Zooming In and Out
By: Fini

Introduction

Greetings legends! Pull up a chair, grab your favourite snack and light a candle! Notice the lines on your palm, the tiny specks of dust caught between them. Now look up and imagine the scale of the universe. That's a major zoom-out, am I right?

In writing, we do this all the time. We move between microscopic details—the smudge of dirt on a character's shoe, the ticking of a clock—and larger ideas: grief, love, war, and the passage of time. In this workshop, we'll explore the technique of zooming in and zooming out, looking at the strengths and limitations of each lens. So, open your Google Doc, and let's get started!

Zooming In

Zooming in refers to when you focus on the tiny and highly specific details. It slows down time and forces the reader to pay attention to something small. This is a very deliberate writing choice that can be found in many popular pieces of literature, such as The Hunger Games. When Katniss is in the arena, Suzanne Collins doesn't just tell us about the theme of the Capitol's cruelty but zooms in on the single loaf of bread Katniss receives from District 11 after Rue's death.

Some great ways to do this are:

1. Sensory Anchors: Focus on a specific taste, sound, or smell (like the wet drip-drip-drip of a leaky pipe instead of just saying a room is creepy)
2. Micro-expressions: Zoom in on a character's micro-expressions or specific habits to show their internal state. A character cracking their knuckles or biting their nails tells us more about their anxiety than just saying “they were nervous.”
3. Symbolic Objects: Focus on an object that carries emotional weight. A broken watch, a faded photograph, or a dandelion growing in harsh environments can represent much bigger concepts (like lost time, nostalgia, or resilience).

However, be careful! Staying zoomed in for too long can make your story feel too slow and drag. If you describe every speck of dust in a room, the reader might lose interest as well as track of the actual plot.

Zooming Out

Zooming out is when you pull back to reveal the bigger picture, the setting, the passage of time, or the underlying theme of the story. For example, in series like The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien frequently zooms out. After chapters of focusing closely on Frodo and Sam's grueling, step-by-step journey through Mordor, the story will pull back to describe the shifts in the tides of war across Middle-earth. This reminds the reader of how the characters' small actions fit into the grand scheme of events.

Zooming out allows you to pan back and show the overall theme. Here are some great ways to do so:

1. Thematic Resonance: Connecting a character's internal feelings to a global or universal truth.
2. The Passage of Time: Showing how a landscape or society changes over years, rather than minutes.
3. Contrast: Show how small a character's problems are compared to the vast world around them—or, conversely, how their internal grief makes the entire world outside feel empty.

However, just like zooming in, you need to keep this controlled too. If you stay zoomed out for too long, your writing will turn into a summary, and readers will feel detached from the characters' emotions.

Choosing Your Direction

Now that we know what lenses are, how do we shift between them? There are two main directions you can move in:

1. Macro to Micro: This is when you start with the big picture—the setting, the atmosphere, or a huge crowd—and gradually narrow the reader's focus to a specific detail.

Why use it? It grounds the reader in the environment first so they don't feel lost, and then points them directly to what is emotionally important. Think of starting a scene by describing a blizzard, then narrowing down to a dark cabin, and finally focusing on the single flame of a candle.

2. Micro to Macro: This is the opposite. You start with something microscopic—an object, a single word, a physical touch—and expand outward to reveal how that small thing reflects the massive, overarching themes of the story.

Why use it? It makes big, abstract concepts like “grief” or “war” feel more personal. By anchoring a huge idea through a small moment or object, you can connect the reader to a character's inner emotions before you show them the vastness of the world.

Connecting Small Details to Bigger Themes

Naturally, when we write, we use a mix of the micro and the macro. Let's look at an example of how to transition smoothly between the two:

The thread on his jacket hem was unravelling, a tiny spiral of blue cotton looping around his finger. He pulled it and suddenly, the sleeve puckered. (Zoomed In) It was just like his family, really: one loose thread, and the whole foundation of his life was coming apart at the seams. Outside his window, the city carried on, oblivious to his inner turmoil, thousands of people rushing to work under a cold, indifferent sky. (Zoomed Out)

Notice how we started with a single piece of string and connected it to a realization about family, and then into a description of an indifferent city?

To write a good transition, keep these tips in mind:

1. Don't teleport: Instead of teleporting from one idea to another, use a logical bridge to connect them. In the example above, the bridge was the metaphor of the thread connecting to his family.
2. Watch your pacing: As you may have noticed, zooming in slows things down but zooming out speeds things up. To keep your reader engaged, try to balance the two.

