November 2 269 words

(Spokesperson)
There are many things that are great about SWC. We all love it, that's one thing! But there's also two downsides (the only ones, keep that in mind!): 1) it only happens three times a year, and 2) face it, SWC is complicated. However, there is one solution to this all: small camps. We could do, you know, like, two to three week camps in January, May, and September. And to solve the second problem?
We could only have five cabins, the original five, to bring back tradition. Non-Fiction, Novel, Short Story, Poem, and Script. There would be a limit of one hundred people, so twenty for every cabin.
What about word counts? Lets say person A has a word count of 20k, person B has 2k, and person C has 15k for their word goals. This means that the cabin has a word goal of 37k. Now lets say that the cabin writed 39k words. That means that they wrote an extra two thousand, meaning they get two thousand extra points. To continue with the words, you MUST show proof. Yes, SWC has an honor system — and yes, like always, there will be those few people who will cheat the system. With the placement of this new setup, the much-enjoyed Word Wars would have to be discontinued. The only way to know if someone does the Word War fairely is in-person, which is not what SWC currently has.

(Spokesperson 2)
Well spoken! Thank you for joining us in today in this episode section of “SWC”, and we turn back to (spokesperson) for the book recommendation of today!

Daily 2


This article focuses on what your priorities should be. SWC is so much fun and enjoyable! And some may want to stay up all night working on dailies and weeklies. Except for the fact that it isn't healthy to be writing instead of sleeping. Sleep is used for the body to perform properly. So please do get some sleep! Another thing is that school is way more important. Turning in school work surpasses the need to turn in dailies or weeklies. Your grades are so much more important! They are important for your education. Your health and education is a top priority for anything, even SWC. It's hard to focus on other things, but it's important to put down that writing utensil or shut your computer down. Also remember that anything in real life is more important. Take breaks if needed, as it's important to step back. Writing is a cool way to express yourself, so don't stress about it! SWC is meant to encourage you to write. It's not meant to force you to write against your will. SWC is meant to be fun for people to interact and write. So all in all, have fun and take care of yourself!

Weekly #1

Dearest Adventure Kingdom Citizen,
How goes it in the past? I've looked for a portal screen that leads me to you, but I can't seem to find one… anyway, I suppose I'll just have to stick with the Spicy Mango Sauce Cafe for now. You all seem to have a pretty good start, at least as far as the first three hours go. How are you writing though, from where you are? Are you writing everything on paper? And if so, how do you log on to add it? Was there some sort of secret medieval computer that historians still don't know about? That would be cool. Best of luck this session!
Your sibling, Bizarro Fiction Cinema Citizen.

Dear Dystopian Realm Citizen,
It must be super cool to live in the Dystopian Realm, even though I'm sure it's a challenge daily. But it's such a creative application of the genre! The only thing wrong with it is that you aren't nearly friendly enough to us at Bi-Fi. I suppose that's how it goes, though. I wouldn't want to be allies with such a desolate and terrible place, anyway. If you celestials can't learn to be kinder to your accidental visitors, I'm going to want nothing to do with you for a very long time.
Your enemy, Bizarro Fiction Cinema Citizen

Dear Fantasy Steampunk Sanctuary Citizen,
Ooh, a sub-genre! They're so rare, I don't think I've ever seen one before! You look super interesting. Living in a steampunk world sounds super intriguing, honestly. Super high tech, but simply, somehow low tech at the same time. And of course the chaos. You can't have steampunk without chaos. But do you have to be so decrepit and hard to survive in? It seems like, if you can have all this technology built only from steam, you'd have the ability to provide a better quality of life for your people. Are you doing anything to work on this?
Your enemy, Bizarro Fiction Cinema Citizen


Dear Mystery Express Citizen,
Trains. They're pretty terrifying, aren't they? I'm amazed how you all just… live on them all the time. Hi-Fi does too, to some extent. It's incredible. Trains are pretty incredible too, I suppose. But they seem to be the location of a lot of strange happenings. How do you know when you step on a train that you aren't about to witness a murder, or become hopelessly wrapped up in a mystery the police and detectives don't know how to even begin to solve? I suppose that's part of the point, isn't it? Mysteries and trains are both pretty exciting.
Your neutral, Bizarro Fiction Cinema Citizen

Dear Naan Fiction Bread house Citizen,
I'd love to hear about your gluten-free options. Eating gluten doesn't spell the end of the world for me, but I'm much better off if I avoid it. You all seem like the type of breadhouse to care for the well-being of your customers, at least more than some other places out there. It would be my pleasure if I could stop by and see (and taste) for myself your wonderful edible productions, but I'm afraid I'm a bit busy at the moment. Trying not to die tends to take up quite a bit of time. All the best!
Your Neutral, Bizarro Fiction Cinema Citizen

Dear Thriller Ocean Expedition Citizen,
I feel like your cabin maybe doesn't follow the best protocol for taking care of you and your fellow Citizens. Is this true? Or did I maybe imagine some of the danger you are being knowingly placed in? I suppose I shouldn't be the one saying this, for a multitude of reasons. I've been a citizen of I've cabins myself, and the two that actually took care of me definitely make up the minority of that number. Anyway, I hope you all successfully stay safe and the loss of life is minimal!
Your Neutral, Bizarro Fiction Cinema Citizen


Dear Fan Fiction Time Travel Agency Citizen,
I must know, how dangerous is your job? Do you risk being trapped in time daily? Do you ever make a mistake that has ramifications far, far into the future? What happens if you end up in the wrong place at the wrong time? Have you ever talked to your past self? There are so many questions when it comes to time travel, and so many possibilities. How do you make sure you're making ethical choices? And, in the views of some, perhaps most importantly, when will you be sharing this technology with the rest of humanity?
Your curious neutral, Bizarro Fiction Cinema Citizen

Dearest Folklore Trails Citizen,
Ah, the other new kid! We're super cool, aren't we? New kids for the win! However you're obviously the cooler of the two of us, and no denying it this time. I'd love to visit your trails sometime. I really enjoy being out in nature. However… I do prefer my time spent in nature to include minimal danger, and something gives me the sense that in your trails, this isn't exactly the case. I hope you're holding up alright through whatever twists and turns the trails are throwing at you!
Your New Cabins Alliance member, Bizarro Fiction Cinema Citizen

Dear Historical Fiction Train Robbery Citizen,
You don't stand a chance. I'm sorry. Well… not really. I suppose I should try to be a bit more nice to you, even if we are the worst of enemies. But I'm tired. I'm sure you're pretty cool. I guess. Sometimes I wish I were able to see your good qualities, but I'm firmly stuck in the mindset that we at Bi-Fi are better than you. And I'm not going to apologize for having a bit of confidence. I hope you lose this session and fail to gain any gold out of the endeavour. Worst wishes,
Your Mortal Enemy, Bizarro Fiction Cinema Citizen

Dear Realistic Fiction Inn Citizen,
What's up with your whole evil vibe? You know, a much more effective way to earn money is to treat your customers respectfully, and well, follow the law. As your enemy, I obviously don't know much about what you're really doing in there, but from the outside, it looks pretty bad. Tell me, just how exactly do you manage to lure so many people into such an old, run-down inn that really doesn't look that safe? Is there some sort of twisted trickery amok? You know what? I don't want to know. You keep your terrible secrets to yourself
Your enemy, Bizarro Fiction Cinema Citizen

Dear Lost and Found Horror Citizen,
You're really creepy, you know that? I'm not really a fan of creepy. I suppose you have to be. You're Horror, after all. But is that fair? Who says Horror doesn't get to be a happy, fun, birthday party? Who was it that decided you have to be terrifying? It doesn't seem very fair or kind to me. But I suppose it's not really up to me, is it? Do you like being scary? Scaring away everyone who comes near? Do you find that fun? If not, what would you change, and how? I know we're only neutrals, but I'd like to help you if I can.
Yours, Bizarro Fiction Cinema Citizen

Dear Poetry Isle of Fame Citizen,
Isn't a competition within a competition a little over the top? A bit much maybe? I don't know. I'm not you, so I can't really say. Maybe I'd understand you better if I wasn't fighting you all the time. And your ridiculously high competitive spirit makes that a little difficult sometimes… oh, is that the point? I suppose that would make quite a lot of sense, actually. Best of luck not getting tired out from thinking you're better than everyone else! And please don't try very hard to win!
Your enemy, Bizarro Fiction Cinema Citizen

Dearest Science Fiction Simulation Citizen,
Can I just say you're super epic? It must be pretty stressful to disappear into another dimension with no way to get back, but it also sounds like a kind of epic experience, and you'll certainly have a bunch of really cool stories to tell once you get out of there. What's SWC like from other dimensions? What about Scratch in general? Are there any big differences, or is it mostly the same? And how do you communicate between dimensions to log your dailies and weeklies? Sorry, it's just your situation has piqued my curiosity. It's so interesting!
Your Sibling, Bizarro Fiction Cinema Citizen

Dearest Script the Musical Citizen,
What's it like knowing the Schuyler sisters? Are they all you ever imagined? Do they actually kind of suck? You're so lucky to have met them, and the Phantom. I hope you manage to make it out alive, but if you don't, is it really that bad? Living in a musical forever? It sounds pretty cool to me. Except, it's probably pretty dangerous. What if you suck at singing? What fo you do then? What if you get stuck in the middle of a battle? Is it even possible to die while trapped in a musical? I have so many questions!
Your sibling, Bizarro Fiction Cinema Citizen (1528 words)

╔══ ≪ daily two ≫ ══╗

“ Our SWC magazine, The Postscript, will be open for submissions all through November! Today, start working on an article about any SWC-related topic; once you've written at least 200 words, you can claim 100 points for your cabin. We encourage you to finish off your article before the end of the month and submit it to Robyno's (@-redredrobin-) profile (they should have a project shared by the end of the month) for publication! ”

This is my (admittedly short) article focusing on word goals! Hopefully, this will explain anything that you may have to ask about word goals in SWC!

What is a word goal?
A word goal is a goal that you'll set for yourself to write during the month of SWC! This could range from anywhere between 100 words to 100 thousand words, and it depends on your plans for the month and how much you think you are capable of achieving. Word goals should be a motivation for the month, and they should also be realistic – there's no point in making a word goal too high or too low.

Why set a word goal?
Word goals are motivating! Imagine your future self reaching that oh-so-desirable word goal at some point in the next month – wouldn't you feel proud at your amazing achievement? By setting a word goal, you can realistically plan out your writing over that certain period of time, all the while feeling accomplished and in control of your writing habits, which I know from experience feels amazing! There is also the in-swc benefits, of course: most cabins will reward you for passing/reaching your word goal, and if you like to participate in in-cabin activities, this would be an incredible way to prove your passion towards SWC!

How do you know what to set your word goal as?
This is simple enough! If you've ever done SWC or kept track of your writing habits before, you should have a basic idea of your wpm and the amount of words you can write in a month. Then, you simply take into account what will affect the averages you already have – would it be school, a writing class or maybe an extracurricular activity! For example, last session I wrote 40,000 words, but that was without school. Seeing as I will have less time this session, I set my word goal as 25,000 words.

Hopefully this will help you somewhat in setting a word goal in the future!

(339 words)

Main Cabin Daily- Nov 2
318 words

Today, start working on an article about any SWC-related topic

Word Wars

Word wars. Yes, word wars. You might be asking, “How does a war of words even work?” Well come join Scratch Writing Camp (SWC) to find out! SWC is a trianual online camp where writers across the globe join together to write. Every camper gets placed in a cabin. The goal is the get the most points. You can get point a by one of the following: games, activities, daily writing challenges, weekly writing challenges, competitions, cabin wars, and today’s topic, word wars.

Word wars are when campers from different cabins compete against each other to see who can write the most words in a set amount of time. The campers participating in the round can pick an optional prompt. You win by writing the most words between each other. If you do win the war, then points get awarded to you cabin. Always a good thing! If you don’t win then you can participate in as many as you want until you win- but you can only win and gets points once. Word wars are a great source of inspiring flows of creativity as you have to continuously write for as little as a minute.

In SWC there’s not just word wars, there’s also cabin wars! Which basically are, exactly how it sounds, wars against cabins. Someone from another cabin (cabin A) wars another cabin (Cabin B) with a premade war from the main cabin and cabin B has to complete that war in a set amount of time or else the lose points. If the complete the war then they win points.

Lastly, there’s so much more than expressed above. The community is like no other, there are storylines to each cabin, and other miscellaneous activities. Now that you now about some of the things that go on in Scratch Writing Camp, you really should consider joining. I promise, you’ll have an amazing time!

weekly (nov 2 — nov 9)
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Total Words: 1717
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Letter to Poetry (105 words)

Dear Poetry,
Hello allies!
I’m sending mangoes over to you guys- best of luck in our little game, but not best best of luck—I’ll always be ahead of you
I was minding my own buisiness the other day, hanging out with my creature friends, when suddenly they ran away?! Don’t know why.
Anyway, how’s it going? You’re cool, I’ll admit— one of the few who’s actually getting mangoes. The good kind. Let me know if you want cookies, too— those are popular.
I’m trying to be nice to my friends, but sometimes it’s hard to even be nice to anyone. You know?
Sincerely, Fantasy
•*.-.-.-.-.-.-.*•

Letter to Sci-Fi (126 words)

To Sci-Fi,
I feel weird writing to you since, you’re not my friend. The opposite, really. But I’ll say what I need to say. If you want, I’ll give you cookies—totally not poisoned. Totally.
Do you like looking at the clouds? I could get lost in them. The sky is pretty interesting.
Sorry, I’m trying to find something to talk about— I do that a lot. I wouldn’t write this letter if I didn’t get a prize for it, if I’ll be completely honest with you. Even though I’m really energetic and all that, I can’t talk to anyone. Remember, the cookies aren’t poisoned. The reason they smell weird is because it’s a special secret ingredient that makes it 100x better… totally.
From, Fantasy
•*.-.-.-.-.-.-.*•

Letter to Folklore (106 words)

Dearest Folklore,
Helloooo!
There’s a lot of cool stuff that happened to me today. So instead, I’ll give you something boring that happened yesterday. Cause we’re like siblings or something, it’s my job to annoy you lol.
So I went to school and my teachers gave me homework that was hard. The only not hard homework was my short story analysis, which I literally already did. I always get English homework done early, and I have a perfect score in English. I’m literally so proud of myself about that.
Yeah, told you it was boring. No cookies for you, poisoned or not! <3
Sending sibling love,
Fantasy
•*.-.-.-.-.-.-.*•

Letter to Thriller (113 words)

Dear Thriller
Neutrals!
Hello, how are you? I’m doing okay, could be better though. A flock of birds just let their droppings on me. Ugh. I honestly hate birds. Some are okay, like magical eagles who’s wings spread out super wide and powerful.
But some birds are just annoying.
Anyway, has anything weird happened to you recently? Related to your genre? Cause all my mystical creature friends ran away, still can’t find them. But i heard the neigh of a Pegasus nearby. A little odd, if you’ll ask me.
But all that aside. I’m enjoying life mostly. I got cookies recently. And they weren’t poisoned. For once. I’ll give you a couple.
From Fantasy
•*.-.-.-.-.-.-.*•

Letter to Adventure (127 words)

Greetings Adventure,
A cold welcome to you—again, I don’t recognize you as a friend. But why can’t I pretend we’re friends for now maybe. Let’s redo that.
Hello adventure! What’s up?
The cold welcome wasn’t actually that cold anyways— the icicles on the door were starting to melt.
Have you seen a Pegasus nearby? I keep hearing her neigh. It’s like, really bothering me by now. She went missing yesterday. Still haven’t found her and I don’t know whether to be annoyed or worried. I guess I’m both, does that make me ignorant? I can’t tell. I didn’t just lose a Pegasus. I also lost an eagle, but he’s less important to me. Let me know what you find, if I can trust you.
Sincerely, Fantasy
•*.-.-.-.-.-.-.*•

Letter to Dystopian (128 words)

To Our Friend Dystopian
Ah, a friend. Hello! It’s kind of been a couple days since I wrote a letter. Want some mangoes or cookies? How are you? I’m doing good! I found all the creatures I was looking for earlier, except Spike the Speedy. You like the name? He’s a turtle, so you wouldn’t expect him to do this but he literally moves at the speed of light. It’s no wonder I can’t catch him.
Moving on from my animals, who I’ve talked about a lot, let’s talk about winter. It’s coming and it’s coming harsh. It’s already freezing. Winter will feel like negative ten thousand degrees. I have coats but I still don’t like winter… I’ll beat you up this month in competition!
Best regards,
Fantasy
•*.-.-.-.-.-.-.*•

Letter to Mystery (121 words)

Dear Mystery,
Hello friendly neutrals.
How are you? Peggy, my pegasus, isn’t feeling well so I have to take care of her. I mean, she came back from a crazy forest.
I do see something weird going on with my animals but I just need to piece it all together, if you know what I mean. My eagle is fine but next thing you know, I could be saying he’s out too. I’m keeping a watch over them all. And i still need to find my turtle. I think we’re getting closer though. Our traps are more and more effective—yeah, we have to trap him because he moves at the speed of light.
Anyway,
(Mostly) Good luck out there,
Fantasy
•*.-.-.-.-.-.-.*•

Letter to Script (132 words)

