daily 4: global forgiveness day || 465 words !! kotlc spoilers !!

Keefe grumbled, messing up his already messed up blonde hair, “I never thought this day would come. But here I am, I guess.” His back laid stiffly against the cold stone wall, an eerie silence echoing through the cell’s halls. Sophie stood beside him, rolling her eyes.
“It has to be genuine, remember,” Sophie crossed her arms.
Keefe snapped, narrowing his eyebrows, “But how do you expect me to give genuine forgiveness to someone who ruined my life?!” A sniffle came from the corner of the cell. Keefe shot a glare to the lady in the corner, his mother.
“But she’s proved herself, we’ve checked her mind, you’ve done your weird empath-y things and it’s not like we’re letting her roam free anymore,” Sophie replied, sighing. Keefe rolled his eyes once more. “I get it. You don’t want to forgive her. She did do some pretty horrible things, but —”
“Pretty horrible? More like life changing, death threatening, terrible, unforgivable actions. Seriously, because of her I now have to live with more weird empath skills. Might I remind you she also escaped Ravagog, so how do you know she’s not going to escape from her?” Keefe explained, speaking crazily fast and breathing heavily.
“She escaped with an acquaintance, Rayni, remember? And saying this again, Fitz and I already checked through her mind and —”
“We’re cognates,” Sophie and Keefe say at the same time. Sophie glares.
“Please, just forgive her. Look at your mother. Do it for me,” Sophie’s eyes soften, staring into Keefe’s, while his eyes stay dull with no spark to be seen. He glanced over, staring at his mother who was quietly sobbing in the corner, droopy eyelids, frizzy hair.
Keefe huffed, “How do you know she’s just doing that to gain our trust and is doing some odd trick to make sure you don’t find anything out by reading her mind?” Sophie bit her bottom lip, wincing. Lady Gisela, whose arms were covering her face smirked imperceptibly. No one noticed.
“We don’t. But we won’t ever fully trust her. She can’t use any of her powers inside this cell, before you bring up the whole conjurer thing,” Sophie stared into Keefe’s eyes. “So please just forgive her, for your sanity. For me.”
Keefe’s shoulders stiffened, then cleared his throat, “Fine. But just this once.” Lady Gisela looked up, eyes full of tears and emotions. Keefe didn't show a sign of sympathy. “You’ve proven to me, and many others, that…” Keefe exhaled loudly, but the look on Sophie’s face kept him going. “That you're no longer evil. And you deserve my forgiveness. So, I forgive you.” Keefe slowly said, not reaching his mother’s eyes. And as he looked up, he gave Sophie a fake, weak smile. Then opened the cell door and walked off.

daily 6: making a story with lyrics || 159 words

Meeting up like we’re 17 again, fly to your city, excited to see your face, never saw you that often. Your back beneath the sun, perfect scenery, perfect sight. We can watch the sunset, is it that sweet? I guess so.
Your tired voice makes me want to cry myself to sleep, I’m such a buzzkill, everywhere I go nothing feels like home — yet I’m still here hanging. Nothing else felt this way inside me. Sure, it’s easy to talk, yet everytime I see someone happy, I wish that I could feel it too. Can you see right through me?
Got lots of presents from you and you don’t even know my name. I’ll be bringing you downhill with me, it’s sad. But it’s nothing new.
Maybe I lost my mind, I’ll say it’s time to go. I realized we are better apart, it’s the end and I’m okay with it. Maybe someday we’ll find our way back together.

Songs used:
july - Lyn Lapid
august - Taylor Swift
perfect blues - Hannah Bahng
All my perfects - lovlaine
buzzkill - Lyn Lapid
coraline - Lyn Lapid
Take a bite - beabadoobee
dear parents - sundial
we can’t be friends - Ariana Grande
The Archer - Taylor Swift
supernatural - Ariana Grande
Close to you - Gracie Abrams
Espresso - Sabrina Carpenter
No one noticed - The Marías
what if we - Emi Choi

daily 22: making a story with lyrics || 208 words

Mangoes, a delicious dessert
I suppose fruit isn’t the most ideal dessert to many
But for me it is
So mango is a dessert.
Growing from a tree
Ripe, orange and of course,
Delicious.

Mangoes, a part of SWC, an inside joke
An inside joke not many understand
But we like mangoes so let’s keep talking about them.
Why did SWC-ers suddenly start talking about mangoes?
I don’t know, for I am not one who knows where this joke came form
But I do know that they are
Tasty, yummy and of course,
Delicious.

I do realize that the previous statement
Has three synonyms in it
But I do not care
Because mangoes are mangoes
And they are delicious.

I’m only 121 words into this poem
126 if you count the line above
It seems like forever
And I can’t find a good way to explain what I want to explain.
What I’m trying to say is
Mangoes are yummy
And if you don’t agree
You just haven’t eaten the right one.
So go back to your local market or store
And search through those buckets of mangoes
Or boxes or crates, or whatever they are stored in
And find a ripe, orange and of course,
Delicious mango.

Until Next Time || SWC Fanfiction Entry 395 words

“No, please don’t do this.”
It was the blonde haired boy whom I barely recognized speaking.
But I won’t change my mind.
I look into his ice blue eyes, then scowl.
Pathetic.

All the smiles he gave me,
Only now I see the lie behind them.
I would never fall in love with such a man.
A little boy perhaps.
Quite too immature.
He can’t even tell the difference between right and wrong.

“We crossed paths, yes. But this will be the last step before you must disappear from my life.” I reply back to him.
My tone is cold.
And voice sharp.

“This isn’t who you are. I can still see the good in you, come back. The Black swan needs the Moonlark.”
His voice is the opposite of mine.
Soft, sweet.
But I won’t believe it.
For I know what side I should choose.

“What I am doing is good. You are the one choosing the wrong side.”
The whole time we were fighting against the Neverseen,
When truly they had better intentions.
Although I will say their actions weren’t as thought out.
But with me,
I’m sure I can help them reign.

“So now I must send you to exile. Unless you change your mind.” I snicker, walking closer.
“Never.”
He backs away, eyes widened.
“Why are you running?” I question him.
He backs away more.

I can feel the scorching flames inside me,
Feeling them dance and slowly ignite .
My throat burns with fury.
I can tell he is tired by the bruises on his face,
Cuts on his skin,
But I won’t stop,
Until he gets out of my way.

But before I can take a step closer.
He reaches his pendant up to the sky.
The glittering swan reflecting all light.
“Until next time then, Foster.”
He winks.
“No. I’ve seen this trick before.”
My mind is a blur.
Then it hits me.
And I screech.
The hard rays of light bouncing into my eyes.
Flashes of brightness glowing, swaying, taunting me.

And once I look up,
The blonde haired boy with ice blue eyes is gone.
Out of my sight.
I can feel the growl reaching my throat.
But I stop myself,
For I know I will get him next time.
So I mutter the same words under my breath.
“Until next time, Keefe Sencen, until next time.”

Everything’s Going to be Just Fine || SWC Writing Competition Entry 1992 words - excluding authors note

There we were, one last time, lying down in the lush grass that was swaying rhythmically to the wind. It was something Zoey and I did often when we first met as two crazy eight year olds in primary school. Before, the world seemed so big. But now? It just seemed daunting to take even one small step further. We didn’t want to spend our last moments together crying, but what left was there to do? So we listened to each other breathe and enjoyed each other's company. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. We stared at the clouds, reminiscing every moment we shared. It was hard not to cry. It doesn’t seem like such a big deal, but it’s hard seeing a friend you love move away.
“Everything’s going to be fine,” Zoey smiled, one she couldn’t hold together for longer than a couple seconds. That was the saying both of our moms had always told us when something went wrong. I tried to laugh, but it was really hard to believe it this time.
So, when she eventually had to say goodbye and leave, I simply tried my best to hold in the waterfall begging to drip through the cracks in my eyes. That was two days ago. My eyes didn’t hold it in forever. And you could tell. I remember watching her board a plane, setting off to achieve her dream. I get it, I guess we do live in a small town, so it’s hard to become anything but a farmer or construction worker here. But even if I decided to visit or move there, she would probably have new friends by then. Speaking of friends, I needed to make some too. But I was a little caught up in absorbing everything that just happened, so I mentally set it aside and reminded myself of other things that needed to happen before friends.

Five days since Zoey left also happened to be the day I started ninth grade. In previous years, Zoey was always there with me. But obviously now, she wasn't. I’d recovered from my tidal grief for the most part, so I looked presentable ━ to an extent. Arriving back at my old school for one of my last years there without my best friend felt depressing, to say the least. And I had a feeling it was going to feel like that for a while. I crept through those familiar hallways, hugging my worn out binder tightly to my chest. I continued to tread through those dreadful hallways all day, in hope of finding something interesting to do and get my mind off Zoey.
As soon as I got home, I collapsed onto my couch, soaking up the feeling of the leather fabric. Well, the first day was an absolute nightmare. I hoped time would just stop for a bit and only start again once I’d recovered.

I got the opposite of what I’d hoped for. Time wasn’t in the mood and didn’t wait for me. There I was, back again. Unfortunately, my mind was still playing the same memories of me and Zoey on repeat like a broken record. It didn’t seem like I was getting over her any time soon. Sitting on the rusty cafeteria benches, I munched on what sort of looked like a lunch. Sort of. Maybe these lunches wouldn’t be so bad after all. I doubted anything else would get better. Until I heard a small rustle from beside me. A girl who looked my age. I should probably remind you the table we were sitting at was in the tedious corner under a flickering light that desperately needed fixing. I inspected her face from afar and didn’t recognize her.
“Sorry, can I sit here?” she whispered quietly, glancing up at my face before looking back down.
I tried to smile, but it probably looked like a wince instead. “Um, sure.” The girl gave a small smile back before starting to twirl a flower in her hair. An overt nervous habit.
“I’m Abigail.” She looked over, her voice quavering. Abigail was now chewing her nails ━ it must’ve been another nervous habit. It was my first year of high school, and I was stuck here still struggling to introduce myself. Most people already had friends from previous years, but clearly my friend was the only one who left. I blinked hard, swallowing the circumstances I was in. Well, at least she seemed nice.
“I’m Ivy." I gave a quick wave. This whole conversation felt ridiculous, but I was in need of a friend. Maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as I thought.
For the next couple days, we sat in pure silence until the bells rang that horrible sound, telling us lunch was over. Eventually, Abigail struck up an occasional conversation, like what we were having for lunch or our classes. As weeks passed we started to converse more, found out the same classes we were in and it felt sort of nice to have someone to talk to. But I still couldn’t accept the fact that Zoey was gone.

