SWC Activities - official record

mossflower29

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SWC July 2025 Weekly #2 - Fairy Tales

Intro (written by Chuey)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Outro (written by Skylar)

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

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

rocksalmon800

SWC CABIN WARS #1

july 12, 2025

── ・❥・ ──

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

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

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

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VALID WARS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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good luck, Barbies - and remember to sleep <3

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

Eeveedonut

how to write a workshop 101 by lora

introduction

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

getting into it

the format

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

project workshops:

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

bullet point/sectioned workshops:

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

paragraph workshops:

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

the title

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

the start

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

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

Introduction

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

Let’s jump right into it!

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

point one - your first point in your workshop

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

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

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

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

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

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

the last part

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

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

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

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

conclusion

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eeveedonut

SWC July 2025 Weekly #3 - Weekly Creation

Intro (written by Alia)

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

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

Part 1: Finding A Topic (written by Kat)

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

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

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

Part 3: Writing A Workshop (written by Chuey)

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

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

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

Outro (written by Marbles)

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

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

Eeveedonut

SWC July 2025 Weekly #4: MemorieSWC

Introduction

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

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

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

Making An Outline

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

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

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

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

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

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

Make sure you write 300 words of an outline!

Exposition

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

Fate Awaits You…

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

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

Open Ending - Kevin

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

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

Cliffhanger - Toes

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

This ingredient adds a cliffhanger somewhere in your story!

Genre Swap - SWCorld War 1

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

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

Diary Selection - Soul Stealing

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

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

Breaking The 4th Wall - Strike Chaos

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

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

Symbolism - Cabin Wars

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

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

Foreshadowing - Gurtle

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

This ingredient has added some foreshadowing to your story!

New POV - Frying Pans

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

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

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

New Conflict - Forums Being Down

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

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

Plot Twist - Arson

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

This ingredient has added a plot twist to your story!

Flashback - Thor

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

This ingredient has added a flashback to your story!

New Character - Mangoes

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

This ingredient has added a new character to your story!

Time to Write!

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

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

Conclusion

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

Editing

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

The End

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

--tranquility

March '26 Dailies

March 1st: Happy SWC!!! You're rapid reloading can finally cease (at least for now) ;D To start off the session, introduce yourselves in the comments however you'd like, and include one of your controversial food opinions if you're daring! Get to know a few new faces and reconnect with someone you haven't talked to in a while. We're so excited you're here and can't wait for the amazing session that's about to unfold.

March 2nd: They say stories always end the way they begin. Today, prove it. Write a piece that opens and closes with the exact same line, but by the time the reader reaches the end, its meaning has completely changed. Whether the line turns hopeful, tragic, ironic, or sinister is up to you—just make sure the journey reshapes it. Write at least 400 words for 500 points, plus 150 points for sharing proof!

March 3rd: Today is World Wildlife Day! To celebrate, center your daily around wildlife. Maybe your characters tour through the Amazon rainforest and encounter unknown creatures or turn into animals themselves and have to spend the day living alongside other critters. Whatever you decide to do, run wild! (Get it? ;D) Write 350 words for 400 points, earn an extra 100 for sharing.

March 4th: Grab your sword, fish, or seaweed because it's time for… Word Wars! Get ready to face off with another camper in an epic battle for points. Who will emerge victorious? Who will fall into the pits of despair? If you're ready for a challenge, make your way over to here: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1281027241/

March 5th: Happy World Book Day! Today we'll be writing reviews and offering book recommendations to our fellow SWCers in the comments! Connect with other passionate readers and share the ups and downs of recent books you've read, or maybe discover a new love of reading you didn't realize you had? You can collect 350 points (plus 50 more for proof!) by writing 300 words worth of book reviews! Have fun celebrating World Book Day!

March 6th: Get out your rough drafts and work-in-progresses, sharpen your pens, and get ready to share your writing with the world — it's Critiquitaire time! Dive into exchanging critiques with your fellow writers in this beloved SWC activity… and have some fun misspelling Critiquitiaiaire while you're at it Head over to join in on the fun here (https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1282084902/), and get to work polishing those masterpieces in the making until they sparkle!

March 7th: Chaos, Destruction. Write at all costs. Pick up your pencils, hold your mangoes close to you, and it's time for Cabin Wars! Make sure to review the rules (whether or not you've participated before) and have fun! Make sure to go to sleep at a good time

LINK

March 8th: You approach the activities board at the center of the Main Cabin, eager to see the new daily. A huddle of campers surrounds the board, and a small pirate-hat-wearing polar bear sits underneath, handing out pieces of mango. Taking a slice, you push your way through the commotion to read the newest announcement. “Happy roleplay day!” it says. “Today, describe your actions in third person as if roleplaying. This daily doesn't earn points, but any words written can be added to your total.”

March 9th: Have you ever wanted a pen pal? Well, now you can have one! Welcome, one and all, to a brand new SWC activity. For the first time ever, we proudly present Penpalswc! Make your way over to this project to learn more about it. https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1282348028/ Have fun, swcnail mailers!

March 10th: It's a bird… it's a plane… no, it's a bidaily! For the first time in forever, bidailies are making a return to SWC! A bidaily is a daily that spans two days, almost like a mini weekly. There is a general theme and then each day has two parts to it. This bidaily's theme is… memoirs! Get ready to write about an event that took place in your life. It'll be fun, promise! For today, it's time to plan this memoir. Head on over to this workshop by Leopard and once you've read it, come on back and come up with 4 different ideas. Each idea should be at least 100 words, for a total of 400 words. You'll earn 600 points for completing this!

March 11th: Welcome back to day 2 of the memoir bidaily. If you weren't here yesterday, we came up with ideas for our memoir. Today, we'll be writing it! Take one of your ideas and write to your heart's desire. Your memoir should be at least 600 words in length to earn 700 points. Have fun! Unfortunately, if you didn't complete yesterday's part of the bidaily, you cannot claim points for it. However, you can still earn points for writing a memoir today!

March 12th: BOO! What's that above you? Is that…a drop bear? RUN!! Drop bears are fictional versions of koalas from Austrialian folklore, who are said to drop from trees onto the heads of unsuspecting passerby - especially when they don't get enough sleep ;D For this daily, take some creature from your culture's folklore and write a 500 word story of how this creature would interact with SWC. You can earn 600 points for this, plus 50 for sharing proof!

March 13th: Get out your time machines, dearest adventurers, because it's time to travel across time and space for this daily! First, choose any year, from before the 12th century to 2024. Then go to https://www.merriam-webster.com/time-traveler/ and pick out 5 words from your chosen year. Now it's time to write! Write a story incorporating all 5 words, with a total of 450 words, for 500 points, plus an extra 100 if you share proof! Have fun, time travellers!

March 14th: Circles, spirals, loops—the number 3.14159… goes on forever. Today’s daily, inspired by pi day, is all about repetition and return. Write a piece that comes back to where it began, whether through an image, a line, a mistake, or a moment that refuses to stay buried. Let the connection be subtle or obvious, literal or symbolic, but make it matter. Write at least 314 words for 314 points, and an extra 314 points for sharing proof.

March 15th: All of us have a playlist with words… I think. Unless you're performative and only listen to classical jazz… Take your playlist and put it on shuffle. Then, take a one lyric from each of the first three songs that you get. Now incorporate your three lyrics into your daily! Write 400 words to claim 600 points, plus an extra 100 points for proof.

March 16th: Quick! Put your pencil down, stop typing, close your notebook! For today's daily, take a break in the middle of a scene to interview your characters. Pretend they've just been transported to a reality TV show, or that news broadcasters have arrived on the scene and are recording live! Write 500 words questioning them about their motives, feelings, or anything else you can imagine for 700 points, with an extra 50 for sharing proof.

March 17: Hello, and welcome back to another SWClassic daily! Let's transform the comments of the main cabin into our very own bestselling bookstore. Write an 400 word synopsis of a story you're currently writing, a story that you hope to write, or any original story written by you and post it in the comments. After you have done that, reply to other comments and find some original books that you'd be interested in reading! This daily is worth 550 points, plus an extra 200 points for sharing proof.

March 18th: Bonjour! 你好! Hallo! For this daily, write a scene where characters are speaking different languages. Maybe they're traveling abroad, encountering a language barrier, or putting their rusty language-learning skills to use. Write 600 words with characters speaking in a different language for 700 points, and with 50 extra points if you provide proof. ¡Buena suerte!

March 19th: With the next set of Cabin Wars just around the corner, it's time to show our enemies some love. Choose one of your cabin's enemies and write a gift for them. Maybe it's a song, or a declaration of love, or a proclamation of why everyone should love them. The world is your oyster! If your cabin doesn't have any enemies, write a letter to any cabin. Write 350 words of this gift in order to claim 400 points, plus 150 points for proof!