Greetings Script,
If I’m gonna be honest, your just epic. Just saying, lol.
How are you doing? I hope your epic. Cause you are- sorry, I’ll stop lol.
Seriously- I don’t care if you were my enemy, ally, or neutral- you’re my favorite.
Anyway….
I just remembered I have to work on math homework, ugh.
Who likes math anyways? Like, no offense to the math kids out there but math sucks in general.. so confusing. Numbers are just numbers and they can’t make any more sense than that.
I’d rather hang out with animals. Speaking of that. My Pegasus is feeling better, but now my eagles sick— I stilllll don’t get it.
If you’re wondering where my turtle is, I’m not worried. Believe it or not, it’s happened before.
Best Wishes, Fantasy
•*.-.-.-.-.-.-.*•

Letter to Non-Fi (110 words)

Hey Non-Fi,
Craziest thing ever just happened. Ever! I found my missing turtle— surely you’ve found out about all that by now— but there’s a goblin in the forest who had captured him— which is why he took so long to find. The goblin is all alone, and apparently, he poisoned Peggy and Goldie (my eagle)
It’s crazy, right? I still can’t believe it. But, I have to put all that aside for now.
How y’all doing, allies? I haven’t been able to make cookies for a while because of my whole animal situation, lol, but I’ll give you mangoes if you want, I still have some.
From Fantasy
•*.-.-.-.-.-.-.*•

Letter to Hi-Fi (135 words)

Greetings Hi-Fi!
I have news, more exciting than anything going over there. I failed history class, haha.
Don’t worry, I’m just playing, except for the failing history class- that’s true.
I’m hunting down a goblin, probably more interesting than whatever history lesson yall are doing—
I’m not doing very well at my job— I’ll admit that, okay. But I’m very optimistic, energetic, and determined. Goblins are kind of gross though. I’ve only seen one once, they’re rare, you know, and let’s just say I’m not excited to see this one. But he poisoned my creatures and nearly poisoned my turtle. I think it’s payback time. Right? In the meantime, I have a friend who’s figuring out the cure for the poison.
So that’s my adventure— how’s yours?
Wishing you not-so-good luck,
Fantasy
•*.-.-.-.-.-.-.*•

Letter to Bi-Fi (120 words)

Dear Bi-Fi,
What is bizarro fiction? I haven’t even heard of it.
Okay I just looked it up.
Unfortunately, it sounds like a really cool genre, so I can’t insult it, even if you’re our enemies.
Plus- “bi” is literally in your name
Whatever- if you know you know.
I would say there’s a lot of news except right now I’m just bored and things have stayed the same for a while.
To sum it all up though:
Basically Im on an adventure right now
My life’s so exciting lol!
How’s your life?
Bet it’s not that exciting. Hope it isn’t, at least, cause I want to laugh at someone right now
Sincerely, or not so sincerely, whatever, Fantasy
•*.-.-.-.-.-.-.*•

Letter to Fan-Fi (143 words)

Hey Fan-fiiiiii!
I just captured a goblin. Feeling so amazing right now! I’m about to banish him from the forest permanently with my magic. And how are you?
Honestly my whole life is just talking about myself. I do that a lot. I maybe shouldn’t do that so much but does it actually matter…
I’m writing a letter—you won’t respond immediately. But still.
Has anything exciting happened?
Anything weird happened?
Written any you know—okay nevermind—
But sometimes I feel like when I ask questions I’m invading privacy and I’m asking too much. But that’s just me.
Probably not true, probably.
I’ve also probably done that a few times though.
I read a cool book about cats. It was called Warning Cats or something.
Wait, I think it was Warrior Cats, yeah it was that. It was really good!
From, Fantasy
•*.-.-.-.-.-.-.*•

Letter to Horror (127 words)

Hi Horror!
(Omg I just said an alliteration— sorry, I notice weird things like that)
I think my story conflict was resolved.
In my real life.
I banished a goblin from a forest, my friend found the cure to the poison called Death Potion.
Guess it’s not real death if it can be cured. Everyone’s feeling great now and things are back to normal. How are you? I really like the genre horror, not gonna lie. Scary things are really cool. I’ve read really scary stuff, but instead of scarring me for life, I just want to read it over and over.
Do you like a genre that makes you want to read it over and over?
Then youll understand what I’m talking about better.
From Fantasy
•*.-.-.-.-.-.-.*•

Letter to Real-Fi (124 words)

What’s up Real-Fi?
My life just keeps getting more interesting, huh. A volcano just erupted nearby and destroyed the forest. A lot of it. And now I’m sad. But at least me and my creatures are okay.
You aren’t anywhere near the volcano, but are you okay too?
How are you?
I might have to move to a new forest which also makes me sad.
Hopefully I can stay here, but we have magic from the forest. If the forest is gone, magic is gone. Can you recommend any good, thick forests?
It would be like super helpful right now lol.
Don’t worry about me by the way! Life happens and I’m still going super strong! Still better than you hehe
Thanks,
Fantasy
•*.-.-.-.-.-.-.*•

In-Cabin Weekly #1 (WIP)

Table of Contents

Dear future self,

Today the daily for swc was to write a letter to your future self. While I've already done my letter for the daily (find that here) I thought it would be fun to write a monthly letter to myself. It's currently November 11th and in the future, I'll probably write my letter during the first couple of days of the month, but since I just got this idea I'm going to have to write my first letter halfway through the month. I just had my birthday a couple of days ago and I got a bunch of new books that I'm super excited to read! My goal is to read Stellarune this month as well as my Rebels graphic novel. I also got the Lunar Chronicles and the Shadow and Bone trilogy, but I'm kind of getting more December vibes from those so I'll have to wait a couple of weeks to read them lol. Since I broke my phone a few weeks ago I lost all my snap streaks with people and since a couple of had been going for over a hundred days I'm kind of sad that I lost htem all. Luckily, I got a new phone (with phone service too :0) so I can start up all of my streaks again. Also, I'm currently in guitar and we might be doing a concert thing for parents next month and I'm not so sure how I feel about that haha. This is actually starting to feel more like a diary entry than a letter to my future self so I should probably get back on track. (I usually write journal entries on paper, but maybe I should start typing them out! It's a lot easier to type as fast as I type and spill all my thoughts onto my google doc. Now for questions (in an attempt to get us back on track and so that this letter doesn't go on forever. Have you finished your tbr for November? Did you get your math grade back up to an A in time for midterms (or at least by the end of the month?) How was Eliana's birthday? Have you set up your phone and laptop yet? Did you get caught up on all of your youtube notifications? How was swc? Did you meet your word goal? Did you enter the writing competition? I think I should probably start to wrap this up now. I can''t wait to reply to this in a month!

Your chaotic self,
Adaia

– Words

Weekly #1 (will format later </3), 1610 words

Dear Radventure (also known as the Luslaytie cabin),

Greetings, dear siblings, and a warm congratulations for reaching first place in the leaderboard. While this is undoubtedly due to the fact that your cabin is alphabetically superior to all others, it is nevertheless a worthy achievement to note that three of your campers completed the daily within about three and a half hours of its release.

Your cabin theme and activities are very creative, and I have enjoyed stalking observing as your medieval monster-fighting storyline begins to unfold. If I were a camper rather than a personified cabin, I would feel very lucky to have been sorted into your cabin. Nevertheless, I will eagerly follow your cabin’s progress from afar.

Yours,

Script

To our dear hostile neutral Discopain,

Congratulations on getting second place, your lead will not last. <3 Script will inevitably crush you as we make our victorious climb to first place. Now that we have that promise out of the way, I would like to compliment you on the soothing feel of your cabin aesthetic and storyline. Even though I do not know much about it, I can tell that your campers will be very pleased to partake in your cabin activities and plot.

Best of luck in the coming month, and I hope that you do not get last place.

Thank you,

Script

Dear Fantasy, what to say to you?

You are our favorite ally, and every time I see your thumbnails and projects, I am filled with endless awe. The animals contained in your sanctuary are adorable and fluffy, and I wanted to reach out about your adoption policies. Script is in need of a mascot this session, so please let me know if you have a creature that may fit well with our cabin. Preferably, one that can handle high levels of noise, since rehearsals can get quite rowdy. I can assure you that any adopted pet will be well taken care of, and the Script campers will likely be very excited to spoil their new mascot.

Eagerly awaiting your response,

Script

At this point I changed the style of the weekly to be requests from Script to ally for cabin wars fdsjklfdas sorry about the inconsistency, I just was having trouble writing the same letter over and over again :’)

Dearest Folklore,

My dear potential ally, I am somewhat ashamed to admit that I do not know much about your storyline or activities, other than the fact that it has something to do with leaves and flowers. However, I would like to remedy this oversight by extending an olive branch (more literally, a box of definitely-not-poisoned cookies) and a request to set up a meeting to get to know each other better. I am intrigued by how you are faring in your first session of SWC, and, from one new cabin to another, I believe that we could mutually benefit from an alliance.

Sincerely,

Script

P.S. Please note that as a theater person, I am not very good at baking cookies, but know that they were not deliberately poisoned. :)

Dear Fan-fi,

I am delighted to have received your request to ally for the upcoming Cabin Wars, but must regretfully inform you that we have, unfortunately, already reached our full capacity for Allies. However, in the interest of maintaining our friendly relationship, I would like to extend the offer to become friendly neutrals. We will refrain from attacking each other during cabin wars, yet, in understanding of Fan-fi’s tendency toward betrayal, I will allow that you attack us a couple times, as long as you hold back your blows in exchange for a few opportunities for a counterattack.

In eager anticipation of your reply,

Script

P.S. Wari says hi to her former cabin.

My dear sibling Bi-fi,

I know, that as siblings, we may have had our differences in the past, but I would like to try to remedy our relationship with the possibility of an alliance. I know you are new to Scratch Writing Camp, but as a newcomer myself last session, I can help you overcome some of the most common hurdles as you start to explore this new experience. No matter what happened in the past, I know that we can both overlook your whimsical tendencies, and hopefully we can both remain serious enough to survive the onslaught that the future holds in store.

Yours,

Script

Hi Sci-fi!

I tried to reach out to you by text, but unfortunately, I don’t think my plan covers other dimensions. Hopefully this letter does a better job of crossing the interdimensional gap.

Anyway, I wanted to let you know that the Sibling Hangout has run out of mango juice. I believe that there is currently a surplus of the product in Universe 22B, so could you bring us some as soon as possible? Adventure and Bi-fi are getting cranky, and we might have to resort to stealing fruit from the other cabins to compensate. And Cabin Wars won’t be for another week, so we don’t want to start any premature fights.

Thanks!

- Script

Dear Horror,

Congratulations on the creative theme that you have decided to use. A lost and found seems like a perfect place to strike fear into the hearts of innocent campers.

In fact, that is why I’m reaching out! Unfortunately, I seem to have misplaced the props for the next act of the Script Musical, so could you take a look and see if anyone has turned it into the Horror Lost and Found? If so, please send them back as soon as possible.

We need those props to continue our storyline, and I don’t think the campers will buy that the Phantom stole them.

With gratitude,

Script

To the esteemed Foetry cabin,

I apologize for the nickname, but you must agree that it is appropriate given the strained relationships that we have been experiencing. I am reaching out to let you know that I wish you good luck on your endeavors this session, and I hope that you have an enjoyable time, even though Script is sure to take first place. I admit that your cabin thumbnail looks cool, but since you refused to sort me into one of your word groups, I must take this as a sign of betrayal, and show you no mercy during cabin wars.

Respectfully,

Script

To whom it may concern at [censored word]

Greetings from Script. Although I may admit that your cabin is very cool, I am primarily writing to let you know that you have kidnapped our phantom, and we need him back. Our storyline does not make very much sense without the phantom, and we need him to send everyone back to 1776 if they complete all the in-cabin activities.

If you can’t send him back, then please ask him to set up correspondence with Script so that he can issue challenges, remotely destroy the theater, etc. At least make sure he doesn’t get eaten by a sea beast before the end of the month.

Thank you for reading,

Script

Members of the Mystery Express,

Given that our phantom has been kidnapped by Thriller, I am writing to you to discuss your willingness to aid us in other manners of escape from 1776. I have been led to believe that you are in possession of a train, upon which a mystery is afoot. I humbly ask that you inform us of any magical properties that your train may have. If it has the ability to travel across time periods, please send it to the Script Theater in New York City, 1776, so that campers may return to their normal lives.

Awaiting your response,

Script

Dear Employees of the Naan-fi Breadhouse,

Given that high-quality food in 1776 is rather expensive, I wanted to reach out about your interdimensional food delivery options. We would like enough bread to last about 30 campers until the end of the month, as well as any other food that you serve. Please respond with the approximate price of these items. If I decide to go ahead with the order, deliver the food to the Script Theater in New York City, 1776.

Yours,

Script

P.S. You know what, please double the order. Randomly bursting into song and dance takes a lot out of our campers. As a treat, we invite the delivery people to attend one of our rehearsals, and get the autographs of the Schuyler sisters.

Dear Hi-fi,

I began this letter to request that you lend us your interdimensional train at the end of the month, but upon further research, I have realized that your leaders seem to be filthy vagabonds intent on stealing Script’s riches.

Therefore, be warned that we have a phantom that will likely haunt you if you try to steal from us, as well as about 30 campers armed with Hamilton lyrics that will spam your cabin until you give the points back. Keep this in mind as you turn your greedy eyes toward our beloved theater.

Consider yourselves warned,

Script

To Squeal-fi:

This is an official complaint from Script in regard to the intended slander that has been placed in your cabin description. You clearly have us noted down as Scribbles, which is intended to be an insult, but unfortunately for you, only proves our ultimate supremacy. After all, scribbles earn us points, and we shall scribble our way to the top of the leaderboard soon enough. You may say that there is currently no evidence behind my words, but you shall see that we will inevitably rise up.

Thank you for the motivation,

Script

P.S. Does your inn sell cookies?

Daily-
SWC, or Scratch Writing Camp, has officially kicked off for its November 2022 Session! A long-awaited event, the tri-annual camp runs in March, July, and November. With a maximum of 500 participants per session, the Scratch Writing camp has always been a popular way for writers of every background to connect and fall back in love with their craft. Looking back at the first session of SWC in 2017, the number of campers per cabin is generally the same, although maybe less in a few cases. The amount of cabins has drastically increased- from 6 to 14- adding many new genres and opportunities for Scratchers to become involved. However, many traditions have remained the same. Every participant created a word goal for themselves at the beginning of the session and attempted to complete it before the end. There was one leader per cabin. and two co-leaders. Even though many things have remained the same, there have also been changes. Many campers had ‘writing buddies’, which I have not been aware of today. There also was not a daily activity, and campers were encouraged to complete work on personal projects. The images for studios were also very uniform and cabin storylines had not yet been introduced. The camp was also not confined to a month, and instead ran from June 19th to July 8th, making it a total of 20 days. Another thing that has definitely been consistent is the Cabin Wars. Fun fact: during WC17 (Writing Camp 2017, the old name for SWC) the winner was Poem! We'll see if they can avenge history this year!
Thank you for joining me for this mini SWC history lesson, and enjoy the SWC November 2022 session!
-@silver_skies

ack I'll format this later

Main Cabin


November 2 Daily

Prompt: Our SWC magazine, The Postscript, will be open for submissions all through November! Today, start working on an article about any SWC-related topic; once you've written at least 200 words, you can claim 100 points for your cabin. We encourage you to finish off your article before the end of the month and submit it to Robyno's (@-redredrobin-) profile (they should have a project shared by the end of the month) for publication!

Response: Most of us have experienced a family gathering that dissolved into a political argument, or have seen the fierce conflict between two rival sports teams. It’s just human nature to separate into competing factions that battle for supremacy. Scratch Writing Camp itself is split into fifteen cabins, each one with the goal of reaching the most points by the end of the session. So how, then, do we maintain such cordiality between the members of enemy cabins? What is our secret?
Today, I, Wild, ventured into the Main Cabin to get to the bottom of this mystery. Literally “get to the bottom,” as it turned out. It took much scrolling within the Main Cabin of SWC to make my first big discovery. People were commenting things such as “#HORRORFTW” and “#RealFiFTW,” clearly communicating the belief that their own cabin is the best. But the response from rival cabins? Assuming that autocorrect made a mistake, and that they meant to say a different cabin name! Then the original commenter will then assume that the SECOND person’s autocorrect had erred! Yes, any ill will that could possibly have arisen from such a disagreement is immediately blocked by the power of falsely blaming autocorrect!
The implications of this discovery could be profound. As more and more communication is being done digitally, could autocorrect possibly be the thing that saves us all from having to argue all the time? What about the “I think you made a typo” variant of this occurrence? More research is needed to understand this amazing phenomenon.

November 3 Daily

Prompt: Quick! Look directly to your right - what is the first object you see? Congratulations, it's now the main ingredient in your Object Smoothie! Write 300 words persuading your fellow campers that your smoothie is actually delicious for 300 points. An extra 100 points if you share your writing!

Response: “Hey, what would happen if I put a tissue box into a blender?” Wild pondered, holding an empty tissue box and eyeing the blender curiously.
“No,” Rain responded. “Absolutely not. Not this again.”
Chaos popped up out of somewhere. “Hey, it’s not like we don’t have an unlimited supply of blenders,” she reasoned. “So yes, go find out if tissue boxes make good smoothies.”
“Wh-” Rain began to say, then stopped. “You know what, I don’t even know why I bother arguing with you guys anymore.”
“I cannot die,” Parsnip announced, emerging from a wall. “Wait, did someone say ‘smoothies?’”