My phone rang early on a Saturday morning, the continuous noise forcing me to wake up. I wasn’t sure what I felt when I read the name of who was calling me. Zoey. I thought about how as I was suffering and struggling to adjust to my new life, Zoey was living the time of her life in the big city: Paris. But I didn’t have time to think about that, so I picked up and shoved the phone to my ear.
“Hello?” that same raspy, familiar voice echoed into my ear. “Ivy?”
I stuttered, my mouth too dry to make out a couple words, “Zoey?”
She sighed, “Sorry, I’m tired. Today’s been busy. The college I’m going to is super exciting! I already made a couple friends.”
Zoey wasn’t the extroverted type, and neither was I ━ so I was surprised to hear that. I wouldn’t consider Abigail my friend yet, so I couldn’t say the same.
“That sounds awesome,” I held the phone closer to my ear. “I just woke up.”
“Whoops!” Zoey giggled, “I forgot we have totally different time zones now. Anyways, how’s school going for you?” Of course she had to ask that. It was the one question I’d been avoiding.
I yawned, but replied anyway, knowing how eager she was to know what I’ve been doing. “It’s going alright I suppose. A little boring.” That was a lie. Or at least the first part was.
“C’mon Ivy, I know that tone. Just spit it out,” Zoey’s voice got louder, sounding like my dad when he lectures me. But I couldn’t just spit it out, she wouldn’t understand. After all, she was living her dream life and it didn't seem like she missed me a bit. “I know, it probably doesn’t seem like I miss home, and you of course. But everyday I think about what I could be doing right now, so don’t feel so down. I’m sure you’ll find a friend eventually, if you haven’t already of course.” Zoey practically read my mind.
“Well-”
“I’ll let you have your beauty sleep then,” Zoey interrupted and I imagined her winking, since I couldn’t see her through the phone. “Just know that everything’s going to be just fine.” Then she hung up.

When I arrived home from school after a long day, I’d expected my parents to be all smiles and giggles, asking me how my day was. Just like they had been for the past week. But instead, my mom sat me down. I wasn’t ready for an awkward conversation but there we were, I guess.
“Look Ivy, I know the past few weeks have been hard for you,” she looked at me empathetically, eyes softening. I pursed my lips, looking anywhere but her and nodded imperceptibly. “But you should know that even if you're in high school now, it’s never too late to make some new friends,” she smiled at me, and I felt terribly pressured to look into her eyes.
“Okay…” I started to get up, but she stopped me.
“Remember that even if Zoey’s gone and it’s the end of a portion of your life, the new one can be just as amazing.” I wanted to get myself out of this conversation really badly, but there was nothing I could do. Then, she let my fingers slip out of her grasp and I slowly walked away.
So, for the next few days I thought about what she said to me. “It can be just as amazing,” her voice replayed throughout my head for most of lunch. Maybe everything will be just fine.

There I was, back in biology class listening to Mr. Bates’ long lecture about the periodic table. I felt cramped in that small classroom, the air getting thicker by the minute due to the tightly shut door.
“And now you guys can have a couple minutes before class ends to work on your project. But there won’t be anymore class time, so remember to finish it by tomorrow,” Mr. Bates explained, in a dreadfully tired voice. I sighed. Abigail and I had barely any time to start on our project, so we would have to finish it last minute. The classroom erupted into chaos as Mr. Bates finished talking. I watched Abigail slowly make her way to me, chewing the edges of her already broken nails.
“So, we’re not really close to done… Um you can come over tonight maybe?” Abigail flinched, clearly nervous. I'd seldom been to Zoey's house, so to me, getting invited to someone else’s house was shocking.
I nod in agreement, “Yeah. Um. I’ll ask my parents.” She gives me a short smile then walks off.

Abigail and I eventually got closer, and I found out she was a new student ━ having trouble with friends like me. We shared similar experiences, so it was nice to see someone who actually got me other than Zoey.
But speaking of Zoey, she eventually stopped calling. I figured she was having a hard time with the loads of school work being dumped on her. I didn't cry or get mad, but almost realized that maybe we just weren't meant to be forever. And maybe nothing's supposed to be forever. Overtime, my mental health healed. Obviously it didn't take just a couple nights. But after filling up my journal from the start to the end, It felt a lot better with it off my chest.
And just like that, two years had drifted out my old, half-broken window. I was sipping on my morning matcha ━ that looked more like a cup of blended broccoli and spinach. I was terrible at making it and there weren’t any good tutorials out there. My doorbell rang, the squeaking cacophony of sound resonating through my house. I plugged my ears before heading towards the door and letting Abigail in.
“Hi!” I hugged her, “Want to go to our backyard?”
“Per usual,” Abigail giggled as we quickly walked outside, slamming the door behind us. I looked over at our backyard, verdant grass that looked like it hadn't been cut in months.
We laid down, collapsing onto our backs and spreading out our arms. It was exactly what Zoey and I used to do, but this wasn’t Zoey, this was Abigail. So I didn’t let Zoey slip my mind’s grasp and instead just remembered all our memories together, and the memories I had yet to make with my new friend. So no, this time I didn’t cry, I didn’t let a single tear drop out of my eye. I smiled. Change is something hard to accept, and it took me a while. But if you think about how there's rain and sunshine or day and night. They’re different. But beautiful in their own way. And this time, everything really is just going to be fine.

Authors Note:

This is my second time entering the writing competition and so I'm pretty proud of this piece, to my surprise. It actually didn't take me that long to think of this idea, but it did take me a while to choose this idea for my entry, which is why this is pretty last minute. (And because I procrastinate a lot) The theme around this was based on experiences I've had in the past, though not exactly with a friend moving away.
Huge thanks to Vi, Bea, Hope, Jonah and Vicky for critiquing this, especially since it was pretty last minute.
Thanks so much for reading my story and I hope you have a great day!

hi crim and vi!! im super excited to critique this piece

“I still can’t believe you came back!” I grinned, shutting the dorm window. I’d decided to fly Cissie back to St. Elias’ myself, wanting more time to catch up. Plus, Cissie said she preferredit to super-speed travel.

this intro is great!! but i would recommend adding a bit more emotion beside the “I grinned” such as explaining if their more excited or happy, they could also be doing some sort of action depending on that emotion like gesturing with hands for excitement, etc.

Everything in her room seemed to be made of glass, shimmering and fragile. I sat down on the bed as though to prove I could.

for me, the last sentence is a bit confusing — but i believe you mean to prove that its not glass ^^ maybe you could clarify that? i also think “prove” isnt the right word as it seems something you would say in a bragging manner, so maybe use a different word like “to see if i could”

Cissie smiled. “Well, that makes two of us.” She loosened the cuff of her hand-guard and slipped it off. “It’s weird, but . . . it was feelsgood to be back, for this,” she fixed me with a meaningful look, “one-time-only, friend-in-mortal-danger thing.”

is the comma after “back” meant to be a pause? if not you can get rid of it!

I was disappointed that I wouldn’t get to live alongside my friend the way I’d thought I would.

as the Olympic medal on her dresser proved without a doubt.

I looked around the room, searching for details to remind myself of all the ways my friend had moved on. And feeling a surge of joy every time I saw something familiar. The medal, of course, surrounded by a plethora of other awards, most of them also for archery—ones I hadn’t watched her win. A college flyer advertising a psychology program in Central City. Pictures of new friends, andfaces I didn’t recognize. A polaroid of us, years ago, with Greta, and Anita and Traya, looking for all the world like a group of normal teenage girls, out at the mall in their casual clothes.

after ones i hadnt watched her win" maybe you could describe how the character feels about that? and if you still wish to mention being out in the mall, maybe you could resentence it? the original sentence feels like a run on

There was just something about seeing Cissie in her old uniform, however grave the circumstances, that had made me feel both elated and desperately far away from my best friend.

since ive never seen/read the movie/book your basing this on, this might be a mistake but when it says “far away from my best friend”, im a little unsure if youd still consider them best friends after you just talked about how she has a bunch of new friends

Cissie undid her ponytail and looked at me, loose blond hair golden in the sunlight. She kept it shorter than she used to. “You don’t have to know.”

i would describe how cissie is saying “you dont have to know” because it gives the reader a bit more description on what is happening! if shes annoyed it could be their relationship, etc.

There was a smiling girl on the college flyer she kept on her dresser. Text promised online courses and a variety of electives.

im a little confused on the last sentence, what does it mean?

Which seemed fitting, considering. the circumstances I was in now

“We both made the right choices for us, though.” She scratched her collarbone where her armor ended. “Hey, what d’you say you help me get out of this costume?”

once more, maybe you could add a bit more of how cissie is feeling?

Cissie giggled. “I would like that. I’ll have to tell my friends it was a very exclusive merch drop.”

I snorted. “I have no idea how you all handle secret identities on top of everything.”

“It can make the balance a little easier,” Cissie said. explained (or any synonym works here too!)

“Balance,” I drew out the word, long and enunciated. “Never been much good at that. As my mom reminds me daily.”

i feel like this is a lot of back and forth talking, so maybe you could explain whats happening while their talking? are they just standing there in silence or multi tasking?

Swapping She swapped out her skirt for a pair of leggings, Cissie then glanced at me over her shoulder. “Really? You always seemed so . . . comfortable in your own skin. I don’t think there’s a better type of balance than that.”

“You’ll figure it out,” Cissie said, maybe you could convey a bit more emotion here by using a synonym but also describe maybe how her face looks, etc.settling back down beside me in a hoodie and leggings,then placing a reassuring hand over mine.

“Yeah. Thanks.” Always bBefore, I’d alwaysknown what I wanted to do.

The last thing she wanted was a repeat of sophomore year. She’s been trying to get me to apply to colleges, though. I’ve kind of been . . . putting it off. How about your mom?” I asked, turning onto my side to look at her.

“Oh, you know.” Cissie waved a hand. “Disappointed that I’ve mostly quit archery. I still practice, but I don’t do tournaments like she wishes anymore. She hasn’t bothered me about it in a while, though. I think maybe she finally gets it.” Thoughtfully curling a hoodie string around one finger, Cissie stared off into space behind my head. “But I don’t want to get my hopes up. She’s probably just distracted with something. Did I tell you she’s trying to run a social media advertising business?”

i feel like when saying she “stares off in space” but then suddenly starts talking again feels a bit off. you could either just get rid of that line or maybe describe how shes “half daydreaming” while talking. i feel like she wouldnt suddenly come back from daydreaming that quick.

Wearing a pointed look that slightly terrified me, Cissie leaned forward. “Now, don’t think that you can get out of talking about yourself by asking me questions. What do you mean by Why are you ‘putting off’ college apps? Do you think you will apply? Is that really what you want?”

Cissie was silent, darn her, waiting for me to say more.

by word choice you can sense that the main character doesnt want to say more, but maybe you could talk about physical things happening as she thinks that? like does she crumple the quilt in her fist, roll her eyes, etc.

A superhero is hard enough to understand. But when people see something normal and humanizing, they can at least understand that.

i feel like saying “normal” and “humanizing” are similar and you could just get rid of one! but also for normal you should mention how its normal to them, because for the character as a superhero its obviously a different perspective.

overall, i love this story so much!! but a couple general comments would be to try to convey more emotion instead of just saying a singular word. and also instead of saying things like “said angrily” you could describe what's physically happening, like are they narrowing their eyebrows, scowling, etc. anyways great job on this and it was a pleasure to read it!!

539 words of critique

aaa hi hope!! im super excited to read and critique this piece also ive never read harry potter before for clarification!!!

It is a chill January night, and it is long past Regulus’s bedtime, but somehow he finds himself out on the balcony, dressed in nothing but thin pyjamas — his favourite, a design of golden snitches on green stripes, soft fabric. Sirius’s warm hand envelops his icy one and drags him along, bare feet thudding against hard wood. His breath plumes in ghostly clouds that fade straight back into the freezing air.

oohhhh i love this intro soso much!! <3 its a great start to the story.