March 20th: Welcome back to another bidaily! This bidaily is about Bouts-Rimés, a type of poetic game. You can learn about them in the studio linked below. Your task is to exchange sets of 10 words (with a rhyming scheme) in the studio and then use another person's words to write our own cohesive poems! Make sure you use 3 different sets of words and write 3 different poems to claim 600 points for today! https://scratch.mit.edu/studios/51380976/comments

March 21st: Aaaaand now, day 2 of Bouts-Rimés! Take your favorite poem you wrote yesterday and share it in the same studio as yesterday. Find someone else's poem and write a 600 word story based off of it! Maybe it'll be silly or maybe it'll be dramatic. No matter the case, have fun and you can claim 700 points for today! Unfortunately, you cannot claim points if you did not complete day 1. But you can still complete today's daily! Have fun! https://scratch.mit.edu/studios/51380976/comments

March 22nd: The sharks are circling in the water, the flaming mangoes are stockpiled, and the SW-Sea is about to get stormy. Yes, my friends, Cabin Wars have dawned once more. Before you start hurling the aforementioned mangoes, though, take a quick detour to brush up on the rules ( https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/post/9054290/ ), and possibly on your allies (unless, of course, you're into betrayal ;D). Once you've read that, hope on over to the exciting new game we have for Cabin Wars this session… https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/post/9054295/ Get ready… get set… get warring! (And watch out for that mango!)

March 23rd: Chosen one? Evil twin? Orphaned before the first sentence? Today, pack as many clichés and stereotypes as you can into a single story. Love triangles, dramatic monologues, sudden storms, or wise mentors—embrace them all. Make it predictably chaotic and have fun twisting every trope. For 500 points (plus 100 for sharing proof!), write at least 300 words.

March 24th: Descriptions — everyone loves to indulge in the colours and sights of the world around their character when writing one. But what if you weren't allowed to use sight in a description? Today, your task is to write 400 words of a description, but without using the sense of sight. Good luck: you'll get 400 points for completing this daily, as well as an extra 100 points for sharing proof.

March 25th: Every session has its moments, motifs, and memories. Today, write a piece inspired by one (or more) past memory book subthemes. Whether you interpret it directly, metaphorically, or completely sideways, let the theme guide your story. For 600 points (plus 150 for sharing proof!), write at least 500 words. You can revisit the past memory books here (https://scratch.mit.edu/studios/34571711/) and take a trip down memory lane <3

March 26th: Have you ever watched a film or a TV show and thought, ‘I wish things had gone differently’? Perhaps today will be your opportunity to see that happen! Deleted scenes offer interesting insights into what a show or film could have been, and for today's daily your task is to write a brand-new deleted scene from your imagination, for a film or TV show of your choice. Submit your deleted scene of 400 words for 300 points, with an extra 150 points for sharing proof.

March 27th: Put on your pajamas and get ready for… a 24 hour pajama party! As they say, it's 5 o'clock somewhere ;D Your task today is to enjoy the presence of one another before this session comes to a close. Meet someone new, discuss your goals and WIPs, challenge someone to a word war, offer to critique something for someone. However much time you spend interacting with fellow SWC-ers corresponds with how many points you earn.
15 min = 200 points
30 min = 300 points
45 min = 400 points
60 min = 500 ponts
Have fun and make sure to sleep at some point! ;D

March 28th: Fortunately, Unfortunately is a game where players sit around and alternate sentences with good news (Fortunately) and bad news (Unfortunately). For today's daily, we'll be playing Fortunately, Unfortunately in the main cabin! Let your imagination run wild - and remember, every comment you write for this counts for words ;D Have fun!

March 29th: The barista who hands the hero a coffee, the guard who opens the gate, the kid who walks past during the emotional climax—do these characters sound familiar? Choose a background character from a movie and write their story. What were they thinking in that moment, and what was happening just outside the frame? You can stay faithful to the film if you’d like or reimagine it entirely. Write at least 400 words of this character’s backstory for 500 points, with an extra 100 points for sharing proof!

March 30th: Not every story belongs to the hero. Today, write from the perspective of a villain as they move through their world. Show their thoughts, actions, and justifications—without framing them as “wrong.” Let yourself see the world the way a villain does. For 600 points (plus 200 points for sharing proof), write at least 600 words.

March 31st: And like that, another session has come to an end. As we start to wrap up, we encourage you to write thank you notes to those who made this month unforgettable. Take a moment to look back on the incredible memories you made, chaotic laughter that was shared, as well as your own personal growth in writing. Let those who inspired you know that they played a role in making this session a memorable one for you. This is a no-point daily, however, we encourage you to participate in this tradition <3

Weekly Four (SWCea of Monsters) can be found here!

Last edited by --tranquility (May 12, 2026 18:22:39)

--tranquility

SWC (March '26) Weekly #1 - SWCharacter Swap

Intro (written by Starri)

Welcome, all, to the first weekly of the session! As we open a new session of SWC and start to get to know each other, it's important to get acquainted with each other's characters as well! Yes, that's what we'll be focusing on the first weekly of the session – our characters, and their shared situations. Working with first your character, and then taking care of another SWCers, you're in for a wild ride - or is it a wild exchange? Complete the weekly to experience the character chaos ;D

This weekly begins on March 3rd at 12:01 am UTC. Please wait to begin writing until then!

Part 1: Character Sheet (written by Kiara)

Welcome to the first part of this weekly, writers! While there are many different ways to develop and create a character, a character sheet is one of the most popular. You can include whatever information you think is necessary to fully develop your character, but some common ones include full name, physical and personality characteristics, and family relations. All of these sections can be filled out in much or as little detail as you want!

Example by Eevee
Stella Carter
Age: 19
Occupation: Student + Cashier
Residence: IslandSWC
Physical characteristics: Blonde hair, green eyes, freckled tan skin
Strengths: Loves fiercely, thinks outside the box, does not know the meaning of casual attire, taking initiative
Weaknesses: Admitting her faults, rarely on time, does not know the meaning of casual attire, self-criticism
Charlie - childhood best friends, ride or die, will drop anything for her
Winston - best friends, lighthearted rivalry, basically siblings

To complete this part of the weekly, make sure you write at least 200 words on your character sheet. Happy character creating <3

Part 2: Character Moodboard (written by Fini)

Now that you have your character sheet ready, let's move on to the fun part: making character boards! Create a character board that captures your character’s atmosphere—how they dress and the small details that truly define them.

Example by Alia

You should have at least eight images on your board, and every image should reveal something true about who your character is. You should also include a 100 word explanation of the images you chose. Have fun with this!

Part 3: Character Swap (written by Lora)
Now that you've got your moodboard and character sheet, it's time to put them to use! Head over to this studio and swap your character with someone else. Once you've got their moodboard and sheet, try to get into the character's shoes. How would they act? What would they say? Write a story of 500 words using the character, and good luck!

Part 4: Character Meeting (written by Seagull)
Now, you should have gotten to know your character better than ever, as well as familiarised yourself with your partner's character! Well, now it's time for the two to meet! Write a scene of at least 600 words in which your character and your partner's character meet. It can be any setting or scenario you want, and whether they love or hate each other, that's up to you to decide. Try to consider the characterisation and how you think they would interact as your scene plays out! Don't be afraid to explore and play as much as you want with dynamics and perspective. Good luck – we can't wait to see all the amazing crossovers created ;D

Outro (written by Skylar)

Congrats on finishing the first weekly of this session of SWC! Before you can claim those prized points waiting for you, make sure that you've done the following:

Created a 200 word character sheet for your original character
Created a moodboard for your original character with at least eight images and a 100 word description
Swapped characters with someone and written a scene containing at least 500 words using their character
Written a scene of 600 words where you and your partner's characters meet

Your weekly should be a minimum of 1400 words for it to count. Submit it by March 9th at 11:59 pm UTC in the Main Cabin in order to earn 2000 points for your cabin! If you have any questions/concerns, contact a coordinator on one of their profiles, or you need an extension, please go here before the deadline.

Last edited by --tranquility (March 4, 2026 15:43:18)

-NightGlow-

SWC CABIN WARS #1

March 7, 2025 <3

── ・❥・ ──

Cabin Wars officially begin at 00:00 UTC on March 7th. Do not send wars or start writing towards a war before then.

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

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

-

VALID WARS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~

CHALLENGES:
Assuming you don’t have the ocean in your backyard, this extra challenge involves getting up and stretching your body! Maybe even do some crab walks

And, of course, bonus points for drinking water! Every person who does this consistently after every 500 words while writing towards the war wins 50 points each for their cabin. This applies for up to three campers (resulting in 150 points earned maximum.)

Did you know that hydras exist in real life? While not quite the venomous monsters of Greek mythology, they’re a family of water-dwelling invertebrates with the surprising ability to regenerate—especially fitting for our underwater session theme

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

Character swap—marine edition! To complete this challenge, at least two cabin members must share a short biography of one of their original characters in their cabin comments, but with a twist: the character must be a sea creature. Will you create a cunning octopus, or a go-with-the flow sea turtle? The opportunities are endless! Campers must then claim a character that is not their own, and write 300 words from the perspective of that character. This applies for up to six campers (resulting in 150 points earned maximum.)

The ocean itself is beautiful—capturing the splendor of its sweeping waves and frothy white caps is a challenge in itself. Therefore, for this challenge, write 200 words of setting description! Every cabin member who does this can claim 25 points for their cabin. This applies for up to six campers (resulting in 150 points earned maximum).