Two hours and a huge mess later, a giant, pale brown heap of goop had been concocted in an enormous bowl.
“Why did we make so much, again?” River asked. She was completely drenched in tissue box pulp after showing up right as the Fifteenth Great Blender Explosion was taking place.
“…Wild’s Homemade Tissue Box Smoothies…” Parsnip suggested, appearing thoughtful, and also covered in blobs of tissue box.
River paused for a moment, then tentatively licked some of the goop off of her shoulder. “You know, it doesn’t taste that bad… Then again, I don’t actually have taste buds right now.”
“I know, I’ll try to give some out to my fellow SWCers!,” Wild chimed in, their wings dripping with blended box as well. “They’d be just the people to try something this ridiculous. Be right back!”

Wild arrived at the SWC Main Cabin in human form once more, dragging a crate of bottled tissue box smoothies behind them. She crept in unnoticed and began setting up their smoothie stand in the corner of the room, opposite the board where the Daily was posted.
As other campers passed by, the “Homemade Tissue Box Smoothies” sign barely got any weird looks. ‘That’s odd,’ Wild thought. ‘I would have assumed that tissue box smoothies would be treated at least a LITTLE unusually. Then again, this IS Scratch Writing Camp, weird stuff happens all the time.’
Still, no one was stopping by, so Wild got bored and began looking around the massive cabin. There were many other stands set up, seemingly also selling something. Or… failing to sell something? For the number of stands, it didn’t appear that many business transactions were going on. ‘Okay, something’s definitely up. I better go check this out.’
Leaving behind their stall, they checked out a few of the other stands. Lamp smoothies? Leaf smoothies? SISTER smoothies? A few of the marketers tried to convince Wild to buy their absurd smoothie flavors, but she declined them all. Not many sounded appetizing. Glancing behind them, Wild was surprised to see someone waiting in front of their stand, back at the other side of the room. Jogging back, she slid behind her “Homemade Tissue Box Smoothies” sign and looked up at the camper breathlessly. It wasn’t anyone they recognized, but the person looked friendly.
“Hi! Would you like to try my Tissue Box Smoothie? It’s my own recipe! Perfectly mixed to create that pulpy texture you know and love! And it’s free,” they panted out their speech.
“Um, yeah, sure!” the camper said nervously. “I mean, I’ve got to try at least one of these crazy smoothies for Object Smoothie Day, right? Yours seems to be one of the least toxic…”
“Wait, Object Smoothie Day?” asked Wild, already pouring some Tissue Box Smoothie into a cup.
“You know, the Daily?” the camper asked, confusion in their voice. “ … That IS why you’re giving these out, yes?”
Wild handed her customer the lumpy brown smoothie distractedly, standing up and slipping over to the Daily board which they hadn’t even bothered to look at yet. Reading it, their eyes widened. “This is- quite the coincidence-” they mumbled aloud. “But hey, I guess this means I got the Daily done already.”

Meanwhile, Parsnip and Chervil shared a rare moment of concurrence.
“I don’t think Wild will ever figure out that their mental image of Scratch Writing Camp is technically part of Half-Canon, too,” Parsnip grinned. “I can hang out there all the time.”
<<Nor will they remember that I’m a telepathic turtle,>> Chervil communicated in agreement. <<Placed the whole ‘smoothie’ idea right into her head without her ever having to read the place where it came from.>>
“I…” Rain took a minute to process this, squinting at the tissue box-splattered terrain. “Wait… WHAT?!”

November 4 Daily

Prompt: Google Translate is infamous for its inaccuracy - but today, we're using that to our advantage. Copy and paste a song into Google Translate, and translate it into different languages until the lyrics are completely different. Then write a story based off it! 200 words for 200 points, no evidence required.

Response: (I used the song Sky is Not Blue. I translated from English, to Hmong, to Norwegian, to Zulu, to Japanese, to Romanian, to Hawaiian, to Arabic, to Slovenian, to Azerbaijani, to Marathi, to Welsh, to Punjabi, to Odia, to Chinese (traditional), and then back to English.

ORIGINAL:
I made you these construction paper dolls
Connected by the hands with tiny little faces
And now I'll hang them on the walls
So you can see the people filling up the spaces

I think I am the only one to ever realize that I am
The only one to realize what's true
When all the world is stuck in a jam:
The sky is not blue

TRANSLATED:
I made you a paper doll
Hand in hand little face
Now I'll hang them on the wall
So you can see people writing about that place

I want to know who I am
He only knows the truth
When the world disappears:
The sky is not blue

“I made you something!” he exclaimed proudly, holding up a scrap of paper. “It’s a paper doll, see?” He held the paper up to my face. Its edges were cut with the jagged clumsiness of a six-year-old, but I could tell from the coloring that it was supposed to be a human.
“I made it look like you! And I did one that looks like me, too,” he continued, showing me the scrap of paper in his other hand. He handed me the “me” doll.
Looks like me. Right. I put on a smile, taking the “me” doll and holding it up as if to examine it more carefully. I slipped my hand into his and his little face looked up at me, beaming.
“It’s- it’s very nice,” I forced myself to say cheerfully. Still holding his hand, I walked him over to our gallery wall, where the whole family hung their artwork. “Let’s put this up, shall we?”
He nodded eagerly, and I grabbed a couple of thumbtacks from the bowl, pinning the two paper humans onto the wall. Right next to them was the window into his parents’ office. They were both at their desks, writing. We weren’t allowed to read the “Top Secret: World Stability Reports” they wrote, but I knew they were writing about That Place again. The world that was making all the other ones unstable. The world where I came from.
I recalled my earliest memories, as I did so often these days. His parents, on a data-gathering mission to That Place, appearing in front of me. The female one tentatively picking me up. Murmuring ‘It must have been abandoned.’ Them bringing me to their camp. Flying me back to their world. They didn’t know I remembered any of this, of course. They always assumed that I forgot my infancy in the same way that human babies forgot theirs. But I always knew, and always maintained my disguise, even when I began learning more about the truth. I wanted to know more. Where did I come from? Who was I really?
A sudden shudder ran through the ground, jolting me out of my thoughts. I turned to look at the boy who had been raised as my brother. His wide eyes had become even wider with fear. “What was that?” he whimpered.
His parents rushed out of their office as the floor began quaking more violently, huge ripples tearing apart the earth. “It shouldn’t be happening yet! What’s going on?” the male one cried. “Kids! Get outside, now!”
However, before any of us could react, the ceiling cracked and caved in, about to crush us. Instinctively, I dropped my disguise and morphed into a giant shield, arcing over the heads of my adopted family. I stayed in that position until I was sure the rubble had finished falling. Reverting back to the human shape, I stood face-to-face with the three humans, who were staring at me in shock.
“I- I’m sorry,” I began to say. “I’m sorry you didn’t get to know the truth until the world disappeared-” But then I noticed they were no longer fixing their eyes on me, but beyond, at the patch of sky exposed by the ceiling’s collapse. I turned to look, too.
The sky was not blue. It was… gone.

November 5 Daily

There’s something I’ve been wanting to do. I’ve always wondered about your world, which seems so strange and mystical to me. Sea and land are such different realms, and surely both abound with wonders that the other could scarcely dream of. Tell me, then, if this message ever finds you, tell me- what is it like to be in your world? Where do you go? How do you live? What do you think about?
You see, most of my kind don’t bother to wonder about you. They’re content to live their lives, forgetting that you exist. Even those that do acknowledge you scoff at my idea of establishing communication between our two worlds. ‘They don’t think like us,’ they say, or ‘How would you even manage to make them understand you?’ A few of them even think you’re dangerous. ‘Some of the creatures there are predators, you know. They’ll eat you as soon as look at you!’
But from where I live near the coast, I see you all the time, and your society looks so beautiful! You travel in large groups, moving amidst those fascinating structures, your world abounding with color and light. You look different from me, but I have no doubts that you are just as intelligent a species as I am.
I’ve spent my life studying your kind, and all the unusual things you do. I’ve never seen any other type of creature quite as curious. I took a particular interest in the hard, shiny things you create, the ones that contain some sort of flat, pale leaves, thin as seaweed, upon which strange symbols are scrawled. I eventually figured out that it was your language, those symbols forming “words,” which you used to form meanings! At last, it was a way to communicate with you! After many seasons collecting those objects which you call “messages in bottles,” I deciphered your language and learned to write it myself. I had trouble obtaining those thin leaves- the “paper”- because they fell apart in the water, but I discovered that I could pin pieces of kelp to the seafloor and scrawl your symbols upon them by using a sharp piece of broken coral that I held in my mouth. It is very difficult, and it took a long time to master. Using my fins, I will push this piece of kelp that I am currently “writing” on into an empty bottle and seal it in with a shell that is just the right size. I hope you will find it someday, and perhaps respond to me. I will keep collecting your bottled messages. Hoping.
Sincerely,
Seashell, a manta ray of the Great Barrier Reef

November 6

(I used several of my already-existing characters for this. I already had a little bit of flower symbolism going on with this group, so I used a couple of flowers that were not from the list. Sandstone = forget-me-not, Drizzle = chrysanthemum, Emerald = gorse, Brook = lily, Flood = oleander, Breeze = tansy, Chaos = rhododendron)

Sandstone
…I’m still here. Up on that hill. I wait for you every day, though I know you can’t see me. But I’m here. Always here. And you come, bringing flowers to spread across my grave. Roses, sage, lilies, and chrysanthemums. And forget-me-nots. Always forget-me-nots. Their petals slowly wilt, then get blown away. But you come back. You bring the chicks sometimes. They’re bigger every time I see them. The time has passed quickly, so quickly.
You come less often now. Roses. Sage. Lilies. Chrysanthemums. Forget-me-nots. Has it been a full cycle of seasons? You say “I love you.” I think I remember what love felt like. But still, I wait. Always. I watch as the petals shrivel, disappearing once more.
The chicks don’t come any longer. The petals have disintegrated, and my grave lies bare. Only the wind remains now. I’m still waiting. I don’t know how much time has passed.
You come. Roses. Sage. Lilies. Chrysanthemums. You whisper “I love you.” But no. Love no longer exists here. Your petals are a lie.
I knew you’d forget the forget-me-nots.

Brook
Drizzle’s nest is laced with gorse, the yellow flowers blooming amidst her gray fur and dusky blue feathers. Emerald put them there, hoping to brighten up the place a bit. I think Drizzle likes them. See how she’s holding that one sprig gently between her front claws? Sometimes, she seems so indifferent, but I know her secrets. She deserves to love again, and Emerald’s a good shazarxa. I hope it works out.
Flood has been distant lately- troubled, even. I’m worried about him. It’s been several seasons, but I don’t think he ever got over our father’s death. He sees Emerald as an intruder, not welcome to be near Drizzle. Although it’s not like he’s been speaking to Drizzle, either. I try to be there for him, but I don’t know what else to do. It’s as if he could snap at any minute. I’ll be honest- I’m terrified. He gets so mad sometimes…
I’ve woven lilies and wallflowers into my own nest. I find their scents comforting. They almost drown out Flood’s oleander. He’s filled his nest with those white blossoms. I don’t know why. Something about them just makes me nervous…

Breeze
Where am I supposed to go? Where do I run? Brook is gone, Drizzle doesn’t care. No help is coming. There’s only Flood and his bitter hatred. Emerald is dead. It was Flood’s doing, I know that now. I have to get out. It’ll be me next.
I run into the tansy field, their yellow hue matching my feathers, welcoming me, accepting me. Hiding me. Flood will be following, close behind. I attacked him as soon as he admitted the truth. He’ll make me pay for that. He’s not the type to let things go. Run. Run. I have to run.
The tansy field ends, and at once I’m in the deeper forest. It’s dangerous out here, there are wolves that can swallow a shazarxa whole. But I know for certain the danger behind me, so I don’t stop.
I see a figure in the shadows and I freeze, but it’s clear that whoever it is has already seen me. They approach, slowly, carefully. It’s not Flood, I immediately realize. He doesn’t walk like that. It’s the shape of a shazarxa, but no shazarxa walks like that. Unable to decide whether to face this unknown figure or flee, the indecision makes the choice for me, and as they step closer, I see… Drizzle? No, something’s off- And it’s not just the rhododendron that they’re tearing apart with their claws. It looks like her, it looks exactly like my mother, but- “Hey there,” they growl silkily. Not the right voice at all. The mysterious shazarxa smiles with what seems like way too many teeth. “I’m Chaos. Where you headed?”


November 7

November 8-9

Prompt: (I'll copy later)

Response:
“You know where to find me”
I stood on the edge, the edge of forever. In front of me, the endless sea, above me, an infinite sky. Behind me, the vastness of time. A very long time.
I don’t look back. I have no regrets. Not like you. Through the waves of chance, we both ended up on these shores, but you could never be satisfied. We were two ships in a bottle, one trying to find the safe harbor which it left from, and the other… well. I guess I broke the bottle. Turns out there was a whole other world beyond it. One that you could never see.
You sailed away from this quiet shore. This time, I was the one to stay behind. Except it wasn’t staying behind, was it? It was moving on. As for you, I hope you find the past you’re searching for. Perhaps you’ll return someday.
You know where to find me.

“Once”
She loved him once. Once was enough.

“With My Final Breath”
Couldn’t save him. Lost her. They left me. There was nothing I could do about any of it. So I did nothing. I stayed still and let everything else go on as it pleased. If the world didn’t care, then neither would I. But you were still there. I didn’t mean to, but you were still there, so I clung to you. I thought it was worth a try. One final try.
Should have known that you’d betray me like the rest. So I threw myself beneath those claws, those claws that could do what I never could. I launched them up to you, and you fell beside me. At least I did that. One final breath.

November 10

Have you heard of Canes Venatici? It’s a constellation visible in the northern hemisphere, known as the Hunting Wolves. It contains four named stars, said to represent four fabled wolves of our pack’s history.
The first star is Cor Caroli, the brightest one. Its name means “Warrior’s Heart.” There was once a mighty fighter named Legend, a halfling born of two powerful rival packs. It was said that he never lost a fight. The battles between the two packs were intense and numerous, but Legend was seemingly invulnerable. His immortality became known far and wide, until he finally defeated the leaders of both packs, thereby uniting the former enemies and winning their loyalty.
But Legend refused to lead. Instead, he passed the role of leader to his littermate, represented by the star La Superba- “The Glory.” Such a transfer of power had never been done before, and there was still some tension between the recently-joined packs as well. It was Glory who brought stability to the remaining unrest and proved that a leader didn’t need to win his position through the ancient tradition of sparring for dominance to be successful. Glory was famously skilled with words, known for his inspiring speeches and passionate debates.
Tuiren is the third star, the “Fairytale.” Her name was Chaos, and she was the third pup in the litter. She, too, earned her place among the heroes, but for a rather different reason. She had inherited the power of shapeshifting, which was then considered to be a curse. Despite this, she approached her power confidently, and mastered it, unlike all of those that had come before her. Amidst the turmoil of battle, she thrived, tricky and clever, impossible to pin down. She did equally well in peacetime, however, helping her brother construct many of the codes that our pack still follows today. It was she who explored the extent of the shapeshifters’ powers, with one discovery in particular rising above the rest.
That discovery is the fourth star, Chara. This star was Blaze, a wolf who was not born a wolf. It was through Chaos’s powers that she transformed another species into her own, and the resulting wolf became a legend in his own right, both for blazing new trails and for discovering the cure to the shapeshifter’s curse.
For their contributions to our pack, they will be remembered forever, long after their deaths. The stars in the sky remind us that it was they who guided us all those years ago, and that is why we still tell their stories today. As long as those stars burn in the sky, they will live on. Or as Legend’s age-old catchphrase went: “Legends never die!”

November 11

Dear future self,
Hello from November 2022! The weather this year is finally likable, and the first real rain of the season happened a few days ago. Temperatures are comfortable, around 50-60°F. Just perfect for me, although of course, everyone else is complaining about being cold. Had a really hilarious conversation with Grammy after I turned the temperature down on the air conditioning. She seemed to think I was going to break it by pushing the button in the way that the button was intended to be pushed, so I started quoting Skeppy’s “mic muted” prank just to prove how dumb it was. That’s the secret to problems, is to just find a way that they’re funny and treat them as such. For instance, the timeline project I had in history- It was supposed to be sixteen individual events, which was a lot of work, so I decided to make it as ridiculous as possible by taping together sixteen individual pieces of paper. It was still a lot of work, but s i x t e e n p a g e s l o n g, it was absolutely glorious. She put it up on the wall, it was about half of the wall’s length. x33 Anyway, I dressed up as a t-rex for Halloween, with my mAjEsTiC dinosaur head and the little grabber claw. I managed to make several beanbag tosses with that claw, and I grabbed the lucky rubber duck in one of those Trunk-or-Treat games. It was dumb, but fun.
As far as my personal projects go, shazarxae has expanded rapidly, and I’m taking it slightly more seriously. Well, still not really “serious,” but I am working on it more and thinking about how its fandom might work. As of now, I have decided to rearrange some of the events of the early timeline, put more focus on Moon, and I’m trying to figure out what I could do with Shard. I am shipping DiscordDuo ferociously, with Parsnip, Chaos, and their arsonist associate, River, still being my three best Half-Canon friends. Chaos has risen up in Half-Canon lately, and I feel that I’ve benefitted from her strength and cleverness in my everyday school survival routine. Silence, Eclipse, Chervil, and Rain remain mostly on the subconscious side, although Eclipse and Rain have been hopping over from time to time. It’s possible Half-Canon might be getting a new member, too- Legend. It’s kind of hard to tell at this point, but it’s not like it’s never been done with a tribute character; in fact, tribute characters might be more likely to show up in my thought space. I still think about Technoblade all the time, and that might be why his tribute’s presence is better able to get through.
School’s been a lot of stress lately, and I’ve had very little free time. I barely talk to Catto anymore, and I feel really bad about that. At least I still get Scratch Writing Camp. Cabin wars are tomorrow, and I’m excited! I hope my cabin does well. I plan to be present as much as possible, starting in half an hour. I wonder what you’d say if you could write back to me. What news from the future do you hold? Are you embarrassed by your past self? Have turtles taken over the world yet?
Sincerely,
Your 15-year-old self

November 13-14

(Please note that I just used people’s names and pronouns from Dimension Stellar, I did not try to stay true to their personalities, as I don’t even know most of these people. If you’re one of them and I made you say something silly, please do not be offended. ^^)

Setting: Dimension Stellar, in the Metaverse. In space.

