hello! i'm clev/clever, and this is where i'll be storing my writing for this year i'd love to see any thoughts/feedback you have, if any! thanks for stopping by.

2025 writing thread

Clev's March 2026 Leader App (2984 words)
Word count excluding excerpt: 2507 words

1. About Me (421 words)
Hi! I’m Clev, or Clever; I use they/any pronouns and reside in the wonderful EST timezone. I’m a Hufflepuff, an ambivert, and an INFP-T – otherwise known as a mediator. I love photography, nature, and traveling. A cool fact is that, despite living in the United States today, I've lived in New Zealand for most of my life.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a complete “about me” section if I didn’t mention my love for writing; after all, that’s a reason why I’m in SWC! I remember, during my first years of elementary school, my teacher had given us some writing activities. I loved writing details and stories about anything, whether it was describing the Hogwarts castle or creating my own story about a girl in Candyland.

Since then, writing has been a huge part of my life – I’ve written short stories primarily as a way to share some emotions I have within me. Not only do I find myself in my characters, but I sometimes find my characters within me. In an ideal world, I’d be a writer, but for right now, I’m satisfied – I find time in my day to write down stories and ideas that I have.

Another big part of my life has been Scratch; since I first joined in 2017, I’ve made so many memories talking with online friends and creating cool projects — one of my biggest achievements in life will be getting 4000 loves on a personality quiz I made in 2019. During the pandemic, Scratch was a way for me to stay connected with the world. Even today, after being on Scratch for over 8 years, I value this platform deeply in my heart.

One other thing I’m proud of is my music taste – I usually listen to pop and alternative music, but I’m always discovering new songs to add to my playlist. Some of my favorite artists are Taylor Swift and Lorde; I also love the Eurovision Song Contest, where I find a bunch of diverse songs every year. They’re not always sung in English, but that’s what makes them even cooler. I’m also excited for new artists releasing albums this year: I’m particularly excited to hear Mitski, Em Beihold, and Harry Styles.

Finally, I love meeting new people and forming lasting connections with them – that’s part of the reason why I love SWC so much. I’ve met many people during my time here, and there’ll still be many more to come. I hope to talk to you!

2. Past Participation (332 words)
This upcoming March will mark my thirteenth session in SWC. I first joined the Contemporary Aquarium in November of 2020, and while my memories have been hazy, I remember loving the community I found. My first session showed a whole new corner of the internet for me, one that fostered my love for writing.

Three years later, in November 2023, I got the opportunity to co-lead a cabin for the first time – it was magical. Co-leading Mystery with Fini and Mabel gave me memories to last a lifetime: creating clue projects for the storyline, debating between different color palettes, and laughing over Finley’s perpetual sleep.

Since then, I’ve co-led two other sessions: Magical Realism in November 2024, and the Bi-fi in July of last year. Through these years, I’ve designed the Memory Book as a part of the MBC on three occasions. In addition, I served as a mercenary twice, helping campers during Cabin Wars.

If needed, I can provide a list detailing my past cabins and roles.

Outside of SWC, I’m currently the vice president of my graduating class; this past year, I’ve worked with the other officers to plan and execute various fundraisers. For example, we held our school’s first elementary school Halloween dance in October – though it took many hours of ironing out details and setting up all the decorations, we got it done! My experience as vice president has also taught me how to reach out to other officers and coordinate meeting dates.

I've also entered my works into writing competitions before. Last year, I received an Honorable Mention in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, and I’m currently awaiting the results for this year! Moreover, I was an active member of my school’s Competitive Writing club last year.

In my five years in SWC, I’ve been in a variety of roles and seen many aspects of camp. This, as well as my leadership at my school’s class office, makes me ready to become a leader.

3. Cabin Preferences (290 words)
Part of the reason I love SWC so much are the cabins: seeing all the genres, as well as the debut genres, makes every session different. My first choice for a cabin would be Mythology. I’ve put some thought into it, and I’d love to lead a cabin related to Celtic mythology, full of fantastical creatures and capricious gods.

The Celtic Otherworld – the supernatural realm of deities and the dead – would be the perfect setting. Campers can travel across the Otherworld, as many heroes have done before; as they journey through the realm, they’ll meet mysterious characters and complete various challenges to appease them. This cabin can also double as Folklore.

I know that in the past, Myth cabins have typically focused on Greek and Roman myths; that’s why I’d love to focus on a new area of the world. Additionally, March 2025 was the last time Myth was in the cabin lineup; it’d be great to see it back, one year later.

I’d also love to see the debut of Comedy: we’ve had Tragedy and Tragicomedy in the past, so it’s time for Comedy to join the club. For Comedy, I have an idea of something known as the Late-Night SWC Show! (yes, the exclamation mark is a part of the name). The general premise is that campers will collaborate throughout the month to create scripts and skits, in order to air an episode of the show.

Some other cabins that interest me are Hi-fi, Utopian, Romance, and Satire. I’m open to leading any cabin, however!

As for TCTWNW, I’d prefer not to lead it for this session. I’ll be active throughout the month, and I’d want the cabin to engage in friendly competition with everyone else.