Use three animals (marine or otherwise) as characters in your writing! Every cabin member who does this can claim 25 points for their cabin! This applies for up to six campers (resulting in 150 points earned maximum.)

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

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Good luck icons!

Last edited by -NightGlow- (March 7, 2026 02:08:13)

--tranquility

Workshop: How to Write a Memoir
By: Leopard

Welcome to this workshop on writing a memoir!! Let’s get right into it.

Introduction

First, what is a memoir? Well, Google describes it as ‘a non-fiction, first-person narrative focusing on a specific, significant period, theme, or series of events in the author’s life, rather than their entire life story’. Now, it’s important to understand first what a memoir isn’t - it is very much not the same as an autobiography. A memoir is more in depth, focusing on one important event, strand or theme. It’s a form of personal storytelling where you can reflect and interpret events, not just retell them. Some examples are The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, which is a childhood memoir recounting growing up with negligent parents, and Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed, which retells a 1,000-mile hike that heals her troubles with personal loss and grief. These are good examples of theme, which we will now have a think about!

Planning

To get started, we can start with identifying the theme. These could typically be love, loss, identity, overcoming struggles, but there are so many options! Start by thinking about an important event in your life, a big change, an interaction, or just a memory that calls to you. It’s important to choose a clear focus that will ground your writing rather than trying to explore something complex and wandering. Choose one event or a short time period and start to think in depth about it.

Once you’ve decided, it’s time to think about writing! In a memoir, your voice is just as important as your narrative - it’s all about emotional vulnerability and honest reflection. This can make it hard to write, but it’s important that you don’t try to manufacture something, but instead let it come from the heart. So whatever your unique voice is, lead with that! That means it might not be poetic, it might not sound like how you think it ‘should’, but the beauty of a memoir is that it’s yours.

Writing

So, now how should you actually go about writing your memoir?

Start by telling your story, of whatever it is you’ve chosen to write about. Description and emotion are probably more important than having a gripping story - because that’s real life - but again, don’t overdo it and try to make a memory more dramatic than it was! Then, the importance of a memoir is your reflection on your event. This can create a structure in your writing that shows the change or the importance of this moment. Ask yourself - how did this thing change me or my outlook on the world? Then reflect on that. Be careful to keep it real though, this isn’t a morality tale where everything is resolved at the end!

Finally, before you start writing, take a step back. It’s a hard line between a memoir and a diary, or between a reflection and a fairytale story. And emotional, vulnerable moments can be really hard to write about. Just remember to keep your voice and your story, and try to let the memoir write itself rather than trying too hard to make it perfect.

Good luck and happy writing!!

Last edited by --tranquility (March 9, 2026 23:53:32)

--tranquility

SWC March '26 Weekly #2 - Short Stories

Intro (written by Leopard)

Hey there adventurers, and welcome to the second weekly of the session! What’s short, exciting and full of words? Well, if you said a talkative gnome, you’re wrong because I’m talking about a short story!

In this weekly, you will plan, write and receive feedback on a short story, and hopefully have a lot of fun along the way. So, what are you waiting for, let’s dive in!

This weekly begins on March 10th at 12:01 am UTC.

Part 1: Plotting a Short Story (written by Moss)

To kick things off, first read this workshop by Kiara on how to write a strong short story. Then, write a brief 200-word outline of your original short story. Feel free to use whatever structure works best for you. If you’re looking for some additional guidance, our example suggests five main steps: the exposition (the story’s beginning), rising action (where the conflict builds), the climax (the most exciting moment!), and the resolution (the ending, tying up loose ends). Your short story should be entirely original - no fanfiction, so let your imagination go wild!

Example by Lora
Exposition: The Queen of the Skies ruled with a cold heart, holding executions after executions for days. After her brother's death, she ascended the throne, ruling with an iron fist and without a shred of mercy.
Rising action: The lost princess of the Skies discovers her ancestry by accident. Along with a rebel and an assasin, she plans to overthrow her aunt, the Queen, and avenge her dead father with nothing but a broken ship and a sword.
Climax: The crew sneak into the kingdom and fight the soldiers. They encounter the Queen and get imprisoned in a jail when a turned soldier breaks them out. The lost princess finds the Queen's sceptre, which supposedly gives her power, and shatters it. The Queen, held together by fragments of magic, crumbles into dust.
Falling action: The lost princess ascends the throne and helps those affected by the Queen's ruthlessness. They release wrongful prisoners and promise to bring the Skies to its former state.
Resolution: The Kingdom of the Skies lived in peace with a just ruler. A kingdom of tranquility and hope was engraved into the titles of history scrolls for years to come.

Good luck, we can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Part 2: Writing Your Short Story (written by Eevee)

You’ve got your outline? Great! Time to give life to the bare bones of your story. Get out your pens and paper, your computer and charger, a bottle of water, and get ready to write your short story. Not too long, not too short, a sweet spot under 2000 words and over 1000 words! Your story MUST be complete (with a recognizable conclusion) within 2k words for it to count for this weekly.

Part 3: Critiquitaire (written by Ris)

Wow, nice job, legends! They don't call you good-at-writing for nothing. Now that you have an amazing story, it's time to edit it! Head on over to the Critiquihumuhumunukunukuapuaa (or… whatever it's called…) and give and receive some amazing critiques on your short story! And yes, you get to claim the Critiquarie points for this part

Have fun!

Outro (written by Mabel)

Yay! You've finished the second weekly of this session. Before submitting, make sure you've written the following:

200 words of an outline for your short story
1000-2000 words from your short story
one critique for someone else's short story

Your weekly can be anywhere over 1300 words, so long as you hit the individual requirements for each segment and do not write over 2000 words for your short story. Submit it by March 16th at 11:59 pm UTC in the Main Cabin in order to earn 2500 points for your cabin! We hope you had a wonderful time writing your short stories this weekly <3 If you have any questions/concerns, contact a coordinator on one of their profiles, or you need an extension, please go here before the deadline.

Last edited by --tranquility (March 11, 2026 14:36:56)

--tranquility

Workshop: Outlining and Drafting a Strong Short Story
By: Kiara

Intro

Short stories are one of the most challenging forms of storytelling— how do you fit an entire narrative into just two thousand words? While there is no “perfect” process, there are plenty of strategies that can help you improve your short stories. Of course, if you find something that works for you, stick with it! These are suggestions, not rules, and should never dictate your writing.

Without further ado, let’s get into it!

Short Stories, In Short

Short stories are a form of media that tells an entire story in around two thousand words. However, that doesn’t mean they lack the complexity of a full-length novel— they often just take less time to write. Character development, worldbuilding, and theme are just as important in a short story as in a novel. Creating a short story can be a challenge at times, so this workshop is here to help you find a strategy that works for you.

About Strong Short Stories

Above all, readers need to be invested in your characters. You do this by crafting characters with realistic internal struggles and strong motivation. Of course, this doesn’t mean realistic as in real-world. Your story can include as many fantastical elements as you wish! Just make sure their internal struggles and conflicts are true to the character themselves.

Also, a short story should revolve around one central conflict or decision. Make sure that your characters don’t go off on “side quests,” as I like to call them ;D Every action and decision should have a clear purpose in pushing the plot and characters along!

Clear stakes make a story powerful. What happens if your character fails? How would succeeding or failing change them or the world around them irreparably? Also, including a noticeable change can make your story feel more grounded– there should be something starkly different from beginning to end.

Creating Ideas

The first step to creating a strong short story is to have an idea! Maybe it’s as simple as a word or two, or as complex as a set of characters and a full plot already living in your mind. Whatever it may be, it can be outlined later, so just focus on brainstorming! Here’s a list of things you can do to help you create an idea:

- A moodboard! A collection of images that helps you figure out what kind of vibe you want your story to have, which can help shape the direction of your story later.
- A list of words that you want to help define your story, or just words you find interesting and want to expand more on! (Here are some examples that could get you started: mirror, starlight, jungle, gemstone, flight)
- A character that maybe you’ve thought of for a previous project or think would be fun to write about
- One theme or element that you want to expand upon
- A moral conflict or choice that you want to explore

Once you have an idea, you can start outlining your story!

Outlining strategies

As with anything, there are many approaches to outlining, and you should find the way that works best for you! However, here are some strategies to get you started:

1. The plot pyramid
A popular method in any type of writing, the plot pyramid (or rollercoaster) can help you map out the start, middle, and end of the story! Something to keep in mind specifically for short stories, though, is to not include too much exposition or falling action, as touched on later.

2. The braindump
My personal favorite! Here, you write a rough summary (some options include bullet point and paragraph format) of what you want to include in your story! This can include specific lines of dialogue, general plot points, and can be as specific or in-depth as you wish. I find that this helps me find out what sorts of things I would enjoy in writing a short story, and develop them to their full potential.

3. The “leave it up to fate” method
In this method, you trust that the story will go where it needs to go. Maybe you write a brief sentence about where you begin and where you end, but that’s it! This method is totally valid (especially for a short story which can be re-read and edited many times) and is something you can utilize in your own writing.