(WILD drifts through the empty vacuum of space, the other volunteers nearby, including LAXY, FLORIS, and ARLI. There are many indistinct murmurings of confusion and alarm.)
WILD, mumbling to themself: How am I able to hear things? Sound isn’t supposed to carry through space. How am I breathing? And as a second thought, what’s up with the being-trapped-in-the-Metaverse thing?
LAXY, overhearing: It’s a simulated dimension, remember? The physics are a bit different here. You did watch the training videos, right?
WILD: …Yes. Yes, I definitely watched those. This is Dimension Stellar, one of the backup dimensions in case something went wrong with the test. See, I totally was paying attention, and not doodling on my clipboard the entire time! You have /no/ evidence otherwise.
WILD, pulling a very doodled-on clipboard out of her nanotech fabric suit: …Except for this, I suppose.
LAXY: What- how did you even manage to fit that-
FLORIS: Um, not to interrupt, but does anyone else see that little glowing thing over there?
ARLI, pointing in various directions: That little glowing thing is a star. And there’s another star over there. And over there. And there. And there, and there, and-
FLORIS: No, the thing that’s coming /toward/ us!
WILD: …I sure HOPE it’s not a star, then.
LAXY, squinting: Could that be a spaceship? Maybe they’ve come to get us out of this dimension already!
ARLI: You really think our lab can accomplish /anything/ that quickly? It takes them a week just to dump the trash bins in the offices. Nah, we’re probably going to be floating here a while. Too bad no one brought a book.
WILD, pulling a book from their suit: I did!
ARLI: …Other than your favorite copy of “Soonish,” I meant.
LAXI, whispering in the background: …You managed to fit a /book/ in there, too?!
WILD: No, no, wait, maybe the section about space travel will be useful!
FLORIS: Nothing’s going to be useful if THAT THING HITS US RIGHT NOW!
(The spaceships looms closer, seeming to approach very rapidly. It groans to a halt right next to the volunteers, who seem miniscule next to it. The airlock opens.)
LAXY pauses, then speaks: I guess that means we go in?
WILD: But how are we supposed to move, there’s nothing to push-
FLORIS, paddling their arms and moving towards the ship: Just act like you’re swimming!
WILD: …That is wrong on /so/ many levels.
LAXY pauses beside WILD as FLORIS and ARLI reach the ship: You REALLY didn’t pay attention to the training videos, did you.
WILD: Hey! I’ve spent my life studying the REAL universe! Forgive me if this dimension is slightly disorienting- Nothing makes sense anymore!
ARLI, shouting from the airlock: Nothing /ever/ made sense, this is Project SCP, after all! They practically designed every aspect of it to be intentionally confusing! Just hurry up!
WILD, beginning to swim toward the ship, followed by LAXY: Fineeee, I’ll probably adapt in like two minutes anyway, assuming time still exists- That’s the whole point of me being here, after all.
ARLI: And here I thought you were just in it for the free mangoes.
WILD, pulling a mango out of their suit: I mean, that /was/ a big factor too, heheh- hey, anyone want a mango? I’ve got about twelve of them!
LAXY, at a loss for words: …B- but HOW-
WILD, grinning: Confused? Hmm, perhaps you should have watched MY training video!

November 16 (i think)

Blue
Once I knew many shades of blue
The teal rain and sapphire moon
The sky blue feathers that overlook
The gently flowing turquoise brook
The aqua wave to which I’d go
To find the silence of indigo
But when the flood of ice blue came
My azure tears slipped down the drain

Red
My first memory was that their eyes were red, red in all three. The first, red with a pinkish tint, could see nothing, and yet was neon all around. The next was bright and pure, a red with feverish intensity. The last was red-orange, a bit faded, wide open even in sleep. Each of them was beautiful, perfect, unique. But mine were stubbornly yellow, such a pale, nervous color! Still, I was their big sibling, and I did my best. It wasn’t enough, though. We went our separate ways, through the scheming and the fights, a broken family. The first gave up the red, took up new eyes and fur. The next blurred his red away into a puddle of blood, the secret of the havoc. And the last hated the red, trapped by the color for which I was once proud. My yellow lacked the strength to save a single one. Instead, I ran far past the hills, searching for refuge amidst the greens and blues. I found someone who saw the red, saw more clearly than I ever could. So I let them inside my head, and they filled all my thoughts with red.

Lineart
I draw my lines in Haven’s green
Cracks in your reality
The other world that thinks unseen
That is where I long to be

I draw your lines in bright cyan
Along the way the River ran
Hanging together whenever we can
Keeping up with the demand

Chaos came with lines of gold
Adapting as the tale is told
Any color, calm or bold
The shifting lines that shall unfold

Eclipse is more an orange hue
I draw the lines of him and you
Curiosity, through and through
Everything we dream, we do

The lines of Silence, indigo
Within the fear of the unknown
Turned out to have a gentle glow
Unexpected, but now my home

Can’t forget the teal Rain
The sarcastic voice within my brain
Can be blunt, but feels no shame
Lines of clarity in times of pain

Chervil resides within the forest
Probably will just ignore this
Her lines are harsh, but they don’t bore us
A mental whisper, turtle’s chorus

Parsnip’s lines of time have led
To a woodpecker above his head
Sundial’s a mystery, we all said
For he is drawn in infrared

Sometimes others pass on by
Raven’s heart and Wander’s sky
They can glimpse the other side
So I sketch a few more lines

This is where ideas start
The place of thoughts, close to my heart
Each of us all taking part
A rainbow made of our lineart

November 17

(This is read to the tune of “Blank Space,” just so I could play my part in the Taylor Swift referencing. xD)

Hello there, banana bread
I think you’re an awesome food
Moistness, sweetness, must be fed
Tried a bite and I thought
Oh my god, this flavor’s great
Making me feel warm and safe
Can’t help but love the amazing taste!

Soft touch, cakey core
I eat you up immediately
Now I’m left, wanting more
It’s the texture of my dreams!

When I first heard of banana bread
I must admit, I was hesitant
But I tried a bite and then went “wow”
It’s better than I thought, somehow

So let’s try baking!
I hope it doesn’t catch fire
I’m not skilled in the kitchen
But at least I’m feeling inspired
Making messes everywhere
It’s quite a sight to see
But you know that with all my care
It won’t end in catastrophe!

Can try some variations
Add several other bits
Tastiest creations
Raisins, nuts, or chocolate chips!

Got a short list of ingredients
Was easier than I thought
And now I’ve got banana bread
So eat it while it’s hot!

Popular wherever you look
The 1930s saw its rise
Published in a cookbook
It has now spread worldwide!

Exactly what you want
I could eat it for months
Still, I find raw bananas gro-oss

Munching, chomping, nibbling crumbs
Time to cut another slice
Devouring bread in vast sums
Keep on happily eating like
Oh my god, I’ve had so much bread
And the garlic kind is still the best
But banana bread enthralls me too
‘Cause, really, it’s just like cake that you can chew

So I have to stop now
Because I’m very full
But I know that tomorrow
There are leftovers still!

Got lots more of it to eat
Saved for another day
As time went by, I gave up meat
But bread is here to stay!

I put the rest into the fridge
And know that even when it’s gone
It’ll remain a beloved dish
My obsession shall live on!

Got a long list of reasons
Many of which I’ve said
So I hope that you have learned why
I love banana bread!

November 18

November 19

(I got a pair of headphones that represent sadness.)

Static.
That’s all you can hear.
You strain to catch a note of something, anything else. The kids playing outside, the vroom of cars, the whistling of the wind. But none of it makes a sound.
You’re a pair of broken headphones, tossed upon the ground.
As much as you want to open your ears back up to the world again, it’s hopeless. There’s interference now- the one noise that drowned out all the rest.
It was a video call last Thursday evening. You were talking to your best friend, Philip. But he’s more than a friend to you, isn’t he? More of a brother. Your families have been neighbors your whole life. You were born only two months apart. You went to school together, rode bikes together, performed in the class play together- the two main roles!
So how could he be moving away?
Static.
Static is supposed to mean unchanging, right? Not moving. Staying the same forever.
Turns out nothing is static.
Not even the things you depend upon most.
You froze in shock when he first told you the news. You couldn’t even respond to him. You just sat in silence, silence within and silence without. Without him. Without Philip. Without a clue as to what to do next.
You ended the call and stared at your empty laptop screen. Empty like you. Empty like the now-vacant house next door. Empty as the headphones that you let fall to the floor. Everything meaningful now replaced by the numb crackle in your mind.
You hold them now, those headphones. In the privacy of your room, you cry, the tears soaking into the layer of foam that surrounds the plastic interior. The moisture drips through and makes little splatters on the table below.
You tried to listen to some music to take your mind off it. Plugging in the cord, slipping the headphones over your ears, you set your playlist.
Still just static. Is it the headphones that are broken, or you?
You feel like you shouldn’t be taking this so hard. After all, people move all the time, right? You’d make new friends eventually. And you could still chat online.
It’s just that you can’t bear to face the fact that you might never see him in-person again. Never get another hug. Never hang out in the park together.
You’ve been stuck in these thoughts for two months now. Static. Enough time for Philip’s family to pack up and leave, the moving truck carrying your entire past away with it. It never got any easier.
Static. Philip. Static. Static. Static.

November 21

(I got a dare from @wolfyhjk: “I dare you to write about the taste of freshly baked cookies in as few words as possible. Good luck!!” Of course, I had to do at least fifty words, but I made it EXACTLY fifty.)

You bite into the warm, soft cookie, the sugary deliciousness flooding your taste buds with ecstasy. The chocolate chips are gooey and thick, melting in your mouth- the perfect, smooth texture. Even your nose seems to taste it, with that tantalizing scent wrapping around you like a tasty blanket. Yummmm.

November 22

November 23

“My name is Glory,” Glory said, trying to sound strong. Appearance meant everything here, he knew. “I’ve been looking for you.”
Rust looked at him with a piercing eye, as if judging every hair on his pelt. The older wolf flicked an ear- A grudging acceptance. Good enough for now.
//
“You wanted to see me, Storm?” Swift asked, lowering his feathered tail in respect.
“Yes- you’ve made quite a name for yourself, haven’t you?” Storm replied. “Organizing the shazarxi, planning for the future of our colony… The others listen to you.”
Swift perked up at his leader’s praise. “Thank you. I-”
“That’s why I don’t want you out fighting anymore.”
“ …But- Storm! The wolves-” Swift fought to keep his wings from spreading in shock.
“I need you alive, Swift. I plan on making you the next leader.”
For once, Swift was speechless.
//
“Looking for me?” Rust growled.
“Yes- I want to know how you did it,” Glory said, looking Rust directly in the eye. “How’d you get in Maroon’s inner circle? You’re half-Pack, just like me- how did you work your way up?”
Rust snorted. “Simple. Keep your head down, do the work, fight the battles. Don’t say more than you have to. Don’t argue. Don’t be an idiot.”
“…What?” Glory was confused. Surely, Rust was joking. A wolf had to stand up for their beliefs, for their Pack! “You can’t be serious-”
At that moment, several other Briny Pack wolves burst in, wrestling each other and laughing raucously.
“Speaking of idiots…” Rust mumbled. But Glory was already bounding over to join them. These were his wolves. He was the one they had all been waiting for. They just didn’t know it yet.
//
The offer was too good to refuse, of course, so Swift took to his new role, and did a pretty good job, if he did say so himself. Still, it was frustrating, not being able to leave camp. The wolves were predators, picking off shazarxi one by one. Swift wanted to fight back.
But, every day: “Just wait,” Storm would sigh.
So they waited. The wolves’ hunting patrols got fiercer, more frequent, and it seemed like there was nothing to be done. Morale was low. There was constant disagreement among the shazarxi. Some thought their colony should find another place to live. Swift didn’t like the idea of running away, but there was a strategy to it- Whoever controlled the layout of the camp controlled the methods of defending and attacking. A new location could mean everything.
Soon, a decision would have to be made. Swift intended to be there when it happened.
//
Glory and his siblings, Chaos and Legend, found their places in the Briny Pack. Briny Pack and Sliver Pack had had a lot of skirmishes lately, and Glory proved his skill on the battlefield. Nothing else could come close to matching the thrill, fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with his friends, his siblings, his Packmates.
As much as he loved it, he knew it couldn’t go on forever. Neither side was giving up, and sooner or later, one would rise as the dominant power.
Glory intended to be on the winning side.

November 25

(I chose “Boats,” at https://www.onceuponapicture.co.uk/portfolio_page/boats-2/ )

Doorways are powerful things. They are the point where the that-which-is-here becomes the that-which-is-there. They are passageways between the inside and the outside, the now and the then, the here and the elsewhere. Crossing through one is to move from one world into another, and even if you cross back, you may find that the world you returned to is not the same one that you left.
You’re not meant to linger on the threshold too long. A doorway is halfway between the Here and the There, which is to say that it’s nowhere at all, or instead, in both at once. You, dear traveller, are a person of somewhere, and as such, you must belong to only one place at a time. You may stand on the edge and look through, you may wait, you may think. But you cannot live. No, the living must be done on one side or another, not in the gateway between. Hesitation can only be a transient state.
The door is open, and you grip the doorframe, leaning through to see what’s on the other side. There are boats, countless boats drifting on a placid sea, a sea of boats stretching out to the horizon. Only the slightest ripples disturb the water’s smooth, reflective surface. No land in sight. The edge of the sea blurs into the sky, a sky scattered with faint stars which peek out at you through thick clouds.
Squinting, you can make out the shapes of people in some of the boats, but you can hear no voices. Are they coming or going? A misty haze makes it difficult to tell. Other boats bob gently in the current, empty, rusty, worn. They must have been floating for a very long time. Were there people in those, too, once? Have they since passed from There to Here, through the doorway in which you now stand? Or are the boats waiting, even now, for someone to go from Here to There and sail away in them? You can see, but you cannot yet know.
Looking down, there is a ladder leaning against the doorframe at your feet. You could climb down it if you wanted to. It descends into the sea, where its reflection reaches out across the water, leading to a liquid twin of the doorway. You see your silhouette framed by the glow from behind you. Shadows of fish dart below the water’s surface, below the mirror into which you gaze. Sometimes a mirror can function like a door as well.
A door doesn’t know how or why it came to link the places it does. It just exists, a portal of transit, and thus, this is the way I happen to be. My hinges creak quietly, awaiting your decision. To return to your Here, or continue to There? Either choice is a doorway, one you may not get to cross again.
You let go of the doorframe and step through.



Sci-Fi Cabin

November 2 Daily

Hmm, favorite superhero? That’s difficult, because I was never that into superheroes until I started watching the Marvel movies very recently, and I haven’t seen all of them yet. Of the ones I have seen, though, I like Doctor Strange the best. I just really love his personality, and he’s got some great quotes.


November 3 Daily

Oh, jeez, there have been a lot, and I don’t know which one is the biggest, so I’m just going to pick the one that I can most easily describe in a way that other people can understand.
During COVID, everything changed, so I ended up on online learning. I was a little nervous at first because I didn’t know what to expect and I had heard other people saying they hated it.
But it was amazing. For the first time, I was really participating in all my classes, because I could type in the chat instead of having to use my voice. I could turn my camera off if I felt uncomfortable with being watched. I didn’t have to deal with loud, crowded hallways and cafeterias. All my assignments were done digitally, rather than on paper. I loved it so much. I found many of my current sources of inspiration from my extended time on the internet. Best of all, I did digital art all the time and made so much improvement. That was how I met my best friend, @-Cat_OwO- (Catto).
That was about when I realized that I wanted a career where I could work online and do creative things, either drawing or writing, or maybe both. Before then, I had been incredibly indecisive over what I wanted to do with my life, and this was the thing that finally helped me narrow it down to a smaller category. Now my main three choices are webcomic artist, animator, or author (they all start with A, interesting). It probably wasn’t my BIGGEST realization, but it’s an important one.








