Discuss Scratch

LovegoodLady
Scratcher
500+ posts

lune's old writing thread (retiring soon)

welcome to my random writing thread of stuff! please don't post in this forum, as it's for my personal stuff <3

Last edited by LovegoodLady (Aug. 6, 2026 23:48:01)

LovegoodLady
Scratcher
500+ posts

lune's old writing thread (retiring soon)

testing testing this beautiful new signature
https://u.cubeupload.com/moosywoosy/signatures2.gif
LovegoodLady
Scratcher
500+ posts

lune's old writing thread (retiring soon)

The flowers will be waiting for me when I step out of the door. I know they will be. They have been, every day since it happened. But somehow, I still hope they won’t be there.
I glance out the window at the porch. Nothing. It’s always nothing, until I go outside. But I still hope that maybe today it’ll still be nothing, even when I’m no longer in the comfort of my home.
I push open the door. Without looking at the ground, I start to walk towards the road. But I know what I’ll hear even before my foot hits the pavement.
Crunch.
I sigh. ‘Nothing’ is no longer. 
Zinnias this time. They used to be my favorite.
I pick them up, trying to recall what they mean. After one whiff of the disgusting sickly sweet smell, I remember.
Thoughts of absent friends. Ha! Absent indeed.
I shake my head bitterly and kick the flowers aside, frustrated when they appear right back where I found them, even though I knew they would.
I know if I kick them again, the same thing will happen. But I can’t resist. I thrust my foot forward.
This time, they appear in my hands. The bright orange petals seem to amplify the voices in my head, saying,
“She’s not coming back. You’ll never see her again. It’s all your fault.
“ARGH!” I shout, throwing them as far as I can away from me. Before they can come back, I start walking again.
I haven’t gotten far, just barely out of my yard, when I hear it beneath my foot again.
Crunch.
I look down. Not only are the zinnias there, still taunting me, but now there are also amaranths.
Immortality. To some, this might be sweet, but I know what it really means.
This is forever
You cannot escape.
Before I can stop them, my hands reach down and grasp their stems.
Once again my nose is plagued by their stench, but now it’s heightened, for there are more.
I throw them to the ground in disgust and keep walking.
“She’s not coming back.”
The voices again.
“You’ll never feel her embrace again.”
I shake my head and try to block out the thoughts. But the more I try, the louder they get.
“She never loved you anyways. She just pretended to.”
 “She only went because you begged her to. And then you couldn’t save her.”
And then, as if to add insult to injury, suddenly I smell something sickly sweet, and when I look down, I am holding a bouquet of the flowers, with the new addition of periwinkle.
Memory. I know exactly what this means, too. And it’s not any better than the last two.
The memories will never fade.
You will always remember what you did to her.
And she’ll always remember too. 
You know who’s fault it is that she’s gone.
You will always know.
No matter what you do.

Last edited by LovegoodLady (Jan. 5, 2026 17:07:06)

LovegoodLady
Scratcher
500+ posts

lune's old writing thread (retiring soon)

app for critiques:

About me

Hi hi hi!!!! I’m Lune, commonly pronounced ‘loon’, ‘loon-ay’, ‘loon-eh’, ‘loon-ey’ or however you feel like pronouncing it!!
I go by the pronouns of she/her, and I’m an artsy theater kid bookworm in the Ecstatically Stubborn Turtle (EST) timezone who spends most of their time…. you guessed it… READING! It’s quite probably the one thing I do most in life besides sleeping, breathing, eating, and other things that one can’t really live without doing! My favorite books are The Hunger Games, specifically Ballad and Sunrise, Anne of Green Gables, 4 Years Trapped in my Mind Palace, The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, Wings of Fire, specifically Dragonslayer, Harry Potter, The Inheritance Games, specifically The Grandest Game, and Keeper of the Lost Cities, specifically Flashback.
If I had to choose a favorite book of all time, such a hard question, it would probably be Dragonslayer, although it very well may be upstaged by The Hybrid Prince soon enough. I mean, what WoF Fan isn’t so excited to learn who Beryl is????
Enough about books.
(Who are we kidding? There’s never enough….)
Anyways, I’m also a huge Swiftie, Potterhead, theater nerd, and art enthusiast. This will be my fourth session of SWC, and I’m definitely hyped!
My favorite genres to read are fantasy, mystery, mythology, and real-fi. I’ve been getting more into real-fi lately… it used to be too silly for me, but I’ve found that there is indeed serious (but not too serious) real-fi to be found, and I quite enjoy it!
My favorite genres to write are…. pretty much the same. Mostly fantasy. I write a LOT of fantasy. But Bi-fi is definitely a close second, especially when it comes to SWC!
I also love bugs! Some of my favorites are roly-polies, moths, and cicadas. Moths are one of my favorite animals on the planet. I mean, have you seen their faces? So. Cute. And the little antennae…. And don’t even get me started on the beauty of their gorgeous wings.
I’ve recently been getting more into Chess. As it turns out, I love it. The feel of the pieces… the satisfaction of capturing an enemy piece… the chaotic-ness of occasionally pretending the pieces are actual soldiers in battle and making them talk… all of it.
As for movies, I’m not actually a huge movie person unless it’s based off a good book, a musical, or just really good. Some favorites have to be Hamilton, Newsies, the live action Beauty and the Beast, Weird: An Al Yankovic Story, Spaceballs, and Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Yes, I know, many of you will be appalled to know that K-Pop Demon Hunters isn’t on the list, but I’m afraid I’m not as big of a fan as most people are.
Canva is another one of my many hobbies. I don’t really know why, but I absolutely love Canva. So much better than Google Drive…. the graphics, the gradient backgrounds, the aesthetic, and all of the things you can do with it. Just wonderful.
My favorite sport is tetherball. Sadly, I’ve only played it a couple times, considering there isn’t exactly a tetherball team nearby. I’m not sure there’s even a public tetherball pole I can practice with. So that’s that. Hopefully my tetherball dreams will be secured in the near future!
So, that’s me. Lune. A book-reading, theater-obsessed, music-listening, bug-loving, chess-playing, Canva-designing, and tetherball-hopeful writer and SWCer with a love for chaos.

Experience

This will be my fourth session of SWC, as I noted in my ‘about me’ section, and always as a camper. Not as long as some people’s, sadly, but when it comes to writing, well, I’ve been writing for… more than a few years.
Anyways, below are the cabins I’ve been in:
Fantasy March ‘25, camper
Bi-fi July ‘25, camper
Fairy Tales November ‘25, camper
Basically, all of 2025!
As for writing experience in general, I have been a writer for around 4 years, I think. I’m not sure my ideas were truly coherent enough to be turned into actual writing before then. Before SWC, the only things I wrote were school assignments or a novel (Sadly, I have never finished a novel. But I do have like 12 abandoned ones in my Google drive!). But when I joined SWC, I realized there was a lot more to writing than novels and school assignments. So now my Google drive is filled with dailies and weeklies!
With leadership positions, I haven’t had as much as I would like, but the ones I have had have actually been extremely helpful and I learned a lot from them! I was co-president of one or two student-run groups, and president of the Student Council, which was definitely one of the biggest leadership positions I’ve been in. I also helped start a book club, which has been going on for almost a year, even if there is no set ‘leader’ of that, and I’ve actually learned a lot from that, bringing me help with planning, compromising, and more. I definitely tend to veer towards the leader side in group projects as well, most of the time being the one keeping everyone else on track.
To be completely honest, I know I’m not the most experienced person applying for co-leader, in writing or leadership. My journey to a full-fledged writer and leader might not be done yet. But that is why I want to be a co-leader. I want this experience. I want to take another step in that journey.