4. The snowflake method
Like a snowflake, your idea is given room to evolve. You start with a single sentence, maybe about where you begin your story or just something you know you want to happen. From there, you add some details about what happens before and after. In this way, your story can spiral outward like a growing snowflake, until you have a good idea about what you want to do with your short story.

To Snip or to Save?

Short stories are just that, short! Therefore, you can’t go on for three pages about the setting, even if it might be interesting. Your goal is to hook the reader quickly, since you don’t have the same amount of time as a novel to create investment. Maybe that means a starting line that packs a little bit more of a punch, or throwing readers right into the middle of the action.

One of the greatest pieces of advice I’ve seen in terms of writing short stories is “start as close to the end as possible.” You want the reader to feel connected to the character, but you also don’t want to have to travel further than absolutely necessary to reach the climax and conclusion.

In that same vein, one of the most common things to cut in the short story is most of the falling action. Wrapping things up takes time, which you don’t always have when writing a short story. If you cut off the story as soon as you’ve resolved the climax, that can help make the whole thing feel tied together.

Theming

Short stories often, but not always, have a very specific theme that they are trying to convey to the reader. Whether this be more obvious, or more in the background, a theme can help bring purpose and a sense of completeness to a story. Since the reader spends less time with the characters, each action should work to develop a theme.

While it may not be for everybody, I do like to start out writing short stories with at least a vague idea of what I want the story’s main moral or message to be. No matter what that is, I always feel that a strong sense of theme brings life to a story.

Write Your Story

Overall, there is no “right” way to write a short story. There’s no specific genre or theme you have to have, and nothing that you “need” to include. The main advice is simple: write the story you want to read. If that’s a sci-fi mixed media piece, write it! If that’s a political fantasy, write it! Your unique voice is what brings a piece, any piece, to life.

You should write something that you feel passionate about, and something that brings you joy and that you want to share with other people. Only you can write your story!

Conclusion

I hope that, throughout this workshop, you’ve gained valuable insights and tools that can help you outline and draft your short story! No matter what you decide to write about or how you want to go about it, your story already has so much potential, you only have to bring it to life.

Happy writing <33

Bonus Section!
– Examples of strong short stories

I went on a hunt for some strong short stories written by SWCers that demonstrate different writing strategies. I’ve included links below, as well as some notes about what each story does particularly well!

These stories illustrate many of the techniques discussed above and are provided as inspiration. Pay attention to the craft choices these authors make– but make sure your own story reflects your voice, ideas, and creativity. The strongest short stories are the ones only you could write <3

model girlfriend by @CleverComment (Clev)
A satirical fiction written about Steven and his girlfriend that seems a little too perfect, Clev does an incredible job of demonstrating character through actions and focusing on one plot point. While reading, notice the way that everything has a purpose– whether that be towards developing plot, theme, or character. The ending also doesn’t drag out after the climax, it simply ties everything together neatly. Along with that, the story is an incredibly fun read, and a wonderful example of a short story <3

Heart of Stone by @ChueyTheCat (Chuey)
This piece does a wonderful job of showing how you can build character and world within a short story. With a mythological world and complex characters, Chuey crafts a story that you just can’t put down, or stop thinking about years into the future. The story also has an incredibly clear plot line and while it is not based in reality, it does not try to do too much or add too much worldbuilding into a small space. Instead, Chuey focuses on one central character and conflict, and conveys the morals of what it does mean to sell your soul.

Eeveedonut

SWC March '26 Weekly 3 - Sci-Fi

Intro (written by Zy)

Are you ready to explore a new, futuristic world of your own imagination? Welcome to the third weekly of the session – this week we'll be focusing in on the Science Fiction (Sci-Fi) genre, working through the futuristic and technological elements, the worldbuilding surrounding those elements, time travel, and finishing off this weekly with a completed Sci-Fi story.

This weekly begins on March 17th at 12:01 am UTC. – good luck and have fun with this Sci-Fi themed weekly!

Part 1: Sci-Fi Element (written by Waterfall)

As you probably know, the first part of “sci-fi” is a shortened version of “science.” So what scientific advancements set your world apart from the present day? Is it a new method of transportation, like jetpacks or air trains? Or is it a new form of entertainment, embedded in a brain chip or built into walls? For this part of the weekly, first read this workshop by Seagull on everything Sci-Fi. Then, come up with one new sci-fi element/technological advancement for your wold, and write at least 200 words describing it. What does it look like? What does it do? How does it work? Who gets access to it? The possibilities are endless. <3

Example by Skylar
The Deep Space Network is a signal relay system similar to how the internet and other wifi signals work today on Earth, but in space. The system allows messages to be transmitted across vast distances in near real time, allowing communication over hundreds of light-years. It consists of various units which act as transmitters, reccivers, and relay stations. The network will first reccive regular radio wave signals from whatever planet/moon etc it's stationed over, and a relay station will then turn the radio wave photons into superluminal tachyons, which tne transmit the message to the next relay station. At receiving stations, the tachyons are turned into radio waves once more, and it is then sent the short distance to the recipient. The system can also directly receive tachyon signals and forward them the same way they would any other signal in the system which is particularly useful for those in areas with patchy connection to the network or for deep space exploration ships.

Part 2: Sci-Fi Worldbuilding (written by Sophia)

Now that you’ve come up with a science fiction element or technological advancement, for this next part you’ll be developing a world built around that element! How are people’s lives affected by this aspect? For example, if you picked self-flying cars, how would they be made use of as speedy transportation? If virtual reality became the center of people’s lives, how do you imagine such a world would operate? Describe the futuristic world you’ve created in 300 words.

Example by Ris
In Persius, the society is built underwater. There are glass tunnels that connect the world, full of air so people can breathe. These tunnels are the most marvelous invention in Percia history. They've made it possible for people to live underwater and prosper. Thanks to these tunnels, they've been able to hide away for centuries from the evil Luekans. Persius is based deep down in the Half-Bolad Trench, thousands of miles underwater. These tunnels, known as Bannas, also maintain the perfect pressure for living. They're climate controlled and the glass is nearly indestructible. Only fire can destroy it, but why would there be fire underwater?

Have fun!

Part 3: Cross-World Travel (written by Alia)

Welcome to part three! Classically, Sci-Fi is set at some point in the future, on another planet, or in a society that has technologically advanced beyond ours. For this part of the weekly, write 600 words of a character from your world either being teleported into our world, or a character from the our world travelling into your sci-fi world! Imagine how they'd interact and respond to all the unfamiliar technology, customs, and atmosphere. What kind of crazy situations could they fall into? Let your imagination go wild!

Example by Snowy
“”Octavia de Bretteville knew two things: she would avenge her father’s murder, and she would not marry Prince George II Larson-Glücksburg. But she did not expect her quest for them would bring her to…what was this place, even? She squinted at the tall spires in the distance, like the ones of a chapel but metal instead, and tried to make sense of the sleek silver capsules people lined up behind.

“Pardon me,” she said, curtsying, “but where would I find the palace?”

A snicker. “You mean that ancient one?” the stranger told her, nodding off to the strange chapel she’d looked at earlier. “Get in the pod, and you’ll be there faster than you can blink.”

One thing was certain. This place was nothing like the Denmark she knew.“”

Part 4: Sci-Fi Story (written by Snowy)

Now it’s time to put everything you’ve learned so far together! Take your Sci-Fi element and new world with you as you explore a time shaped by science. To finish off this weekly, write a story of at least 600 words combining the sci-fi elements you’ve created into one piece. Good luck!

Outro (written by Finley)

Congratulations on completing your journey and writing with Sci-Fi! Before submitting your weekly, please double-check that you have completed all the required parts:

Part 1 - Creating a Sci-Fi element and describing it in 200 words
Part 2 - Crafting a Sci-Fi world incorporating this element in 300 words
Part 3 - Write 600 words of a character from your world travelling into the ours or vice versa
Part 4 - Write a Sci-Fi story of 600 words

Your weekly should be a minimum of 1700 words for it to count. Submit it by March 23rd at 11:59 pm UTC in the Main Cabin in order to earn 3000 points for your cabin! If you have any questions/concerns, contact a coordinator on one of their profiles, or you need an extension, please go here before the deadline.

A huge thank you to Alia for putting together this weekly! Go give her a nice yeehaw on her profile to thank her for everything she's done! <333

Last edited by Eeveedonut (March 17, 2026 00:08:29)

smalltoe

SWC CABIN WARS #2
March 22, 2026 <3

Cabin Wars officially begin at 00:00 UTC on March 22nd. Do not send wars or start writing towards a war before then.

━━∙⋆ଳ⋆∙━━

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

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

-

VALID WARS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~

CHALLENGES:
Assuming you don’t have the ocean in your backyard, this extra challenge involves getting up and stretching your body! Maybe even do some crab walks And, of course, bonus points for drinking water! Every person who does this consistently after every 500 words while writing towards the war wins 50 points each for their cabin. This applies for up to three campers (resulting in 150 points earned maximum.)

Did you know that hydras exist in real life? While not quite the venomous monsters of Greek mythology, they’re a family of water-dwelling invertebrates with the surprising ability to regenerate—especially fitting for our underwater session theme For this challenge, attempt a fifty headed hydra (500 words in 5 minutes!) Every cabin member who attempts this monstrous challenge can claim 25 points for their cabin. Your attempt does not need to be successful in order to win these points! This applies for up to six campers (resulting in 150 points earned maximum.)