WEEKLY DOWn HEre

Dear Dystopian,
Ayyyy, you’re doing awesome! I heard from the leaderboard leopard (/ref) that you’re totally slaying it, so as your proud ally, I just wanted to say congrats! But, uh, haven’t heard from you in a while, where exactly have you been? I heard from your sibling Thriller that you were dealing with some sort of celestial beings. But I don’t know, Thriller could have been lying. You know they don’t really like me that much. If you could write back to me soon, that would be great! I’ll be going on a test run in the Metaverse next week, so I might not be able to reply right away, but I’m scheduled to return within three days, so it won’t be too long. Unless something goes wrong, of course, but that’s unlikely. Wish me luck in the simulation!
Your loyal ally,
Sci-Fi

Fantasy:
Let me make this clear right from the beginning: I didn’t want to write this letter, nor do you probably want to read it, but I know you’ll open it anyway. I wouldn’t have contacted you if it wasn’t of the utmost importance, so for now, let’s set aside our mutual animosity. You see, I have reason to believe that four experimental robot turtles glitched and activated the dimension-hopping mechanism two days ago. The GPS trackers showed that they transferred to your world, but have since gone off the radar, which suggests that either the turtles were destroyed or the trackers have broken or fallen off, possibly by the same glitch that originally caused the turtles to go haywire. I shall include photos of the four turtles which you must look out for. I don’t know the exact nature of the glitch, so the danger that these turtles present remains to be seen. However, they are equipped with several instruments that I’d advise caution around. If you see a turtle, please notify me immediately. Do not approach. I’m warning you.
Sincerely,
Science Fiction

Hello Mystery,
How have you been? I hope your trip is going well. I… okay, to be honest, I don’t know what to say to you anymore. You’ve been ignoring me for a long time, and now I had to hear from Poetry that you bought a train ticket and disappeared. Out of nowhere, you just up and left. What’s up with that? Knowing you, you’re probably on the trail of something interesting, but it’s really rude to just block everyone else out, you know? We may have had that little misunderstanding last year about the explosions, but that’s no reason to hate me forever! Now you’re always so hostile and secretive, if I even see you at all. Don’t you remember when we used to work together on our research? Just talk to me again, and maybe we could move on. Please?
Science Fiction

Hello Horror,
Yes, I’m writing to you AGAIN. I’m telling you, helping this ghost get their powers back is NOT a good idea. You got really mad when I first suggested this, so I’ll try to explain myself better this time. It’s not that I didn’t think you should be chosen. I know you’ve always jumped at the chance to go on a special mission like this. But… this? Why? Do you even know the reason why that ghost’s powers were taken away? Do you know ANYTHING about them? They could be dangerous! I have no doubts that you can succeed- You’re extremely talented, brave, and one of the most resourceful people I know. I’m just urging you to think before you act for once.
With concern,
Science Fiction

Heyo Scripttttt!!
So you’re trying out for that play today, right? Script: The Musical? Really interesting title, huh… Lol, who’d have thought of naming a play “Script,” right? By the time you get this letter, your audition will be over, so be sure to let me know how it went! What role were you trying to get, anyway? I’m just now realizing that I have no idea what that play is even about… Did it say on that flyer you got? Come to think of it, don’t you think it’s a little weird that that flyer was sent specifically to you? Oh well, I’m sure it’s all perfectly normal and nothing weird’s going on. You always tease me about being too suspicious and overthinking things, haha! Anyway, hope it goes amazing. Break a leg!
Your sib,
Sci-Fi

Hello Folklore,
I’ve seen you around but don’t know you all that well, so I thought I’d introduce myself. I’m Science Fiction, but my friends call me Sci-Fi. I research multidimensional travel, specializing in the Metaverse. In fact, I’m doing some simulation testing later this week. It’s a normal part of work, of course, but I’m still excited. What’s your occupation? I’ve only ever seen you wandering around that forest. I take it you like hiking? I looked you up, and it said you don’t have a DigitalBook account OR an ǝma!l address, hence why I’m writing this letter by hand. I thought that was a little odd, but I think you’re still interesting and would be worth getting to know.
Nice to meet you,
Science Fiction

Thriller:
So you’re going through with your stupid ocean expedition. Your lab just ALWAYS has to outdo mine, doesn’t it? Well, let our rivalry come to a head, then. You’re searching for your “priceless sample” and I’m beginning Metaverse simulation testing. Bet you thought we weren’t that far along in our experiment, did you? Guess what, it gets better: I’m one of the first people being sent into the simulation. Now we’ll REALLY see whose discovery turns out to be more useful. Have fun scrounging around at the bottom of the ocean like a bottom-feeding fish.
Sending you no luck,
Science Fiction

Hello Realistic Fiction,
Or can I call you Real-Fi? It was nice meeting you at that party last week. To be fair, I thought your conversation was a little boring, but please don’t be offended- I think I just have unusual opinions when it comes to conversational topics. You kind of gave me a weird look when I suggested that bugs should get paid, but I guess I shouldn’t take it too personally. The party ended pretty late, so you said you were going to stay at that old inn, right? I’ve never been there, and it was odd- I couldn’t find any reviews for it online. It looks like it’s been there forever, too. Seems suspicious, but I’m probably just making a big deal out of nothing again. Still, I’m curious- what was it like on the inside?
Wishing you well,
Science Fiction

Bizzarro!!
I bought you a movie ticket! I know you’ve been wanting to see this movie ever since the trailer came out, heheheh. I just checked yesterday, and the reviews are amazing, so I’m positive it’ll be everything you were hoping for. It’s at your favorite cinema down on Speedrun Street, next Tuesday, at 6 pm. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to join you- I have to get ready for simulation testing! The Metaverse is calling me! I’ll tell you ALL about how it went when I get back. In the meantime, have fun, be weird!
Your all-time favorite sibling,
Sci-Fi

Hey Adventure!!
Just wanted to write a quick note to catch up with you. I know things are busy in the kingdom, how’s it going? You said in your last letter that the battle was going well, and I’m really happy to hear that. I’m so proud of you, you know. Never afraid to charge into danger, yet always coming out on top. You’ve been such an inspiration to me over the years, and even though you’re far away now, I still think of you all the time. When the battle’s won, come home and teach me those epic sword-wielding skills, all right? I miss you so much.
Lots of sibling love,
Sci-Fi

Fan-fiction:
This is a difficult letter to write; you know I’m not often the type to apologize. But I really am sorry. Honestly, it was foolish of us to ruin our friendship over such a dumb argument, and I regret hurting your feelings. You’ll see from the way I addressed this letter that I’m finally accepting that you want to hyphenate your name. Even if “fanfiction,” or even “fan fiction” are more widely-used spellings. In an effort to make it up to you, I’m sending you a new pack of art supplies, in case you’re still into making fan-art. I assume you hyphenate the words “fanart” and fanfics” too, right? Because if that’s how you prefer it, I suppose I can live with saying it that way. I hope you can forgive me.
My deepest apologies,
Science Fiction

Dear Historical Fiction,
Heyyyyy, long time, no see! I hope your “business” is going well. Unfortunately, I’ve got some bad news to report. I’m not going to be in town when your train arrives next Tuesday- I’ll be in a simulation. (Assuming the test goes as planned- keep your fingers crossed for me!) Sorry I didn’t write to inform you earlier, but I had lost track of your current address. You move around so much, and you know how scatterbrained I can be sometimes, heh. By the way, when you get here, I’d recommend not talking to Bizarro unless you have to. As in, don’t go looking for a fight. I know your guys’ history, and I can assure you that Bizarro still thinks of you as a mortal foe. As the middleman between you, I’d really appreciate it if my favorite ally and my favorite sibling didn’t end up at each others’ throats again… Thanks for understanding. I sent Bizarro a movie ticket so they’d be out of your way while you’re conducting “business” around town. You’re welcome.
Seeya,
Sci-Fi

Hello Naan-Fiction,
Was that mildly poisoned bread that you sent to me last week? I don’t mean to be rude, but WHO DOES THAT?! I am, in fact, capable of getting sick, you know. And I don’t have time to be sick! I have something I have to do for work next week that’s really important. Sighhhh. But it’s fine, I guess, I don’t take your hostility too personally. I know you’re still annoyed that I passed you on the leaderboard. Really, though, could you maybe send NON-poisoned bread next time? Or maybe I could get some of my own garlic bread and we could have a bread party when I get back from my little work errand? You DO bake REALLY good bread when it isn’t poisoned. I’m very happy that you got the job at the bread shop.
Lots of bread,
Science Fiction

Hi Poetry,
The leaderboard leopard’s most recent update told me that you were last, and I’m upset to hear that. You seem like a cool person, much better than Fantasy or Thriller, anyway. You’re a little quiet and sometimes overlooked, but you have a good heart, and I respect the way you find wonder and beauty in everything. I know we aren’t THAT close of friends, so you probably weren’t expecting me to contact you, but I thought I’d send a small letter of encouragement, anyway. You can climb the rankings with a little effort, I know you can! I’ll be rooting for you.
Best wishes,
Science Fiction


THE SECOND WEEKLY OR WHATEVER I'M SPEEDRUNNING OKAY

PART 1: Transcripts

(Ava): Oh there you are, Wild! Where /have/ you been this whole time? I wanted to start a debate with you!
(Wild): Oh, I've been… {pauses} around. You know, eating mangoes and such. Now, what debate might that be? {tilts head in curiosity}
(Ava): {grins evily} How important are fandoms in our lives?
(Wild): Ooh, good question… {looks thoughtfully toward the ceiling} I'd say they're one of the most important parts of our society. And not just because of the things that they're centered around, I mean, like, the whole mentality behind them.
(Ava): Yes! That's true, and I'm part of so many fandoms, I can barely count. Percy Jackson, BTS, Harry Potter, Malory Towers and way more one person could probably be in, but that's me. What's your favourite fandom?
(Wild): My /favorite/ fandom? I have to CHOOSE? {nervous laugh, pushes hair out of face with one hand} Well, I'm in quite a few myself- Warriors, Wings of Fire, xkcd, Dream SMP, the list goes on- Now, when you say ‘favorite,’ do you mean the best original work, or the best people surrounding it?
(Ava): {gets more confused than Wild} Er… Let's avoid that. {nervous chuckle} Who is your favorite character from one of your first fandoms?
(Wild): {smiles in nervous relief} Well, my, uh, my very first fandom- That would have been Dinosaur Train, this TV show for kids- Had quite the obsession when I was about 5 years old. My favorite character was Buddy, the baby t-rex who had been adopted by the Pteranodon family. I could relate to his curiosity and liked seeing how he dealt with his struggle to find where he truly belonged. Because I was also trying to find where I belonged, you know?
(Ava): {giggles} I remember the first series I was truly obsessed with- /Shimmer and Shine/ {laughing} I got teased so much for it. {shakes head} I'm going to go read in the library now, ok? Bye!
(Wild): {laughs with her} Okay, have fun reading! Byeeeee!

(Wild): {looks up from a book} Oh, hi, Ava! Back from the library, I see. So, what did you find to read?
(Ava): {looks up} Huh? Oh! {wipes hand across shirt because it's covered with dust} I was looking through shelves for a particular book *cough* Percy Jackson *cough* like the ones they don't have in the library right now, I guess!
(Wild): The library still hasn't gotten it in? {taps fingers on arm of chair} Ugh, must be frustrating. What do you even do when you don't have anything to read?
Ava: {whispering} I read online {giggle} I found a site where there is so many book to read, your brain will probably BURST {does jazz hands on top of head} But there /are/ a lot of adult books too… {trails off and then shakes head} ANYWAYS {stands up straight and stretches her back} Ow my back hurts-
(Wild): {eyes widen} I read online, too! I've always found it weird that some people are so opinionated over whether it's better to read online or have a physical book. {shrugs} To me, the best way to read is whichever way is available at the time! What do you think?
(Ava): Of course! I mean, any way you do it, you are still reading, right? I love reading for the mere fact that even if you've had the hardest day of your life, once /I/ pick up a book, I get submerged immediately into my world. Even if you don't feel like reading, you can stare blankly at the book and pretend you're reading, so that's another escape too {slight laugh}
(Wild): {nods in agreement} Reading is definitely a great way to escape the real world. Don't you wish you could just jump inside a book and live there sometimes? {sighs wistfully}
(Ava): Honestly, even though living in a book feels wonderful, it has some hardships too {rests head on a hand and blows on a hair strand once} So many characters die {raises fist in indignance} Authors are serial k!llers! It's like the moment you like someone, they die! And don't get me started on anime and K-drama…
(Wild): {chuckles humorlessly} True, true~ It's almost worst when you're the one who has to write it though. But then, would we really love reading so much if nothing bad ever happened? On some level, it's the emotional extremes, contained within two covers, that make reading so thrilling. {checks clock on the wall} And oh, would you look at that- It's almost time for my book club meeting! {stands up} I have to go, see you later!

(Wild): {enters the interview room and slips into the chair on the left} Hello! So glad you could make it to the interview today!
(Paige): {pulls out a notebook} Thanks for inviting me!
(Wild): It's great to have you here. Now, let's get to the issue on the table- {nods at the screen, where a picture of a flaming mango is being projected} Should arson AND mangoes be had simultaneously? Or are they more preferable as two individual things?
(Paige): {Taps chin} Hm. Good question. I believe that to use as a w34pon against enemies, yes, flaming mangoes are great. I also think that if you are /roasting/ the mango to eat it that is ok. Asides that, no, arson and mangoes should not be combined.
(Wild): Yes, and that has long been the standard of our society. However, I've heard that lately, the sport of setting mangoes on fire for fun has risen in popularity. Are you concerned about this trend at all?

PART 2: Monologues/Speeches (By: icebunny11, Wild)

Context statement: Ava is frustrated by the fact that her library isn’t stocking the Percy Jackson books. She interacts directly with the audience members (whose reactions are not shown, but are still responded to) to explain why the series is so important to her and why the library needs to have the Percy Jackson books available IMMEDIATELY.)

Ava: AARGH IT'S STILL NOT HERE! The website said it would be here by last week! Surely processing doesn't take THAT long, right? Just look at this shelf! There's a huge gap right there, just WAITING. Why is it TAKING these librarians FOREVER?? Hmm? Who's that? *turns* Oh, who're you? Are you searching for a /missing/ book too? *eyeroll* You see, I'm waiting for the Percy Jackson books to come in! I've been waiting MONTHS for this library to order them and get them on the shelves. I come here almost every day just to be entirely certain that I'm the first person to check them out. Oh, and why am I so impatient to read these books, you ask? Well, I /didn't ask/. *smug smile* I can't wait to brag to Fi~~~ You're here toooo??!!!! ARGH WHY WON'T THEY ADD PERCY JACKSON TRIALS OF APOLLO YETTTTT— Literally EVERY day that I wait is another risk of getting spoilers, and~ even worse~ THE CHANCE THAT EVERYONE I KNOW WILL GET TO READ IT EXCEPT ME!! I simply CANNOT let that happen. *glares fiercely* I think I need to take action… *smile widens mischievously* Oh so you haven't read all the books ehh~~ This is gonna be fun~~~ do you mind like… a /few/ spoilers? No, of course not- I mean, who in their right mind WOULDN'T want to be told just a /few/ tidbits of information by the books' biggest fan? *jumping with excitement* YES YES YES SHE AGREED AHAHAHAHA I'M GONNA RUIN THIS GIRL'S WHOLE CAREER~ So first of all, which book have you read till? Cause if I suddenly give you spoiler that Kronos takes over Luke's body and you've already read that, how would it be a spoiler? *sly glance at a flabbergasted nearby camper trying not to hear their weird conversation* Only the first one? And that was like four and a half years ago? I suppose there ought to be some real surprises ahead, then! *eyes widen* *disappointed and disapproving tch* How could you abandon the great Percy Jackson series like that? Do you know, our fan base is the world's most powerful fanbase? We bullied DISNEY into giving us a series- *another glance at confused nearby reader* And if that isn't the most impressive fandom accomplishment ever, then I don't know what is! *ignores confused reader even harder than before* But how, I ask, HOW can the mighty Percy Jackson influence spread if libraries never stock the books?? You see the crisis here?! *blows raspberry* I honestly have no idea. If they think they can avoid making us more significant than the Twilight and Hunger Games fandoms, they've already lost my girl. If Percy Jackson isn't available here, the librarians have done an abysmal job. I mean, look at them! *points at the dumbfounding reader while still looking at the other person* They're still reading Meerkat Madness! *camper looks offended* No, we just can't have this~~ It's clearly become too important an issue to ignore for a second longer! *raises fist in protest* GATHER THE FANDOM! WE'LL DEMAND THAT EVERY SINGLE PERCY JACKSON BOOK IS AVAILABLE IN EVERY LIBRARY IN THE COUNTRY!!! WITH THE MOST POWERFUL FANBASE IN THE WORLD, WHO'S GOING TO STOP US?! WE SHALL– Oh, wait, is that the librarian coming over? With the book cart? …Could it be??? *gasp of pure excitement* NEVERMIND, IT'S HERE!!! ARRIVING AT LAST!!!!! *snatches book directly off cart and holds it up triumphantly, grinning insanely* SUCCESS IS MINE!!!!!! *Runs like a cheetah to the cart and grabs the Trials of Apollo first book from the top of the pile and notices the librarian looking at them crazily, but doesn't care* OH MY GOD *hugs and jumps in a circle with the other person* Percy Jackson books have finally been put in the library! Now, all we need are those other series…

PART 3: Spoken Word Poetry

Changing, changing, every day
Every single thing, every single way
Time blurring past like waves in the bay
Take this as you will, it won’t make me stay

Some say I’m a villain, some think me nice
So how am I me, if I’m not the same twice?
Trust that you know me, and you’ll pay the price
I change like the tides, so take my advice

Look at the clouds, the shifting weather
Reminding you of something you can’t quite remember
Sometimes you think it’s still that November
When all was alright, and we were together