Summary

- Zooming in focuses on sensory details and symbolic objects, making the scene feel vivid and close
- Zooming out pulls back to look at the setting, the passage of time, and the overarching themes of the story
- Transitions should rely on a logical bridge, such as an object, emotion, or metaphor, rather than jumping abruptly between the two lenses
- Balance both techniques carefully: too much zooming in can slow the story down, while too much zooming out can make readers feel detached.

Conclusion

And that’s it for this workshop! I hope you enjoyed this and learned something new about the techniques of zooming in and zooming out! Best of luck in your writing endeavours <3

Sources

- https://darlingaxe.com/blogs/news/zoom-out?srsltid=AfmBOopTeEiPbZ7kLPpRfBSsYo63XxmKpDJOwB-nd_UK3wImvMow5F1-
- https://boundsgreenbookwriters.com/2022/05/02/writing-advice-blog-zooming-in-zooming-out/
- https://ali-hall.medium.com/how-to-apply-the-zoom-in-and-zoom-out-technique-d3aa9af9f8e9
- https://www.enchantingmarketing.com/explanatory-writing

Perspectives – an SWC workshop
By: Wari

Every person is unique, and so is their point of view. Even with the same plot, setting, characters, and dialogue, a story can change dramatically depending on the perspective you choose to tell it from. For this workshop, we’ll focus on single-character and multi-character narrative perspectives.

1. Narrative Perspectives

Although you might be able to tell a story without dialogue, without a setting, or maybe even without characters, you cannot tell a story without a point of view. Someone has to tell the story to the reader, translating sights, sounds, smells, sensations, emotions, and memories into words on a page. For this first section, we’re going to explore three broad perspective categories: first person, second person, and third person perspectives.

1.1 First Person

“At nineteen hundred hours ship’s time I climbed down the metal ladder past the bays on either side into the capsule. Inside, there was just enough room to raise my elbows. After I attached the end of the cables into the port jutting from the side of the capsule, my space suit filled with air and from that point on I couldn’t make the slightest movement. I stood, or rather hung suspended, in a bed of air, all of one piece with my metal shell.”

— Chapter 1, Solaris by Stanislaw Lem

In first person writing, one character tells readers the story from their own perspective, primarily using the pronouns “I” and “me.” This draws readers into a close relationship with the narrator, which is great for narrative immersion and emotional impact. First-person stories often feel like a conversation, which gives readers a front-row seat to the narrator's emotions, experiences, and thoughts.

However, this is also what can make writing in first-person challenging. To make it believable that the main character is telling their own story, you must adapt your writing style to fit the narrator's unique voice and experiences. For example, if you wanted to write a story from the first-person perspective of a young child, consider the following options for describing their first day of school.

I stepped off the bus, stumbling slightly on the curb. The frigid air was a shock to my lungs, and I exhaled sharply, my breath swirling before my eyes. Before me, worn bricks stretched forever into the sky, pointed turrets seeming to scrape the clouds. I hesitated, gazing wide-eyed at my unfamiliar surroundings.

With words like “frigid,” “exhaled,” and “turrets,” and with the long, multi-clause sentences, this passage doesn't sound like it's spoken by a seven-year-old. Instead, a better choice might be something like:

I stepped off the bus, almost tripping on the curb. My nose stung from the cold air, and I could see my frozen breath rising upwards. Ahead, there was the largest building I had ever seen. Its crumbling bricks climbed up and up and up until they became pointed peaks that looked like they could touch the clouds. Everything was strange and cold and new, and I looked around, trying to take it all in.

In this second passage, the prose is much more simple and concrete, which better suits its seven-year-old narrator.

In general, when you write in first-person, you may need to sacrifice your own writing style and details to make sure that the story makes sense with the main character's voice. This can also make it more difficult to explore other characters and perspectives, since the main character must experience and recognise everything that happens.

Therefore, you feel comfortable immersing yourself into your protagonist's story as told by their own voice, then give first-person a try! However, if you'd rather write in your own style and create space for details that the protagonist might not notice or understand, then consider whether your story might be better told through third-person or multiple perspectives, which I'll discuss below.


1.2 Second Person

“It was very cold. A fine shimmer of frost now coated your cheeks, your hair, your eyelashes. In that smothering dark, your breath emerged as wisps of wet grey smoke.”

— Prologue, Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Of the three main perspectives, second person is definitely the rarest. It occupies a strange place between first and third-person, where the story is being told to the main character using the primary pronoun ‘you.’ Unlike in first-person narration, the narrator is not part of the story—instead, the reader is directly addressed as the character.