4. Excerpt (477 words, 428 words without intro)
This is my short story, “watermelon and fruit flies.” I wrote this piece in July, but in December, I edited it to the version you’re reading now. I was inspired by how we all tend to romanticize the past, and I thought summer was the perfect setting for that.

I always thought of summer as long days and short nights. Waking up with the sun, sleeping under the stars. The smell of freedom, tall grass, flowing hills. Rough towels draped over our backs, cicadas chirping through lazy afternoons. Summer was when days were carefree; those days, the only thing that mattered was nothing.

When summer rolled around, I sank my teeth into sweet watermelon slices every day. Red juice dribbled down my chin, but I didn’t care. All that mattered was the taste, and boy, were they perfect. Perfect after a day spent roaming, a day spent swimming, a day spent sleeping. Once, after gulping down too much watermelon, I swallowed a few seeds. Terrified at the idea of a watermelon tree growing in my stomach, I couldn’t eat it for days after. My mum thought it was funny – a way of getting more fruit for free. Now, years later, I can’t eat a watermelon without smiling.
But when I think of summer, I forget about the sweltering heat, the boiling sunburns, the mosquitoes that would bite at night. Loud fans, constantly blowing dry air indoors, and damp clothes sticking to my skin. I forget about the fruit flies flying around the house, swarming the watermelon with greed and hope. Each time, I'd bat them away, protecting my precious fruit from their hungry clutches.

I’m the type of person who tends to romanticize things long gone, trapped in false idealisms of the past – it’s my way of preserving my fleeting memories. I remember the freedom of the blue sky, without the oppression of the humid air. The dreamy days, without the lonely nights. The watermelon, without the fruit flies. Every year, I long to relive the perfect summers from my childhood – the endless days spent riding bikes and sleeping in. But, in doing so, I'm longing for summers that never existed. No matter how hard I tried to forget the flaws, they were always there, like fruit flies rubbing their hands together. I guess, to have a summer without fruit flies would be to not have a summer at all.

I don’t yearn for my past summers because they were perfect; I yearn for them because they were real. The never-ending bugs besieging my house were the epitome of those days, in all its flawed glory. And, try as I might, the juicy watermelon I dream of won’t be the same without the tireless fruit flies circling around it.

So, this summer, I won’t be chasing old fantasies. Instead, I’ll be creating new ones.

5. Time Dedication (180 words)
During the next few months, I’m able to dedicate anywhere from thirty minutes to two hours towards SWC daily. I’ll be the most active after I’m done with school in the early afternoon, as well as on weekends. I am typically busy on Sunday nights, as I have a prior commitment during this time.

If more tasks need to be done, I’ll spend more time managing the cabin; for example, if we face an imminent deadline in cabin setup, I can dedicate time with my co-leaders to ensure the task is completed.

In the third week of March, I will have no school due to spring break; during this period, I can dedicate more time towards SWC! Unfortunately, from March 27th to 29th, I will be out-of-town due to a band trip; however, I will be back for the end of the session.

At the moment, there are no other lengthy periods when I will unavailable. If there are any unforeseen events that will hinder my activity, I will be sure to let my co-leaders know as soon as possible.

6. Time Management (374 words)
Time management is always something that’s been a part of my life, whether I liked it or not. I recognize its importance and strive to manage my time well; on the other hand, when I fail, it’s hard for me to get back up. Over time, however, I’ve recognized some key skills and shortcomings I have pertaining to it.

A strength I have is keeping track of all the tasks that need to be completed. In doing so, I have an idea of how much time I should allot to work on them. For example, I make an online checklist of all my homework and personal activities daily; as a result, I can clearly see what tasks I have for each night and plan my time accordingly. I’ll apply this during cabin planning by making checklists for the leadership team to complete.

However, a shortcoming I have is that I usually have difficulty getting started. For larger tasks, I often feel discouraged at the thought of tackling them. – I therefore tend to start them later than planned and spend less time working on them.

I’m trying to combat this problem by starting with parts of the task that I enjoy. For example, for Speech and Debate tournaments, I usually begin my preparations by focusing on topics I'm interested in. As soon as I can get the ball rolling, I’m able to work on other parts of it with less difficulty. When planning the cabin, I can ask my co-leaders for support if I'm having trouble completing a task.

That being said, if I have limited time to complete tasks, I efficiently prioritize which ones need to be completed first. To do this, I ask myself two things: how important is this, and how long will it take? After, I’m able to choose certain tasks to dedicate my energy towards. This is especially useful when I’m faced with many things to do and a short timeframe to finish them.

My ability to make checklists and prioritize tasks can help my leadership plan our next steps during cabin setup. And, while I face challenges regarding my time management, I've been mindful of them lately. Now, I'm more willing to ask others for help and motivation!

7. Collaboration and Assets (427 words)
After working with others in different settings – whether it’s co-leading an SWC cabin or working on physics labs with my classmates – I’ve learned a lot about collaboration.

I strive to ensure everyone’s voice is heard. In groups, regardless of their size, I believe it’s of the utmost importance for all opinions to be expressed. Decisions should be made with the whole team; as a result, when discussing choices, I make sure to directly ask others what their thoughts are. Moreover, I make a conscious effort to confirm choices with everyone else before finalizing them.