Cabin Preferences

I’d be okay with co-leading pretty much any cabin this session! I’ve never co-led before, so any and all of them will be an adventure! As for TCTWNW, I am alright with co-leading it, although I will say the amount of campers that sometimes get sorted into that cabin could be overwhelming, and I do prefer the competitive side of SWC.
I have plenty of ideas for storylines, but seeing as I’m not ready for a leader role, it’s probably for the best if I don’t take up too much space here (insert a large and disappointed sigh here). However, for the sake of showing my type of cabin if not space, I’ll go ahead and list a few!
Illustrated Fiction (Illu-fi):
With a storyline based on the graphic novel series The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill, Illu-fi is a quite relaxed cabin centered around those lovable creatures known as tea dragons, small dragons that look more like horned cats or dogs that grow different types of tea leaves on their horns (the tea that comes from them, when drunk, fills one’s head with memories of happiness and peace!) and are often tiny rascals. Campers will take care of their tea dragons while waiting for the Tea Dragon Festival, a day of extremely special happiness and community, which falls on the last day of camp.
Script Theater:
A cabin set in a theater currently putting on Hamilton in a flurry of chaos, singing, dancing, and acting while making a few edits to the script for the sake of giving Romeo, the theater’s mischief-making cat who won’t stop begging for a part, a role. With a focus on writing and, of course, chaos, Script aims to satisfy both spirits and those ever-present writing itches!
On a more realistic note, I would love to do anything fantasy-mythology related, mystery-related, or, for more specific preferences, Script, Lyric, Journalism, Fantasy, Mythology, Gothic, Mystery (a lighter mystery sounds amazing, and it would be such a nice change, but I’m up for nearly any kind of mystery), Classics, Magical Realism, and Poetry, or anything related to those. However, I would *prefer* not to lead Action, Contemporary, Sci-fi, or Horror, although it would depend almost completely on the storyline, but considering I am not a huge fan of writing or reading these genres, it might not be the very best thing for me. However, I have seen versions of these that looked incredible, so I’m not ruling anything out!
Another thing for me would be a light storyline; nothing too dramatic and tense and dark. Slightly high stakes is fine, but it still needs to be wacky, creative, unique, and fun-based.
Lastly, I would like to be part of an ACTIVE cabin, preferably with a clearly interactive and unique storyline, with the hopefully many activities being unique as well, and motivation like banners and pfps that encourage campers to do their best.

Excerpt

The flowers will be waiting for me when I step out of the door. I know they will be. They have been, every day since it happened. But somehow, I still hope they won’t be there.
I glance out the window at the porch. Nothing. It’s always nothing, until I go outside. But I still hope that maybe today it’ll still be nothing, even when I’m no longer in the comfort of my home.
I push open the door. Without looking at the ground, I start to walk towards the road. But I know what I’ll hear even before my foot hits the pavement.
Crunch.
I sigh. ‘Nothing’ is no longer. 
Zinnias this time. They used to be my favorite.
I pick them up, trying to recall what they mean. After one whiff of the disgusting sickly sweet smell, I remember.
Thoughts of absent friends. Ha! Absent indeed.
I shake my head bitterly and kick the flowers aside, frustrated when they appear right back where I found them, even though I knew they would.
I know if I kick them again, the same thing will happen. But I can’t resist. I thrust my foot forward.
This time, they appear in my hands. The bright orange petals seem to amplify the voices in my head, saying,
“She’s not coming back. You’ll never see her again. It’s all your fault.”
“ARGH!” I shout, throwing them as far as I can away from me. Before they can come back, I start walking again.
I haven’t gotten far, just barely out of my yard, when I hear it beneath my foot again.
Crunch.
I look down. Not only are the zinnias there, still taunting me, but now there are also amaranths.
Immortality. To some, this might be sweet, but I know what it really means.
This is forever. 
You cannot escape.
Before I can stop them, my hands reach down and grasp their stems.
Once again my nose is plagued by their stench, but now it’s heightened, for there are more.
I throw them to the ground in disgust and keep walking.
“She’s not coming back.”
The voices again.
“You’ll never feel her embrace again.”
I shake my head and try to block out the thoughts. But the more I try, the louder they get.
“She never loved you anyways. She just pretended to.”
 “She only went because you begged her to. And then you couldn’t save her.”
And then, as if to add insult to injury, suddenly I smell something sickly sweet, and when I look down, I am holding a bouquet of the flowers, with the new addition of periwinkle.
Memory. I know exactly what this means, too. And it’s not any better than the last two.
The memories will never fade.
You will always remember what you did to her.
And she’ll always remember too. 
You know who’s fault it is that she’s gone.
You will always know.
No matter what you do.

Time Dedication

I expect to be able to dedicate at least one hour or more every day, except for Monday, when I have theater and don’t have much free time, to SWC, sometimes less due to school, theater, or an unexpected weekend trip (I’m almost always unavailable for SWC on trips). I also have a few extracurriculars , and I won’t have any time before I go to school, and I’m one of those rare SWCers who tries to get enough sleep every night, so 1-2 hours feels like a reasonable estimate, especially on weekdays.
As I said, Mondays will be my least active day, but I will try my best to at least check to see if there’s anything I need to do. On weekends you can expect a little more time, like say 2-3 hours!
If I were to be unavailable for a day or more, I’d let my team know in advance. During February, I might be on vacation for a week at most, that week falling around the fourteenth to the twenty-second. I can still work on plotting or brainstorming during this time, I just might not be online.
I believe that’s all as far as plans go- if anything whatsoever changes, I won’t delay in letting my team know!

Time Management

To be completely honest, I’m not the best at time management. It's often my greatest setback in getting things done; I get into the habit of leaning more towards my weaknesses and sometimes even forget there’s a choice between procrastinating or piling up my to-do list and getting things done or letting someone else do it, so I’ll often forget that I have the ability to get things done. But I’m working on it; in fact this app itself I would say is one of my greatest accomplishments in time management! So it goes to show I’m getting better at it. With SWC, it’s a lot better, because usually I’m more interested in doing whatever it is and don’t feel as pressured as I am with school.
Some weaknesses in time management for me would be, for one, procrastination. I know it’s a rather common problem, especially for SWCers, so an answer like this is probably pretty common in apps. But since it’s one of my biggest issues with this, I feel the need to make it especially clear. What often happens for me is I’ll see something I have to do, shrug it off, forget about it, and then the deadline creeps up on me without me noticing and suddenly I’m rushing to get it done. I have however, been getting better at this by making plans and trying to do as much as I can whenever I have free time instead of lazing around.
Another weakness would be putting too much on myself to do. I have a hard time saying no to people, so more than often you can find me saying ‘I’ll do it for homework’, setting myself up with a plan that’s way too complicated for the set amount of time, or volunteering to do something, trying to forget about the other stuff I already have going on, and then going home, waiting until after dinner to do everything, and then getting way overwhelmed. I’ve been trying to say no, to at least make sure it’s not too hard, but my brain keeps pushing to say ‘yes’ instead.
But I’m getting there. The last school project went way smoother then the past few, and I think it’s because although I got too ambitious and told myself I could do this huge fancy thing with six parts to it even though each part takes around 3 days and I have 6 days and 2 of those have to be spent practicing and getting supplies…. and then, no surprises to anyone but me, I only got one part done. But you know what? I took that one part and made it into something that could stand by itself. And when it came time to present it, I was still proud of it. And I only got overwhelmed once.
So I’m getting a thousand times better at this whole time management thing, and I’m still improving, day after day.
To combat these weaknesses, let’s move on to some strengths.
Even though I procrastinate to extreme amounts, I’m good at doing things quickly and, even in a time-crunch, ending up with something that somehow still hits all of the marks! After I’m able to calm myself down after getting overwhelmed, I’ll put all of my focus into my task and finish just in time.
Another thing would be determination. If I make up my mind to do something, or get something done, I will get it done, no matter what happens in the process.
Focusing would be another one of my natural abilities. When I start working, I’ll keep working. I’m good a not getting distracted in things like this- I can put all of my mind towards one thing and feel motivated in the process, especially when I have an achievable goal in mind.
I know I said procrastination was one of my biggest enemies; and it most definitely still is. But it’s definitely worth mentioning that occasionally, when I receive a task, I’ll shift into powerhouse mode and get it done as soon as possible. If I end up co-leading, I’ll definitely try to not take any risks with procrastination and do this instead!
I’m flexible- if there are bumps on the road or I’m not in a great spot to achieve my original goal, I’ll shift my plan towards whatever works in the scenario. If I end up on a surprise vacation on the weekend I was planning to do something for the storyline online, I can draft out an introduction or draw a draft for a thumbnail to get that out of the way instead. If I realize that the way I’m doing something isn’t going to work, I’ll change the rest of my project to fit the new way.
With all of these strengths to help boost my process, I truly do believe that I can get things done as a co-leader despite my weaknesses. I can get something that I’ve been procrastinating on done quickly, so I don’t have to worry my team about anything related to due dates. I can do anything that I need to do if I see the reason behind it. I can get myself motivated. I can do what I need to do to make something great out of whatever situation I’m in.