He swears he can see something rippling, there, in the corner of his eye, but when he turns his head it is it's gone. He turns back to his big brother uneasily, pushing the thoughts out of his mind.

i feel like a bit of grammar could be fixed in the first sentence as when i read it it feels little choppy or has an excessive amount of pauses, especially at the start where it says “something rippling, there, in the corner of his eye,” but this could also be just a me thing sjdkfls

The frost bites at his toes and ankles, but he ignores the sensation and leans further into Sirius’s warm shoulder.

maybe you could describe how he feels about the sensation, and assuming he feels cold, if he “ignored it” why would he lean into sirius' shoulder after? this could also just be me confused though

“Look, Reg,” and Regulus follows the curve of Sirius’s arm to a bright star, glowing over the silhouetted trees in the distance. “Do you know what that star is?”

the comma after “Reg” should be replaced with a period or you can keep it and just have a “Sirius says/synonym” or some sort of clarification that sirius is talking

Trust his brother to pick out his own star first.

this sentence feels a bit off compared to the other parts in this scene, it could be just the grammar/wording maybe? you could re word it to say something like “Of course his brother picked out his own star first.”

He frowns, then blinks. His eyes sting, as if he is he's underwater.

this isnt to do with the quote above but between all the transitions my first impression was “what is happening?” is it meant to be a flashback, a change of time or scene, a vision, etc. but this could also have to do with me never reading harry potter before

When he lowers the goblet with a trembling hand the liquid inside the goblet is no longer the dark red of wine. Instead it shimmers faintly with a green glow.

you should add a comma between “trembling hand” and “the liquid”

“Have you ever thought about leaving?” Barty’s voice is unusually quiet., unusually so.

He considers the question, staring out at the grey and misty forest. The dark sky swirls into the shadow of the treeline.

since youve already mentioned how the forest is misty, i wouldnt again since it feels repetitive. maybe you could replace it with something else or just get rid of it altogether?

once more between this scene and the next i got a little confused on what is happening until i read “It’s certainly not a memory he can remember. ” maybe you could mention this in the paragraph before like “But something makes him pause. Then something comes over him.”

Regulus has thea feeling that he’s disappointed Barty. He doesn’t know how to feel about that.

A drop of icy-cold rain, icy-cold, lands on his collarbone, and then another. He stares at the darkened patches it leaves on his clothes.

“Barty,” he says softly.

i feel like you could add a bit more tone and emotion when he says this? like is he saying it with no emotion or is he actually interested, etc.

made fuzzy by the rot water.

i feel like saying “rot water” doesn't really make sense as water doesnt actually rot. if you were going for a metaphor maybe change it to “rotting water” instead?

it isit's no longer there.

And then—

i feel like having this as a last sentence is cool, but it feels like it needs a bit more explanation. assuming he drowns (if he doesnt then ignore this!!), you could say “And then—he's gone.” Or something along those lines.

overall, this story is really good and i honestly dont have much to say other than making sure the transitions between scenes are a bit clearer and you could add a bit more description in the dialogue. hopefully this helps and i loved reading your story!! <33 good luck !

496 words of critique

Thank you notes!! - SWC July 2025 1692 words

Hosts: Hi Moss, Alana, Rockie and Ave!! Aa thank you so much for hosting this session and definitely making it a super memorable one for me You guys are so awesome and I can’t believe you can manage all of this with just the four of you <3 I hope you all had a great session as well and thank you so much for all of your hard work, it’s super appreciated!!

Polar Bears: Huge thanks to all of you who have coordinated all the dailies, weeklies and such because you did such an amazing job!! Thank you so much <3

Leaders and co-leaders: Thank you all so much for all your hard to work to make such cool cabins this session I would be in all of your cabins if I could <333 You all did such a great job with them and it was great to work with you, even if I didn’t talk to you much!!!

Campers: Aaaa thank you to everyone who participated in SWC this session and for making it the great community it is!

Crim: Crim!! Hii <33 Aaaa thank you so much for being such an amazing co-leader, from helping us plan so many things and I learned a lot from your different opinions and ideas! This session was definitely one of my favorites by far and you contributed to that. Thanks so much for your hard work and for making Fantasy such an amazing cabin for myself and I’m sure many others!! This session was my first time leading and when choosing co-leaders, I was a bit unsure if anyone would actually want to co-lead Fantasy LOL so I was really excited when I saw you accepted my offer <3 Unfortunately, I don’t think we’ve talked that much throughout the session, other than cabin planning of course, but hopefully I can get to know you a bit better! And just so you know, your art is stunning and I’m super happy with the way our matching pfps came out :00 And I’ve also read some of your pieces, such as your collaborative piece with Vi (And until this session I had *no idea* you were twins!!!) and it was such a great piece!!! I hope you continue to keep writing (As you're amazing at it!!) and drawing!! (Which you're also so amazing at ;D) And lastly, I hope you continue to keep participating in SWC and that I can see you around and maybe drop by a bit more to strike up a conversation <3 Thank you once more!!

Marbles: Hi Marbles!!! Although I reckon we haven’t interacted much, you definitely made a huge difference in this session. You were such an amazing co-leader, from consistently being active (something I could not achieve in the past </3) and knowing nothing about the book series, you still accepted my offer and did such a great job with everything you did! I still can’t believe you even researched the book series to help us plan. (Also, totally off topic but you should definitely try reading the books :0 Obviously it would be a slightly different experience since you’ll know a bit more about the series ahead, but I feel like you would enjoy it!! Although the series definitely has its flaws… (absolutely no character development..) It’s still a great book and hopefully you get a chance to read it!) When reading through your application, I was unsure whether to offer to you because although you seem so awesome you didn’t seem like you wanted to co-lead fantasy that much. But honestly, I’m so glad I did end up offering to you because you definitely made this session one of my favorites. Your effort was definitely something I saw a lot during this session, and I’m so happy that I got to lead for the first time along with such amazing co-leaders!!! <3 I hope to see you around SWC more often and hopefully talk to you a bit more! Thank you

Bookie: Bookie!!!!!!!!!!!! (Ignore my excessive amounts of exclamation marks…) Aaahhh thank you sososo much for being such an amazing and supportive co-leader. Thanks so much for your help when planning Fantasy this session, as a typically independent-working person, your opinions and ideas have definitely stood out to me since you joined Fantasy as a co-leader :0 You definitely made my session and Fantasy as a cabin and it’s storyline a lot better!! Also can we just talk about your graphic design!! Because I absolutely loved the way you created Fantasy’s thumbnail and your art style is literally so gorgeous <33 I’ve also taken a look at your other work outside of SWC and aaaaa literally makes my previous sentence even more true!!! Also this is *completely* off topic but what’s your favorite kpop demon hunters character :00 Sorry I just saw on your profile how you had “your idol” on it soo assuming thats your favorite song and you’ve watched it!! Eeee Anyways, I’m a bit unsure on what to say at this point because I could go on and on forever about how great of a co-leader you were, but I truly hope we can talk more (as I don’t think we did </3 But it seems like we do have a bit in common!!) in the next upcoming sessions — if you do decide to take part of them of course <3 Also I just realized how old you are LOL (please take this with no offense!! It’s a good thing ;D) so I wish you lots of luck when going into your final (I think…) year of high school!!! Hope to see you around, and thank you!!

Sihan: Aaaa hi Sihan!! We haven’t actually talked much but I just want to thank you for being such an awesome camper and I’m sososo sorry about all the inconveniences we’ve had in the WCG </333 I hope I’ll see you around more!!

Prisha: Hi Prisha!! Although we only had one interaction I’d like to thank you lots for being part of Fantasy this session and I’m so glad I finally have met someone who likes badminton just as much as I do!! :00 I’ve actually seen you around SWC for quite some time but I’ve never talked to you, so it was nice to!! Hopefully we can talk more, thank you so much!!

Any other Fantasy campers: Thank you so much for being part of our cabin this session <33 From things like help during cabin wars and just your participation!! I hope that I can talk and interact with you all more in the future

Hope: Hope!! Just an extra thank you for helping critique my writing comp entry this session as it was super helpful <33 Also your fanfiction was really good, I definitely enjoyed reading it even with no prior Harry Potter knowledge I was unsure whether to include this in my thank you notes until after you sent me yours sldkfsj but just remember that all of your writing work is amazing and you should have less doubt in yourself! <3 Thank you for a great session and I hope to get to know you better!! Mystery looked super cool by the way!

Livy: Livyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ahhh utopian look sososo cool this session and I wish I got the chance to stalk your cabin more ;D Also I never gave out official thank you notes last session (I think) so im sososososo sorry for being um an inactive co-leader </33 but thriller was honestly epic and you and Fini did such a great job D Anyways although I said so already before, your writing competition entries (both general and fan fic) were epic!! I really think you did such a great job with them, good luck! I hope to see you around more, thank you for a great session!! <3

Kiara: Kiara!!! Bi-fi was definitely the cabin I stalked the most this session and I think you and your co-leaders did a great job with it <33 I really loved the cabin concept! I’ve said this to practically everyone I’ve written a thank you note for, but I hope we can talk more during future sessions as I haven’t gotten to know you that well!!

Fini: Hi Fini!!! We haven’t talked *at all* this session, but I just wanted to drop by and say hi <33 Also apologies once more for last session’s inactivity because I don’t believe I actually ended up finishing my thank you notes. </3 I hope your session went great and aaa apocalyptic looked so cool :00 and I’d also like to thank you so much for being such a great leader when I first co-led <33 You taught me a lot!! I hope to see you around and talk to you more during future sessions! ;D

Clever: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA sorry i just had to do that lol anyways thanks so much for *another* great session clever and im so thankful for you being the other co-leader during mystery (no. I will never stop talking about this session.) as it’s taught me a lot about SWC, cabin planning, etc. Also I never really listened to the song “Saturn” from Lyn until you introduced me to it and I totally see why you love it so much :00 Thanks for a great session Clev!! <3

Vi: Hii!!! Ackk I just want to say how you and Crim have done such a phenomenal job with your writing comp entry!! Although I already said so in the critique I just have to say it again ;D Good luck and I hope we can talk more during future sessions <3

Sky: We haven’t talked a ton, but I just want to thank you for such an awesome session and just another reminder of how awesome your writing is <33 Hopefully we can talk more!! Thank you


Rose: Rose!!! Thanks so much for an awesome session!! Truth or dare??? Dare: stop warring fantasy next session!! /j (But actually how to you war everyone so fast :sob anyways I hope we can talk more in the future!

Mabel's SWC Leader Application Answers ||2,924 words excluding excerpt and credits

About me

Hi there! I’m Mabel, (she/her) a chaotic and friendly girl who has moved from the Moon to Venus and now I live on Mars where the time zone is unknown. (Uncomfortable sharing </3)

I developed this application idea when the July 2025 session ended. I just stopped for a moment and looked back on how far I’d come. I mean like, whoa — I’ve participated in 11 sessions. Although in some I was inactive, it’s just crazy to see how much I’ve grown as a person, writer, collaborator and leader. I really wanted to showcase that in my next application, and that brings us here.

I’m definitely a hobby-orientated person, and I’ve had a bunch of new hobbies added onto my list over the summer. You can often spot me doing anything musical, badminton or art!

Anything musical!! I love playing guitar, ukulele and singing along. :sparkles: I’ve been getting into recording covers posting them here on Scratch. <3 I discovered music as a kid, where some of my friends played piano and so that encouraged me to too. As I learned more about music, I leaned more to doing vocals instead of piano, but they both hold a special place in my heart.