Additionally, when opinions are more nuanced, I do my best to make sure each one is heard in the final product. All of our beliefs and wants are unique to us; however, what matters is that each one is adequately represented in the end.


For example, I co-led Magical Realism in November 2024 with Alana and CJ. During cabin planning, I remember discussing our cabin’s atmosphere and what we wanted to emphasize. I drafted an atmosphere that combined the magic of the Boba Tavern, as well as the competition and bonding. We ended up submitting that draft, and I loved that I was able to merge all of our thoughts into one cohesive atmosphere.

That being said, when I miss discussions and planning, I struggle with catching up. In July of last year, I co-led Bi-fi with Kiara and Sophia. At times, I became inactive for a few days, due to exams or being out-of-town. When I came back, I was slightly intimidated by the planning done during my absence. Due to this, I had difficulty reentering the discussion.

However, when I mentioned my struggles, Kiara and Sophia were extremely understanding; in fact, Kiara created a recap post to summarize what was covered when I was gone. With that, I was able to ease back to planning.

The recap posts taught me to reach out to my co-leaders and classmates whenever I need help getting back on track; after all, we’re here to support each other. Additionally, I’m working towards shifting my mindset – in the future, I don’t need to respond to every detail discussed; what matters is targeting the main points. With that, I hope to make it easier for me to catch up.

For leading assets, I am relatively adept at coding projects on Scratch. To add on, I have experience designing on Canva and in the Scratch Vector Editor. Overall, my past experiences with collaborating have taught me to reach out to my teammates and emphasize inclusion.

8. One Quality (273 words)
One quality I value in a leader is activity – or, to be more precise, a leader who checks in with their cabin regularly. For example, active leaders share new storyline projects and check in with campers multiple times during the session. In my opinion, leaders who actively engage with the cabin are more likely to make it a fun experience. 

As a co-leader in the past, I’ve seen that cabin storylines usually start off strong in the first two weeks during camp. However, as the month progresses, campers usually become less active in the third and fourth week, and the storyline slows down. As a result, it is imperative for leaders to keep the momentum running throughout the month; they can update the word counts in a timely manner, adjust the storyline to the needs of the campers, and provide updates to the cabin. With an active leader, campers can experience SWC to its full extent.

As a leader, I plan on staying active by communicating with my co-leaders and campers, as well as updating the cabin description regularly. Something I want to implement is a Question of the Day; during the Real-fi Retreat in November, Snowy and the leadership team did an amazing job of changing it daily. The campers, me included, therefore had a lot of fun answering all the new questions. I also would love to introduce a Word of the Day: campers can stay engaged and expand their vocabulary at the same time!

With an active leader, both the leaders and campers can form connections through the entire session – something that’s key to a memorable SWC experience.

9. Cabin Atmosphere (29 words, 195 characters)
A simple, yet engaging storyline is in store; the focus will be towards cabin bonding and memory-making – campers will complete activities together and interact with various storyline characters.

10. Checkboxes (181 words)
A. Check all that apply:
☑ I will be available to help add points in the main cabin consistently throughout camp.
☑ I'm willing to share a promotional project for SWC.

B. Are there any leadership responsibilities listed in the FAQ you cannot complete? If any, please elaborate.
Nope; I’m confident in my ability to answer questions regarding SWC, and I’ve added words and planned cabins before!

C. In the case of inactive leadership (either by yourself, or by a fellow leader), what steps will you take to ensure that the cabin can still move smoothly?
If I were to become inactive, I’d let my co-leaders know details about my circumstances, such as how long I’d be inactive for, when I’d be back, and if I would need to relinquish my role. I’m willing to step out of my position if my inactivity is actively hindering the cabin.

If a co-leader were to become inactive, I’d ask the other co-leaders if they believed it was a problem that needed to be addressed. If they agree, I’d draft a comment to the inactive co-leader regarding our concern, if they were alright, and if they’d be able to return soon.

As someone who has been inactive on SWC before, I understand the guilt of not contributing to others, so I'll encourage them to take some time off if they want! After, I'll check in with them to see if they're able to return; if not, I’ll discuss other options with the other co-leaders and potentially talk to the host team.

List of Past SWC Cabin Genres
updated to march 2026, thanks to moonlit for the old list!

Action
Adventure
Apocalyptic
Bangsian
Bizarro Fiction (Bi-Fi)
Classics
Contemporary
Cyberpunk
Dystopian
Epistolary
Fairy Tales
Fanfiction (Fan-Fi)
Fantasy
Folklore
Gothic
Historical Fiction (Hi-Fi)
Horror
Illustrated Fiction (Illu-Fi)
Journalism
Literary Fiction (Lit-Fi)
Lyric
Magical Realism (Magreal)
Mystery
Mythology (Myth)
Nonfiction (Non-Fi)
Novel
Paranormal
Poem/Poetry
Psychological Fiction (Psycho-Fi)
Realistic Fiction (Real-Fi)
Romance
Science Fiction (Sci-Fi)
Script
Short Story
Solarpunk
Steampunk
Thriller
Tragedy
Tragicomedy
Utopian