Collaboration + Assets

Collaboration is an interesting thing for me. I enjoy it a lot when I have ideas and a group that’s easy to work with- but I can get stressed quickly in a situation where my partners are hard to work with, or I can’t figure out what to do with the task at hand.
I’ll start with my strengths in collaboration.
I’m actually pretty open-minded, and I’ll go along with almost anything in a group project, even if I can get pretty bossy, something that will most definitely come up in the weaknesses section. I’m good at combining ideas to make compromises if people can’t agree- I’m a peacemaker, so you can count on my doing whatever I can to prevent an argument.
I love organization and will happily assign roles or create a schedule or timetable or anything like that!
I’m almost always full of ideas and, unless I feel stressed or unheard, will definitely share them if I think they could help. Similarly, I’m a problem-solver, so I’m often pretty quick to offer a solution to a problem if I’m given a little bit of time to think.
Although I’m sort of naturally bossy, I’m more than willing and capable of letting other people take the steering wheel.
Now, we move on to my weaknesses.
In group work, I have two problems I tend to get myself into: I step back and just go with what everyone else says because no one listens to me, or try to take control. Neither of these strategies always end up perfectly; if I feel like I’m not being heard, I’ll be too shy to say anything if I have a good idea, and if I get too bossy I might end up not listening to others. Sadly, for some reason I’m hardwired to try to have things under my control.
These two problems are both huge umbrellas for my other problems.
In the first scenario, I’m usually afraid to tell people if I can’t get something done, or am not okay with something, or need to take a break, for fear I’ll annoy them or derail the whole thing. This is probably one of my biggest problems in collaboration, but I’m working on it. I’m trying to speak up and ask for help. My hope is that by the end of this school year I’ll be braver and more able to voice my problems.
And in the second scenario, when I think that my idea is better, or when I’m not a fan of someone else’s idea, I might really push for my idea or get upset or stressed. This leads to either other people being slightly hurt or me not being able to accomplish what I could if I wasn’t stressed.
But I’m trying to get better. At the beginning of each group project (or anything similar) I explain to my partners my problem and ask them to, whenever I start to get too bossy or pushy or anything like that, tell me. This has helped me so much, and not even as much in practice as the idea of it. Even just explaining it helps my brain realize how to let go of it’s tight grip. I honestly can’t even remember a time when anyone has told me that I’m getting too pushy after I explained it.
Lastly, this one is sort of both a strength and a weakness. Mostly a weakness, but occasionally it can help me make things better.
My perfectionism and people-pleaser-ness.
I have an insatiable need to make everything perfect and not disappoint anyone. If I can’t get something right, it stresses me out so much. So, so much. And under a bit of criticism, I usually won’t fail to crumple inside. Less so in SWC, I will admit, but this is still my biggest problem with collaboration. I’m really, truly trying my best to hold my head up when someone tells me to change how I’m doing something, and to realize that not everything needs to be the best thing I’ve ever created. I’ve been putting a lot of pressure on myself to be perfect, and it brings me a lot of stress. So I’m trying, really trying, to get better at it.
Assets time!
I, like any other co-leader, will give you another set of hands, another mind with different ideas to contribute, and someone to talk to.
But a few things that are more unique to me: for starters, I love making ciphers and riddles, even if I’m not the best at the latter.
I enjoy research, though I have limitations set by my parents about the things I’m looking up.
I’m happy to dive into Canva and design a thumbnail or create a slideshow, although my coding skills are practically non-existent.
I obviously love writing, so narrative introductions and stuff are a joy.
I’m decent at art, so feel free to give me the job of making profile pictures, so long as I’m capable of drawing the pictures in question.
Cabin planning is definitely something at the top of my list as far as things I’m looking forward to, and I can contribute loads of ideas. I can also provide chaos and silliness, of course, especially in desperate times, otherwise known as when the mood is starting to get stressful or someone is getting upset, but really any time.

Reason for Applying

There are so many qualities I could say here. Resilience, reliability, being active, patience, and so. Many. Others.
But none of those are as important to me as loving what you’re doing.
How can you do a good job in a leadership position without wanting to?
You can’t. I believe that with all of my heart.
So out of all of the qualities that make a good leader, I chose enthusiasm.
Before I get in depth as to why I embody that, I’d like to note that I don’t just mean being excited about co-leading. I am excited to have a chance at getting that opportunity, but that’s not all this means to me.
It’s not just wanting to co-lead to me.
I’m not the most experienced person here. I’m amazed that some of y’all have been here for four years and I got here in March.
I’m definitely not the best writer. I know that for a fact.
I’m not even the most well-known out of all you crazy SWCers. In fact, I’m pretty sure some of you have never seen my username.
I’m not one of those SWCers that first-timers look up to.
So I’m not the best writer. No the most experienced in leadership. Not the most well-known. I know all of this I be true a thousand times over.
But I want to prove that you can still be a great co-leader with all of these things if you are determined to do a good job anyway.
And I am.
I want to prove myself not only to all of you, but also myself.
So my one quality is enthusiasm.
I want to do this. I want to grow as much as I know I will through this experience. I want to take those steps in my journey to becoming a better writer, a better leader, a better person.
That journey is just beginning for me. I’m barely out of the driveway on that long, never-ending road.
Enthusiasm is so much more than just that ‘yay’ feeling to me.
It’s enthusiasm that lifts spirits and generates ideas and keeps you going.
So it’s that, that one small thing, that seemingly insignificant feeling, that I’m choosing.
It feels like a risk, in a way. I know it seems sort of frivolous.
But it also feels true, in a way that any other trait doesn’t quite satisfy.

Cabin Atmosphere

“A welcoming, active, and close-knit community with motivation, chaos, inside jokes, support for both personal and SWC-related writing, and intriguing storylines abound, and just a sprinkle of friendly competition!” (185 characters excluding spaces)

Checkboxes

A.
Well, I can add words all throughout camp, but I do have school so I won’t be available all day to add words!!
Yup, I’m willing to do that!
B. I’m not completely sure if I can update the word counts in a completely timely manner, considering I have school, but I will still do it all throughout camp. Otherwise, I can do everything mentioned.
C. After 8 or more days of inactivity, I will contact my team member to see if they are still on the site and ask if they are still going to be actively helping with the cabin, and in the case that they say they will not be active or give no response, I will try a few days reassigning the roles given to that person, giving more of my time towards the cabin, and see if we are able to work as well in their absence. If not, I will work with the rest of my team (if said team exists) and find the most likely candidate to help in our cabin as well as asking for advice from past (co)leaders who have delt with the same problem before.
In case of expected inactivity on my side, I will let my team know if there is even a slight chance it might happen and help them decide what to do in my absence instead of letting them figure it out themselves.

Last edited by LovegoodLady (Jan. 2, 2026 18:16:36)

LovegoodLady
Scratcher
500+ posts

lune's old writing thread (retiring soon)

JWC daily! (wip)
SCENE 1
The scene opens to a tent in the woods, lit up by what we can only assume is a flashlight, so we see the silhouettes of three girls, LIA, ELIZA, and VI smushed together inside.
LIA: And then.. One night beneath the stars…. They found a body.
The camera cuts suddenly to inside the tent, where the three girls are huddled up in blankets. LIA is holding a flashlight under her face.
ELIZA: LIA!
LIA: What?
ELIZA: I told you… (she trails off, mumbling.)
LIA: Told me what?
VI: If I’m not mistaken-
LIA: No one asked you, Vi. I asked Eliza.
ELIZA: I told you not to kill anyone off! I don’t mind most of this stuff all that much until you start talking about death.
LIA rolls her eyes.
VI: What’s that?
ELIZA, pale: W-what’s what?
LIA: Probably nothing.
ELIZA: But what if it isn’t?
LIA: Whatever the case, I don’t care. I’m almost done with terrifying you guys. At least let me finish.
VI: No, I really think that’s something we should worry about.
LIA, annoyed: Well, where is it?
VI: Over there. Near that tree.
LIA: We’re in a forest. You’ll have to be more specific than that.
VI, pointing: Near the birch one. The really tall birch one right next to our campfire.
ELIZA: What does it look like?
VI: It’s… moving?
LIA: It’s moving towards us!
The camera turns dark.
ELIZA: Where’d the light go?
LIA, clicking her flashlight: Why won’t my flashlight turn on?
Suddenly, a chorus of screams is heard and then all goes silent.
SCENE 2
WREN is sitting at a table, reading the local newspaper and eating Cheerios while her mother, MEG, scrambles eggs.
WREN, yawning: Anything worth reading in the paper?
MEG: I don’t know, haven’t read it yet.
WREN: All right.
She flips the newspaper over and sees an article with the headline, THREE YOUNG GIRLS DISAPPEAR AT OVERNIGHT CAMPING TRIP, along with a picture of LIA, VI, and ELIZA with bags in front of a beat-up truck captioned ‘Lia Palacio, Eliza Green, and Violet ‘Vi’ Jessup about to drive out to the woods for a camping trip.’
WREN, shocked: Ellie?
MEG: What did you say?
WREN: … Nothing.
MEG, shrugging: If you say so.
WREN finishes her Cheerios, simultaneously grabbing the article and crumpling it into her fist so her mother doesn’t see it.
WREN: Uh… I’m going to go… read.
MEG: All righty. Have fun!
WREN puts her bowl and spoon in the sink and walks quickly to her room, where she sits on the bed and uncrumples the article.
WREN: What the heck? Ellie?
Her phone beeps. WREN picks it up and puts it to her ear.
WREN: Hello?
GRAY: Wren, hi, it’s Gray. I got a new phone, blah blah blah.
WREN: Gray, did you see the article in the newspaper this morning?
GRAY: I don’t get the newspaper. Why? What happened?
WREN: You remember Ellie? Eliza Green?
GRAY: The girl you were constantly hired to babysit, right?
WREN: Yeah.
GRAY: Why?
WREN: She’s missing.
GRAY: You’re kidding.
WREN: No.
GRAY: What happened?
WREN: Camping trip. I haven’t read the whole article yet, though.