I’m also a huge fan of badminton, and my love for it has definitely grown since the last time I’ve talked about this. I’m no good at it but it’s pretty easy to pick up and play. It's something that I do on a regular basis and one of the only sports I've found myself liking.

Although most of these hobbies may seem the same as last time, when I say art I mean a *lot* of different types of art. So… The highlight of my summer was making a summer scrapbook!! It was super fun and I hope to do it again next year. I also did a couple paintings, and started creating handmade keychains and phone charms.

A lot of times people ask me what character traits I would use to describe myself and I'm always unsure. This time, I've come prepared!! I would describe myself as bubbly, weird and fun. Weird because well, everyone's weird in their own way, aren't they? I love spicy foods and yes, I put it on every meal I have. I also find myself fun just because I think I'm pretty energetic, even if I'm not the life of the party.

To conclude, I love and do a lot of things, those things make me, me! Hopefully by reading this short about me section, you've learned a bit more about me and my personality.

Experience

This session will be my 12th!! However I was actually inactive in a couple of them, so I would consider it more like my 9th or 10th. In SWC, I’ve been a leader once, a co-leader four times and a camper seven times. I’ve co-led TCTWNW before, so I also have experience on the non-competitive side of SWC. I’ve also participated in other Scratch camps including SDC, SAC, WUC, and SRC. I’m also a current co-host of JWC and I’ve led and camped in it before.

In all my time campering and co-leading, my leaders have always had such great storylines and made me really excited to experience or help plan them. I want others to have the same experience as me. When I led last session, (July 2025) I honestly had the greatest experience ever and I learned how to be a true leader and how to properly guide a team. I’d really love to do it again and help others have a good camping experience.

Throughout all these sessions, I’ve gained lots of different experiences and lessons. For example, I’ve learned to always know what I say before saying it and understand what I’m committing to. Another experience I had was as a co-leader, and it was to always take up responsibility. I think if I re-experience these times again, I would do a much better job and take up the responsibility of a leader and figure things out myself.

Outside of SWC, I don’t have much experience as of now but I take any chance I get to try and be a leader. In school, I’m in the leadership team and this means we organize most events at school. I’m also part of an extracurricular that have committee meetings each month that I’m always interested in joining. In this group, I’ve also been given the role where I write notes during each meeting.

Lastly, writing experience! I have been writing since, well, I learned how to write! I enjoy both typing (digital) and writing on a piece of paper. ELA is one of my favorite classes to take, especially since I’m also an avid reader. I’m really proud of my most recent writing pieces that I’ve written, and I’m super excited to write more.

I think experience is a super important part of not just SWC, but life in general. Everyone makes mistakes, but to me it matters how you understand what you did wrong and to do better next time.

Cabin Preferences

Similar to my last application, I’ll be sorting all my preferences into a couple different lists. A “Definitely!!” list — aka the genres I want to lead most, a “yes!” list and a “maybe not” list.

Definitely!!

⤷ Mythology: Spirited Away themed cabin
“Campers somehow get stuck in another dimension and come across an odd bathhouse, full of mythological creatures and spirits. They must befriend the spirits and creatures in order to find their escape.”

This is the cabin that I want to lead the most this session! It'd be based on the Ghibli Studio film: “Spirited Away”. I've watched this movie so many times and I've always wanted to make a cabin based on one of Studio Ghibli's films. This storyline most likely be on the lighter side and have more cabin bonding activities but something that the campers will still enjoy.

⤷ Mystery: Who is the Mole? themed cabin
“Campers go through a series of missions, but something doesn’t seem right. Someone is sabotaging their adventures but occasionally drops a clue of who they are. At the end of the game, the campers must decipher the clues and figure out who the mole is.”

This is a cabin I want to create inspired by the reality show “Who is the Mole?”. I’ll make sure to be organized and plan it in a way that’ll be fun for the campers while also being mindful that we only have a month to make it happen.

Yes! (In this order)
⤷ Lyric
⤷ Bizzaro Fiction
⤷ Poetry
⤷ Fairy tales

Maybe not
Any other genre not listed above.

I’d also like to mention I don’t want to lead TCTWNW this session as I enjoy the competitive aspect of SWC. As for co-leading, I’m open to any genre even if it’s not on my list as it’ll let me step out of my comfort zone and learn more about different genres.

Overall, I don’t have a super strong preference and I’d be happy to (co)lead any genre.

Excerpt

There we were, one last time, lying down in the lush grass that was swaying rhythmically to the wind. It was something Zoey and I did often when we first met as two crazy eight year olds in primary school. Before, the world seemed so big. But now? It just seemed daunting to take even one small step further. We didn’t want to spend our last moments together crying, but what left was there to do? So we listened to each other breathe and enjoyed each other's company. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. We stared at the clouds, reminiscing every moment we shared. It was hard not to cry. It doesn’t seem like such a big deal, but it’s hard seeing a friend you love move away.
“Everything’s going to be fine,” Zoey smiled, one she couldn’t hold together for longer than a couple seconds. That was the saying both of our moms had always told us when something went wrong. I tried to laugh, but it was really hard to believe it this time.
So, when she eventually had to say goodbye and leave, I simply tried my best to hold in the waterfall begging to drip through the cracks in my eyes. That was two days ago. My eyes didn’t hold it in forever. And you could tell. I remember watching her board a plane, setting off to achieve her dream. I get it, I guess we do live in a small town, so it’s hard to become anything but a farmer or construction worker here. But even if I decided to visit or move there, she would probably have new friends by then. Speaking of friends, I needed to make some too. But I was a little caught up in absorbing everything that just happened, so I mentally set it aside and reminded myself of other things that needed to happen before friends.

(This is a short excerpt of my most recent writing competition entry: “Everything's going to be just fine” The full version can be found here)


Time Dedication

I would say that November is one of my most active months. I take a lot of extracurriculars but this has never come in the way of SWC since they are the same as the past. I will be busy maybe an hour or two a day on top of school, but I will make time for SWC whenever I can.

Regularly I will be active on SWC for at least an hour, if not more. I aim to be active for at least 30 minutes a day. Obviously, some days I will be more active then others but I will always try my hardest to notify the leader forum and my co-leaders in advance.

In terms of school, this shouldn’t be a huge problem for me. It was a bit of a jump this year, but as the month has passed I've adjusted and I'm still able to make time for things outside of school and my extracurriculars because I frequently find myself having free time. I will do my best to make sure school doesn't get in the way.

I can assure you that this session, if I’m chosen as a (co)leader I will try my hardest to be as active as I can!

Time management:

I’d say time management is definitely something I’ve gotten better at throughout the past couple months. So, here are a couple of my skills to start off!

⤷ 1. Organization
I’d say I’m a pretty organized person and I definitely try my best. To make sure I keep up with everything, I always make myself a calendar and occasionally a to-do list especially when my plate starts filling up. I usually work well under pressure and having an organized space helps me with that. Some examples of when I'm able to work under pressure are during badminton games, I don't start freaking out and keep myself calm.

⤷ 2. Delegating tasks
I’m also good at delegating tasks. I’ve started to be able to recognize myself when I’m taking too much, which used to be a huge problem for me. Now, I know that I can’t do everything and that it’s important to spread group tasks among the rest of my group members. (In this case, it would be me spreading out my tasks as a leader to my co-leaders.) It makes tasks faster to finish and a chance for everyone to help out.

Although I have two great skills in time management, like others, I still have my fair share of shortcomings.

⤷ 1. Multitasking
Although I’m great at choosing which task should be done first, I’m not great at staying on one task all the time. A lot of times I find myself doing a bunch of things at once, although it might seem helpful, it makes my brain a mess. So, I really want to learn how to focus on one thing at a time. Oftentimes, it’s my phone that attracts me, so I’ve decided to turn all my devices onto not disturb, especially when I’m focusing on something that needs to be done. I also will try to put on headphones, even if there's no music playing in them. It can help block out the noise since my home can be a loud place.

⤷ 2. Procrastination
The SWC classic! Yes, like others, I am also a huge procrastinator. Sometimes I just end up avoiding the task because I don’t want to do it. Now, I’m trying to learn that there are no “wants” all the time and that I have to do it instead of cramming it at the last minute. Obviously, it’s easier said than done, so whenever I end up procrastinating on something, I think about how rushed I could be if I don’t do it at that moment. This has happened to me so many times, including for some of my SWC leader applications. So, I will try to think about how the outcome was when I procrastinated and had to rush it at the end.

Obviously, I’m not perfect, but I try my best and I hope to improve my time management skills over time.

Collaboration

Collaboration is definitely something I enjoy since I love being able to collaborate and create ideas as a group. So, here are a couple strengths that I have in collaboration!

⤷ 1. Consensus Building
I say this as my strength in a lot of applications but it’s never false. I’m always great at taking two ideas, and finding an in between. It’s something I’ve carried with me for many years now because I love listening to other people’s ideas. I am an innovative person, so I can come up of how we could come to an agreement. This strength is something I hope to take with me throughout this session of SWC because it avoids conflict and we can be able to make decisions quicker yet affectively.

⤷ 2. Adaptability
Adaptability is one of the most important traits you need to have as a leader, especially in SWC. The session is always full of changes and you never know what’s going to happen. As a leader, I believe it’s important to be able to find quick solutions and adapt to conflicts as soon as they are given to you. It’s a strength that I have in collaboration and that I always utilize to it's fullest.

Obviously, I also have weaknesses in collaboration. Some of them include:

⤷ 1. Communication
This is something I’ve definitely improved on over the past year, but I can’t say that I’m quite there yet. Sometimes my activity level will drops without notice. I try to tell others beforehand but sometimes I forget or just don’t find the time. Communication is something really important when you're working with others. I’ve been wanting to improve on it, and I can use that as a motivation. If I truly care about SWC, I will find the time to tell my co-leaders that I’m going offline for a bit, It doesn't take long. This session, If I get chosen as a (co)leader, I will try my hardest to find the time and communicate with my co-leaders.

⤷ 2. People Pleaser
Something I’m also not the best at in terms of collaboration, is that I’m a people pleaser. I often find myself needing approval from everyone, and if even one person is a little unsure I have the feeling of needing to start over. So, I've been working on building up my confidence and to start taking more initiative. This is also where I can use my strength, consensus building! I typically don't involve myself when I implement this strength, so I am slowly learning how to be more assertive when sharing my ideas. I assure you I will try my best to strengthen my confidence throughout this session.

Finally, a couple assets that I will bring to the table!

⤷ 1. Graphic Design
I’m personally not comfortable with using a shared Canva, but that won’t stop me from helping out with graphic design. I enjoy it and I'd be happy to do it. I'm also not afraid of listening to other's constructive criticism, including when it's not about graphic design.

⤷ 2. Socializing
I love making connections with people, checking in with people, etc. This session, if I get chosen as a leader I will make sure to check in with my campers as much as possible, interact with them and create a relationship they’ll never forget. I'll also create bonds between my co-leaders and to make sure that we keep in touch even when the session is over.

Collaboration is something that is very important in life, and I hope to improve on it.

Why do I want to lead?

I want to lead this session for a lot of reasons! The main one being that I love the SWC community and the people are always so kind. I want to be able to really be part of it and give back to the community that has supported me throughout 3 years of my life. I’ve seen how happy other campers and I were during sessions. Last session, I was the leader of Fantasy. It was so enjoyable to now be the leader and see the excited campers. Seeing others enjoy my cabin was something I valued a lot and something I want to do again.