Character swap—marine edition! To complete this challenge, at least two cabin members must share a short biography of one of their original characters in their cabin comments, but with a twist: the character must be a sea creature. Will you create a cunning octopus, or a go-with-the flow sea turtle? The opportunities are endless! Campers must then claim a character that is not their own, and write 300 words from the perspective of that character. This applies for up to six campers (resulting in 150 points earned maximum.)

The ocean itself is beautiful—capturing the splendor of its sweeping waves and frothy white caps is a challenge in itself. Therefore, for this challenge, write 200 words of setting description! Every cabin member who does this can claim 25 points for their cabin. This applies for up to six campers (resulting in 150 points earned maximum).

Use three animals (marine or otherwise) as characters in your writing! Every cabin member who does this can claim 25 points for their cabin! This applies for up to six campers (resulting in 150 points earned maximum.)

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

-

Good luck icons!

smalltoe

hey everyone!! i hope you’re excited to explore the ocean this cabin wars ;D

Your mission: collaborate with your team to create your own underwater world!
Each team will have 9 tiles to arrange in a 4 x 4 game board. A tile can be gained once three wars have been won, and can be placed once three team members agree on which position on the game board the tile should be placed upon. Tiles will be placed in each team's game board project.
Tiles can include any combination of three different biomes: kelp forest, coral reef, and ocean floor. Some tiles only include one biome, other tiles may have half of one biome and half of another.
You should aim to place biomes next to one another, in order to create biome groups. However, there are also bonuses that can gain extra points for your team, which may influence your decisions—more on those later!
The game ends when one team has placed all of their tiles. This will mean that the other team won’t have a full game board, and therefore may end up with less points—so it’s a bit of a race!! However, the team with the most points at the end wins, rather than the team which finishes first—so it’s a mix of strategy and speed.
At the end of the game, points will be calculated based on 1) how many tiles are included in each biome group, and 2) how many bonuses your team has completed.

TEAMS:

Team Seagrass:
Game board: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1293992554/
Lyric
Fantasy
Adventure
Poetry
Paranormal

Team Tide:
Game board: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1293993118/

Dystopian
Cyberpunk
Magical realism
Fairy tales
Illu-fi (tctwnw)

BONUSES:

EXTRA CHALLENGES: Three wars need to be won to gain a tile. If all three of these wars include an extra challenge completed by a team member, that tile is worth double points when being calculated towards the biome group/s at the end.

ANIMALS: Can you spot some ocean animals hiding within certain tiles? These animals would love to make some friends—if you place all three tiles including an animal next to each other, your team gains 5 extra points.

KELP FORESTS: Kelp forests can get pretty huge! If your team places all of your kelp tiles next to each other, your team gains 5 extra points.

BURIED TREASURE: Each team will have one tile including a treasure chest. If this tile is surrounded on all sides by other tiles (ie. not used as an edge piece), it’s worth 5 extra points.

BIOME GROUP POINTS:

Biome groups are where specific biomes are placed next to each other. The sections of each biome must be directly touching—for example, a half-and-half tile with kelp and coral only counts as part of a kelp biome group if the kelp side is touching another kelp tile (you cannot place the coral side next to a kelp tile and count the tile as part of the kelp biome group “because there is kelp on the other side of the tile”).
Points for each biome group are calculated by the number of tiles that make up the group. Tiles which include more than one biome group (eg. half-and-half tiles) are one point each, while full biome tiles (which include only one biome) are worth two points each. If there are more than two tiles in the biome group, each tile after the first two will be worth two additional points.
For example, a biome group with one full kelp tile and two half-and-half kelp tiles would be worth 6 points (+2 for the full tile, +1 for the first half-and-half tile, and +3 for the second half-and-half tile (+1 for the tile, and +2 as additional points as the biome group is now larger than two tiles)).
We will calculate the points for you at the end of the game—just concentrate on making your biome groups as big as you can!!

feel free to ask any questions!! good luck everyoneeee <33

Last edited by smalltoe (March 21, 2026 22:41:38)

smalltoe

Great job everyone!! I hope you all enjoyed the game :'D

We have the final scores ready for you… drumroll please… the winner is SEAGRASS!!!
With a whopping total of 46 points overall, congrats to the Seagrass team for a well-deserved win :seastarstruck: And well done to the runner-up Team Tide, who finished with 25 points <333
Additionally, let's get a round of applause for Seagrass for gaining the most bonuses (animal bonus, treasure bonus, and 4 tiles with double points) and another huge round of applause for Tide for creating the largest biome group (comprised of 5 ocean floor tiles)!!

Let's also all say a huge thank you to the marvelous Rockie, who created the game and designed the tiles <33

Detailed scoring is below!

SEAGRASS
Biome groups
3 ocean floor tiles (+4 for two full tiles, +2 for one doubled half-and-half tile, +2 additional)
4 coral tiles (+6 for two full tiles (one of which is doubled), +4 for two doubled half-and-half tiles, +4 additional)
3 kelp tiles (+4 for two full tiles, +2 for one doubled half-and-half tile, +2 additional)
1 half-and-half sand tile on C4 (+2 for doubled half-and-half tile)
1 half-and-half kelp tile on C4 (+2 for doubled half-and-half tile)
1 half-and-half sand tile on D4 (+2 for doubled half-and-half tile)
Bonuses
+ 5 animals
+ 5 buried treasure

TIDE
Biome groups
5 ocean floor tiles (+4 for two full tiles, +4 for three half-and-half tiles (one of which is doubled), +6 additional)
3 kelp tiles (+2 for one full tile, +3 for two half-and-half tiles (one of which is doubled), +2 additional)
1 full coral tile on A1 (+2 for full tile)
1 half-and-half coral tile on A4 (+1 for half-and-half tile)
1 half-and-half coral tile on D3 (+1 for half-and-half tile)
No treasure, animal, or kelp bonuses unfortunately

Once again, well done everyone—and good luck for the rest of cabin wars ;D

-NightGlow-

Dailies - July 2026

July 01: Hello everyone and welcome to the first daily of this session…it’s time to get out the envelopes and stamps! Along with a little self-introduction in the Main Cabin comments, for today’s daily, you’ll be writing a letter to your future self. Reflect back on your past and share what you hope to achieve, and make sure to write at least 300 words for 400 points, with an additional 100 points for proof!

July 02: Mishearing lyrics is a common — and usually, an extremely funny — mistake. Today, imagine one of your most egregious misheard lyrics as a title, and write 500 words using it as a prompt. Doing this will earn your cabin 600 points, and you can earn an additional 200 points if you share proof.

July 03: You’ve spent some time getting to know the people from your own cabin, but how about the people from others? Today, you’ll get to know someone from another cabin through an interview. Ask (and answer!) away, learn more about someone you don’t know as well, and make a new friend! Make sure you write 450 words of your interview for 500 points with an extra 150 points for sharing proof.

July 04: Get out your keyboards and get ready to smash your fingers because it’s ready for an SWClassic, Word Wars! — An activity where you compete against other campers through writing sprints! Go here for more information: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1335613267/ and have fun, you chaotic legends!

July 05: After our hero’s journey ends, our stories come to an end as well. But you know what they say…After every story’s ending, comes only a new beginning. What would happen if you were given just a few more pages? Or more minutes for a movie or show? For today, you’ll be continuing the passage of time within your favorite media—how have characters changed after their story? Write 300 words of your favorite characters several years after their finale for 400 points, and 100 more for sharing proof!

July 06: Lights… Camera… Action! Today, you’ll be writing a 450 word screenplay! Screenplays are the documents that contain everything an actor needs to know when they’re performing. Very different from narrative writing, screenplays contain everything from dialogue, to visual aspects and actions that might need to be taken. You need to write in this specific format to gain 500 points for your cabin, with an additional 150 points if you share. Happy screenwriting… Cut!

July 07: C-R-I-T-I-Q-U-I-T-A- Oh, I see that you’re preparing for the spelling bee too! Have you gotten around to violaceus or sesquipedalian yet? Well, in the mean time, you can head over to the newly opened Critiquitaire here: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1338440900/ to exchange some critiques with fellow writers (and make sure your spelling is nice and polished!)

July 08: It’s time to combine your art skills and your writing skills and put both to use in one daily. For this daily, we’re going to be writing blackout poetry! Blackout poetry is where you cross out the words that you do not want in your poem. Today, you’re going to write 3 poems with 150 amount of words each, in order to earn 500 points for your cabin and an extra 150 points for providing proof.

July 09: Open your mailbox and grab a stamp—it's time for this session's PenpalSWC! Head over to this project https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1350868974/, fill out the sign-up form, and find yourself a pen pal. Throughout the session, you'll be able to exchange letters about anything you'd like, from writing projects and book recommendations to funny stories and everyday adventures. Happy letter-writing!