I thrive in the turmoil, you picture the past
The arrangement you loved never could last
Gone now, you say, lost to a sky so vast
Slipped through your jaws, too quick, too fast

While I say it's not gone, just converted
Into something new that can't be reverted
Back to how it was before I subverted
The expectations which you had asserted

Still, neither of our claims is wrong
Whether you tell the story or sing the song
Two sides of the same tale, equally strong
To each their own, all along

There’s no single truth, no constant, no chain
A different version in everyone’s brain
If, in one image, you try to contain
All that exists, it will be in vain

Sometimes there is something lost in translation
Reality left up to interpretation
Lines we draw upon situations
In the end, are just our imagination

Will you recognize me in a year or more?
After I've lived my life and settled my scores
I'm both an after and a before
My name's the water upon the shore

And as I'm but a sliver of the brine
And you're the breeze that blazes high
Perhaps it will bring you some peace of mind
To know that I am Chaos, and chaos is I

PART 4: Songwriting

Marigold
Oh, Marigold, oh Marigold
You married gold, a heart of gold
But now you’re lost, your story’s told
By the zinnia you left behind

By the zinnia you left behind

Blooming with the sun
Your petals so full of light
You blinded me with gold
The prettiest in sight

But now you have forgotten
Old faces fade to gray
Memories left to oblivion
I’ll think of them anyway

Oh, Marigold, oh Marigold
You married gold, a heart of gold
But now you’re lost, your story’s told
By the zinnia you left behind

By the zinnia you left behind

With those empty eyes
You look, but do not see
That I remain beside you
Yet still so far, indeed

Searching your mind
For a single shining star
But it’s all dark to me
And I can’t find where you are

Oh, Marigold, oh Marigold
You married gold, a heart of gold
But now you’re lost, your story’s told
By the zinnia you left behind

By the zinnia you left behind

Even with shattered hope
That you remain in there somewhere
I will live on for you
That’s all that I can bear

You’re already gone
Can’t go back to the start
Though I cry with every beating
Of my periwinkle heart

Oh, Marigold, oh Marigold
You married gold, a heart of gold
But now you’re lost, your story’s told
By the zinnia you left behind

By the zinnia you left behind

And someday this fragment
That I once thought was you
Will pass on from this world
That’s all that’s left to do

And still I will remember
Your petals, when they were fresh
I’ll lay that little flower crown
Where your body rests

Oh, Marigold, oh Marigold
You married gold, a heart of gold
But now you’re lost, your story’s told
By the zinnia you left behind

The promises have wilted
And now I am alone
We had but a moment
I wish that I had known

Oh, Marigold, oh Marigold
You married gold, a heart of gold
But now you’re lost, your story’s told
By the zinnia you left behind

By the zinnia you left behind

By the zinnia you left behind


THE THIRD WEEKLY, or at least the only part I have to actually provide proof for-

PART 3

Stress is everywhere. Unless you’re a pampered cat that gets to sleep all day, you probably have to deal with deadlines and schedules and doing things that you don’t enjoy. All of that stuff is just part of life. For those of us with particularly busy lives, the stress can get overwhelming. Everyone has physical and mental limits that determine how much stress they can handle, and it can be very damaging to push past that breaking point. But how can we free ourselves from the daily cycle of stress? Truth is, you probably can’t break free altogether. However, there are some small activities you can add to your everyday schedule to better manage that constant stream of responsibilities.
First, be aware of your mood while you’re working. When you start to feel frustrated or listless, stop what you’re doing and take a few minutes to journal or draw or write- anything that activates your brain without taking too much effort. Personally, I like to carry a pencil and a pad of post-it notes or a small sketchpad with me wherever I go. It’s a way for me to let my feelings loose onto paper whenever I’m doing something that doesn’t satisfy that need, such as mind-numbingly boring schoolwork. This is also a good idea if you’ve had a bad day and need somewhere to vent. You can scribble down your thoughts and feelings, and then rip them up when you’re done if it makes you feel better.
Next, balance the productivity with the procrastination. Sometimes, doing something fun will feel bad because you know there are other things you ought to be working on. Don’t have that mindset! Do something fun for a while, and then you’ll be more refreshed and able to work better. You might have even found some inspiration or motivation! It’s not healthy to do nothing but work all the time- you’re not a robot. You have to take some time to do the things that bring you happiness every once in a while. If you do this, you will be in a better state of mind to work those long hours and beat those deadlines when it really comes down to it.
Finally, don’t forget the importance of perspective. Even the most simple tasks can be thought of in a more pleasant way if you put your mind to it. Try doing your chores in a more creative way, or attempt something unexpected with that project you have to turn in by Monday. If there’s one thing we don’t lack in Scratch Writing Camp (besides mangoes), it’s imagination. Maybe there’s a way to put a positive spin on a dreaded assignment, or, if optimism just isn't your thing, make it as ridiculous as possible just to annoy everyone else. Don’t be afraid to do something a little different! Finding ways to express yourself in even the most mundane places can make all the difference.


1. Write 100 words to begin your adventure.

Do you mind if I steal your eyeballs? Well, I guess it’s not really stealing if I ask first, is it… How about borrowing them for a while? Would that be alright?
Just kidding! I already have them. You’re reading these words, aren’t you? That means I successfully captured your eyeballs. You could take them back at any time, of course, and I, your humble narrator, could do nothing to stop you. But something tells me you’ll keep reading. You see, you’re a single thread in a vast weave, trying to tie yourself into my world. And I’m the one who’s good with knots.
So, what do you say- can I keep your eyeballs for a while? I promise I won’t eat them. And a promise is kind of like a knot, isn’t it?

2. Fan Fiction: Have a blast from the past and write a 150 word flashback.

Memory is a fickle thing. But then again, so is time itself. And so is everything else. An arrangement of sand, forever shifting, trickling through the hourglass, being torn down and rebuilt. Always changing, creation and destruction in equal measure. My hatching should have been evidence enough of that.
Most shazarxi don’t remember their hatchings. I do. A perfect eggshell, round, smooth, and simple. It was warm on the inside. Eventually, the day came when it could no longer contain me. However, my egg didn’t just crack as I emerged- it exploded. My first experience of the world was being immersed in a bright blur as fragments of shell crashed down around me. It was quite unusual, they all said. No shazarxa had ever hatched that way before. Still, I had four legs, two wings, fourteen claws, a tail, and a face- nothing at all strange about me. Life moved on, and they forgot.
I believe that’s what’s called foreshadowing.

3. Realistic Fiction: In the next 150 words, build up a happy scene, only to incorporate a dark twist.

“I brought you a gift!” I chirped, scampering up to my father, Ember.
“I-it’s not spiders again, is it?” Thorn questioned, poking his head out from underneath Ember’s wing. My brother was always so nervous about everything. I couldn’t imagine why.
“No- look!” I sat back on my hind legs, and used my front paws to hold up the circle of branches I had tied. It was almost as big as I was, although that didn’t mean much. I was basically the smallest shazarxa ever.
I stuck my face in the middle of the circle and giggled. “It’s a circle, see? With twelve knots- two for you, and two for Marigold, and two for me and two for Butterfly and two for Thorn and two for Teardrop! One for each of our eyes!”
Ember smiled proudly at me as I climbed his shoulder and plopped the circle on his head. It fit perfectly. “It’s very nice, Parsnip,” he purred.
I beamed. The plan had worked perfectly. That circle was full of thorns. One by one, they would fall off and get embedded in his fur, and be quite a nuisance. I couldn’t wait to see what he’d do! Hey, I mean, what else is the smallest shazarxa supposed to do for entertainment?

4. Dystopian: For the next 150 words in your story, a supernatural/celestial being intervenes in the middle of whatever your protagonist was doing.

Over the next few seasons, I became even better at weaving branches and vines. The leader, Swift, assigned me the job of building dens into the wall of the canyon. We had nested on the ground until that point, but with the threat of wolves becoming a bigger issue, he thought it would be better to roost higher up.
I accepted, of course. I was good with my claws and skilled at structural design. Perhaps it was time to use those talents for something else other than tricking people.
I could fly by then, and so I circled up into the sky to view the canyon from above and choose the best location for the new dens. It was a wonderful day. The sunlight was bright, and I rode a warm updraft. The sun was so bright, in fact, that my eyes watered, and the updraft was strong enough to propel me up even farther than I intended. I blinked, realizing that the sky looked weird. It wasn’t blue anymore- more of a glowing green. I flapped my wings, only to realize that gravity had apparently given up on existence. A layer of clouds obscured my view of the ground- where had those clouds come from?
“Hey, Parsnip,” came a voice from above. Looking up, I saw an unfamiliar shazarxa with strangely green eyes- the color of the sky. They were floating upside-down. “Call me Wild. I’m the one who created your world.”
“Oh, cool,” I replied. This was interesting.
“Listen, I have a favor to ask you. You’re kind of a prankster character, yeah? I need you to prepare an epic plot twist- something dramatic that you can reveal in, oh, about six or seven season-cycles.”
Now it was getting even more interesting. “Sure,” I said.
“Great! I’ll bring you back to Half-Canon- that’s this place- soon, once you’ve gathered some thoughts to discuss.” With that, the shazarxa dove down into the clouds, and gravity suddenly worked again. I dove downward as well, but when I broke through the clouds, there was no sign of them- just the canyon.
Looking down at where I was supposed to build the dens, I began to have an idea…

5. Thriller: Write 5 paragraphs, and make the word count in each be one of the randomly-generated numbers.

(42, 35, 88, 58, 23)

I planned and designed, collected and constructed. Bit by bit, moment by moment, a woven network of dens sprouted on the side of the cliff. The time seemed to pass by quickly, and within the colony, life moved on. Many things changed.
The wolves attacked our camp. Several shazarxi were killed, including Swift. Ash became our next leader. And now everything’s a mess! It’s quite fun to observe sometimes. Wild says it’s all part of the plot.
I think I’m the only one in the colony who realizes the truth. This world is not the only world. Wild comes from another world, the one they call IRL. (It means ‘in real life,’ they told me, which, to me, implies that I’m living in ‘fake life.’ I told them this, but they just rolled their eyes.) They call my world, the one they created, Canon. The area where our two worlds overlap is Half-Canon, a sort of thought space, an in-between place that’s not really anywhere.
I’ve been going there a lot lately. I no longer need Wild’s interference to find my way. The timeline is different than my own, though, and I never know when or where I’ll end up. Actually, I’m not sure if time even exists there. Others from Canon come into it, too, from all points in time and space.
Teardrop thinks I’ve lost my mind. Perhaps I have. But in the great confusion of everything, it’s the one thing that makes sense.

6. Fantasy: Write 250 words while you wait for the sun to come out again.

I watched as Shade led her followers out of the canyon, not to return. Practically everyone was shouting something or other, and a thrill of excitement raced through my wings.
It wouldn’t be long now.
Ember and Marigold came rushing over to me, with Teardrop close behind. Ember wrapped us both up in his wings as if we were still hatchlings, but neither of us protested.
“I’m so glad you’re still here,” he whispered heavily.
“I couldn’t NOT be here,” I pointed out. “Wherever I am is the place I call ‘here.’”
Teardrop shot a glare at me through Ember’s floof. What? Oh, right. I was expected to be comforting or whatever. Thorn had left with Shade’s group, and everyone was very busy being upset about that. I probably should try to console them.
“Don’t look back, Ember,” I said in the gentlest voice I could manage. Turns out I’m pretty good at pretending. “Dwelling on the past won’t bring him back. Let him live his life, and you can live yours. He’ll be okay.”
“I was supposed to hold you all close,” he replied, still rather dazed. He didn’t lift his gaze from the ground.
I sighed internally and slipped out from under his wing, darting into my personal den. I came back carrying that old circle of branches from when I was a fledgling.
“Hey, remember this?” I asked. “It had thorns in it. You couldn’t get them off of your head for the longest time!”
At this, he raised his head and smiled faintly. Marigold took a step closer, also remembering.
“If you want, you can have it back,” I continued. “The thorns are gone now, but maybe it will remind you of Thorn.”
Gently, he picked it up off my claws. All four of us stood in a circle and looked at it for a long time.

7. Script: Word sprint for the next four minutes as you try to leave the stage betetr than you found it.

Back in Half-Canon, I was chatting with a wolf. Her name is Chaos, and she was one of the wolves that attacked our camp a while back. I didn’t know her back then, so of course, we were trying to kill each other, but now we get along great. Everyone in Half-Canon can communicate perfectly with each other, regardless of our native languages. That was Chervil’s idea. (Chervil is a turtle.)
Wild walked in on our conversation, and we both stopped talking, looking to them expectantly. They grinned at us. “Parsnip! Is our little plot twist ready?”
“You know it is, Wild,” I smirked back.
“Good. It’s almost time.”
Time, time, moving forward whether you like it or not. Always bringing change.
And this time, I was the one bringing the change.

8. Poetry: In the next 150 words, place a character in isolation and describe in detail how they react to this loneliness.

Thorn laid in his hastily-made nest, unable to sleep. He was already beginning to regret his decision to leave. He wished he had at least said goodbye.
But he knew that if he had, he would have been convinced to stay. And he couldn’t bear to stay. Ash was tearing the colony apart with his anger and bad decisions. So when Shade decided to follow in her mother’s pawsteps and start her own colony, Thorn went with her, even though it meant leaving behind everyone he loved.
Except it turned out that Shade wasn’t planning on starting a new colony. Instead, she was preparing for battle, wanting to overthrow Ash. She had announced this as soon as they were out of the main colony’s territory. Everyone else had seemed so excited. Had they already known?
Surrounded by a crowd of fellow shazarxi, Thorn felt completely alone.
As the sun gradually rose in the sky, he finally fell into a troubled sleep.

9. Bizarro Fiction: Take a few moments to think of something extremely absurd. Then see if you can apply that to your story.

A few days later, Thorn woke up in a place that was decidedly not the same nest he had fallen asleep in. He whirled around, trying to figure out where he was. The flash of eyes caught his attention.
“Who’s there?” he called, trying to sound confident. He is not as good at pretending as I am.
I stepped closer so that he could see me.
“Hi, Thorn!”
“Parsnip?! Where am I? What- what did you do?”
“What do you mean? You go for walks out here every day. I come out to greet you every time.” I replied, tilting my head. “Have you not noticed?”
“Following me? But I just woke up- The whole thing with Shade wasn’t all… it wasn’t all a dream, was it?”
“What whole thing with Shade?” I asked.
“Leaving to start her own colony. Planning for battle against Ash. Everything that’s happened in the past three days! It- it did happen, right?”
Thorn’s eyes were wide with terror, so for once, I took pity on him. “Yeah, that happened, don’t worry,” I confirmed. “But, Thorn- If you don’t remember meeting me here yesterday, or the day before that- Were you sleepwalking?”

10. Non Fiction

(I got 1. Pff, there’s not much writing I can do in one minute.)

“Hey, Ash-”
He bristles immediately. “You’re supposed to ask before coming in my den,” he growls.
I shrug, ignoring him. “Just ran into Thorn out there,” I say, gesturing vaguely with my tail. “He said Shade is planning to launch an attack against you. Just thought you should know.”
I turn and leave. Behind me, Ash is stunned for a moment, before sputtering- “W-wait, WHAT??”
But I’m already gone.

11. Horror

At last, the day I’ve been waiting for has arrived. The energy runs through every hair on my pelt, but once again, I must pretend that everything is normal. That I am normal.
I pop into Half-Canon just before the beginning of the end.
“Lucky- you get so much plot relevance,” Rain moans. “Most of my character arc was spent on an ISLAND.”
Chaos laughs. “I just wish I could be there to see it. Chaos is LITERALLY in my name, you know.”
<<My work begins immediately after this,>> Chervil chimes in thoughtfully. <<Prepare yourselves.>>
“And I don’t get to exist until after this happens!” River adds. “So bring on the future!”
I don’t reply, quiet for once in my life. Using Half-Canon’s powers, I imagine my circle of knots into existence. I poke my face through the center, just like I did all those seasons ago. It melts over my face like a mask, and I wonder: What if Teardrop was right all along, and I HAVE only been imagining this place?
I catch a glimpse of myself with the mask in a reflective pool. it looks exactly like who I’ve become.

12. Mystery

Oh, the glorious confusion of battle. How can I possibly describe it? It’s a whirlwind of noise and movement, a deadly dance. Claws fly and jaws snap, wings spread and snarls ring out against the walls of the canyon.
I stay out of it, of course, Direct confrontation was never my thing. I am, after all, still a very small shazarxa for my age- what use would I be in a fight, anyway?
Or at least that’s the excuse I gave to Ash. I am more than capable of shredding someone’s fur off, I just have a bigger role to play. It won’t be long now.
He stands on the leader’s ledge, face to face with Shade. They begin monologuing at each other, and the battle around them pauses to listen. So predictable.
I see each moment in perfect clarity from my hiding place at the base of the cliff, among the branches that support the dens above.
The time for words has passed. The two shazarxi prepare to fight, circling.
I see the precarious balance in Ash’s eyes.
Then, he is lauching himself at Shade- over Shade- plummeting to the ground below.
A sharp crack is heard, and then everything is absolutely still. Time seems to stop.
But it doesn’t.
I step into sight, rustling my feathers only slightly. This motion triggers Teardrop out of their shock.
“YOU KILLED HIM!” he roars, flinging herself at Shade, not thinking. Stupid. They’ve already lost the battle.
Within moments, he is cornered beneath the dens alongside me. Shade and her followers have noticed me now, and they begin to close in on us both.
My time to shine.
“The one thing nobody realized,” I state simply, “is that the central support structure is the most important part of any building. It controls the rest, if you will.”
Shade looks confused for just an instant, and I grab the circle of knots with my tail, having snatched it from Ember’s den and stashed it there earlier.
“It’s the knot that ties it all together,” I continue. Nonchalantly, I swing the knotted circle with my tail, and it slices through a vine.
“Without it…”
A rumble from above makes everyone pause.
“It all falls apart.”