Another reason is that being a leader is really fun! To plan things, organize things, and see your own idea just come to life. The one I have this session is definitely one I really want to see come to life and watch grow in its own way with its own people.

I also want to encourage and see other people who don’t enjoy writing as much as I do, fall in love with it and to be able to share their stories with many others. I know writing isn’t everyone's thing — and I acknowledge that, but I think it’s great to try and I want to at least show any new writer what writing really is.

Leading a cabin in SWC is something that I really love and hope to do again.

Atmosphere

“Enjoy a generally laid back cabin, with an interactive and thrilling storyline full of plot twists. Encouraging friendly competition while creating bonds that’ll last forever.” (175 characters)

Checkboxes

A.
I will be able to add points in the main cabin consistently throughout camp: Yes
I’m willing to share a promotional project for SWC: No

B. There are none I’m unable to complete!

C.
If anybody in my leadership goes inactive, I will make sure to take the right steps and ensure everything goes smoothly.

If the inactivity is coming from myself, I will try my best and make time to notify both my co-leaders and the hosts. Like said, I'm not great at communication. However, I will remind myself that I need to be responsible to take some time to tell my co-leaders and the hosts. I’ll also make sure that all cabin duties are assigned to my co-leaders and give instructions so that everything will continue fine.

If the inactivity is coming from one of my co-leaders, I will check in with them first and if they do not respond within the following 24 hours I will notify the hosts and assign their duties to others.

Credits

Thank you so much to all current SWC hosts: Alana, Moss, Ave and Rockie alongside all past SWC hosts and contributors.
Thank you to Cat and Julia for critiquing my answers!

About Me:

Super fun intro! Your personality really shines here — “chaotic and friendly” totally fits, and I’m vibing with your space-themed moves (Moon to Venus to Mars ). Your hobbies section is great: it feels real and personal, and I especially loved the music and badminton details. Maybe just try to tighten it up a little - a few sentences could be combined to keep the flow snappy without losing any charm. Your self-descriptions (“bubbly, weird, and fun”) are perfect and make you feel so relatable!

Experience:

You have so much Scratch Writing Camp experience, and it shows! I appreciate how you balanced your SWC history with IRL leadership roles - it gives a well-rounded picture. One thing that might help is grouping your experiences a bit more clearly (SWC roles first, then other camps, then school stuff). Also, watch out for some repeated ideas (like learning from mistakes). Maybe condense those parts so the whole section reads tighter and still hits all the important points.

Cabin Preferences

WHOS THE MOLE SOUNDS SO GREAT HAHA D The storyline ideas sound super fun and well thought out, which is awesome. Your tiered list approach is clear and helpful for hosts to know your preferences. Small suggestion: when you say you’re open to co-leading “any genre,” that’s great! Maybe highlight that flexibility a bit more, since it’s a big plus for teamwork.

Excerpt

This excerpt is beautifully written - the emotions are raw and relatable, and your description of the friendship feels genuine. It gave me all the feels. This is a strong example of your writing voice!

Time Dedication & Management

Your honesty about balancing SWC with school and extracurriculars is super refreshing. I like that you have a concrete goal (30+ mins daily) and that you’re mindful about notifying others when you’re less active. The time management section was detailed and thoughtful - your organization and delegating skills stand out as big strengths. The self-awareness about procrastination and multitasking struggles makes you very relatable. If anything, maybe shorten the explanations a bit for quicker reading, but I love how real you are here.

Collaboration

You highlight some really important skills - consensus building and adaptability are huge for SWC leaders. It’s cool that you acknowledge your growth areas like communication and people-pleasing, and that you have clear plans to improve. Your asset list (graphic design and social skills) adds nice flavor to what you bring to the team. Overall, this section shows a mature and thoughtful approach to teamwork.

Why Do You Want to Lead?

This part is heartfelt and honest - you clearly love the SWC community, and your motivation to give back and inspire others shines through. The way you talk about seeing campers’ excitement and wanting to share the joy of writing is really touching. Maybe trim down slightly on repeating ideas (love SWC, enjoy planning, want to help others), but the message is strong as is.

Atmosphere

Your cabin atmosphere description is spot-on — laid back but with fun twists and friendly competition. It feels balanced and inviting. I especially like how you address potential inactivity — being proactive about communication and delegating shows maturity and leadership readiness.

Overall Thoughts

Mabel, this application bursts with personality, experience, and genuine care. The main thing that could elevate it even more is tightening up a few sections by trimming repeated ideas and slightly shortening longer explanations to keep the reader fully engaged. Your self-awareness and enthusiasm are huge strengths, and I’m confident you’ll continue to grow into an amazing leader.

You got this! <3

daily 3: 462 words (jelly fish daily)

I watched the creature move, its luminous aura filling the air. Under the water, everything seemed so much calmer, and stable. My eyes followed its tentacles shrivel and shrink, then grow back again. The sunlight shone straight through the water, its rays blinding my eyes. Though through the cracks of the light, I gazed at the creature dancing to the ocean waves rhythmically. Its dome-like head was filled with different colors, like the Northern lights, all doing ballet in sync. Simply staring at the creature and being able to see it live, moving right in front of me was so surreal. I’d been scuba diving many times before, but I had never encountered a creature as graceful as the one I was staring at at that moment. All my memories made previously that day drifted away, like the ocean washing away sand on the shore. My ears lifted to the sound of waves crashing, but for some reason it felt more peaceful than chaotic. As my stress melted away, I glanced at the creature one more time. A delicate but beautiful jellyfish. I decided to go closer, after all it couldn’t hurt. Jellyfish don’t have a brain, so it wouldn’t be possible for them to chase me, or attack me. Right? My legs swiftly moved in a circular motion, my body slowly moving towards the jellyfish. The urge to reach my hand forward was immense, but I resisted the temptation. Suddenly, it started moving, faster than before. It looked so pretty — Wait… It’s coming towards me! I gasped, if you can even do that underwater. Or well, I guess I mentally gasped and screamed, but obviously, no noise came out of my mouth. Why was the jellyfish moving so fast? My legs kept swimming and I pushed them as hard as I could. I swam past mysterious coves and gorgeous coral reefs. But I just kept going because for some reason, every time I looked back, there it was, the same jellyfish, staring back at me. It’s like through that transparent shell painted in purple, pink and sparkles was a glaring face, yelling at me. What did I even do? Then I saw the shore. My legs dragged the water behind me, my arms quickly flapping, my shoulders stretching out as far as they could. I kept going, I had no time to look back, my head began to reach the surface, then my arms, and finally my legs. Whew. That was a close one. I looked back behind me, but all I saw was a large blue ocean. Huh where’d it go? So I dipped my head back into the water to see where everything went. All I saw was what looked like a pink piece of string. Then everything went black.

(late) 1k intro!! 2152 words!!!

Hii!! I'm Mabel!! I go by pronouns she/her and I'm unfortunately not comfortable sharing my time zone. I'm so excited for the 1k intro because that's when i get to ramble all about the things I love, so what are we waiting for? (Absolutely nothing ;D) Anyways, soo this session I get the amazing opportunity to co-lead a cabin (which I'm actually so excited for because EEEEEE). And this wonderful cabin is none other then fairytales! (And at this current moment in time, we are first on the leaderboard >) I'm also co-leading alongside our amazing leader Mildred and our other amazing co-leader Sunny!! Their actually so fun to work with and I actually can't wait for the rest of this session because yay we're gonna have a lot of fun guys! <3

This session will be my 12th which is honestly so insane because I can't believe my first session was over 4 years ago, like wow. (I didn't participate in all the sessions since then) So, what was my first session? Well it was July 2021, and I was in Poetry lead by the amazing Zai and co-lead byyy I'm so sorry I forgot but one of them was Mech (I think(?)) and I'm sorry I forgot you other co-leader </33 Poetry was super fun but it was my first SWC session and I didn't understand a lot of things so for the most part I wrote maybe a couple thousand words and just y'know like did absolutely nothing… I was a little too afraid to ask anyone, but now here we are co-leading a cabin and I'm actually just really hyped about that! (If you can't tell) Previously, I've co-led 4 other cabins, including Mystery twice, Thriller and Utopian! These were all such fun experiences!! I've also led a cabin before! (AKA Fantasy, last session) That was a fun session and it was actually so fun to be a leader for the first time, but I do feel like I got really stuck up on cabin planning that I didn't bother as much to bond with campers and make Fantasy as memorable as other cabins, which is something I'm working on for this session, even though I'm co-leading it, not leading it.

Anyways, I love writing (If that's not already obvious, ummm I'm in SWC — A writing camp…), reading (more on that later) and art! (Also more on that later) Anddd a lot of other things hehe

Soo books! Reading, reading. I'm currently reading the Hunger Games, and I'm still on the 1st book so I probably won't get a lot of the things you said, but I figured I should read it because I co-led Thriller Games in March 2025, and it was actually a cabin based off the Hunger Games… Yeah, I definitely needed some background knowledge xD I also really like KOTLC (Keeper of the Lost Cities) and that was the cabin I led last session was all about!! I don't read books as much as I should, even though I love it, so if your reading this drop by and tell me a couple book recommendations! I personally love fantasy books and realistic fiction books. But I'm also open to almost any genre because yayyy stepping out of my comfort zone!!! (Well, sort of yay, I guess.) I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction and non fiction, but other then that, yeah!! Come recommend me some books!!

I also like writing, and honestly I've recently been so inspired by like literally all of you in SWC to write a novel because so many of you are and I can tell they are going to be good!! I've been planning out one, however I haven't had a chance to actually start a rough draft yet, so give me some motivation </333 Anyways, I haven't perfected my plot yet so yes, still working on that! (And I have no idea how to write such a long book, how do you guys do it?!?!?!) It's going to be fantasy hehe ;D Just like reading, I love writing in the genre fantasy and realistic fiction, but also fairy tales!! Soo yeah !!

And then we have art, and yes I love art. I’m not very good at it, if you can’t tell, but I also don’t share much art online since I mostly draw on paper and the quality is really bad…. I love a lot of things that you can express your feelings in different ways, like how I also really like music! Some of my favorite mediums are watercolour and pencil crayon! I also really want good markers!! I usually don’t actually colour my drawings but maybe if I get some I will (Also can you believe that we’re almost at 1k words? Maybe we’ll go over 1k ) Anyways I also find abstract art really cool because even though it looks just like a mess and a lot of scribbles it also has some sort of deeper meaning into it which is something I want to incorporate into my art!!