Last edited by LovegoodLady (Jan. 5, 2026 23:29:03)

LovegoodLady
Scratcher
500+ posts

lune's old writing thread (retiring soon)

critique for cat <3
About Me
I might change ‘though’ in the second paragraph to ‘although’ but that’s your choice!
In the third paragraph you left off the second ‘n’ in Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ middle name.
Lastly, maybe rephrase ‘Well, of course I do, I want to be a therapist!’ to ‘Well, I want to be a therapist, so it does make sense’ or something along those lines ;D
This section is incredible, and I learn so much about you from it!!
Experience
My two notes would be A. maybe elaborate a bit on your real life experience and B. Perhaps change ‘For me, it’s more than just a hobby, it’s a way to express ideas…’ to ‘For me, it’s more than just a hobby. It’s a way to…’.
Overall, a great section! Your experience really shines through.
Cabin Preferences
Nothing to say here, as this is a perfectly wonderful section!
Time Dedication
One note: Maybe change ‘and more if cabin planning requires it’ to ‘or more, preferably only ______ more, if cabin planning requires it.’ Otherwise, great section!
Time Management
I wouldn’t say I have any notes here, maybe add a closing sentence if I had to suggest anything!
Collaboration + Assets
Nothing to say here, this section is great <3
One Quality
Once again, I’m afraid I have no notes! I love this section, and your quality is a great choice <3
Cabin Atmosphere
My only notes are to maybe change the ‘<3’ to an exclamation work for a bit mor formality, and to specify whether you mean in-cabin competition or leaderboard-centered competition as I find it a tiny bit hard to tell.
Checkboxes
This all sounds good!
Overall, amazing app <33 I have no doubt that you are going to get so many offers, and I hope this helped!
LovegoodLady
Scratcher
500+ posts

lune's old writing thread (retiring soon)

writing comp entry (uncritiqued):

I look out into the distance
sighing at the beauty
of the sprawling labyrinth beneath me.
Entangled with thorns
and flowers.

Not roses
never
roses
As some might expect from the thorny hedges


But all sorts of different petals.
Different colors
different shapes
different scents
and different leaves.

With barely a thought
I drag myself from my window
as I’ve done so many times before.

Floating down
the winding
winding
steps
like some sort of
hellebore ghost.

I’m covered in hellebores
all over.
They are perched on my dress
behind my ear
braided in my hair.

Everyone here wears hellebores
its tradition
I guess
Or maybe something more
since i’m not allowed to wear
anything else.

As my raw toes
reach the lip of the door
I hesitate for a moment
i know nothing will change
from the first time
the second time
all the times before
but then open it.

The tangled maze before me
would be terrifying to most
but I just shrug it off
having been here
dozens
hundreds
thousands
millions
of times before.

I don’t blink
as I step into
all of the twists and turns
I’ve blinked too many times before
I always missed something
some cruel message taunting me
to the edge of oblivion.

If anything
I should close my eyes
tightly
but i want them to see
what they’ve done to me

So my eyes are alert
as my bare feet
tread the scratchy grass
running my fingernails
bloody and short
across the walls

My hand catches something soft
and delicate
a buttercup.
Yellow petals
bright and cheerful
but dark in my eyes

I rip it from the leaves
crush it underneath my heel
With a dark smile
and continue on my way

I run with my arms
spread out beside me
the same
dark smile
haunting my bloodred lips

it would seem a happy scene
to anyone who didn’t look close enough
to see the bitter truths
underneath.

I lie in the grass
limbs strawn about
sunset colored dress
fanning out beside me

Hellebores that should be crushed
blooming bright as ever
staring me in the face
taunting me.

I stand up.
Brushing myself off
I walk forward
eyes tightly shut
but somehow still seeing everything

Seeing the hyacinths
seeing the meaning behind them
and ignoring them.
Seeing their purple petals haunt me
even though
they stay long behind me.

A giggle
escapes my lips
and then another
and another
until I’m back on the ground
my chest heaving
feeling stuck
and hysteric.

I’m trapped
in this labyrinth
that seems so open

Not only these hedges
these grasses
these walls
but also my mind
a confusing
terrifying place

and now
it surveys the terror of the grass
around me
they look so innocent
so childlike
so free

But I know the truth.
That happiness isn’t real
it’s an illusion
an illusion of happiness
designed to torture me
And it does
as I let my false hopes climb higher
each time.

I spot
the bright green fern
sprouting from a corner

The happiness illusion fades
and I let out
A huge
dark
bitter
laugh.
Hysterical, even.

A fern?
A fern?
A fern?

Lies.
Lies.
Lies.

There are no ferns
Between me and this labyrinth.

There are no ferns
Between me and anyone.

There are no roses
in this labyrinth
because this is anything but love.

No one has ever loved me.
Not even my family
they knew I was different
my entire life
and told me not to get to comfortable at home.

So a fern was a last resort.
A fern was a desperate plea.
trying to convince me
that it was all for my own good.
That it was here I was loved.

But it wasn’t.
I knew it wasn’t.
And I was so
tired
sick
of their tricks.

One last time
I closed my eyes
and finally saw nothing but darkness.
finally escaped.
its_aves
Scratcher
68 posts

lune's old writing thread (retiring soon)

wOaH this is amazing! i love the flow of it and the verse pattern :D
a few notes:
~i think you forgot the period at the ends of the some of the verses, since the other verses end with periods
~in verse 7, “its” should be “it's” since you're contracting ‘it’ and ‘is’
~the capitalization is a little inconsistent, since sometimes the beginning of sentences and ‘i’ aren't capitalized but sometimes they are
~THIS IS SO BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN!!! i love the almost scary emotion of it, and how i can really picture this happening irl. you're so good at description and setting a scene!

Last edited by its_aves (March 15, 2026 17:02:00)

LovegoodLady
Scratcher
500+ posts

lune's old writing thread (retiring soon)

yay!! thank ya <3 I shalt keep all of that in mind and do some editin' tomorrow ;D you should get your critique soon!!
its_aves
Scratcher
68 posts

lune's old writing thread (retiring soon)

ok, thx!

Last edited by its_aves (March 15, 2026 17:01:05)

LovegoodLady
Scratcher
500+ posts

lune's old writing thread (retiring soon)

short poem for no reason hehe <3


writer's block.

darn you.


my document should be

a sprawling masterpiece

plot twists and

characters and

heartbreaks and

humor and

everything.


instead, it's

almost blank

except for the words

'title unknown - a novel

chapter 1

ARGH WHY ARE IDEAS SO ANNOYING? I just can't think of anything. GRR.'

(word for word)


and that

is clearly

not a masterpiece


a masterpiece

is plot twists and

characters and

heartbreaks and

humor and

everything.


it's not

13 frustrated words

labeled unknown

that aren't even

meaningful.


it's not a blank mind

it's not exasperated thoughts of

'why don't I have any ideas?'

it's not procrastinating on getting ideas

by writing this poem.


so why

is that everything

my document is?


a masterpiece

is what I want to write

what I need to write

what needs to be in

my mind

and then on my computer

in perfectly emotional words


(in case you haven't guessed,

it's not.)

Last edited by LovegoodLady (April 15, 2026 00:05:05)

LovegoodLady
Scratcher
500+ posts

lune's old writing thread (retiring soon)

theme here || lune's swc leader app

note for critiquers: hi there! thank you for reviewing my app <3 i'd absolutely love general help as well, but there is one thing i'd like a bit of focus on: cutting down the word count without cutting down the quality. I tried to go as in-depth as possible, and that led to a lot of words. i'd love to keep the excess to a minimum and try to stay within 500-600 words of the cap!

i. about me

Why hello there :0 I’m Lune, she/her, and I live in the time zone of EST. I’m a fantasy series obsessive, cat lover, bookworm, writer, Amity (Divergent), Ravenclaw (one third Hufflepuff), RainWing (WoF), bug lover, theater kid, and of course one of the most cheerfully morbid people you’ll ever meet.