Second person is very commonly used in interactive stories, such as choose-your-own-adventure stories or story-focused games where the reader takes on the role of the main character, and can affect the story through their actions. This narrative perspective also is common in Y/N (your name) fanfiction, where the main character is a self-insert of the reader.

When writing in second person, keep in mind that this narrative style tends to be much more intimate than first-person, since using the pronoun “you” often implies that the readers are taking an active role in the story. If you want your story to be interactive, then second-person is a great choice, but be careful with how you characterise the reader-insert character. Think carefully before having the main character say or do things that could break readers out of immersion and make them think, “I’d never do that!” To avoid alienating your readers, genericness is key—your reader’s enjoyment will mainly stem from the interactivity of the story, so flesh out the world and the secondary characters, and focus on making the reader-insert character fun for your intended audience.

Outside of reader-insert fiction, second person is uncommon, and is often confusing when it is used. Therefore, you'll usually want to stick to first- or third-person. These perspectives allow the reader to distance themselves from the main character, and give you the opportunity to create complex characters that readers can empathize with, but that they don’t have to take on the role of.

Of course, with everything, there are exceptions, and it’s certainly possible to create a great second-person non-interactive narrative. One of my favourite examples is the novel Harrow the Ninth, the second entry in The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir, which is told in alternating second- and third-person. Harrow leans heavily on complex psychological themes, and Muir's use of second-person is spectacular for creating confusion and tension in the readers that mirrors the protagonist's experience throughout the story.

Therefore, if you feel like using second-person would enhance the characters and themes in your writing, feel free!


1.3 Third Person

“Nova shook her head, mildly disappointed in humanity. She stood at the back of the crowd, unable to see much of the actual parade, which was fine by her. Arms crossed defensively over her chest. Fingers drumming an impatient rhythm against her elbow. Already it felt like she’d been standing there for an eternity.”

— Chapter 2, Renegades by Marissa Meyer

Unlike first-person, and a bit like second-person, third-person narratives are narrated by an outside observer of the story. The main character is usually described with their name and pronouns. Third-person narration allows greater flexibility in storytelling, since the narrator is not restricted to a single character’s voice or knowledge. This makes it easier to describe events happening in different places, explore multiple characters, and provide broader context.

Third-person can generally be divided into a spectrum based on how much information the narrator provides. A third-person omniscient viewpoint will provide the most details about a scene and characters' inner thoughts, while the third-person objective viewpoint acts like a movie camera that only shows characters' outward emotions and actions. In the middle is third-person limited viewpoint, where the narrator only has access to one characters' inner thoughts. Let's explore each category in a bit more detail.

— 1.3.1 Third-Person Omniscient

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the word “omniscient” means “having or seeming to have unlimited knowledge.” Likewise, readers of a third-person omniscient narrative are given access to everything—they can enter the minds of every character, and see everything that is happening in a scene. This bird's-eye view of the story lends itself well to philosophical works and social commentary. However, third-person omniscient stories also tend to distant readers from any one character. This can make it easier to write stories about complex, flawed characters and show how their actions affect their world.

On the other hand, this perspective can also be overwhelming due to the sheer volume of information that readers are given. It can be difficult to keep track of each character when they're all sharing their own thoughts and experiences. In addition, because readers are kept distant from any one character, it's harder to build character- or emotion-focused narratives.

— 1.3.2 Third-Person Limited

The third-person limited perspective is a lot like first-person, but told by an external narrator. Readers are given access to only one “anchoring” character, whose thoughts are followed throughout the story. Alongside the first-person perspective, this is one of the most common perspectives in modern fiction. However, third-person limited offers you a little more flexibility in your writing voice. Think of it like the readers are hovering behind the protagonist. They can hear the main character's thoughts, but they're not stuck behind one character's eyes. Instead, you, as the external narrator, can point out things that the protagonist themself might not notice.

In these ways, the third-person limited perspective is great for exploring a single character's development and emotions. Although you give up the mobility of an omniscient perspective, the protagonist's arc becomes more focused and easier to understand. However, unlike first-person writing, you're not restricted to writing only with the protagonists voice and conscious experiences, making this perspective a great choice for most stories.

— 1.3.3 Third-Person Objective

The third-person objective perspective is the ultimate means of distancing the narrative from the characters' inner thoughts. Although the story may still follow a central character or cast of characters, readers don't get to know what any characters are thinking or feeling, other than through their actions, speech, and body language. To write in this perspective, describe the story as if it was taking place in a movie (one without any sort of internal monologue voiceover).