Music!! I love music a lot, just like art, it lets me express myself in a different way: aka songwriting! I’m not only a songwriter, but I can also play the guitar, ukulele and I sing!! I also do covers on Scratch (technically I only have one now, but I’m working on hopefully making more! They take forever to edit unfortunately and I was going to post one a couple weeks ago, until I listened to it through Scratch and the harmonies were sooo off tune) Anyways I also can somewhat play piano, however I’m no good at it. I personally like playing/writing in pop or jazz. As for listening, I listen to a variety of genres! Wait no I don’t, I just listen to pop… :’) And sometimes jazz actually!! I used to listen to pop rock but I’ve stopped because it’s catchy but I just don’t feel like it nowaday lol… I have a lot of favorite artists but my all-time favorite is Lyn Lapid, and if you know me, this is basically my whole personality. I love all her songs and if you ask me I actually cannot choose a favorite, however I love the vibes of love in the 21st century but I also love buzzkill!!! Idk I cannot chooseeeeee !!!!! I’d say buttons are one of my favorites off buzzkill (My favorite changes everytime…) And for love in the 21st century I’ll sayyyyy cross your mind!! Anyways other than Lyn Lapid, but my 2nd favorite artist is Laufey!! Yes jazz <33 I love her music so much and I’ve recently started listening to more of it ever since “A Matter of Time” came out! My favorite song on the album was Castle In Hollywood for a couple months, but to be honest I really like Clockwork and Too Little, Too Late! But obviously, all the songs on the album are soooo good <33 Other random artists includeeee Regina Song, lovlaine, Sarah Kang andddd Wasia Project!! (Petals on the Moon >>>>)

Anyways, now let's ramble about some other stuff!! Oooh, recently I’ve been getting into Project Sekai. I actually used to play it, but I wasn’t that into it until a little while ago! I love Hanatso Minori and basically just MMJ (More More Jump!) In general <33 If you don’t know what Project Sekai is, I'm telling you to go play it because I love the storyline and it’s so fun!!

Aaandd let’s keep talking about some other stuff!!! I’m also very obsessed with random cute stuff like Pompompurin/Sanrio!! If you saw my July 2025 SWC leader application you knowww but I have a collection of Pompompurin stuff and he’s so cutee!! (But Hello Kitty is insanely iconic, probably my 2nd or 3rd favorite!! I also really like Usahana aka the like not known Sanrio character haha sjldfksd)

Now lets talk about ummm (I really want to make my intro 2k words, but at this moment it’s 1.3k I think sooo rambling time!!!!!) My favorites? I love how cute animals look, but I’m actually really scared of them. Like for instance I really like cats and dogs (yes, I know I’m quite generic) but I’m so scared of them sdjflksdj Uhhh my favorite colour is periwinkle!! I really love like the in between of blue and purple because those were my favorite colours and one point but periwinkle is basically a combination of both!! ( I think, someone let me know if I’m wrong lol) My favorite ice cream flavour is vanilla, yes also basic I’m sorry I’m not very interesting xD I also like strawberry a lot!! Chocolate isn’t really my thing but it is really tasty when I feel like it!!!!

Some hobbies I really hope to get into in the future are crocheting! This is something I’ve been talking about doing for so long but I’ve never gotten the chance to actually start crocheting and stuff. I think it’s a really useful skill and like you can make presents for people when it’s their birthday and stuff (Yes, I am aware of how time consuming it is :’D) I really want to be able to make like little stuffy keychains I can hang on my bag because I find that really cute! Speaking of hanging things on your bag, I actually know how to make beaded keychains! I tried it the other day and I found it really fun and I don’t have that many (yet) but it’s pretty fun and they come out pretty cute! (In case you're wondering what type of keychains, I basically just thread beads through a string and attach a charm at the bottom!) They make your bags 100x cuter so if you want that then I’d recommend getting into a hobby like that! Anyways back on topic I also really want to learn photography! I have done some photography in the past and I know how to generally take good pictures (well, I feel like this is a basic skill but whatever!!) but I want to learn how to edit my pictures to make them look better! I also really want to learn pottery because that actually seems so cool like it does not?? I’m not a huge fan of getting my hands messy (Even as a painter!!!) so maybe it won’t be the thing for me but I don’t know so maybe I’ll try one day!!!!!

I don’t know what else to talk about but we are currently at 1.7k words which means that we are only 300 words until 2k!!! (That’s if i can find something to talk about……) Well uhhhhhhh oh yeah I play sports!!!! I do badminton occasionally, I don’t know that many people who play badminton in SWC (lmk if you do ;D), so yes I am one of them
! I am actually not good at it and I don’t take lessons or anything like that. I just play for fun sometimes and it’s such a go to sport because I don’t really like playing with any type of ball. I also do swimming and I love swimming a lot because it’s super fun!! I don’t swim that often, but it’s something I hope to do more in the future!

So, I’m in fairy tales this session, so let’s talk about some fairy tales I like! I really like Cinderella and Rapunzel, they are definitely my favorites!! And let me move this topic to movies!! I usually watch fantasy movies or fairy tale movies, but I also occasionally watch musicals! I really want to watch Hamilton someday, I don’t know where or how, but it’s a goal!! I’ve listened to their songs and it sounds so good and super interesting to watch so yes, that is on my list of things to do one day!!!! I also watch a lot of princess movies I guess such as Rapunzel, Beauty and the Beast and I have watched Wicked! (Wait that's a musical, not a fairy tale.. sdjflksdj) Anyways, speaking of Wicked I love listening to Ariana Grande and I got more into her ever since she came out with “eternal sunshine”. I was not a huge fan of her music in the past, and still, today, I’m not a huge fan of it but I do think her singing style has changed and I really love eternal sunshine!

Well would you look at that, we are at 2k words!! Yayy!! If your here and actually read all of that, good job <3333 Heres some mangoes! *Tosses mangoes* (Speaking of mangoes, I love mangoes!!! They are my favorite fruit!!! ) Anyways yes, I would keep going but I don’t actually know what I would keep going on about. So if you did read all of that, hopefully you learned something new and interesting about me!!! Bye <3

swc weekly #1!!! 1451 words

Part 1:

The fire in her ignited
Flames so dazzling
Dancing under moonlight
While all this was happening
She laid deep in bed
Comfortable underneath the covers
But still aware there was fire
No, she did not do anything to stop it
Why?
Well, don’t ask me
Ask her

The embers crackled
The noise filled her ears
Like the flickering flame
Was whispering through her window
Sparks flew
And the fire grew
Getting bigger
As moments passed
She still did nothing to stop it

So where was this fire coming from?
After all, it mustn’t be far
If she could hear it through her window
It must’ve been just right outside her door
And it was
In some ways
Outside the door of her heart
Waiting to enter
And when it did
Oh when it did
You wouldn’t want to see what happened to her
She was filled with rage and fury
This fire was inside her
Sparking her anger

Part 2 :

Verse 1:
Remember that time in the park
Where you met me and we bonded right away
We were just little kids
And I sometimes I wish we still were
But I guess wishes don’t always come true

Pre Chorus:
I look up to see a couple shooting stars
And you already know what I’m going to wish for

Chorus:
Because late at night
I find myself thinking about you
Why didn’t I try harder
To make the things I wanted come true

And late at night
You always come to my mind
But it’ll never be the same
I guess some things weren’t meant to be forever

Verse 2:
When I was younger I was told
That friendships would last forever and ever
I believed it was true
After all we could talk forever
That’s if we had all day and we almost never do

Pre Chorus:
I look up to see a couple shooting stars
And you already know what I’m going to wish for

Chorus:
Because late at night
I find myself thinking about you
Why didn’t I try harder
To make the things I wanted come true

And late at night
You always come to my mind
But it’ll never be the same
I guess some things weren’t meant to be forever

Bridge:
If I didn’t do what I did
Maybe you would come back
And our friendship could be restored

That’s what I say to myself
But I know that it’ll never come true
Because your better know with other people

Chorus:
Because late at night
I find myself thinking about you
Why didn’t I try harder
To make the things I wanted come true

And late at night
You always come to my mind
But it’ll never be the same
I guess some things weren’t meant to be forever

Outro:
Regrets filled my mind
Like the fire that burned my soul
Oh why did I ever let go of you?

Part 3:

(INT. EVENING, STACY’S HOUSE)
A small, cozy house with a hard oak floor and basic wooden walls covered in various photos of STACY and her friends.

ENT STACY (wearing navy sweatpants and hoodie) walking into her room, holding tray of snacks and drinks with ANASTACIA (in silk pajamas with pink and white polka dots)

STACY
(Smiling)
So, are you excited for tonight?

ANASTACIA
(Shaking, jumping, excited)
Am I? Yes! I’ve been waiting weeks for this. I’m so glad school is finally over, that place is torture.

STACY
(Nodding, setting down tray on floor)
Yeah, me too. Remember when Mr.Bates was trying to teach us quantum physics but ended up being splatted with a pie on his face?

ANASTACIA
(Giggling, sitting down on couch)
I know, right? Who tries to teach on the last day of school. I’m so glad I graduated now. But I don’t really know what I’m going to do with the rest of my life, y’know?

STACY
Ohh, I get you. But I couldn’t honestly say the same here, I submitted my college applications at the start of senior year, and I was accepted!

ANASTACIA
(Excited)
I’m so happy for you! I think I might start going to work first. I don’t really know what I want to study.

STACY
(Sighing, picking up a glass of lemonade and drinking it)
Yeah, wow. I just can’t believe I finished school, like forever. It just feels so surreal.

ANASTACIA
Well, enough of that, school just ended so we should be celebrating! What do you want to do?

STACY
(Swallowing lemonade, awkward 3 second silence)
Hmm… I don’t really know. My initial idea was to watch a movie, but my TV broke. So unless you want to watch it on a phone.

ANASTACIA
Ooh!! I know, we should look at all of our old photos from senior year.

STACY
(Nodding, pulling out phone)
Wait, I like that! Like just all of our old photos? I have a lot.

ANASTACIA
(Taking a chip from the bowl, wiping hands on tissue)
Well, I guess if you have a lot we don’t have to do it all. But most of them! After all, we have all night, and a big bowl of snacks.

STACY
(Grinning, winking)
Then I guess that’s what we’ll be doing. And, I have extra snacks just in case.

Part 4:

Okay, this is like this — you're casually walking down the pathway next to your house, just trying to take a walk with your dog. When suddenly, your dog starts barking, but not like the “I want to play” kind, the aggressive kind that makes you scared that there's a threat near you. Well that was me, and I got scared, oh yes I did, I was screaming, turning my head, trying to find what was making my dog bark so loud. People stared, and not at me, and not at my dog either. And even though he should have had people staring, after all he has a gorgeous hairdo and a shining collar, but we’re getting off topic. So, they're staring right behind me, right? I’m just standing here, too terrified to look behind me, with this unpleasant look on my face. My dog continues to bark. But now he’s barking at me, or not me but the thing behind me.

So, I finally found the courage deep inside myself, and turned my whole body around. Then I scream. A scream louder than a lion's roar, a scream coming from my core. And wow. There, right in front of me stands a large, tall, shimmering white creature with dazzling hair like it came straight from the sun. Yes, this majestic creature was gazing right back into my eyes, but I was screaming. And if you know animals, if you scream, they think you're a threat. So, with its long legs, compared to mine which are insanely short and stubby, it started tumbling over. I hollered for help, but nobody dared to help me.

I was running, grasping my dog’s leash with all my strength. My dog can run faster than me, like much faster, so he was practically dragging me, and I basically was just trying to keep up, because I knew if I didn’t I would have planted my face to the floor. Oh and if I let go? The creature would’ve definitely gotten to me. I didn’t exactly know what was going on, all I knew was there was loads of chaos and screaming coming from behind me. (Oh, and don’t forget the magical pony looking thing yelping its lungs off.) My body was a blur, and I couldn’t see anything in front of me, but at least there were no cars — it was just a nice little trail. …Right? Well, I was wrong. I was actually going the other way, out of the trail and into a beautiful road of cars. They had a green light, and I’m telling you none of them even bothered to stop and knew I was a lost cause. That’s all I saw until I fell into a dark abyss.