Whew. That was a lot.

Considering the large amount of, er, passions I have, let’s boil things down to two categories: like quite a bit and love.
Let’s get things started with like quite a bit.
This is going to be pretty quick, so please let me know on my profile if you’d like to know more! I’d love to have a chat with someone about any of these topics.

Tetherball, bugs (specifically moths and cicadas), chocolate, astronomy (including a bit more space science, such as black holes or supernovas), murder mysteries, Old English, felting, miniatures, French, Sierra Sikora, Broadway music (my current favorites are Spamalot and Beetlejuice), chess, and etymology are all, despite the sheer number of them, things I dearly enjoy and hope to hold onto for a while into the future.

On to love. These, unlike the topics above, aren't simply my current obsessions. They are me.
Reading, writing, theater, cats, and math.
Those are the things that make me Lune. They’re what I want to do with my life. Who I want to be.

Reading was the beginning of me. Before books, I was just another hapless child without much thought to what words could do.
And then I read Harry Potter.
I realize now that Harry Potter isn’t actually the most well written or inclusive series. But when I devoured The Sorcerer’s Stone in first grade (I was not prepared for all of the death in the series ahaha), I realized why so many people were bookworms. The joy! The sadness! The love! And all because of some squiggles on a page.. it’s truly magical.
Currently, my favorite books are The Hunger Games series, The Martian, The Naturals, and The Inheritance Games.

Next up is writing. It frustrates me endlessly, yes, but I couldn’t imagine my life without it. I write a lot of fantasy, but I also love bi-fi, poetry, and mystery, as you might’ve guessed from my favorite reading genres.
Poetry is my absolute favorite genre to write in. I write more fantasy (because it’s a bit easier and I’m used to it after so many years of only fantasy), but it can’t quite compare to the wonders of spilling your feelings out on a page whenever you have a lot of them.

Theater is amazing. Whether pure acting, musicals, or improv (my absolute favorite), it’s one of my true passions! I love everything about it. I can’t list everything I’ve been in for sort-of-obvious reasons (doxxing), but my all-time favorite, along with being one of the most recent, is Little Women. I’ve loved the book since I was a tiny child, and it was an honor to be a part of such an amazing production.

Cats are in here for even-more-obvious reasons. I have two six-year-old cats (still kittens to me), Irish and Hobbes. I love them wholeheartedly and will forever <3

Last things last, math.
I actually hated math last year. It felt too complicated, too annoying, and sort of impossible.
But for some reason, it’s always the thing I’m looking forward to the most this year. Numbers just make sense; so long as you know the formula, the possibilities are endless. And there’s always a solution. It’s a little bit like writing in that way; both of them are so vast but can be explored so easily if you know what you’re doing.

Well, that’s it for now, folks! I hope you enjoyed getting to know me and learned some new things <3 Feel free to come and talk to me about anything in here (or anything whatsoever)!

ii. experience

I haven’t actually had much experience in leadership or writing. Not as much as I would like.But the bit I do have has helped me tremendously in growing into more of a writer and leader.

I’ve been in around 8 Scratch camps, 4 in SWC (1 as co-leader) and 1 each in SCC, WUC, (C)LASC and JWC, each as a camper with the exception of (C)LASC, in which I was a host.
Of those, the ones that helped me most to grow were definitely my 4 SWC sessions and (C)LASC hosting experience, in which I learned the most and was the most active.

Each SWC session, I grew so much as a writer and learned a whole lot. My first session, Fantasy SWC March ‘25, wasn’t very active as I was sort of busy and not always in the mood to write. I’m truly glad I decided to camp, though, because I got the gist of most of the activities, basically dipping my toes in the vast lake of SWC. If March ‘25 was a slight dip into SWC, July ‘25 was the plunge. I was a camper in Bi-fi Festival of Fae, and I did everything I could to be a part of the community, growing so much as a writer and learning a lot about myself.

Fairy Tales November ‘25 was similar: I was also a camper, and did much to be a part of the community and become a better writer. I probably grew the most this session as a writer; discovering poetry (my love) and diving into deeper writing were certainly a change for me, but they paid off.
My camping sessions, although not involving leadership, gave me a look at what amazing (co)leaders did for their campers and what an incredible cabin was like, from storylines to aesthetics to interactions.

And then I was off to my first session as a co-leader in Magical Realism March ‘26 with Kiara and Starrii, a cabin that brought buckets of chaos and joy, along with my first look at the wide world of (co)leading. It was a lot more responsibility than I had expected, but I did my best to complete everything and loved everything about it. My leadership skills blossomed as I realized how to motivate myself, support my team, and be realistic with the goals I took on. But Magreal’s efforts didn’t even stop at leadership; it also taught me so much about writing and even aesthetics. It was truly a session of wonder.

Co-leading Magreal was an honor, and helped me appreciate the merits to being both a co-leader and a camper. This session, I’d love to dive into leading and explore various techniques for writing and design, learn how to deal with the responsibilities that lie in such a position, and see how many bad time management habits I can lessen.

As for camp-like things, hosting the first session of (Co)Leader Application Support Center with Cat and Kiara brought me more leadership experience than I would ever have imagined. It was a lot of commitment, much more than I had ever had before at the time, and I found myself absolutely loving it. It made me look at time management, decision-making, teamwork as a whole, and brainstorming in whole new ways, giving me so much education as to what being a ‘leader’ is really like.

Outside of SWC, I’ve had a few experiences in leadership and teamwork. I was president of student council a few years back, which, although not well-organized on the school’s end, brought me experience in addressing a group of people, even if the teachers made all of the actual decisions. This past year, I was a parliamentarian in National Junior Honors Society, a role involving approving decisions made by the president and a bit of public speaking, giving me a look into what leadership is like in higher standards.

Writing-wise, I’ve been writing for around 4-5 years. Not nearly as much as some of you, but enough to feel like a true writer in my heart. I’m afraid I haven’t won any awards or anything like that for my writing, but then again, I haven’t entered many contests. In fact, the only one I’ve ever entered is the SWC Writing Competition. But awards have never really been why I write. I have always been a writer purely to express my thoughts, feelings, and ideas out in words somewhere I can always look back on, and to grow as a person through growing as a writer.

Overall, I might not be considered the most experienced out of all of you, even the ones who’ve never (co-)led before. But I’m willing to gain that experience, and I believe that is just as important.

iii. cabin preferences

If I’m accepted as leader, there are a couple ideas that have been floating around slowly taking over my brainspace for a while now. In any case, in no particular order, they are:

Script:
As a camper in Script, your job description only has one sentence: ‘Do whatever is needed to keep the theater up and running.’ Although a bit vague, you were hooked by the theater’s cozy (and chaotic) charm and decided to try it. Suddenly, though, all the actors have dropped out for the theater’s long-awaited first musical (a show that could make or break the stream of ticket-buyers) for unknown reasons, and the director has no choice but to hire the employees on as actors. Including you. And unfortunately, you can’t complain that it’s not part of your job description.
For this cabin, I have a pretty solid plan for the background, but the rest is something I want to explore with my co’s!
Script could also fit the genres of Lyric and Bi-fi.

Illu-fi:
Inspired by the Tea Dragon Society graphic novel series by Katie O’Neill, Illu-fi would be a low-stakes cabin focused on cabin bonding and making memories. Campers would become part of the Tea Dragon Society, reviving old traditions and take care of their very own tea dragons, tiny furballs that act and look much like a modern cat or dog, but with magical tea leaves growing on their horns that produce tea. Tea dragon tea, when drunk, floods your mind with memories, both joyous and melancholy, of time spent surrounded by friends and family. The storyline would mainly consist of daily writing prompts and roleplay, along with smaller chaotic prompts to help pass the time until the Festival, where campers get to drink their tea dragons’ tea and reflect on the session.
Illu-fi could be adapted to fit Fantasy or Classics.

Fairy Tales:
Fairy tales are often associated with happy endings, problem-solving magic, and true love. But when you actually look closely, they're filled with dark wit and, surprisingly, a good bit of tragedy. To me, a Fairy Tales cabin revolving around the darker side of fairy tales, along with some non-traditional fairy tales, like the poems of Edgar Allen Poe and myths from other cultures, would be a really cool concept! It would likely be quite writing-focused instead of storyline, but still integrating some plot bits along the way. This cabin would likely involve a low-key storyline that doesn't require too much activity, instead focusing on collaboration and creativity. This one in particular is one I would love to iron out with my co-leaders if it's accepted, as I have a lot of paths in my head that it could take.
Fairy Tales is definitely not the only genre this cabin could fit; it could easily become Poetry, Gothic, or Tragedy without much adaptation.
I also have ideas for Mystery, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Mythology, Historical Fiction, Paranormal, Adventure, and Action.