July 10: Have you ever listened to or read about fairytales or folklore? In most cases, many of these stories have wholesome endings, such as Cinderella ultimately finding happiness after escaping her evil stepmother. But what if we change that? Today, you'll be retelling a fairytale with a plot twist of your own - perhaps instead of finding a lover, Cinderella finds happiness in taking revenge on her stepmother! Write 500 words for 450 points, and earn an additional 250 points for sharing proof.

July 11: The words fly thick and fast between the ten fortresses, which upon closer inspection seem to be… the SWC cabins? You look at the SWC bulletin board and find a piece of paper with the legend: “Happy Cabin Wars! Break alliances, steal mangoes, and of course write up a storm today. Defend your fortress at all costs… but don't forget to sleep <3”

July 12: Welcome back from Cabin Wars! I sure hope you secured some sleep, because that's what today's daily depends on! You can write whatever you wish, but however much you sleep depends on how many words you write! 1200 minus (hours slept x 100) words, the least amount of words you can write being 100. For example, if I slept 7 hours, I would need to write 500 words. You can get 300 points for this daily, with an additional 100 points for proof. Have fun!

July 13: Do you have a project that you’ve put on the back burner for a bit too long? Or perhaps a shiny new idea in your notebook begging you to write it? Today, you can spend a day working on those projects (or another one) by writing whatever you want! Let the words flow and write at least 550 words for 600 points. Sharing proof earns you an additional 150 points!

July 14: Dear SWCers, You may be wondering why you've received your daily today in the form of a letter… That's because today's daily revolves around writing using other forms than prose! This can include shopping lists, text messages, letters, or anything else you can think of. Today, put together a mixed medium story of at least 300 words in order to earn 400 points for your cabin. share proof of your writing to earn an extra 100 points!

July 15: It’s time for a SWClassic—the literature spinner! Your job is to write a story inspired by the four elements of literature provided by the spinner. To earn 700 points for your cabin, your story must be at least 600 words long. And additional 150 points can be earned by sharing your story with others! Now what are you waiting for? Get spinning! https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1047415761.

July 16: You slide into the Main Cabin a few minutes after midnight, hoping to avoid the storm of zealous campers. There’s loud chatter and laughter, but something seems to be… a little odd. “Why, of course! Misty replies eagerly.” “Sunny nods. Who would ever not?” Ah, it must be roleplay day. Doesn’t count for any points, but who could pass up the opportunity to talk in the third person?

July 17: If you’ve ever taken a glance at the date shown on the calendar emoji, you may already know what today is: world emoji day! These cute little icons have become a staple of modern-day communication, and today we’re going to be using them for writing inspiration! For this daily, choose three different emojis (or hop over to Emoji Kitchen and make some custom ones), then write 400 words based off of them for 300 points, with 100 bonus points for sharing. Get cooking! :fire: :cartwheels: :sparkles:

July 18: The smell of ink, a crackling fireplace, and the comfort of a favorite book - that's right, today we're curling up on the couch with a new story written by a swcer - it's time for and SWClassic…bestselling bookstore day! For today's daily, please write 200 words describing a book you'd like to write. Then, browse through the main cabin comments and leave 3 positive reviews on stories that you'd like to read! This daily will earn you a total of 100 points, with an extra 200 for sharing proof. Happy reading, everybody!

July 19: The language of flowers dates back to Victorian England, where each blossom secretly carried with it a message for its recipient. For this daily, choose 3 flowers to incorporate into a 500 word piece full of hidden meanings and floral symbolism! You can explore the concealed messages behind each flower, from apple blossoms to zinnias, with Alba's amazing guide ( https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/741579314/ ). Completing this earns you 400 points, with an additional 100 points for sharing proof.

July 20: Look into the night sky! All the celestial bodies shining down upon us, yet one is always in our trail. For this daily, you will step into the shoes of Earth’s closest neighbor to celebrate National Moon Day. You must write a letter from the perspective of the moon. Is it lonely up there? Is it tired of watching humanity? You decide. To earn 300 points for your cabin, your letter must be at least 450 words long, and you can earn an extra 100 points for sharing proof. Happy writing!

July 21: Strike! Strike! Strike! I fear the Polar Bear Coordinating team is a bit… well, mad. You see, after the reign of the ferocious dictator, Alia, ended, she took our money and lasagna, meaning we are now left as penniless, lasagna-less Polar Bears. So we've decided to strike! There will be no more dailies or weeklies or anything until we get what we want! Maybe a letter would convince us otherwise… Write 550 words convincing us why we should end our strike and earn 600 points, plus 200 for sharing proof.

July 22: One mango, two mango, three mango… happy international mango day!! Today, you guessed it, is all about mangoes! You need to write a story that includes mangoes in some way, whether they’re the centrepiece, the main character, or a symbol. Write 300 words in celebration, and you’ll earn 250 points for your cabin, with another 100 for sharing. Happy mango day swc!

July 23: Looking to the night sky, you can trace the outline of the stars to form navigational tools, wild animals, and even ancient heroes from mythology. For this daily, write a celestial story exploring a constellation, whether you detail its role in history or incorporate the stories that arose millennia ago. To claim 300 points for your cabin, with an extra 100 points for sharing, write 400 words featuring the sparkling constellations of the cosmos.

July 24: Today, we're going to explore ekphrastic writing! Ekphrastic poetry (or prose) is writing that is based on a work of art, such as a sculpture, painting, photo, or any other static visual medium! Try thinking about the story that the artwork is trying to tell, and transform your interpretation into poetry or prose! To complete this daily, write 350 words inspired by an artwork of your choice, for 200 points! You may earn an extra 150 points for providing proof of your writing.

July 25: STOP! Look to your left - the first thing you see is your new star ingredient! Your task today is to create a 400 word advertisement to convince other SWCers why your smoothie is the best on the market. Give it catchy name, indulge into its incredible taste, and of course, get creative (who knows… maybe drinking it will give you magic powers ✨). Now's your shot to create the smoothie of the century! Completing this daily will earn you 500 points with an additional 100 points for sharing proof. Happy blending!

July 26: Welcome to Cabin Wars 2: Electric Boogaloo! Find those motivation mangos stored away after the first war and brandish your pens! In a vicious battle of words, fight to protect all those hard-earned points from the past month. And, to kill two birds with one stone, how about we get writing we need to get done while working towards these wars…You can find the cabin wars info post here. And of course, we’ll have to up the fun for our second cabin wars…check it out here <3

July 27: They say that two heads are better than one, so let’s try out writing in double voice! In this style of poetry and script-writing, two characters speak at the same time. Try contrasting their points of view by having them speak out of sync, then show their similarities by having them speak in union! For this daily, write 300 words of a double-voice poem or script meant to be read out loud by two speakers. You'll earn 200 points for your cabin, with an additional 100 points for proof!

July 28: “Once upon a time, three words were best friends, and refused to include any other…
Today, you get the chance to create an infinite number of trios- except each comment much include only three words. Watch your story spin into something serious, utterly nonsensical, or something in the middle! While this daily won't earn you any points, it's not pointless- it brings extra fun and chaos in place of points ;D”

July 29: Insert Tardis noises…Ready to take a peek into the past? Today we’ll be stepping into the SWC time machine and unearthing a past daily or piece of writing you wrote during the session. Once you’ve got it, take a moment to read it over, then rewrite it in 400 words using the skills you’ve learned over the month. When you’re done, claim 500 points with an additional 200 points for sharing — and feel proud of how far you’ve come this summer!

July 30: Ever wondered if you should try to make up with your enemy cabins? Well, today is the perfect day for that, because this daily is all about redemption arcs! A redemption arc takes place when a character who's established themselves as “the bad guy” redeems themselves, and makes amends for their past mistakes. For this daily, write 400 words of a villain in their redemption arc to earn 400 points for your cabin, plus 150 points for showing proof!

July 31: At last, the moment has arrived to break the wax seal, untie the ribbon, and unfold the letter your past self tucked away at the beginning of the month. Open your envelope and discover the hopes, goals, and predictions that traveled through time to meet you here. Then, while you're wandering down memory lane, we encourage you to write a thank-you note to someone who sprinkled extra magic into this session. After all, what better way to end a month than with gratitude and a letter or two?

Last edited by -NightGlow- (Aug. 2, 2026 20:43:38)

Eeveedonut

SWC July 2026 Weekly #1 - Fantasy

Introduction (written by Encryn)
Greetings, wonderful writers, and welcome aboard the first weekly of this session! We hope you're ready for the fantastical journey we're about to set off on — that's right, this weekly is all about none other than one of SWC's most popular cabin genres… fantasy! Grab a scroll and pen, quill, perhaps a wand if it strikes your fancy ;D, and hold on tight! We promise you're in for the ride of a lifetime~

The wonderful Alana has made this project to help you organize when to complete the weekly. This way, you aren’t rushing to complete it at the end of the week! It contains a break down of what to do each day so you don’t overwork yourself or find yourself without enough time <3

This weekly begins on July 3 at 12:01 am UTC.

Part 1: Wings of Knowledge (written by Ember)
Welcome to the first part of this weekly, where you'll be researching fantasy elements! Start by looking at elements of fantasy in books (or conduct a quick search online). You aren't expected to research all of these examples, just pick the ones that interest you and make the most sense. Explore how to utilize these elements in your own stories, and take 100 words worth of notes.