13. Science Fiction

So that went mind-blowingly well!
I float up from the rubble, and for a moment, I get the distinct feeling I’ve been here before.
Hadn’t the gravity stopped working once before? Hadn’t something already happened that caused the sky to filled with clouds out of nowhere? It was as if I was reliving it all over again. Deja vu.
But no, this time it was different. I had collapsed the ENTIRE SIDE OF THE CLIFF. AND IT WAS ON FIRE. SOMEHOW.
With just that one vine, the central structure that had been holding up the dens the entire time. Pretty impressive, if I do say so myself!
Oh, and I guess I was a ghost now. I kind of was directly underneath the cliff when it collapsed. But that was just part of the plot, too!
I was tempted to brag about my victory to the others in Half-Canon. But my role wasn’t quite over yet. There was one more thing I had to do.

14. Adventure

(It was a 5-minute sprint, but I was having trouble thinking of words, so it’s pretty short.)

Teardrop clambered up the Mountain, not even knowing what to think.
Everything had happened too fast. She remembered the battle, and Ash’s death- no, he mustn’t think about that- and then Parsnip?? The cliff??
Parsnip had pushed them out of the way of the falling dens right before they would have crushed him. With his last words, Parsnip had told her to climb to the Mountain’s peak.
With nothing left to do and nowhere else to go, they obeyed.

15. Folklore

“I need you to give me one of those leaves,” Parsnip instructed, gesturing at the lone tree on the top of the Mountain.
Teardrop didn’t seem to understand that the Mountain, well, more like the tree, actually- was the one place ghosts could communicate with the living.
<<Technically, there ARE other trees,>> Chervil’s voice from Half-Canon told him.
“Shut up! I’m supposed to be in Canon right now!” he mentally whispered back. He was glad turtles could read minds.
Teardrop looked dazed with shock, but he tore off a leaf and handed it to him anyway. Obediently following orders, like always.
Parsnip picked up the leaf, and gravity returned to greet him. He had a body again! Grinning like a maniac, he put his paw- his TANGIBLE paw- on Teardrop’s shoulder.
“Thank you. Now travel down to the lake on the other side of this Mountain. There’s someone I want you to meet.”
<<Thanks, Parsnip,>> he heard Chervil say.
Parsnip spread his wings and dove down the mountain, relishing the feel of the wind in his pelt. It was nice having a body again.
He alighted on the pile of rubble that remained in the canyon. No one else was around.
Digging a little bit, he found what he was looking for- his circle of knots, now old and scratched, but miraculously unbroken.
Parsnip placed it on his head.

16. Historical Fiction

And thus ends the story of your humble narrator, Parsnip! I suppose I said at the beginning that I would give your eyes back when I was done, and I plan to keep my promise! Never make a promise you can’t keep (just word it very ambiguously). So I shall soon return the eyeballs that I stole. But although my story arc ended, my life, or, well, my undeath, perhaps- did not. Neither did time stop. I won’t tell you what happened with Chervil because it’s not my story to tell, but there are a few more details that I might as well mention while I’m here.

17.

The shazarxi now have a much friendlier relationship with the wolves. Guess who I finally got to meet in Canon? That’s right, Chaos!!! At first, I didn’t even recognize her. She portrays herself differently in Half-Canon than she actually looks like in Canon. Also, she’s a shapeshifter. Important detail.
We ended up meeting by accident- Me trying to pull a prank, her seeing right through me and stealing my circle of knots. Her returning it to me, and me, um, well, blushing heavily, actually~
Anyway, anyway, did I mention that River has also officially been born now? She’s quite the clever young shazarxa. Maybe you’ll have the privilege of letting her steal your eyeballs sometime.
But for now, here are yours back. Maybe you won’t ever see with them in quite the same way, but that’s hardly my fault, right? Or maybe not. Whatever, see (yes, SEE, heheh) you later!

(How does one embed an image? I can't post the completion certificate- If you really need to see it, just ask and I'll put it ina project.)


CRITIQUES

November 19

(I worked with @opheliio and their critique is here: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/762993599/#comments-300442646 )

Woah. I loved this!!! :0 My favorite aspect was definitely the characters. Their emotions and their stories are just so perfectly laid out. These are the kind of characters that a fandom would be really attached to if it was an entire book series. And it totally could be! From the social class hierarchy to the language having a word for “hope of not now” (aaaa I ADORE fictional languages! That part made me so happy~), it’s clear that there could be a lot more world-building in this universe. As the reader, I want to know the rest! What else is this world like? It’s honestly super fascinating, and I was drawn to the world and the characters’ stories right away. As for the characters’ relationship, it came off as being very complex, with a lot of history between the childhood moment you described to the places where they are now. I want to know everything that happened along the way. There’s undoubtedly a whole story there. (Do you have the rest of the story thought out yet? Or are planning to? This writing is so good and there’s so much potential there, I think you should ) Personally, I’m a big fan of characters reflecting on things or people from their pasts, so I identified a lot with your narrator, Hugo. There just seemed to be such a– weight- to what he was saying and the way that he said it. The words flowed along in a stream of thought. I liked how certain words or sentence structures were repeated to help create that “flowing” sense. And then how you kind of left it hanging at the end so that I’d be burning to read more- It’s GREAT. To be honest, I can’t say anything negative about the writing at all. Not a single thing I would correct or change- I thought it was beautifully done. :0

November 20

(I worked with @sweetcakefamily.)

Overall, I thought your writing was okay. It started off nicely, and I like the way that you explained what was going on right away. I felt that the glowing sunrise and the emotion you created at the beginning really helped to set up the mood that was carried throughout the rest of the piece. I especially liked how you phrased the sentence “His words caused a cheer to rumble across the plains about us, and the warrior blew his horn loudly into the sky.” It just sounds super beautiful and I can picture it perfectly- it encapsulates the setting, the large number of people, and just the general triumphant feeling that this piece has. However, the part about worrying about the truce not lasting needs a little work. It’s not the idea, exactly, more of just the way it came off as undermining the triumphant atmosphere that you had formed at the beginning. If you meant for there to be a worried undertone to the seemingly-happy scene, you should have made that a little more clear. Why exactly is there concern about the truce not holding? Is there a specific reason that the characters think it’s possible for violence to break out again? The worry doesn’t seem well-founded without more detail to back it up, almost as if it’s just an excuse for leading into the adorable little scene where they hold hands. The shipping going on here is very evident, however. ;3 Anyway, now for the grammar and spelling stuff I noticed- You said “like the my feelings” in the first paragraph, inserting an extra word. The last sentence is a run-on, with too many ‘and’s. Also, it’s not really an error, but “might not completely be over” is a little awkward, and I think “might not be over yet” would sound slightly better. That’s just a personal preference though!

November 21

(I worked with @criminal-intent.)

Aaaaaa, I love this so much ajfhakjfnjk;- Of COURSE I read all 1205 words, how could I not?? I don’t think there’s such a thing as “too much” when it’s a good story- xD The way the dialogue is done is absolutely perfect- The characters feel so real, so genuine, in just this one short passage that a full-length book would be mind-blowing. I have no clue how I’m supposed to find anything at all to critique, to be honest– Instead, I suppose I can point out the bits that especially stood out to me. It’s worded really nicely, with phrases like “memory of fire burned into his skin” and “his robe flaring behind him as he stalked through the doorway, thrusting across the faint torchlight like a black cloud drifting over the moon.” I mean, ack, that’s SO beautifully written. :0 The word choices and sentence structures are great. The mentions of fire and smoke throughout the piece really gets that imagery locked into the reader’s head, and the setting is once again artfully described. The tone is consistent and the emotions are very much present. Reading it, I could almost pretend I was in the same room, listening in. Being able to immerse myself into a piece of writing like that is something I always value. I love to get lost in worlds of words. If there’s anything at all that could be improved, I was certainly not skilled enough to pick up on it- I didn’t see any grammar or spelling errors, either. It’s just pure amazing, and I’d love to read more. At this point, I only have glimpses of the characters and plot, so it’s very intriguing. There’s definitely a lot more to this world and this story that are just dying to be explored- :000


NOVEMBER 22

(I worked with @sweetcakefamily.)

First off, strong title! Keep that for sure. In the first sentence, saying “my eyes were arrested” does work, but “arrested” makes it sound kind of negative- try to find a different word that has a more positive connotation. Then, saying “felt my spirits soar high with it” is a little wordy- I’d leave out the word “high.” The phrase “all could now see the sun” was also a little awkward, maybe rephrase that? Saying “my feelings of the dawn on the new age” is wordy as well, try putting something like “the glory of a new age” instead. You don’t need to say it’s the character’s feelings if you’ve already established that the character is the one narrating, which you did.
In the next paragraph, say “Noughtice and Crossfire has been consumed in a seemingly-endless war,” inserting that extra word to make it sound more interesting. You can probably condense the next sentence, or maybe split it into two sentences- it feels very run-on.
“Endless tactics and long-lasting bloodshed persisted” is repetitive- if you’re calling them “endless” and “long-lasting,” you don’t need to also say they “persisted.” Again, skip the “what felt like” piece- the reader already knows that the character is voicing their feelings.
There should be commas after “when” and “other” in the phrase “when after years of fighting against each other.” As well as grammar, it would create small dramatic pauses. Next, I like the way you said “raised our swords in alliance,” it sounds very nice that way. The phrase “they were stronger when united as they used to be” might read better as “they were stronger when united, as they once were.” It’s a little awkward otherwise.
“I stared about me as the remaining soldiers of both sides gathered together on their horses, standing, for once, on the same turf in peace” is a great sentence, maybe add a comma after “turf,” though? The “we all prepared for the ride home” should be its own sentence, so that it doesn’t seem like a run-on.
I LOVED the part where Serys is speaking to her horse, Vincent. You made the emotion so perfect, especially the little pauses and breaks in speech. It feels very genuine.
The sentence “I shook my head with a sigh, before Vincent nudged my face with his own” sounds just slightly wordy, but that’s mostly me being nitpicky. You don’t have to rephrase it.
You described Nathan very nicely. I like that Serys is clealy in tune with his emotions, easily able to read his expressions. It shows how close the two characters are.
Reword “trying to occupy myself from my nervousness.” It doesn’t sound quite right. Replace “occupy” with “distract” or expand it to say something like “trying to occupy myself in order to forget my nervousness.”
The next few paragraphs are well done. You could add a little more personality to Nathan’s speaking habits, but it’s not necessary at all.
“Ideas of betrayal” would sound better as “fears of betrayal.”
Ooh, I like “cacophonously;” that’s a good word. “before he shortly announced” is kind of weird. In my opinion, you should have ended the sentence after “attention” and then started the next sentence like “He announced that…”
In the next paragraph, you used the word “completing” twice, try mixing it up a little to be more interesting.
There should be a comma after “at the moment.”
Serys says “feel” twice. Again, vary the wording.
“Warmth in my cheeks rising” would flow better as “warmth rising in my cheeks.”
The next section is good, I couldn’t find anything much to change.
I’d move the phrase “in celebration” to the end of the sentence.
Put a comma after “now.”
Beautiful ending! Overall, I think the piece was a good expansion of the original one you sent. Great job!

November 23

(I worked with @Galaxy-Awesome.)

Before I start, I’ll warn you that I don’t really know much about the Empires SMP (the closest contact I’ve had is the Dream SMP fandom, which I only joined about seven months ago), so I can’t speak to the events your poem is describing– But from just a general readover of the poem, there’s a very haunting tone, as is fitting for the kind of lullaby you were going for. As I was reading it, I tried to sing it out loud to try to get a feel for the rhythm. It definitely gets across the message that it’s someone speaking of a history that took place so long ago that the details have faded, and what remains has been reduced to myth and legend. I like how you described each Emperor’s downfall in one verse- short enough to not explain too much, but long enough to illustrate the feeling of each one. I didn’t catch any spelling errors, but there were a few places where the grammar seemed to be a little off- In the verse “For they lived for their empires, / And they died for and with too / Each and every single one of them, / To the end of their era now due,” I could understand what you were trying to say, but the order of the words was initially a bit confusing, and I had to read through it a couple of times to comprehend it. Then, the line “He grieved til he could no more, come his time to fall” could probably be rephrased, and also shortened; I felt like there were too many syllables, and it interrupted the flow of the rhythm. The next line, “And now the ones who hadn't perished still died in a way” could be shortened as well, for the same reason. I’m not exactly sure how you wanted it to sound in your head, so I could be mishearing it, however. In general, the way you described things was very interesting, and I think you’ve got a good chance of winning in the writing competition. I really liked it!

November 24

(I worked with @dsjlin.)

I loved it! Insects are so awesome, and it’s nice to see a poem honoring how cool they are. I didn’t see any spelling or grammar errors, and the way you worded everything was absolutely amazing. Really, the only parts I could nitpick are when certain lines are a little too long, interrupting the rhythm a little bit. The first two lines are perfect, setting up a flowing, steady pattern. I really like the line “Fireflies rise to harmonize lights” as well- so much rhyming! However, in the next stanza, “Watching each fly or crawl separate ways / Hoping they'll make most of their remaining days” sounds a bit awkward- I like the way it’s phrased, it just feels like the syllable count is a bit off. The third stanza is good- It captures the emotion and importance of the great butterfly migrations. Next, the line “They're so tiny, insignificant, surely they don't have much load to lug?” is too long; it doesn’t fit the rhythm. I’d suggest trying to find a way to shorten it. I’d remove the word “may” from the line after that as well. In the fifth stanza, the line “Termites nest and breed in these” is too short- It works, but if you want to maintain the flowing rhythm from the first stanza, then there needs to be a few more syllables in there somewhere. I like the way the stanza after that is formatted. It’s well-said, and I couldn’t find anything to improve. The seventh stanza is also good, except for the fact that “more” and “horror” don’t rhyme perfectly. I can’t think of any word you could use that would work better, though- perfect rhymes are hard, and it still sounds okay the way it is. The eighth stanza is good, but should “human make” be hyphenated? Next, “praying mantis” should be plural, “praying mantises.” Finally, the line “Returning to your summer with your hands held clasping your vessel” is too long, find a way to shorten it. Other than that, though, I adore the ending of the poem. It’s beautiful!

November 25

(I worked with @CleverComment.)

What a good story! Your fictional backstory could just as easily be the actual mythology; I really liked the concept- Your introduction was brief and informative, leading directly into the narrative part. The rest was simple, but heartfelt. There were only a few minor things that I saw to critique. First, in the introduction, spell out the word “two’ instead of writing the number “2.” That helps it sound a bit more formal, making the myth you’re about to tell feel as if it should be taken more seriously. Next, I think “flowed through the Fertile Crescent” would be better than “flowed down the Fertile Crescent.” Saying a river flowed “down” would only make sense if it ran directly North-South, and it’s been a while since I learned about Mesopotamian geography, but I think the Tigris and Euphrates rivers were more diagonal on the map? Then, in the sentence “Everyone revered it, not knowing what would happen without it,” I think you should put “them” instead of “it,” because you’re referring to two rivers, not just one. It would also be consistent with the “them” you used in the sentences on either side of that sentence. Next, you wrote “we” instead of “he” in the sentence “The man had walked this path countless times, we didn’t even have to open his eyes.” In the same paragraph, use “two” instead of “2” again, just for formality. The next several paragraphs were great; I especially liked the way you described Enki. In the dialogue, there should be a comma after “shakily replied,” “reluctantly answered,” “took a deep breath and said,” “he added,” and “the man said.” Finally, the flashback and the ending were absolutely gorgeous. So tragic, but so beautiful! You did a really good job. :’3
As a side note, here’s an interesting coincidence I noticed- I looked up Eridanus on Wikipedia, and apparently, the constellation is home to the second-largest known supervoid, an area of space without any galaxies. The only larger void… is in the constellation that I chose, Canes Venatici. Out of all the constellations in the sky, we somehow managed to pick the ones with the two biggest supervoids. (And for the record, I didn’t even learn about my constellation’s void until just now, when I was reading Eridanus’s Wiki article.) Pretty cool coincidence! :0

November 26

(I worked with @cxtton-moon.)

Aww, nice- :0 You set it up nicely in the beginning so that it’s not too specific, but the premise of the poem is still clear- Phrases like “no song / can fill my aching heart” and “Only dreams / soothe my troubled soul” helped lead right into that melancholy tone. Making each stanza be short and unrhyming, with varying line lengths, was a good choice- It backs up the whole “world cracks beneath my feet” thing- There’s no harmony or rhythm, and each section of words is a fragment. However, you might want to add a little more detail. I know that I say that about just about everything, but it’s especially true in this case. It’s a little bit difficult to follow the progression of events, and it would also be more memorable if more detail was added. Since you made this for cabin wars, it was probably a little rushed, so I assume that’s why there isn’t a whole lot of extra description to build up the world and/or the emotion. I noticed that one stanza says “How then, / after all I've done / not standing at my side / no matter how hard I try?”- did you intend to leave out a few words to make it sound more broken? If so, it still works, but it feels somewhat disconnected. If that wasn’t intentional, try saying something along the lines of “are you not standing at my side” instead. Even then, the grammar is slightly off, but that’s okay, because it adds to the “broken” feel which you seem to be going for. The ending confused me a little. Is the speaker of the poem still just dreaming that they are reunited with their loved one, or did the person actually come back? If it’s the former, you could amplify the angst by adding another few lines at the end to describe the crushing feel of returning to the reality where the person’s loved one isn’t there. If it’s the latter, then make it a little more clear.