Because it most closely mimics watching a scene play out in real life, the third-person objective perspective is great for scripts that can later be used for plays, films, and TV shows. In prose, it can also be used to add mystery and suspense to a story, since readers can never be sure of what each character is thinking. However, using this perspective can be tricky to master in prose. If readers have to constantly guess at what characters are thinking, it can be difficult to understand and relate to them. Therefore, try to compensate by hinting at your characters' mindsets through their body language and actions.

2. Using Multiple Perspectives in Writing

So far, we've explored first-, second-, and third-person narrative perspectives, and how to use them with one character's point of view. However, sometimes one perspective is not enough to fully tell a story. Let's now take a look at how you can incorporate the perspectives of more than one character in your writing. Whether you briefly include a side character's experience or you split the story between two or more protagonists, here are some things to consider.

2.1 Clarity

When you switch to another character's point of view, it's important to make the transition obvious to readers. Create clear breaks in the story, and, if possible, list each character's name either in the first sentence or as a heading for the new section. If you're using the third-person omniscient perspective, this may not be necessary, since readers are privy to all characters' thoughts at once. However, if the omniscient “camera” abruptly switches to a new location or starts following a new character, make sure that readers can tell that a new scene has started.

In general, using one of the third-person perspectives is best if you want to include multiple points of view. Since the story is told by an external narrator, it's easier to switch perspectives without changing the writing style. In addition, since characters are described by name, there's less ambiguity when describing their actions and thoughts.

It's a little more difficult to write multiple perspectives in first-person, since all characters will be referring to themselves as “I.” However, you can get away with it as long as perspective changes stay clear. Put a header with the character's name before their section begins, and consider varying your writing style between perspectives according to each character's individual personality.

There's certainly nothing stopping you from writing a multi-perspective second-person story, but keep in mind that it may become very confusing for readers. Therefore, unless you're absolutely sure you know what you're doing, I'd advise sticking to one character for second-person stories, or choose a different perspective like first- or third-person if you incorporate any additional points of view.

2.2 Complementarity

Including more than one character's perspective can be a great way to make your stories more complex. However, like everything else in your writing, try to be purposeful with the points of view that you select. With every point of view you add, each individual character has less time to develop. If two characters basically go through the same arc, or if one has a more interesting story than the other, you risk boring your readers without adding anything new to the story.

Therefore, choose main characters that complement each other's stories to each tell a uniquely valuable component of the overall narrative. In single-character stories, it can be difficult for one protagonist to do everything—additional main characters can help share the load. Each perspective should work together to tell a story that would be incomplete from either side alone.

3. Conclusion

When choosing a perspective, you choose whose story to tell. Pick a perspective that fits your goals for the story, such as what themes you want to explore, and how complex you want to make your narrative. Consider how closely you want readers to get to know your characters, and think about whether your writing style fits with the type of narration you chose. If you want to add depth to your story, explore more than one character's point of view by switching perspectives! Just make sure not to confuse your readers, and try to choose perspectives that elevate your narrative.

And if it all seems like a lot, feel free to ignore all this advice and just try out whichever perspectives you want! You might not know which or how many perspectives will fit for your story at first, and you can always change them later. Experimentation and practice is how we grow as writers, so don't be afraid to try out new ideas! Best of luck, and happy writing!

Introduction (written by Ris)
Welcome, one and all, to the third weekly of this session! Hopefully you’ve been having a grand time learning about Fantasy and Self-Care, because now we’re going to be focusing on Structural Techniques! Get ready to learn about pacing and order of events and point of view and perspectives… but with a fun Taylor Swift theme ;D Happy writing!

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 17 at 12:01 am UTC.


Part 1: Pacing the Rocks Staring Out at the Midnight Sea (written by Encryn)
To begin your very structural adventure, head on over to this workshop written by the one and only Chuey and read all about the ways pacing can affect a story, as well as tips on pacing in your own writing. Flashbacks, order of events, you name it! Once you've returned, write an outline for a story in at least 200 words incorporating the techniques you've learnt. Best of luck, warriors!