Example by Yume
common fantasy elements
flora and fauna:
- mythical creatures (eg. dragons, mermaids, sirens, unicorns etc)
- magical plants (eg. healing sundrop from Tangled)
magic systems:
- powers (elemental, light/dark magic etc)
- magical objects/relics (this could be in the form of actual full objects or smaller parts that have to be combined or “awakened” in a way? eg. crystals, fairy dust etc)

ideas:
- a world that has magic embedded in it, but no people are born with it- they have to channel it through objects that possess magical power which are crafted from magical plants and crystals possessing distinct magical properties
- various element crystals (air, fire, water, earth) can be found rarely in their related biomes. new crystals only unearth after millions of years, so everything available now is the result of the land existing for a very long time
- the crystals are guarded by their respective “guardians”, special winged unicorns who embody the elements!

Part 2: Story and Stone (written by Vicky)
Good job on the first part of the weekly! Now that you're accustomed with the genre of fantasy, let's put all that handy research to use! In this section we'll be planning our fantasy worlds. First, look back at this weekly and learn how to worldbuild. Now, get started on creating your own fantasy world, writing at least 300 words of planning. Happy worldbuilding!

Example by Kiara
In this fantastical post-apocalyptic world, all the major cities have fallen into ruins. Now people live in scattered communities across the deserts of Akyaina, and the glories of the once-powerful cities is nothing more than a myth. However, that doesn't mean the riches that these ruins contain cannot be exploited. Groups of scavengers, called Kestrels, traverse these ruins to find the gold and precious artifacts that these ruins contain. In a world of danger and dust, only the strongest survive.

Part 3: The Land of Stories (written by Seagull)
So, you’ve finished researching and worldbuilding, and with that, you should have a whole new world, well.. built! But what next? Well, there’s no point having a world with nothing happening in it: it’s time to bring it alive, by writing a fantasy story of at least 500 words that takes place within your new and unique land. You can go wild writing whatever you want – perhaps it features the beginning of a great adventure for a noble quest, or maybe it’s just a simple day-in-the-life of a mythical monster – but be sure to incorporate what you have just learnt about fantasy, and find ways to drop in all of the juiciest new inventions and elements from your work that you want to showcase!

Example by Fini
The pirate captain brandished the stolen parchment as if it were a declaration of war, oblivious to the fact that it was simply the work of a tired turtle who wanted more from his life than just simply existing.

Gurtle watched from the dock, his tail twitching with irritation. He had spent three entire days dipping his claw in squid ink, pouring his aching soul into that prose. It was a masterpiece—or at least, a tribute to naps.

“Jackpot!” the pirate roared in glee. “The secret maps of the Eastern Seas!”

Gurtle let out a long, heavy sigh that bubbled in the surf. He was going to get his work back, even if it meant fighting against a pirate crew.

Part 4: Once Upon a SWapC (written by Kat)
Almost done, writers! To complete your weekly, head on over to this studio. Post your fantasy world there, or reply to someone else's. When you've found your partner, merge your worlds. Combine some of your partner's world with yours to create something new and magical! Write 500 words of this combo to finish your weekly. The possibilities are endless– have fun!

Example by Waterfall
The trees rattled as a new wind blew in from the East. The faint outline of a mast could be seen through mist that shimmered above the horizon. Olive's brows furrowed together. How did anyone find this place? She knew there wasn't enough time to run back and alert the others before this ship was at their shore. Glancing at the quickly lowering sun, Olive runs towards the beach. Hopefully the others would hear the conflict and come help before the island could be pillaged. Olive drew her long silver blade and prepared to fend off the invaders. But… who was that standing at the bow? It certainly didn't look like a pirate. Instead, she was met by a turtle, one that had a magnificent green shell with gold accents. The turtle stood, with one flipper raised.
“Name's Gurtle, can I dock here?” Olive, taken aback by the unexpected visitor, was unsure of whether or not to let the turtle stay, but it was a bit late to turn the poor thing back now.
"I guess so, but stay back!

Conclusion (written by Skylar)
Congratulations on creating your very own fantastical world filled with magic, dragons, and strange happenings! Oh, it doesn't include all of that stuff? Oh, okay. Regardless, you've reached the end of this weekly, so give yourself a huge pat on the back (or whatever the equivalent is in your fantasy world) and check that you've done the following things before you can obtain your prized 2500 points for the weekly:
- Completed some research into fantasy worlds and made at least 100 words of notes
- Spent at least 300 words building up your fantasy world
- Wrote at least 500 words of a fantasy story
- Swapped your fantasy world with a partner and tied their world into your own in a story of at least 500 words

Your weekly should be a minimum of 1400 words for it to count. Submit it by July 9 at 11:59 pm UTC in the Main Cabin in order to earn 2500 points for your cabin! If you have any questions/concerns, contact a coordinator on one of their profiles, or you need an extension, please go here before the deadline.

Last edited by Eeveedonut (July 3, 2026 15:52:30)

AmazaEevee

SWC July 2026 Weekly #2 - Self-Care

Introduction (written by Yume)
Hi SWC-ers, welcome to our second weekly this session! SWC can be very competitive and sometimes tiring, so we hope you've been taking good care of yourself during the session - drinking enough water, getting lots of great, amazing sleep… wait, what did you just say? …You HAVEN'T?? >:OOO HOW DARE YOU!! Well, I guess it's not too late to make a change… I'm sure we've all heard of the phrase “Life > SWC”, and this weekly is catered to just that! Put down your writing projects for a moment and join us for a week of self-care activities instead, you deserve a break <3

Alana has updated the weekly timeline project to help you organize when to complete the weekly. This way, you aren’t rushing to complete it at the end of the week! It contains a break down of what to do each day so you don’t overwork yourself or find yourself without enough time <3

This weekly begins on July 10 at 12:01 am UTC.

Part 1: Self-Care Sunday (written by Elly)
To kick off this weekly, we're going to start by having a Self-Care Sunday! Despite the name, you can complete this section anytime during the week - simply by taking care of yourself! You can choose to do whatever you want - have a stretch, listen to music, solve a crossword… as long as what you're doing is good for your health, it counts. Make sure to spend at least 30 minutes on your chosen activity, and enjoy the break <3

Part 2: Wellness Walk (written by Waterfall)
Great job with self care! It is now time for you to touch some grass. Go outside and do something for 30 minutes! This can be anything you want. If you're not sure what to do, here are some ideas to get you started:
- Go for a walk/run
- Observe any animals you can find
- Practice a sport
- Make sidewalk chalk drawings
- Ride a bike
And so many more! There are infinite ideas for what you can do outside. Happy travels!

Part 3: Cooking and Coloring and Crafting, Oh My! (written by Alia)
Congratulations on making it to part 3 of the weekly! For this section, you'll be either cooking, crafting, or coloring something for 30 minutes. As an extra challenge, try to go the whole time without looking at any screens! If you feel so inclined, feel free to attach a photo of whatever you made at the end (this is of course not required at all). We can't wait to see what you create ;D

Part 4: Journaling Jubilee (written by Seagull)
Dear diary, guess what?! It’s the best day ever, today, I’m doing… journaling!

As you can probably tell, for this part of the weekly we are diving into the wonderful world of journals. This is something that can come in so, so many different forms, and it’s incredibly unique to you as an individual how you want to go about it. There’s no rules!
However, if you’re stuck for what to do, take a look at some of these possible ideas:
1. Good ol’ traditional diary style journalling - write an account of what happened in your day. Record a snippet into your daily events or experiences: what you did, who you met, how you felt, what you thought about!
2. Gratitude/positivity journaling - list daily things you are thankful for, or that have made you smile that day, to keep yourself grateful for what you have and foster a more positive outlook on how life may be for you at the moment <3
3. Junk journaling - get creative and use any scraps or ephemera to capture an experience or a feeling onto the page of your journal. To incorporate writing, you could write about the meaning and significance of what you’ve created.
4. Stream-of-consciousness journaling - write your thoughts freely onto the page without concern for structure, grammar, or even making sense. Let the writing just be a release of thoughts and emotions.
5. Dream journaling - simply record your dreams as best you can. Who knows, maybe you’ll find something out through your subconscious. This has actually been shown to improve your memory of your dreams and your ability to lucid dream by a huge amount if you make it a regular habit!

You should write 500 words for this part, in whatever way you choose!

Part 5: 2026 (written by Fini)
Congratulations! You have successfully survived half of 2026. Take a moment to reflect on the last six months. Write 500 words about your highs, lows, favourite memories, accomplishments and anything else you think is worth remembering. Consider how you've changed since January and what you'd like to carry with you into the second half of the year. Enjoy writing!