So how am I writing this now exactly? Well, I woke up in the hospital, a bunch of doctors doing these scanning things on me. I asked them about the creature, and they kept avoiding the topic. Seriously, that creature was the reason I almost died, and they're not telling me what it was? Until, I finally got one of them to crack, and it was supposedly a unicorn. Unicorns? Well, their mythical creatures don't exist. They're just little creatures in stories parents tell their kids, and I’m no kid, trust me. So, here I am. Writing about a “unicorn”. We all know it’s some other creature, the doctors just haven’t told me what this other creature is yet.

pumpkin daily! 363 words

Spookly was an odd pumpkin, unlike the rest. The other pumpkins all were round with a glowing candle inside them and beautifully carved triangular eyes and mouth. But Spookly wasn’t like that. He wasn’t round, or beautiful, when autumn came around nobody picked him up to carve. He was the last pumpkin left in the bottom of the box, as he was a square. He didn’t have an eyes or mouth either, since no one would carve him. Oh, how he wish he could be like the others.

One day, as the season started to shift from summer to autumn, crispy, delicate leaves floating everywhere. Spookly was ready for another autumn, to be left. Alone. Again. Every year he had a bit of hope, a small flame that there would be another pumpkin to talk to, but there never was. And each year, a bit of that flame faded away from his grasp. Slowly, as October started, all of the pumpkins started dissapearing. Spookly was at the near bottom, there were still other pumpkins left, but they were still much more beautiful then him.

So, when another family came to choose pumpkins, Spookly didn’t expect much. He smiled and waved and did his best to look presentable, but of course one by one, they didn’t choose him. He said goodbye to all his friends, when a small girl came up to the wooden box, looking inside.

“Mom, I want this one!” she smiled, pointing at Spookly. He gasped, if pumpkins could at least. Her strawberry blonde locks of hair waved in the wind. Her mom nodded along and picked up Spookly like nothing was wrong with him.

“Of course,” she replied, and they took him home.

The little girl collapsed on the couch when she got home, “Finally. Now we get to make pumpkin pie out of him!”

Spookly gaped. No they weren’t going to carve him or make him nice beautiful eyes, they were going to mush him up and smack him inside the oven. Uh oh.

So that’s the story of Spookly the pumpkin, and if your wondering what happened after that, don’t ask me. Ask Spookly, who’s currently being eaten.

word war with @z3phy_th3_cr4zy || “can we stay like this for a little longer?” || 198 words

There they were, one last time. The sun shining down on them, its ethereal rays beaming down their backs. Tears fell down their cheeks like miniature waterfalls.

“I’m sorry,” Hailey sighed, wiping her tears with the base of her palm. Her hazel eyes shone under the sun, shining ever so beautifully.

Then there was Brynn, her blue eyes glistening like the ocean, but also filled with the ocean — tears streaming down her face like there was no tomorrow.

“I really wish that we could stay here just like this for a bit longer, but I guess the chances of that are…” Hailey trailed off.

“Slim, let’s say that,” Brynn sniffled, trying not to look into Hailey’s eyes.

Hailey was moving. They had been best friends for years, since the start of their lives. They were friends from the start and had always been like that, barely had any arguments, and barely any fights. So to see Hailey go, well… Brynn couldn’t think about it, she was too sad to think. For now, she just had to value the moments that they had together. Their final moments. They were sad, yes but I guess some things have to happen.

daily!!! Genres: Fantasy, Fairy tales and Realistic Fiction

The trees whistled. Felicity walked uncomfortably on the floor she dreaded. In the middle of the forest, rocks crunched under her foot, making an unusual popping noise. The air was moist, after last night’s rain and the sun shone high, beaming down on her back. Sweat beaded down her eyebrow. Rumours had said, this forest held mystical creatures on its palms. That they were commonly seen in broad daylight, which was exactly… Right… Now. Felicity felt her steady breath get faster. She wasn’t here to meet any mystical creatures, she really wasn’t. All just on her way to head to her Grandma’s cottage. Tightening her grasp on the small bag she was carrying, she heard a small rustle coming from the bushes behind her. Her breath shortened. And winced as she slowly turned around, trembling. Holding her breath, eyes tightly shut she slowly opened them. Then there it was… Silence trembled between her fingers. There was absolutely nothing. She sighed, and as she was about to turn around, there it was — another rustle. She flinched, harder this time. Then there it was, a small, tiny creature dancing through the air. A fairy.

It was a delicate small creature, its wings spread out like fire. They were painted with gold, green and pink and it glistened beautifully under the sunlight. There were no words to describe this mystical creature. Felicity didn’t expect it, and it was beautiful — no gorgeous. But it was still unexpected. And scared her. And yes, I deeply, truly mean it. The second Felicity saw the fairy, she screamed, louder than a lion's roar. Her screeching echoed through the air, like the air was a block of thin ice, and her voice was a hammer, shattering the shards to the floor. She dashed, not caring about the dangerous tree roots sticking out, ready to trip her at any second. Then stopped at a halt as she bumped into another creature. She was ready to scream when her gaze lifted up and stopped at the chin of the creature. It was large, tall, and majestic. It wore a beautiful rainbow hairdo, sparkling, blinding her eyes. And its wings spread apart, shoulders broadening. Still, that didn’t stop her. What type of world was she living in? Life is not a fantasy, she shook her head off and hurried to her Grandma’s cottage.

Once she saw the small glimpse of it, a part of her gasped, happily and relieved. The alicorn or fairy hadn't followed her and now she was safe. She opened the wooden door and let her feet relieve the familiar hard oak floors, bouncing at her touch. She smiled as her Grandma warmly welcomed her, hacking in bed.

“I’m sick today dear, I’m sorry,” her Grandma coughed, then gestured for Felicity to come forward. And so she did, taking a small step towards Grandma — then noticed something a bit off.

Felicity didn’t want to sound rude, so she tried implying it in the nicest way possible. “Grandma,” she cleared her throat, “why do your eyes look like that?”

Grandma glanced up at her, adjusting her glasses then tightening the draw strings on her hood. “Well, it makes it much better to see you dear. Like I said, I’m a little bit sick,” her Grandma told her, her continuous sneezing interrupting her sentence.

Felicity nodded along, then couldn’t help herself and asked another question. “Grandma, why are your ears like that?” she inquired. Grandma gave her a teasing smile, that looked a little… Manipulative?

“Well, better to hear you then. I love my granddaughter's voice after all,” she pulled up her blanket up to her chin.

“And…” Felicity started, glancing at a very obviously odd feature on Grandma. “Why are your teeth like that?” she asked, starting to feel a little uneasy.

Grandma grinned, one that showed all her teeth. They were shining straight into Felicity’s eyes and Felicity couldn’t help but let out a little squeal. “Well. Better to eat you then!” Grandma suddenly jumped out of bed, showing all her teeth, that clearly weren’t teeth.

Grandma isn’t Grandma… That's a… “WOLF!!!!” Felicity suddenly yelped, the scream coming from deep inside her core. She rushed out, this was worse than the fairy and the alicorn. She needed help. Right now. “HELP!!!” she screamed yet again, almost breaking her own ear drums in the process.

“Anddd… Cut!” a voice yelled out as a big snapping noise entered the room.

Felicity stopped moving, panting slightly then smiled. “How was that?” she questioned.

The same voice, the director nodded, typing aggressively on his computer. “Perfect, that’ll be the final scene. Thank you so much Felicity and Darren! I’ll see you two tomorrow, it’s getting late after all.”

Darren nodded, sweating as he took off his large wolf mask covering his whole head. “Thank you so much sir!” he waved, and went back behind the stage to get ready to leave.

Felicity thanked him as well, then they were on their way for another night of good rest.

Weekly 2: Historical Fiction - 2215 words

Part 1:

Victorian Era:
Between 1820 and 1914, during the reign of Queen Victoria
Britain was the most powerful empire in the world
More people were able to vote
Economy was getting better in Britain
Men were independent, women weren’t, women still didn’t get many rights
Many developments in the science and arts factor
Melodrama was the most popular genre
Lots of music halls
The fashion for women had lots of ruffles, bows, puffy skirts and sleeves. For men it was suits, ties and top hats.

A new era started in 1820, the Victorian Era. Queen Victoria reigned during this time. It was a sunny day in Britain, the heat streaming down their backs. People roamed the streets, dressed fancily. Women showing off their delicate puffy dresses, laced in bows and ruffles. While men strode beside them, adjusting their top hats while ambling. Beside them were many music halls, ones that had piles of melodrama. The men went to work, while the women stayed home like always. They were in charge of taking deep care of their children, who they loved and adored. Although women loved their children, they didn’t get many rights. Men were more independent. During the Victorian Era, Britain’s economy got better by day. They were the most powerful empire in the world, and it remained like that for the whole era. As you passed the streets, you would notice a heavy increase of paintings, as art had become big in the industry. More people also became very interested in different types of sciences. Everything was evolving, and this continued on for a while, more than 40 years later. Queen Victoria also had a tragic death a couple years earlier in 1901. This chapter of the book closed in 1914.

Part 2:

(Victorian England)
You amble down the sidewalk, muddy after last night's rain. Puddles flow through every crack and it feels like your feet are drenched. The buildings beside you are close, tight and you barely fit in. But they are beautiful, painted in different shades of brown. Many of the buildings are rounded, their architecture very unique and different. You’ve never seen anything like it, traveling from the opposite side of the globe. The street is bustling, busier than you’ve ever seen, back in your hometown barely anyone roamed the streets. The people around you have marvelous attire, compared to your worn down outfit. Women dressing in fancy ballgowns covered with ruffles from head to toe, or the men tightening their bow ties snapped across their neck. In contrast to the buildings, their outfits are bright, neon almost. Different ones stand out more than the others, but the people walking are much more noticeable than the plain buildings. You can tell the buildings are old from the rust starting to form on the edges, and the dust piling up in small alleyways around. But there’s also construction going on nearby, people breaking off what looks like a ceramic piece of pottery, which is actually part of the building. Then using a tacky formula to shape it into something new. The new era is exciting, and you're excited to live here, now in London, England. It’s much more lively. Buildings on one side of you, but there's also carriages on the other. They are attached to typically two horses, you notice most of them are brown and their saddles are black. The carriage’s roof is like an awning, keeping the passenger safe from all rain.

The street across from you is totally different though. The buildings aren’t just plain old dusty ones with boring rooftops. The colours are the opposite, bright colours that blind your eyes like the sky on a sunny day. Dreary clouds hover above the buildings, making them stand out even more. Magnified signs with large, fancy handwriting etched across all of them, each one reading out something different. Then in between each shop, you can find a small, thin town house sitting quietly within. The people who live there must love waking up to the city’s enthusiastic chatter.

Up ahead of you, you notice immaculate churches, with dome like roofs and intricate architecture traced on each one. Different shapes of windows, all sides of doors and roofs. Many buildings surround the church, but one is unlike the rest. It’s tall, like a skyscraper, and large too. Beneath the sky it looks magnificent, shining as birds chirp above, soaring through the sky. There's even more people there, when you thought even these streets were crowded. People entering and exiting almost every second, the doors swinging open with no stop to close. You head over there, ready for your ears to practically collapse.