Example by Waterfall
Buildup
Kaitlyn is working at the museum
Kaitlyn discovers the crown jewels are missing
Kaitlyn reports the issue
Staff are informed the thief is still in the building
People and areas are narrowed down
Certain suspects are interviewed and cleared

Climax
Kaitlyn makes a breakthrough about the thief
Race against time to catch the thief
She finds the target but they've already left

Resolution
Confrontation alone with the thief
Kaitlyn takes down said thief
Authorities show up
Jewels are returned

Part 2: I Can See It Now (written by Skylar)
Much like a camera, stories can zoom in to focus on the small details your readers may or may not notice in a scene. But stories can also zoom out to focus on the overall themes and messages behind the writing. To learn more about what this is and how to implement this into your own writing, head on over to this wonderful workshop by Fini. Once you've read that and have a better idea of how this structural technique works, write at least 200 words zooming in and at least 200 words zooming out.

Example by Seagull
She felt her gaze pulled towards the doorframe. Along with the fear, a nasty, rancid sort of excitement bubbled in her chest. The adrenaline was thrilling. She watched as the edge of the wood grew slowly blacker and blacker. The heat was fierce: she could almost smell the skin of her arms searing even as she stood metres away. It was as if a dark cancer was creeping into the house, all while the sound of her heartbeat grew ever louder in her ears.
Outside, through the window, smoke billowed over the buildings like an insidious blanket, coating everything with its poisonous disguise. Within it lay suffocation, and out lay oblivion. Terrifying, and yet disgustingly beautiful. A whole city engulfed by the flames; she thought of it like a scene from an ancient tragedy. Even now, she couldn't help but romanticise every misfortune that befell her, to the most sickening degree.

Part 3: They Expected Me to Find Somewhere, Some Perspective (written by Yume)
Take some time to read through this workshop on perspectives written by the iconic Wari. Afterwards, pick 2 characters from your story and write 100 words for each character in a different perspective. For example, if your characters are Ris and Alana, you'll write 100 words in first person from Ris’ perspective, and another 100 words in second person from Alana’s perspective for a total of 200 words. Happy writing <3

Example by Elly
Character 1: Sara

The harsh white lights of the homeroom laugh at me as I hover awkwardly in the corner. Things have been different lately, and not in a good way. I've gotten used to walking around alone now, trying and failing to seem busy and purposeful. Pretending I'm not bothered by the fact that I haven't properly talked to my closest friend, Grace, ever since the term started. Sometimes I want to hate Grace for having new friends, but at the end of the day, I know it's my fault that things have turned out like this. Which sucks.

It wasn't a big deal that Grace was a no-show on Saturday. She'd usually send me a text if she knew she wouldn't be able to come study, but that's fine, people forget. And it wasn't like she'd known that the reason I'd been so eager to meet up with her was to talk about how terrible it is, drifting apart like this, with no true reason except for time.

It's not like we're mad at each other or anything. When we do talk, it's as gold as always, but when she turns as I'm mid-sentence or looks right past me in the corridor, that's when I get this messy feeling. Like we strayed off the map and I got left behind.

Character 2: Grace

My breath creates clouds in the chill air as I sprint the rest of the way to school. My sleep schedule's been terrible lately, and I barely managed to get up this morning - if I can't handle sitting up in my bed, I'm genuinely not sure I'll be able to get through double chemistry. Not unless Sara's seated next to me; she's basically the only reason why I didn't fail last year. And… shoot, I just realised that I forgot to go study with her on the weekend. For the second time in a row.

My footsteps slow as I reach the front gate, and, for a moment, I'm tempted to turn around and head back home. I don't really have an excuse for not turning up, and I don't want to talk to her and make things more awkward. I don't know how, or why, but the school year has definitely not gone to plan so far. I know that I'm allowed to make friends with whoever I want to, but lately I've been feeling extra guilty about leaving Sara to have lunch alone. I haven't had enough time to properly think about it - what with Mum's surgery and all - but I don't get why she doesn't just join us when we eat… it's not like Jiya and Becky and Ollie and Liv have ever done anything mean to her.

Though… I guess they've never done anything nice to her either.

Part 4: Something Different Bloomed, Writing in my Room (written by Kiara)
By now, you've learned all about different techniques to bring personality and interest to your writing! From pacing to details to perspectives, there is so much to learn and appreciate about writing structure! But now is the fun part: putting it all together. Now, write 800 words of a story using all the skills you've gained in this weekly! Happy writing <3

Example by Alia
“Annette, Annette, Annette – ” Walter bursts into her bedroom. He can’t breathe – it’s like something’s stuck in his chest, hot and cold and he can’t breathe –

“Walter!” Annette vaults off her bed and – oh, she’s in front of him. She’s holding tight to his shoulders. “Walter, what happened – ”

“I lost Button,” he gasps out. “I can’t find her anywhere, and I’ve looked all over – ” Button was the one thing he brought with him when he left his parents’ house. The only memory he has of his parents’ house, the only memory of his time back then that doesn’t make him want to throw something out a window.