November 27

(I worked with @smalltoe.)

Nitpicking is about all I CAN do with this piece- there’s not really much to improve. The first paragraph was very good- I liked the descriptiveness, it created the kind of scene that I could picture perfectly in my head. And it captured that nostalgia of meeting someone for the first time, the little details that a person always remembers– Very beautiful. In the second paragraph, maybe don’t use the word “now” two sentences in a row? That’s getting REALLY nitpicky, but I have to critique SOMETHING, right? Anyway, you got the tone of this one down. I like the phrase “threadbare clouds,” I think that was the bit that solidified the emotion of this scene for me. In the third paragraph, the sentence “I would look forward to the days I’d see you all week when we first knew each other” felt just slightly awkward because of the way the words were arranged. I might have phrased it more like “All week, I would look forward to the days I’d see you, when we first knew each other.” Also in the third paragraph, you missed a period after the word “together.” In the next paragraph, using the word “time” twice in the phrase “the time’s ticking closer to the time you leave” is a bit repetiitve, but again, that’s just me being super nitpicky. The following paragraph was also gorgeously nostalgic. The amazing descriptiveness again! I particularly liked “grizzly drizzle-” the pattern of the z’s makes it really pleasant to read. I think there should be a comma after “a few days,” though. And then there’s the last two paragraphs. Oh my goodness, I love how you ended it. The combination of short, quick sentences and the comma-separated lists– the emotion there is pristine. And it’s so relatable too, writing and deleting words over and over because you just can’t figure out what to say to someone, eventually settling on one short, simple statement- aaaa so true. :’D The final paragraph, the thing that the whole piece has been building up to, being just that one word, just that “goodbye,” packs so much meaning. The dual-timeline format worked so well to bring in that final punch at the end. So good!

November 28

(I worked with @nerdi-girl.)

If I had to sum up my thoughts about this piece up in one word, it would be “intriguing.” There’s definitely a sense of something odd going on even before it gets explained more in the second section. And even then, there’s still a lot that isn’t revealed- I’m sure there could be a lot more behind this whole story. I like the atmosphere of mystery and suspense. You also do a good job of characterizing your narrator through actions and inner thoughts. It all builds up to that ending, and oh my, what a cliffhanger- SOMETHING’S going to happen soon, that’s for sure.
As for sentence structure changes, I’d change “rises onto his stone-colored rental states placidly” to “rises placidly onto his stone-colored rental skates.” Also, “I am sure that at this moment he is fantastical” might sound better as “At this moment, I am sure he is fantastical.” That’s mostly just my personal preference, though, sentence structure can be done so many different ways.
The format of the essay is good- there is a bit of a disconnect between the first and second sections, though. You jump from one scene in one setting to a different scene in a different setting, without any way of bridging over other than saying that the second section happened “later.” I assume that if you expanded this fragment into a full story, you’d have a more easily-followable sequence of events.
My favorite aspect of your writing are probably the metaphors and similes. Phrases such as “move as if the boy was given the power of a god, only to try and hold it in his hands,” “the Dick’s Sporting Goods version of bubble wrap,” and “He is Tom Brady – though on defensive line – or a hero from Marvel's Avengers” are absolutely stunning, and make the writing much more colorful. They also speak to the things that the narrator is most familiar with in their society. I think “children are more like ravens than dolls” is my favorite phrase. The word “unbelonging” is just so perfect as well.

11/02/22: 227
Cabin wars strategies you can use this next session!
1: Plan out a healthy schedule the day before.
Make sure you set boundaries for yourself before the heat of the moment. Make sure that you shut off your device at exactly the time you set. Prioritize your sleep, health and school work. Here’s a sample schedule for a part of your day.
7am: Wake up
Until 8am: Morning routine.
8am: Any remaining homework
9am: Check if there are any wars
Until 10am: Write towards Cabin wars or towards the weekly.

2: Have your words count for multiple purposes.
Work on a few different things at the time. Write an essay for english class during a war. Write part of the weekly during the way.

3: If you want to write a quick amount of words in a short amount of time, do a word dump.
A word dump is an activity that allows you to write very quickly. Just select a prompt for yourself and start writing. It doesn’t matter if it’s coherent, just get something out there. You can later add onto it. This allows you to very quickly get a lot of words and a good skeleton for a story later on. You can use it for many different purposes later on, so it’s good to do a word dump every once and a while.

Fishy's SWC Folder

Daily 1

Daily 2

barks intensly

Weekly #1:

I decided to write my letters in a way where Horror was ‘reacting’ to the different cabin’s storylines and themes. I wrote all of this in one afternoon so I have no energy to reread whatever I wrote.

If anything seems offensive or uncalled for- I did not purposely do and meant it. It all was just to show the relationship between the different cabins.

Dear someone in Adventure Kingdom,

Greetings Adventure! How is it like to live in the kingdom? I heard that you had to be split into two different groups, The Redbloods and the Goldbloods, which one are you one? I hope everything is going alright now. Hope you are safe during this siege! Wow, I was reading a bunch of articles and scrolls about the Adventure Kingdom, you have monsters :O Though I get to follow orders from a ghost I’ve named Bob uwu! No one could ever beat that! Neutrals I see, we’ll see how this war goes…

With spooky regards,
Horror



Dear someone in Dystopian Realm,

Salutations Dystopain! How’s life in tHe ReAlM? You get to live in a magical realm!?!? How cool is that! Though, obviously it is not as cool as getting to listen to a ghost named Bob bark orders at you >. Honestly, a collaborative story sounds like a great idea, I am excited to see how that will turn out! Let us hope it doesn’t get confusing since there are quite a bit of people in Dystopian! Unfortunately, you have made enemies with the great, powerful, and spooky Horror, get ready for cabin wars!!

With spooky regards,
Horror



Dear someone in Steampunk Sanctuary,

Hello Hello Fantasy! Steampunk is a cool sub theme, so mEcHaNiCy. And gears :0 such creative currency. How is it like to be in the cabin that is /so far/ in top 5? It is kind of unclear about the standings now but you currently have the most weeklies in :0. As neutrals, I hope we can maintain a *healthy* relationship with maybe a few betrayals. Fantasy animals are very cool. The pfps are lovely. Though Bob the ghost, who gives us, the chosen ones, orders, will always be superior and better.

With spooky regards,
Horror




Dear someone in the Mystery Express,

Why hello there! A mystery on a train in the winter… sounds like the perfect time for a mysterious story… So how does this work, are you conductincting the Mystery Express or are you enjoying the train ride from your departure to your arrival? Oo I see you’re investigating a crime and all of you are suspects, it is all quite an intriguing process indeed. Either way it is a very cool concept and experience. But it can not beat listening to your boss, the great and powerful Bob the ghost!

With spooky regards,
Horror



Dear Naan Fiction Breadhouse,

Greetings Naan-Fi! I have to comment that Naan is a delicious delicacy that should be honored everywhere, eVeRyWhErE. The breadhouse sounds like a great place to work in with a loveable atmosphere. Definitely isn’t as creepy as us in Horror and the ghost that everyone must bow down and listen to that goes by the name Bob. I see that we are trustworthy allies, I hope our relationship with you all will develop in the time of great cabin wars or more commonly known as (maybe even slightly feared as) cabin wars.

With spooky regards,
Horror



Dear Bi-Fi Cinema

Salutations to the newbie of the group! How does it feel to be the first *ever* Bi-fi cabin in the history of SWC cabins? Pretty epic huh? Wow, a theater theme- theaters are very fun. Wait wait wait now there is an evil Overlord!?! :0 wow you progress fast! Very cool and sinister for a stranger to walk out of a screen- I would be very chill about it and continue talking to my ghostly friend Bob the ghost, but we all react differently don’t we? Neutrals I see, let us see when it is time for war where your true loyalties towards Horror stand, It should be very interesting…

With spooky regards,
Horror



Dear the lovely TOE or Thriller Ocean Expedition,

Hello TOE! I have to state that TOE is an excellent acronym for Thriller Ocean Expedition. Though my curious mind is wondering, was the acronym coincidentally made TOE or just on purpose? I would love to see how your storyline progresses as the creatures that prowl the ocean become more sinister and vicious. As enemies I feel inclined to say that, I hope you fail at whatever it is you are trying to accomplish on this ‘expedition’ of yours /lh. I guess only time will tell. While you are doing THAT, I’ll be over here talking to my friend Bob the ghost.

With spooky regards,
Horror




Dear Sci-Fi Simulation,

Greetings from Horror! I must say, your story line really is creative and unique. It makes me want to wonder, what is Project SCP? There obviously is some bigger history and/or mystery behind the project, unless, of course, it is just a basic project that brings you to an alternate reality. As hostile neutrals, there are bound to be some betrayals amongst the two of us- but I guess we can only find out in the future. Despite our relationship, I wish you luck on your project- I must go now to please the great Bob the Ghost.

With spooky regards,
Horror



Dear Fan-Fi Time Travel Agency,

Hello to whoever has stumbled upon this letter! I’ve been reading the many articles regarding your Time Travel Agency and it is a pretty complex process. First of all, the agency is located in an area that is noticeably not Earth? Does that mean there are possible aliens awaiting you :O. It looks like many of you are split between three different departments. Mapping, Logistics, and Technology. Interesting… I’ve also realized we are both enemies- with a burning sort of hatred for each other. Let us see how this session goes…

With spooky regards,
Horror



Dear Script: the Musical,

Salutations! A musical? I see, hmm… I’ll have to look through my schedule to see if I have time to watch it after I finish pleasing Bob the ghost, who is continuing to give us daily tasks. Also assuming, our rivalries don’t come in the way as we are neutrals. What type of music do you plan on performing before the 30th? I hope it is something that peaks my interest, otherwise, if I am being honest, it really isn’t worth the time. Perhaps I won’t get to see the musical at all if Bob doesn’t let me or we somehow become enemies in the coming days.
With spooky regards,
Horror



Dear Folklore Trails,

Greetings from us residing in the Horror cabin! I guess for the moment we are Allies, I guess that means I can be nice in my sincere letter to you! You guys are the first Folklore cabin, a combination of Myth and Fairy Tales, I hope that is going well for you? I heard that some are quite upset with this change while others are glad, I personally, will keep my opinions in my head . Trails really are a beautiful thing. Nature is a great place to get away from Bob the ghost- assuming he doesn’t somehow track me down. I can’t wait to see how you grow as a cabin!

With spooky regards,
Horror



Dear Hi-Fi Train Robbery,

A train robbery!? Well that’s preposterous! Who would dare do such a thing? I hope you are able to find the culprit friendly neutral! So what exactly are you guys? Are you an investigator corporation like Mystery or bounty hunters? I am guessing the latter since you guys started your journey off with a bounty on the culprit of the robbery. I hope that you won’t lose some people that you trust! (these types of things always end with a betrayal!) Wow, that capture reward is BIG. Good Luck on your journey!!

With spooky regards,
Horror



Dear someone in Poetry’s Isle of Fame,

Hi! The Isle of Fame. Right off the bat it sounds very important and special (but mostly important). Looks like it is a battle of wits and apparently the greater version of writing, Poetry. You are split into verses which act as teams… interesting separation. While you are working on winning, I however, have to work hard to please Horror’s ghost, Bob the ghost, named by Horror’s awesome campers. As neutrals, I guess we don’t interact much. With neither hatred nor love, I’ll watch your progress from afar. May the best verse win! (but in the overall competition Horror is taking the dub!)

With spooky regards,
Horror



Dear whoever decides to read this in the Real-Fi Inn,

HELLO MY ONE AND ONLY SIBLING REALISTIC FICTION! I love your theme! An Inn, how clever. Fits perfectly with the theme of Realistic Fiction. Can I get a booking? Looks fun and cozy. I wonder if you guys over at the Inn can provide some help taming, I mean helping, the ghost that us at Horror must listen to.. Bob the Ghost! Real-Fi is a fun genre and the concept of ‘floors’ is quite flattering. I’m intrigued and can not entirely wait to see what happens in the Inn! Wish you luck throughout the session and cabin wars. Your spooky, sinister, crazy sibling- out.

With spooky regards,
Horror



Near the end of these letters, I kind of lost ideas on what to write so there’s that at least it's done!

1629 words in total <3

314 words

All smoothies are amazing and this is like no other. It has many unique ingredients that you've never heard of before from electronic parts to a lovely wristband that sits on my wrist the whole entire day. This is the most delicious smoothie you'll ever be able to find because its blended to perfection with such care that you're just sure to absolutely love it. When drinking this delicious smoothie, if you feel a slight buzz that is perfectly normal, as the screen interface may not have been crushed properly and is receiving messages as you enjoy the remainder of it. Please sign the waiver before digesting the contents of this smoothie. The waiver simply states that we are not responsible for any injuries that may occur when drinking this smoothie, including sudden death, choking, and electrocution. We offer samples after filling out the waiver as well so you don't need to buy a whole cup. This smoothie is made out of only the finest ingredients ranging from an interface, to a clasp. There's nothing to worry about when taking a quick drink from this smoothie. It'll really brighten your day up and make you feel a whole lot more energetic! Mild discomfort may occur after drinking this smoothie but that is perfectly normal. Should you feel any discomfort please ignore it and take another sip! We promise this will fix the issue as soon as possible. If your stomach begins to flash bright green after digestion please do not contact our customer service. The number for customer service is a dead number and leads to no where. From that point on you're on your own but we would recommend that you take another sip and if that doesn't stop the absurd random green flashing light inside you, we sincerely apologize but you did sign the waiver so we can do nothing about it.

swc over sad

Daily 3
312/300 words

Have you ever tried a Unicorn Plushie Smoothie? No? Well, you're missing out! This all-new nutrient-packed beverage is pink and purple and filled with sparkles. Its taste is a beautiful blend of cotton candy, rainbows, sunshine, flower fields, magic, and polyester fibers. The feeling of the smoothie in your mouth is like you're consuming a fluffy cloud. You may even taste some unicorn hairs that you can slurp up like spaghetti or crunchy unicorn horn chunks that fizz like pop rocks. With all of these flavors and textures, it's like a party in your mouth! Side effects of the Unicorn Plushie Smoothie include sugar rushes, pure happiness, and the ability to fly.
The unicorn queen endorses the Unicorn Plushie Smoothie. “The Unicorn Plushie Smoothie is the most delicious thing that has ever entered my mouth. I was bouncing off the walls for days,” she told our interviewer while doing thirty-seven cartwheels in a row.
In addition, the Unicorn Plushie Smoothie has many health benefits. It is packed with fiber, which is good for your digestive system. It also makes the drinker unable to experience sadness for seven years after consuming. It may or may not grant immortality.
So why wait? Buy the Unicorn Plushie Smoothie NOW for just 93 easy payments of $29.34! Get it to have an unforgettable time at your next work meeting, school dance, or birthday party!
But wait, there's more! Order within the next 5 milliseconds to receive a FREE unicorn plushie so you can make your own smoothie! But wait, there's more! The first 3.5 customers to order will also receive a free reusable water bottle so you can enjoy your Unicorn Plushie Smoothie on the go! Call OOO-000-OOOO to order today.
Ingredients: 1 unicorn plushie (fabric, polyester fiber stuffing, thread), 37 tons of glitter, 9 cups of sugar, 10 million photons of starlight, 1 blending spell

+309 words, +400 points, SWC daily #3 for mystery
You’ve probably tried many smoothies in your life. Boring strawberry banana, the annoying and chunky kiwi-pinapple, and many other unsatisfying arrangements. Luckily, we have the answer to your smoothie dreams. Proven by lab scientists to be the most delicious flavor, we present to you…Nightstand Nimbus!
Nightstand Nimbus is a personalized smoothie flavor that includes natural preservatives, a slight woody scent and taste, and a little bit of metal tang to spice up your day. The smoothie is also different from others because of its texture! The texture is dusty and shredded, as if it was made of shredded wood. Technically, it is made of wood, but the wood has natural and safe lab grown ingredients added to it to make it equally delicious and safe to enjoy. We have one size of our smoothies, large.
If you feel uncomfy drinking something the texture of dust, we have safe packets of out smoothie mix, which you add water to and then put in our Extra Large Nightstand Mint Blender™. Then, feel free to blend and it will come out as a nice and smooth smoothie that tastes like your dreams (or your ex boyfriend, but we’re not going to go into detail about that.)
We’re working on a new mac and cheese with Kraft, but we won’t spoil that surprise for you. Just know that it’s going to taste delicious and you’ll be rushing back for more after the first bite.
Nightstand Nimbus is the smoothie of your dreams. It is unique, and tastes like every good flavor in one. It tastes manly, feminine, and everything in between. It smells and tastes like every time period in existence. Try it today, and if you call 1-800-NIGHTSTAND4 in the next hour, you’ll get 2 free smoothies from our closest store to you. Have a great day, and drink some Nightstand Nimbus.