of outline
300 words of exposition
1300 words of story
117 words of conclusion
For a grand total of (at least) 2017 words. Omg, what a coincidence - that was the year SWC was founded!!!! Now go submit your weekly (outline, expositin, story, and conclusion) in the Main Cabin for 3525 points! Bye, Barbie!

Discuss Scratch