Button was the last thing he had of his childhood.

Really, it’s not about the bunny. It was never about the bunny at all.

Annette knows Button. Worse, she knows what Button is to Walter.

The first time Annette met Walter, he was clutching that stuffed raggedy bunny, one button-eye hanging loose, stuffing leaking from its right ear. She walked up to him, plopped down next to him and asked him what his bunny’s name was.

And from then on, she and Walter were inseparable. And because Button and Walter were inseparable, she and Button were too – she could tell you when her eye grew ever so slightly looser, or exactly what day of the year she got a tear across her toe – and Walter clung to Button like she was the only thing keeping him going.

Annette pulls Walter tightly into her arms, and lets him fall apart.

Conclusion (written by Vicky)
Congratulations! You have reached the end of the third weekly of SWC July 2026 (how time flies!) and now know how to use structural techniques effectively in your writing. To claim your hard-earned points for this weekly, you should have done the following:
- outlined a structured story with in a minimum of 200 words
- wrote 400 words practicing zooming in and zooming out
- wrote 200 words for each of your two characters (with two different perspectives)
- wrote 800 words incorporating everything you've learnt

Your weekly should be a minimum of 1600 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.

SWC CABIN WARS #2

July 26, 2026 <3

── ・❥・ ──

Cabin Wars officially begin at 00:00 UTC on July 26th. 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!

I, the Queen of Hearts, have taken over this kingdom of SWC until further notice.
The Main Cabin has been invaded by my card soldiers. Every cabin is under siege. And the five hosts of SWC have been taken hostage.
Why, you may ask? Well.
A terrible crime has occurred in Wonderland.
Yesterday, I had four tarts in my possession. Custom-made from the finest ingredients, ready to be eaten by ME and ME ALONE, they were the most valuable things in Wonderland.
But. This morning I awoke to find…
My tarts have gone MISSING. Vanished. Disappeared.
They have been stolen by vile, abominable thieves. And I am certain that the hideous SWC hosts are the criminals who have pilfered the treats that should rightfully be mine.
If at the end of the day my tarts have not been returned to me, and the culprit has not been brought to justice—it will be OFF WITH THEIR HEADS. I will become the permanent ruler of SWC, and as punishment, you will all be prohibited from eating mangoes EVER AGAIN.
Good luck. ♥︎ ｡˚


To save SWC from the Queen of Hearts , you must all work together to 1) find all four of the Queen’s missing tarts, and 2) find out who stole them.
The tarts have been hidden somewhere in the Queen of Heart’s labyrinth. The game board of the labyrinth is laid out as a 6x7 grid, and can be found here: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1364221255/ . For each war that is won, one square in the grid can be revealed. Once a cabin completes a war, any camper from that cabin can choose to uncover a square by commenting on the project with the name of their cabin, the type of war that’s been completed, and the coordinates of the square they’d like to reveal. It is first-come-first-serve, and it’s not necessary to gain agreement from others before choosing a square—but collaboration, discussion, and planning a strategy is encouraged.
Each square on the grid contains either a hedge, a crumb, a tart, or a red herring. There are four tarts placed somewhere within the grid, and these are what you’re attempting to locate. There are also several crumb tiles—each tart is bordered by a crumb square on two directly neighboring sides and one diagonal. So if you find a crumb, this means a tart is nearby! However, there are two red herrings within the grid also—these will appear as random objects with a Cheshire Cat smirk in the corner of the square. These red herrings will ALSO be bordered by crumbs in the same way the tarts are—you may think you’re close to a tart, only to find a red herring instead. The rest of the squares in the grid will be hedges, which mean nothing.
When a tart is found, you will be given a riddle. This will be a clue to help you identify the tart thief. Bear in mind that the tart thief can be ANY SWCer—the hosts may have been falsely accused. Once you have found all four tarts, you will have also collected all four riddles—and based on these, you should be able to decipher the identity of the culprit.
Once you have finished the game—by finding all four tarts in the game AND figuring out who stole them—return the tarts to the Queen of Hearts on her profile (@OFFWITHTHEIRHEADS) and bring her the name of the thief. Then she will relinquish her hold on the Main Cabin, the hosts will be rescued from execution, and SWC will be saved!!!
Have fun <33