Part 3:

Name: Abigail
Pronouns: She/her
Age: 19, turning 20 in July (Currently June)
Likes: Nature, specifically mist/fog, sewing, sculptures, sciences
Dislikes: Abstract art, the smell of plastic
Appearance: Blonde wavy hair down to her waist, blue eyes, soft skin, peach lips. Wears the same thing as other women in the Victorian era — ruffly dresses, generally fancy attire, lots of bows and lace.
Strengths: Good at working with others and interacting with others, easily builds bonds and trust between other people.
Weaknesses: Feels pressure when people are watching her, multitasks, constantly out of the house
Motivations/Goals: Wants to help others as much as possible, wants women to have rights
Character traits: Kind/sweet, often tired,
Habits: Bites fingernails, twirls hair, collects different currencies from all over the world
Skills: Sewing, calligraphy,
Hobbies: Journaling, has over 5+ diaries/journals, tries sculpting from time to time, (isn’t good at it), sewing, going on walks
Backstory: Has two brothers, both older than her by 5 years. Has a mother and father who don’t look like her at all. Comes from a poor family, but manages to be successful when finding a husband, Andrew who supports her. He works as an artist and makes magnificent works in their small townhouse near the bustling streets of London.

Abigail is a young 19 year old woman, turning20 in the next month. She has blonde wavy locks that reach down to her waist, and blue eyes that glisten like the ocean waves crashing against the shore. Her pale skin is complimented with her peach lips, consistently covered in a fancy lip gloss. You can often find her wearing similar attire to the rest of the world during the Victorian era. Her favorite dress being a light pink dress with transparent puffy sleeves. The corset is laced up tightly in the back, and the rest of her dress is carefully traced with lace, intricate patterns etched across all of it. A bow on the top of her chest completes the look, and so does a fancy hat, fake flowers peeking off the edges. In her free time, you can find Abigail adding another journal onto her stack of over 5. Or occasionally with a paintbrush in hand, one of her greatest skills being calligraphy, tracing the paper with her soft hands. When she’s not doing some sort of art, she’s looking at art! Abigail loves gazing into the souls of sculptures, and hopes one day, when women are considered humans, that she can become a sculptor too. Speaking of skills, she also has a skill for sewing, consistently making and fixing clothes. One day, she hopes to be a mother of 2 children, and dreams of making their whole attire. However, at this moment in time, they are unable to afford such. Abigail comes from a poor family, with both her mom and dad, and two other brothers — Arthur and Charles. Her mom and dad look nothing alike, both with dark eyes and dark hair, so sometimes she wonders if they truly are her parents. At the age of 17, she got married to Andrew, who is now her husband. He supports her in every way and works as an artist, creating art all over their walls. Specifically, abstract art, which is the only type of art that Abigail isn’t fond of, but she still supports him back. Abigail often stays at home, sewing or trying to learn how to sculpt. Other times she's out roaming on the streets, shopping for their necessities as Andrew is creating beautiful glass art in the church. Growing up poor, Abigail has learned many useful skills, like learning how to easily gain trust from someone. She did this to know everyone, who still knows her today, so that she can have someone to rely on whenever she’s in need. Abigail is not a huge extrovert, but learnt to be one from where she came from. Overall, she is a kind person who loves helping others and just wants the best for everyone.

Part 4:

The sun rose from the horizon, beaming down on Abigail, the lights blinding her eyes. She winced from the light, then slowly got up from her creaky, uncomfortable bed-like structure. Andrew, her husband got up as well, beside her, rolling over, tossing the thin blanket off the edge of the bed onto the hard oak floors. Abigail yawned, stretching her mouth as wide as she could until it started to hurt.
“Andrew, get up, you have work today,” her dry mouth managed to articulate. She gave him a little nudged them ambled towards the bathroom door. He groaned, tired but eventually got up as well.
Tossing off her nightgown, she replaced it with her favorite dress. It was a soft, pastel pink dress wrapping around her entire body. Its puffy, transparent sleeves fell off her shoulders gracefully. She tightened the back of her corset aggressively, traces of lace getting in her way. A knock on the door interrupted her, a quick shock going through her throat. She sighed when she opened it to see Andrew, with baggy eyes, trying to wave. He nodded at her, then walked in as she quickly gathered her dress into a bunch and walked out.
“I’m off to the town, to get a couple pieces of fabric!” she shouted in her French accent, her voice coming out raspy. Her voice should’ve travelled through the thin walls easily, but no reply came shouting back at her.
She sighed, frustrated but didn’t bother and swung the front door open to the bustling streets of London. The city was packed, early in the morning and filled with people right outside her door. She lived in a small townhouse, painted with neon colours and bright coloured signs right outside her door. They couldn’t afford much, after all both her and her husband came from poor families. But it was better than nothing. The city was filled with a loud chatter that echoed in her ears, practically making her deaf. However, she smiled at it and closed the door shut behind her. Her eyes widened and shoulders broadened from all the noise, making her feel more awake by the minute. In the distance, she glanced at the pristine church, decorated with intricate architecture and glass paintings, some which Andrew had done.
“Abigail!” a voice yelled in the distance, their French loud and clear. Abigail spun around, chewing her nails in nervousness.
She had made so many friends here in London, knew almost everyone, but still got nervous. Glancing around, she didn’t see anyone so continued walking, clutching her purse tightly in her hand.
The voice spoke again, this time right into her ear, “Abigail!”
Abigail flinched, letting out a noise that was inaudible. In front of her was a young woman, probably about her age, 18 perhaps. She wore a similar dress, but in a dazzling shade of baby blues. Her hair was in a beautiful hairdo, topped off with a similar hat as Abigail’s. Fancy and elegant.
“I’m sorry, who are you?” her voice came out softer than usual.
The lady nodded, “Sorry for not introducing myself.” She cleared her throat then continued, “I’m Alice, and I own the “Blooming Boutique" shop down the street. I heard from your friend Hazel that you were interested in sewing, correct?”
Abigail’s eyes gleamed. “Yes, I am. What do you need me for?”
Alice paused just long enough for an awkward silence to occur. Then started talking once more. “Well, I was thinking of offering you an apprenticeship. I know not many women have jobs right now, but if you show me your skills, then I will gladly give you a job.”
Abigail gasped in shock. This was the Victorian era, not someone in the future where women actually got rights. It was rare, very. She nodded and Alice led her across the street. This street was less crowded, the people were much more noticeable than the buildings, as they were plain and old. You could tell by the rust starting to form on the edges of the building. Alice led her into the shop, hopping up a small stairway then swinging the door open, a faint whoosh entering Alice’s ear.
But inside the shop, oh it was dazzling. Marvelous. It was full of people but Alice could tell this was going to be great. The shop was filled with extravagant fabrics and tools to work with. Then to her right were dressers full of beautiful outfits, perfect for all. She smiled, and thanked Hazel in her mind.
“So, are you interested?” Alice inquired, glancing at Alice.
Alice nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, I am.”

It's a Jellyfish! || Mabel's SWC Writing Competition Entry - 463 words

I watched the creature move, its luminous aura filling the air. Under the water, everything seemed so much calmer, and stable. My eyes followed its tentacles shrivel and shrink, then grow back again. The sunlight shone straight through the water, its rays blinding my eyes. Though through the cracks of the light, I gazed at the creature dancing to the ocean waves rhythmically. Its dome-like head was filled with different colours, like the Northern lights, all doing ballet in sync. Simply staring at the creature and being able to see it live, moving right in front of me was so surreal. I’d been scuba diving many times before, but I had never encountered a creature as graceful as the one I was staring at at that moment. All my memories made previously that day drifted away, like the ocean washing away sand on the shore. My ears lifted to the sound of waves crashing, but for some reason it felt more peaceful than chaotic. As my stress melted away, I glanced at the creature one more time. A delicate but beautiful jellyfish. I decided to go closer, after all it couldn’t hurt. Jellyfish don’t have a brain, so it wouldn’t be possible for them to chase me, or attack me. Right? My legs swiftly moved in a circular motion, my body slowly moving towards the jellyfish. The urge to reach my hand forward was immense, but I resisted the temptation. Suddenly, it started moving, faster than before. It looked so pretty — Wait… It’s coming towards me! I gasped, if you can even do that underwater. Or well, I guess I mentally gasped and screamed, but obviously, no noise came out of my mouth. Why was the jellyfish moving so fast? My legs kept swimming and I pushed them as hard as I could. I swam past mysterious coves and gorgeous coral reefs. But I just kept going because for some reason, everytime I looked back, there it was, the same jellyfish, staring back at me. It’s like through that transparent shell painted in purple, pink and sparkles was a glaring face, yelling at me. What did I even do? Then I saw the shore. My legs dragged the water behind me, my arms quickly flapping, my shoulders stretching out as far as they could. I kept going, I had no time to look back, my head began to reach the surface, then my arms, and finally my legs. Whew. That was a close one. I looked back behind me, but all I saw was a large blue ocean. Huh where’d it go? So I dipped my head back into the water to see where everything went. All I saw was what looked like a pink piece of string. Then everything went black.

Snow White dragged herself through the forest, hands tightly scrunched into her dress. The forest seemed to enclose around her as her legs hurried through, darkness approaching behind her like a lion chasing down it's prey. Her eyes bagged and her legs ached from walking around all day. Her hands grasped tightly around a small wooden basket filled with flowers.

“Oh Sneezey,” she sighed, twiddling her fingers through her short, silky hair. Sneezey glanced up at Snow White, carrying a larger basket filled with delicacies from the forest. He managed an eyebrow raise, a signal for her to keep talking. “I wonder when I'll be able to go home again. After all, Mother can't reign for long. Her envy must be taking over her,” Snow White nodded in disapproval, her huffs weighing her down, causing her to walk slower. Sneezey gestured for her to walk quicker as a thick cloak began to hover over the world. They continued to tread for a while as Snow White rambled on about their day. By the time they had reached their cottage, they were both exhausted.

Sneezey sniffled, “Come on now and let's head back to bed.” The short dwarf ran in fairly fast for his stubby legs.

Meanwhile, in the palace beyond the forest, filled of servants and slaves, the evil queen sat majestically on her throne. Her fingers tapped lightly on the arm rests as her back stood tall and she glared at all the peasants below. The room was full of shut doors, the thick air circulating around the room as chatter echoed through.

She scoffed, adjusting her crown with the edges of her finger tips, “Now, now. I'm sure they will be back soon everyone. You do not have to worry.” Just as the words left her lips, the doors bursted open, giving the palace some sort of fresh air. Two small men covered in dust and dirt rushed in. The evil queen narrowed her eyebrows at the sight of their filthy attire.

“Your majesty, Snow White, she's hiding in the middle of the forest with dwarfs,” one of the spoke up quickly, flustering with embarrassment as everyone stared. The room went quiet, silent practically. You could hear a pin drop.

The evil queen looked down at them, sharpening her eyes. “Well then. It is so,” she articulated each word carefully, then got up and scurried up the long staircase to what looked like an abyss.

In her room, she snickered, muttering under her breath, “Snow White, my dear. You will be out of the forest in no time.” She paced the floors then noticed her mirror beaming light at the corner of the room. She sauntered over, standing tall and proud, then faced the mirror with her agonizing face. “Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who's the fairest of them all?” she said the words confidently.

The mirror replied back, in it's same raspy tone, “It is Snow White. She is the fairest in this town.” The mirror rippled like a raindrop had entered a pond then reflected an image of Snow White. The evil queen widened her eyes, jealously rushing through her veins. You could almost hear a small growl coming from the back of her throat as she barged away, infuriated with rage.