Conclusion (written by Kiara)
Hope you're feeling refreshed, because you've reached the end of this weekly!! You've taken care of yourself like a pro, and you should be proud of all that work you've put in ;D Before you turn this weekly in, double check to make sure you've completed all of the following:

- Done an activity to take care of yourself for 30 minutes
- Enjoyed the fresh air outside for 30 minutes
- Cooked, colored, or crafted for 30 minutes
- Written 500 words of journaling
- Written an 500 word reflection of your 2026 so far

Proof is not required for this weekly but please keep in mind SWC runs on an honor system so we expect you complete each part of the weekly fully. Your weekly should be a minimum of 1000 words for it to count. Submit it by July 16 at 11:59 pm UTC in the Main Cabin in order to earn 2000 points for your cabin! If you have any questions/concerns, contact a coordinator on one of their profiles, or you need an extension, please go here before the deadline. Congrats, self-care warriors ;D

smalltoe

SWC CABIN WARS #1

July 11, 2026 <3

── ・❥・ ──

Cabin Wars officially begin at 00:00 UTC on July 11th. Do not send wars or start writing towards a war before then.

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

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

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VALID WARS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~

CHALLENGES:

This war comes with a strange potion and an odd little cake attached—labelled, respectively, “DRINK ME” and “EAT ME”. For this extra challenge, you’ll need to drink a glass of water and/or eat a snack. Make sure to get up and stretch while doing so—and even do a rabbit hop, if you’re daring ;D Every person who does this consistently after every 500 words while writing towards the war wins 50 points each for their cabin. This applies for up to three campers (resulting in 150 points earned maximum.)

“OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!!” For this challenge, attempt to slay all fifty heads of a certain hydra, by trying to write 500 words in 5 minutes. Every cabin member who attempts a fifty headed hydra can claim 25 points for their cabin. Your attempt does not need to be successful in order to win these points! This applies for up to six campers (resulting in 150 points earned maximum.)

Alice meets all sorts of strange creatures at the Mad Hatter’s tea party—let your characters join the tea party themselves, with a character swap! To complete this challenge, at least two cabin members must share a short biography of one of their original characters in their cabin comments, the weirder and wackier the better. Campers must then claim a character that is not their own, and write 300 words of this character interacting with their own character/s. For a bonus challenge, create a full tea party by including several of your cabinmate’s characters all interacting together. This challenge applies for up to six campers (resulting in 150 points earned maximum.)

Do you wish to write about white roses, or perhaps red ones? For this challenge, head over to the Queen of Heart’s prompt garden, which you can find in this studio: https://scratch.mit.edu/studios/51738571/comments . First, post a writing prompt in the comments. Then, pick someone else’s prompt and write at least 300 words inspired by it, to gain 25 points. This applies for up to six campers (resulting in 150 points earned maximum.)

You suddenly appear to be falling down a rabbit hole, into another world… Every cabin member who writes at least 200 words set in Wonderland can claim 25 points for their cabin! This applies for up to six campers (resulting in 150 points earned maximum.)

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

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Good luck icons!

Eeveedonut

Pacing and Order of Events Workshop
By: Chuey

Introduction
Greetings and salutations! And there you have it: all you need to know about…
Wait a sec, we're not there yet! This workshop is all about pacing and order of events and how they impact your story. As you can see, when things get out of order, they won't make too much sense — and don't we all hate it when a story is badly paced? I mean, who'd want to read something two thousand pages long describing your protagonist's cat? Or an epic fantasy novel that's been compressed into fifty words? So let's get started learning how to master these techniques, legends!

The Basics of Pacing
What is pacing, anyway? It's not actually the speed at which your story progresses in real time, but the speed at which you tell it. Take a look at the examples below:

#1: I ate lunch — yet another ham and cheese sandwich.

#2: I wandered into the kitchen, opening the fridge to poke around and see if there was anything interesting in there. I dug out the container I'd spotted in the back, grimacing when I opened it. I'd been wondering where the yogurt had gotten to. After tossing the carton (which looked like a fourth grade science experiment), I pulled out the ingredients for yet another ham and cheese sandwich and assembled them, sighing as I took the first bite…

The first example is direct and quick. We know the main character ate lunch, and we know what they ate. The second example rounds the situation out more and gives it a voice…but you probably don't want to slow down and describe each and every meal your characters ever eat. However, if you exclusively wrote at a faster speed, it would be difficult to sustain suspense and the sense of urgency it creates without tiring your reader.

Fast pacing moves the story along, and is good for action, tension, and building a sense of urgency. Slow pacing gives the reader more time to breathe and can be better for reflection, worldbuilding, and character development — although it can also be used to create suspense by dragging things out just a little. To wrap this section up, let’s look at some common characteristics of both pacing styles:

Fast
- Shorter, punchier sentences and paragraphs
- More plot points
- More white space
- Relies more on action and conflict
- “Tells” more than “shows”

Slow
- Longer, more complex sentences and paragraphs
- Fewer plot points
- More introspective and atmospheric
- Relies more on internal processes and setting
- “Shows” more than “tells”

How to Use Pacing Effectively
Have you ever read a book that dragged on and on, or watched a movie that went by so fast you weren't entirely sure what was happening? Chances are, you already know how important pacing is to presenting a good story. So how can you use it well to ensure your story is told at exactly the right speed?

Turns out, different types of stories call for different pacing styles. (I know — shocking, right?) For example, a sweeping fantasy epic will usually be slower paced, to allow for plenty of worldbuilding and character development, while a thriller or action novel relies on quick, snappy pacing to keep the reader engaged. The length of your story also matters: short stories simply don't have as much space for lots of slow pacing, while a thousand-page book can't sustain nonstop action.

Ideally, you should endeavor to balance the two. Faster pacing should generally be used for high-stakes or important moments in your story (such as the climax, turning points, action scenes, or confrontations), while slower pacing can be used in between, in the less dramatic areas. You can also accelerate gradually — starting slow and building up to the fast-paced crescendo.

To determine whether your story is well-paced, take a moment to look it over (or, even better, ask a friend or family member to read it and give you feedback). Does it feel too rushed in some areas? Are there other places where it seems to drag? Try adjusting the speed at which those scenes play out to see if that makes a difference.

Events of Order
Now that you've learned the basics of pacing, let's move on to another important factor in storytelling: the order of events, which determines the chronology of your story. To begin with, let’s look at the various ways you can structure your story.

Linear: This is the classic method, and one of the most common ways to tell a story; events play out from beginning to end, in the exact order in which they occurred in the timeline. It’s straightforward (literally) and easy to follow.

Fragmented: In this method, the narrative jumps back and forth in time, usually in the form of flashbacks. This technique is frequently used in amnesia stories (such as Project Hail Mary), or for stories in which the past contains details essential to the plot.

In media res: A Latin phrase that translates to “in the middle of things,” this order of events drops you into – you guessed it — the middle of the story. Used in famous works like The Odyssey, this method often later fills readers in on important details that would have been set up in a traditional beginning, using devices like flashbacks and dialogue.

Reverse chronology: If you ever wanted to write a story backwards, this order of events is for you. Instead of starting at the beginning, this method opens the narrative at what would usually be considered the end. It then works its way back through time, exploring why the story happened instead what happened.

Parallel narratives: Finally, this method involves more than one story arc happening at once, usually at different times and/or with different protagonists. Despite different characters, settings, or events, they often share similar themes or elements, and connect to each other in some way at the climax — even if the characters never actually meet.

Now that you’re familiar with some various orders of events, let’s take a look at an essential technique for nonlinear narratives!

How to Write a Flashback
“‘Greetings and salutations!’ I typed, then paused, trying to think of how I could spice this introduction up a little…”
…is what I was thinking when I began writing this workshop. It’s also, conveniently, an example of a flashback!

Flashbacks are a device used to pull readers out of the current timeline of a story and show them events that occurred in the past. They’re often used to reveal important things about a character’s history, such as whether they were wearing their green duck or purple hippo socks on Wednesday. Before you go off and start exploring the chronology of your story willy-nilly, though, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.

First of all, your flashbacks should be anchored in the present — enter and exit them from the mainstream timeline. You’ll also want to keep them nice and concise, and avoid using flashbacks for excessive worldbuilding or exposition. They should be used sparingly, and be focused on a single scene or instance in time.

Second, consider your transition. How are you going to signal that this is a flashback, and how long ago? Do you plan to state it outright (“5 years ago, Abby and Leonard were eaten by rabid purple camels…”), or slide into it more gradually (“The violently violet shade of paint before me reminded me of Abby’s favorite color. It was too bad that had ended so badly for her — staring at this paint, I could still envision where I’d seen the tragedy happen…”)? Tenses are another thing to keep in mind. If you’re writing in the present tense, you may choose to write your flashbacks in past tense, or vice versa. It’s also perfectly acceptable to keep it in the same tense.

Finally, make sure your flashbacks have an actual purpose in your narrative! If they aren’t serving the story or revealing important details, you may want to consider cutting them. Peeking into the past can be a lot of fun, but too many flashbacks will bog your story down and slow your pacing unnecessarily. Use them carefully and in moderation for the best effect.

What are you waiting for? Go build your narrative time travel machine!

Conclusion
And there you have it: all you need to know to get started with pacing and order of events, for real this time. I hope this workshop was helpful for your writing journey, and I can’t wait to see what you create with your newfound knowledge, whether it's a slow-paced story told backwards, a thrilling flashback, or anything else you can imagine. So without further ado — let's get writing, legends!

- Chuey <3

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