If I were to co-lead, I would love to be part of any genre listed above that's not stated in the ‘maybe not’ list below, along with Furry Sleuth (I’ve seen a couple people mention this in their apps and I absolutely love it), Journalism, Comedy, Lyric, or anything similar. I might not choose to co-lead Sci-fi, Cyberpunk, Contemporary, or Horror, as I’m not well-versed in those and probably wouldn’t do the best.
Despite that, it would mostly depend on the storyline, as I have seen versions of some of these that I thought were amazing even though the genre is not typically my forte.

I would prefer not to (co)lead TCTWNW, as they tend to be less active, but might if given the chance. Out of these cabin choices, Illu-fi (Fantasy might be the better genre for this cabin to keep from having two Illu-fi TCTWNWs in a row <3) would likely be the best for a non-competitive cabin.

iv. time dedication + management

Dedication
Time is a hard thing to pin down, but I do have a rough outline of what cabin planning season (and July itself) will be like.

My summers are quite varying as far as day-to-day availability, so I would be able to dedicate anywhere between 30 minutes to 3 hours online every day. In May, I will have school until the 22nd, which will keep me fairly busy. Those days, it will be more like 30 minutes to an hour. After that, I might have a few vacations (during which I will be completely offline) and extracurriculars, both of which will take up more time in the day. I will let both my team and the hosts (especially if it’s a vacation) know whenever those dates come up, as it will be much harder to get things done on those days. On all non-vacation days, no matter how busy, you can expect at the very least a check-in from me in the morning or afternoon to see how things are going.

If anything changes as far as my activity levels go, I will do my best to let my team know!

Management
To start things off, I’ll put it bluntly. I’m not the best at time management. I know I’m not. I’ve got a lot of issues: procrastination, distraction, and over-commitment are just the beginning. But what I will say is that I’m learning. I’ve already gotten a thousand times better than when I wrote about my management in January. In fact, I can’t believe how much better I’ve gotten. My biggest issues are still procrastination and overloading myself with work, but how much I’ve learned since then is incredible to me.

Last session, in Magreal, I learned a lot about the consequences these two things could have. I would load myself with things to do to help our cabin, and than feel terribly demotivated when I finally had time to do them because my to-do list felt so long. And demotivation leads to, you guessed it, procrastination. My procrastination doesn’t just come from over-commitment and demotivation; sometimes it comes from having other things I want to do more. But however it comes about, it’s always a beast to deal with.

Luckily for me, though, consequences can lead to improvement. And so they did.

I’ve learned to slam on the brakes whenever I spot my time management demons coming towards me and apply some of the techniques I’ve learned over the years: to-do lists, time blocking, determination, and optimism. Determination and time blocking, or pushing through my demotivation to get to where I want to be and spacing out my homework in chunks throughout the week, are my superheroes when it comes to procrastination. If I remember these two techniques, I know I can push through and get what I need to get done, done.

To-do lists and optimism are experts at driving over-commitment and/or its effects away: limiting myself to two things every day after school on my to-do list, or even just making one so I know exactly what I’m doing and whether or not to put another thing on the list, and when I don’t manage to keep a reasonable amount of items on said list, I have optimism (or staying enthusiastic and determined throughout the process) to fight off the burnout that can come from all of the work.

Now that we’ve listed my shortcomings (and how I solve them), we can move on to my strengths!

It’s not all down in the dumps whenever I’m managing my time. Although I’ve certainly got some big problems in time management, there are also things I’m great at.

Let’s take a look at organization and consistency.

Organization:
Organization is a beautiful thing. When you know exactly who’s doing what, at what time, and when they’re getting it done, most everything falls into place as perfectly as possible. Obviously, nothing’s perfect and there are always bumps in the road, but careful planning can help us adapt to those plans as best we can because we know what’s coming next.
I can easily chart out a to-do list or a timeline, and making schedules or goals for today are natural for me to come up with and stick to. Thinking ahead is something I was born doing, and I love setting deadlines that motivate me and others to keep pushing through.
Organization helps me and others stay on track, and it’s something I’m enormously grateful I possess.

Consistency:
Being consistent feels really important when you’re in charge of a group of people, in any scenario, most definitely including (co)leading a cabin. If some of my graphic designs or artworks come in way past the deadline and some come in almost immediately, my team wouldn’t know what to expect and how to keep things flowing in the cabin. I’m proud to say I’m pretty consistent in meeting deadlines, keeping up with activity, coming up with ideas, collaborating, and all the other parts that come with the leader position <3 This can help my cabin be fairly active overall, so campers won’t feel like they’re always waiting on the leaders to catch up with them or vice versa.

There you have it! My strengths and weaknesses in time management, along with a rough schedule of my summer. Time and I don’t always agree, but when we do, wonderful things can occur.

v. communication + accountability

Communication

Communicating is one of the most crucial things in a leadership setting. Using it in a way that works for you and the people you’re working with can lead to life-changing experiences, memories that last forever, and an amazing experience overall.

My style is very heavy on collaboration: I’ll respond and add on to everything others have brought up, and than brainstorm a bit solo and bring back some ideas to the team if asked.

I always consider my team’s wants and needs before doing anything solo, most times checking in with them to see if they’re okay with my ideas and/or timing.

I can provide plenty of ideas if asked, but I sometimes have a hard time knowing if others want suggestions. A lot of people prefer to do their own thing without as much input, so I’ll usually try to stay on the safer side and not offer my ideas out. Sadly, this might hinder me from providing great ideas that could turn a boring cabin into an amazing one.

However, this session, if given the opportunity, I’m resolving to push myself to share my ideas out no matter how silly or unachievable they seem, to make my cabin as amazing as possible.

As for my methods to responding to my team in the planning forum, I like to scan through lists of what others have said, and add onto them one by one, ending with an idea if I’ve got one. I love bouncing off ideas and brainstorming as a group, no matter what the project.

The best things I’ve created have almost always been a group effort, and I know an SWC cabin is no different.

Accountability
I’m a fairly reliable person when it comes to accountability. I do, of course, have my issues, like everyone, but for the most part, I’d like to think it’s one of my greatest strengths in a leadership setting.

Yes, I have a bad habit of procrastination. But like I said, once I actually sit down to work, I’m quite productive. And I’m finding ways to battle the procrastination off in the first place.

And I do have a hard time letting myself do something that’s not perfect. I have a bad case of perfectionism. If I get stuck on something that doesn’t feel right, I’ll eye it for hours, trying to figure out how to fix it.

But I’m getting better at that, too. Most ‘issues’ lately are only fixed if I finish early. And that, to me, is a huge improvement.

So despite all that, I stay pretty consistent. And I have lots of strategies for keeping myself on task.

I can keep myself on track by sitting down in a comfortable place without distractions, and nothing but my work and possibly a snack in front of me.
Speaking of which, despite how silly it sounds, food can be pretty useful when you need to focus. It keeps you from getting distracted by looking at the clock to see how close dinner/lunch is, or getting disrupted by my stomach growling.

If a distraction sneaks its way into my head, I remind myself of what time I have and see if I’ve got time to chase after it. Oftentimes, I don’t. And even if I do, I don’t stop what I’m doing immediately and rush off. I give myself a stopping point, and if I’m still yearning to do something else, I do. But I don’t get carried away. I let myself have fun for slightly less time than I think I have, then go back to work.

I get things done by setting deadlines, putting reminders where I can see them (even if it’s just keeping a tab open on my computer instead of closing it), and keeping in mind that my team (or my grade, in the case of most schoolwork) is counting on me; I hate disappointing others and try my best to stay on top of things when I’m working in a group.

And that, I feel, is exactly what accountability is: knowing that others are relying on you and doing your part to keep things going.

And to me, that doesn’t mean doing everything you possibly can even if you don’t have enough time.

It means keeping track of the things you do have time for and asking for help in advance as soon as you realize you can’t do it. It means reminding others what they have to get done and offering for help if you have that capability. It means admitting to your mistakes and working to fix them.

And all of that is what I’m good at, or what I’m working on, day after day, to get better at.

vi. scenarios

Scenario C.

Losing motivation is something I can relate to. It’s something everyone deals with. And so is having trouble with accountability; sometimes time constraints and piles of work feel like a huge weight pressing down on you.

If something like this happens to someone on my team, I’d reach out privately (in case they aren’t comfortable sharing with the rest of the team or don’t want to clog the forum) and ask them what’s going on.

If they don’t have enough time, I’d work with the rest of my team to figure out who has the most time on their hands and if they’re willing to take on some of the (co)leader’s work. If no one is able, we’ll try to simplify the plan and take some items off the list to lessen the load.

If they just can’t see the point of working on the stuff, I’d ask them what feels pointless about it and see what I can do to explain the meaning behind it while still validating their feelings. I might also ask them what they think might be a better idea, and discuss any given ideas with the rest of my team so they’re working on something that feels more important to them.

If they just don’t feel like they have the skills to do it, I would ask them what about it feels ‘impossible’ and guide them through the process. If that doesn’t work, I’d see if anyone would be willing to switch around some assignments and give them something that they feel comfortable working on.

If they don’t give an answer, I’d see what I could figure out from context and try some more collaboration-focused things where they could easily give their input on what they do or don’t want to do. And if all of this fails, I’d try a simplified version of each of the methods above and see what seems to work.

I definitely know what this situation feels like, and I’d do whatever I can to boost morale and keep things on track.

vii. swc impact

SWC has had an enormous impact on me, and from my very inactive first session last March to this very day, it affects how I think, how I approach leadership, how I interact with others, and most of all how I write.

I started out in March as a silly writer who never planned and thought the only thing worth writing was a novel.

I can’t believe how wrong I was.

SWC has changed my writing in so many ways, from providing endless inspiration to changing my style almost completely.

Nowadays, I’m filled to the brim with ideas for poems, flash fiction, short stories, scripts, and yes, books.

Characters and worlds feel so much more real. Word choice has become so much more important. My writing has become a lot sillier at times, but than I start a poem and a slight solemn melancholy comes over me almost immediately.

Before SWC, I wrote completely for the plot, didn’t give a thought towards character development, and, well, had terrible grammar and syntax.
I’m so, so glad I signed up as a backup camper that March.

My life will never be the same.

As for creating a positive impact on other SWCers, whether first-timers or war veterans, I intend to create a session they’ll remember.

I want to make a cabin that doesn’t feel like it’s got high expectations: high-demand storylines that the (co)leaders are begging you to participate in, nothing so competitive that you feel like your letting your cabin down if you don’t do the weekly, nothing telling you to write a million words.

Whether I’m in a leadership position this session or not, I aim to help those I interact with to feel motivated and satisfied with their writing. Whether these opportunities come in the form of critiquitaires, or being an accountability buddy with someone, or even just telling them that their writing is really cool, or anything else I can do, I’ll try my best to take on as many as I can without burning out.

SWC is such an amazing place for me— I hope I can make it just that for others around me, too.

viii. cabin atmosphere

a.
“A calm, encouraging cabin with a low-maintenance but immersive storyline and a focus on improvement, bonding, and personal goals” (129 characters and 19 words).

b.
Whatever cabin I end up (co)leading this session, if I’m given the chance to do so, I want to give campers a memorable experience that they’ll enjoy down to every second.

Campers, like I mentioned in my ‘SWC Impact’ section, shouldn’t feel pressured to do everything or interact with everyone.

I would create this atmosphere by making sure the cabin has a minimal, or low-maintenence, storyline that creates something campers are proud of, and it wouldn’t be focused too much on competition.

Activities like Cabin Wars would be a chance to have some fun writing with your cabin, not something that requires thousands of words from each person, and dailies, weeklies, critiques, and word wars would be portrayed as an oppotunity to improve, instead of one to gain points.

All in all, I hope to create a cabin that’s encouraging and doesn’t cause any stress, focused almost completely on bonding, memories, and improvement.

ix. checkboxes

a.
⁀➷ I can add points consistently through the session
⁀➷ I’m willing to share a promotional project for SWC
⁀➷ I’m willing to put the camper signups link in my “About Me” or “What I’m Working On” on my Scratch Profile
b.
I’ve read all things listed in the FAQ and can complete all of them!

x. bonus question

I would either reside in the Tea Shop with the Mad Hatter or in the Rabbit Hole with a book <3 Holed up in a corner with a book or sitting in a beautiful tea shop surrounded by insanity both sound like perfect places to stay for eternity!

Last edited by LovegoodLady (May 20, 2026 19:16:32)

LovegoodLady
Scratcher
500+ posts

lune's old writing thread (retiring soon)

testing lol <3 IGNORE THIS <33

Last edited by LovegoodLady (May 18, 2026 22:34:45)

LovegoodLady
Scratcher
500+ posts

lune's old writing thread (retiring soon)

quick excerpt for writefight :D


Rhiannon dusted off a countertop, eyeing the clock.

30 minutes until the shop closed. Too much time.

She loved her job (at least, more than she would any other job), but most sane human beings liked going home after a work shift. Including her.

The old bell that hung from the top of the front door jingled.

“Hello?”

Rhiannon winced and glanced around for Mr. Cummings, before remembering that both he and his wife were out of town today.

“Darn it,” she muttered.

“Hello?” the customer repeated, annoyed.

“Sorry!” she called, her chest tight with dread. She could deal with a nice customer, usually, but she was tired, and this one didn't seem particularly nice.

She plopped the duster back onto the desk and stumbled through the clutter to get to the front desk.

She just barely made it to the customer, narrowly avoided tripping over a large stack of Charles Dickens novels and one of the delivieries that had been brought in today.

“Sorry, so sorry,” she panted, a bit out of breath, when she reached the counter. “What can I help you with?”

“Can I speak to someone a bit higher up?” the customer (who she now knew was a boy around her age) asked, looking her up and down with disdain.

“I'm the only one here today,” she told him regretfully, wishing for both of their sakes that someone else was instead. “We're a bit… short-staffed.”

The boy snorted. “I can see that.”

Rhiannon huffed, offended. “There aren't exactly a lot of bookworms here! What did you expect?” she snapped. She immediately regretted it, but there was no use trying to take it back now.

“Whatever,” the boy rolled his eyes. “Not my problem.”

“Then what is?” Rhiannon asked him, indignant over his obvious disdain for her and the shop and wanting this to be over so she could go home.

“I heard you have a rare typewriter?” he raised an eyebrow. “I'd like to see it.”

Rhiannon blinked. “The typewriter? What do you want with it?”

“It's for sale, isn't it?” he asked.

Rhiannon blinked again. “The typewriter? For sale? Where did you get that idea?”

The boy's annoyance seemed to double. “Your website? Where else?”

Rhiannon frowned. The Cummings would never put the typewriter up for sale. They knew what it meant to her. Right?

She grabbed her phone from her pocket and went to their website, her stomach filling with dread.

And just like the boy had said, there was an ad, right at the top, promoting a ‘rare typewriter’ in ‘amazing condition for an instrument of its age!’

Rhiannon's heart plummeted.

“Oh, would you look at the time?”she fumbled, her heart racing. “Come again another day! The shop's closing! Thank you for showing an interest in our typewriter! Goodbye!” she practically shoved him out of the shop, rambling nervously.

She slammed the door and flipped the sign to ‘closed.’

Last edited by LovegoodLady (June 1, 2026 21:49:47)

LovegoodLady
Scratcher
500+ posts

lune's old writing thread (retiring soon)

untitled for now | lune's unfortunately low-quality sdc app

About Me

Why hello :0 I'm Lune, of the EST timezone and she/her pronouns, and I'm very excited to design some cool things this session <3

I'm a huge theater kid, some of my favorite shows being Mamma Mia, Newsies, Spamalot, Little Shop of Horrors, Hadestown, Just in Time, Operation Mincemeat, Beetlejuice, and Hamilton! Despite my love for all things musicals, I've been leaning more into plays as far as actually being in productions lately, due to my only-okay singing skills that tend to hinder me from getting any good parts I was recently in Little Women, which ended up being one of the best things I've ever done, along with being one of the most challenging.

I also love writing, hence my many SWC experiences in the past! I'm not the best at it, but nothing quite beats spilling all of your feelings out on a (usually digital) page <3

Reading! I'm a huge bookworm, and you can often find me reading books about fantasy worlds or, as of late, murder

Last things last, I love animals of any kind— although that sounds slightly basic, they truly are one of the greatest things on the planet, be it cats, moths, lizards, or even dragons.

For leadership experience, I'm currently co-leading for the upcoming SWC session, along with having co-led last March and camping in three other sessions of the same camp, plus one camper session each of WUC and JWC. I've also hosted (Co)Leader Application Support Center two times, although during the most recent we ended up not having enough time to fully set up the session </3

Outside of Scratch, I've been in student council and National Junior Honor Society at my school once each, along with tending to take the lead or participate heavily in group projects, all of which have improved my leadership skills, including communication, listening, and creativity, heavily.

Cabin Prefs

This session, I'm truly up for any dimension, but I happen to have ideas for a few <3

Sun:

Sun this session would be based off of the Norse and Greek myths that imagine sun gods riding chariots across the sky each day— except it's the campers riding the chariots, in a race to be the first to complete a full cycle from morning to night to morning again. This could be accomplished in a storyline with weekly races being posted every week, seeing who can be the first to complete a set number of themed design prompts!

Neptune:

Neptune, along with being the name for the coldest planet, is also the name of the sea god from Roman myths— and this session, I'd love to combine the two to create a cabin centered around Neptunalia, a Roman festival celebrating the Roman god, held on Neptune (the planet) itself. Campers must create a perfect plan to accommodate Neptune's harsh climate and dangerous gases… or risk facing the wrath of the god himself.

If given the chance to co-lead, I truly have no preference :^D

Time Dedication

Unfortunately, I don't have all that much time to dedicate to SDC, what with co-leading SWC and some other various commitments, such as some improv workshops and vacations, but I believe I have enough to create a fun cabin with a fairly simple storyline that doesn't require too much focus for the campers— simultaneously fitting with my schedule and creating a relaxed atmosphere for the campers.

A specific time estimate would likely be 45 minutes to an hour a day, or less, depending on how busy I am! Although short, many things in cabin planning don't require much time, such as drawing a rough sketch of a PFP, writing a description blurb, or designing a quick thumbnail.

In August, I may have a bit more time, as although I'll have to deal with the start of time, I won't be actively needed nearly as much as a SWC co-leader. In July, though, I believe I'll have one vacation, during which I'll be able to check in once or twice a day, but not much else.

Skills and Shortcomings

Starting with skills, I'm quite good at brainstorming and critical thinking! I can create plenty of ideas on the spot, as evidenced by my cabin ideas above (all written without any forethought whatsoever), no matter the circumstances. I'm good at problem-solving, which is quite handy considering the sheer amount of possibilities for issues in cabin planning; and lastly, I'm very open-minded and will gladly work on any dimension or task, even if it doesn't quite suit my usual tastes.

On to shortcomings! I'm a terrible procrastinator, and will often find myself waiting until the last minute to complete something, especially if I'm not given a deadline. I'm a huge people-pleaser, and my to-do list is almost always overflowing with things I've agreed to do, despite not having the time to do them, because I couldn't bear to let somebody down. I can also get distracted fairly easily, going down rabbit holes and side quests when I'm supposed to be working. Luckily, though, I have many strategies to combat these, including limiting myself to two things a day, giving myself a set schedule so I know when and where I'm doing things instead of leaving it up to my convenience and preference at the time, and putting myself in a place without many distractions to think about!

So despite my flaws, I'm learning. And that, to me, is almost as good as not having any flaws at all.

Why Me?

I want campers to see my cabin as a warm, welcoming place to design this session~ and I hope to encourage them and give them an overall amazing time! Plus, I’m rather enthusiastic for the job, as I have plenty of ideas ;D (221 characters)

I wasn't sure if you wanted more of an atmosphere or a list of traits, so I included both— that's why the syntax is a tad bit wonky </3

Checkboxes

✓ I would prefer to co-lead this session, but I acknowledge that I may end up leading despite this and am willing to do so <3

✗ I'm unfortunately not willing to share a promotional project for SDC this session, as I don't have enough time to create something that would be worth the effort </3

✓ I would, however, be moderately interested in joining the MBC!

Last edited by LovegoodLady (June 24, 2026 21:17:52)

LovegoodLady
Scratcher
500+ posts

lune's old writing thread (retiring soon)

questions for daily 3 <3 answer wherever! but not in this forum please

the questions are:

what's the best part of your cabin?

what's one thing you're looking forward to this session?

any dailies / daily types you're looking forward to / hoping to see this session?

favorite swc activity?

what's one valuable thing you've learned from swc?

what's one random thing you've learned from swc?

what's one thing you wish swc had?

what's one compliment you could give to another cabin?

what's an idea you have for swc in the future?

what's your least favorite part of swc?

have you ever read a book recommended by a swcer?

if so, what book? did you like it?

what's a writing technique you've learned from swc?

favorite cabin you've been in?

favorite cabin you weren't in?

what's your favorite storyline activity that you've done/seen?

what's your favorite type of cabin merch?

what's the best qotd you've seen?

what's the consistently best cabin genre?

what's the most amount of cabin preferences you've ever put in a signup?

what's the best part of between-sessions?

do you prefer the memory book or results?

if you could meet any irl swcer, who would it be?

what's the best daily you've ever seen?

how has your perspective on swc changed?

what has been your favorite session?

what's the best username you've ever seen in swc?

what's the best nickname you've ever seen in swc?

have you ever applied for (co)leader?

if so, what was your favorite part of making the app?

what's a song that matches your cabin's vibes?

is your cabin based on a fandom? if so, do you like that fandom?

have you ever participated in a bandwagon? if so, which one was your favorite?

got any random swc trivia you want to share?

who's your favorite mascot?

what's your favorite session theme you've seen?

thanks for answering ;D I know it was a lot lol
LovegoodLady
Scratcher
500+ posts

lune's old writing thread (retiring soon)

critique for melody <33

heyy melody!! this app is great, and with some tweaking I think you're definitely on the road to success here.

about me:

nitpicks

you'll probably want to capitalize your i's here <3 she in she/her shouldn't be capitalized. I, personally, think that exclamation points shouldn't be used twice in a row in apps, to avoid clunkiness and looking sloppy (which you don't, it just tends to miff me slightly)! also make sure to capitalize the start of sentences.

larger things

my main thing would be expanding on this. this is a section for us to get to know you personally, and you don't want to seem like a stranger! i'd add probably two more paragraphs about your hobbies along with an explanation of what they mean to you (which you do very well), and then add a little closing note such as ‘well, there you go! thanks for enduring my rambles <3’

previous participation:

nitpicks

you double space (as in line spacing) here in your past sessions list and nowhere else in the section and—for the most part— nowhere in the app, which is a bit jarring— i'd suggest picking one to use consistently (I suggest double space, but either work)!

capitalize your i's <33

larger things

once again, i'd add some more details— what is your leadership experience like? what has each session taught you? have you done any other scratch camps? what does leadership mean to you (less so on this one as the question doesn't specifically ask for it, but I do suggest adding a bit of it in perhaps)?

cabin prefs:

nitpicks

cabin shouldn't be capitalized, sandiego should be! refer to my earlier note about exclamation notes as well. and correct me if i'm wrong but wouldn't your non-fi cabin fit better in historical fiction?

no need to repeat yourself on that last little part!

larger things

nothing much, just make sure your 1900s cabin is appropriate, as some things in that time could be triggering for some swcers.

time stuff:

nitpicks

from now on just assume the exclamation mark thing counts for all answers <3

larger things

elaborate on both, I'd say— mention how your schedule will compare across months and even between weekdays and weekends for the first part, and then take note on how you're improving your weaknesses perhaps in the second one!

communication and accountability:

nitpicks

n/a besides the exclamation mark thing!

larger things

i'd say a lot of expanding is needed here. what are your weaknesses in communication? how do you respond to problems? what do you do if something comes up?

as well, make sure to get into the accountability part for both yourself and others— I don't see anything about it here. how do you communicate when you can't get something done, or one of your (co)leaders is struggling with deadlines?

impact:

nitpicks

capitalize your i's!

larger things

please please expand on this <33 it's going in a good direction, but make it truly personal to you— how does swc impact you in a way that can't just be applied to any other camper? it needs to be specific and true to you. some ideas would be mention how you found it, why you stayed, what about it keeps you happy!

for part b, just really really expand. do you have any specific ideas? how do you intend to connect and bond with your campers? how are you going to forge those friendships with them? I also wouldn't use forceful words like ‘make’— try ‘encourage’ or ‘inspire.’

cabin atmosphere:

nitpicks

it looks more professional to scrap ‘the cabin atmosphere i’m aiming for' and replace it with a nice ‘a ____ cabin with ____’ or ‘with a focus/centering around ___…’

i'd also put quotations marks around the first part and add a character count in parentheses at the end!!

larger things

this'll be similar to the impact question! make it personal to your cabin, and give a detailed explanation of how you're going to do these things.

checkboxes:

I wouldn't put n/a for the last one— i'd restate it like you did with the others. you also seem to have skipped the adding points one!!

format:

it's always nice to be able to find specific answers easily— so i'd suggest using consistent and clear spacing and bolding / underlining / italicizing your answer titles!


overall, you've got a really strong app— you mainly need to focus on grammar and adding details. YOU GOT THIS <3

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