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Hello, reader!

If you are here, then you are probably part of SWC and looking to view a record of the activities we'll be completing this session (November 2023). If you're not, then not to fear! You can learn all about SWC right here.

This is where a host will be posting the weeklies, as well as recording past (bi)dailies. They will update this when they can; if you follow this topic, then you will get notified whenever they post. You will also get notified, however, whenever anyone else posts in here too - apologies in advance ^^' Regardless, in the name of etiquette, I ask politely that all scratchers refrain from commenting in this thread unless preapproved. Please redirect anything you might wish to say here to my profile comments instead!

Thank you, and enjoy SWC.

July 2023 Dailies

(Remember doing these dailies will not count for points if they are no longer displayed in the SWC July 2023 Main Cabin studio description.)

Day 1: Welcome, everyone, to the July 2023 Megasession of SWC!
We’re so excited to have you here – so get out your sunhats, ice lollies and inflatable flamingo pool floaties, because the day we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived. We hope everyone – hosts, leaders, and campers alike – have a magical time this July!

For every day of the month, we (the daily team!) will have a unique activity for you to complete. And today, it’s creative ice cream flavours day! Our first challenge is for you to introduce yourself in the main cabin comments – by describing yourself as an ice cream sundae. What flavours make up your character?

We can’t wait to hear from you all! Get writing, everyone ;D

Day 2: Somewhere in the deep recesses of your mind, regurgitate five random words into the comment section. Now, gobble down somebody else's five random words and write 300 words using those delicious words as a prompt to earn 200 points! Sharing the daily you wrote with those scrumptious vomitted words will allow you to slurp up an extra 50 points.

Day 3: Let's play a quick game of truth and dare! Ask for a truth or a dare in the main cabin and wait for someone to reply with one. The truth and dares can be of any topic or theme you can come up with. Painting a lasagna is an example of a dare, while asking someone about their darkest fear is an example of a truth! Please make sure that the truth and dares are appropriate. Although this daily is worth no points, it's a fantastic way to connect with other SWC members.

Day 4: When creating the cabin lineup for this session, we sadly had to say goodbye to two of our regular cabins: Fanfiction (Fan-Fi) and Bizarro Fiction (Bi-Fi). As an homage to them, we'll be focusing on those genres today!

First, comment at least one idea for a bi-fi twist - for example, “”inanimate objects are able to speak.“” Then, take a look at this excellent workshop on character voice in fanfiction by Fae (@-faerylights) from July 2022: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/701390524

Pick a “chunk” of your favorite piece of existing media (it can be anything, as long as there's a plotline!) and consider the pacing and flow, how the ideas was connected. With that in mind, choose two of the bi-fi prompts from the comments here and incorporate them into a rewrite of your “chunk” of the original media. Your bizarro fanfiction should be at least 400 words for 400 points! Sharing your creation will earn you an additional 100 points.

Day 5: Quick, look to your left! The first object you see will be the topic of your daily. Imagine what would happen if you put it into a smoothie—what would it look like? What strange powers would it give you? Write 200 words to earn 200 points, and share your smoothie in the comments for an additional 50 points.

Days 6-7: For many authors, listening to their favourite songs is an important part of the creative writing process. But have you ever tried to write your very own song? If the answer is no, then there’s never been a better time to start! And since this is a bi-daily, you’ll have two days to complete the following task.

Begin by reading this workshop on songwriting by daily team member and songwriter @-Alocasia: https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/topic/527930/?page=1#post-6722906 . Then, in at least 300 words, write the lyrics to your very own original song (including chorus repeats). You will receive 400 points for confirming you did the bi-daily, with an extra 100 points up for grabs if you share your writing!

This is the (first/second) day of this bidaily!

Day 8: It's Cabin Wars! Follow this link to access the rules and learn more: https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/post/7366237

Additionally, the Memory Book Cover Contest has been released! Find out more about it and enter here: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/872785981

Day 9: How many hours did you sleep the night before this daily was added? Today, our daily will have a bit of a twist—you must write 1200 words about your various characters’ sleep habits and the effects they have on them, but for every hour that you slept last night, you can subtract 100 words from the total (caps at ten hours for 200 words). For example, if you slept for nine hours, you'll only have to write 300 words. You'll earn 400 points from this daily.

Day 10: Today, the Critiquitaire opens! Find it here: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/873238821/
The Critiquitaire is a great way to give and receive critique for your writing, and earn cabin points while doing so! It will be open for the rest of camp. More information can be found on the project

Day 11: Today, we're bringing back an old favorite activity: SWC song parodies! To make your own, pick out one of your favorite songs, making sure that its lyrics are at least 250 words, and rewrite the lines to theme it after SWC. This daily will earn your cabin 100 points, plus an additional 50 points if you choose to share your writing.
If you're feeling stuck, lots of parody examples can be found in this studio: https://scratch.mit.edu/studios/31049335

Day 12: We have a never-before-seen variety of cabins this session—you might be spending your time doing anything from joining the revolution to navigating through tunnels on an alien planet to working at the circus, or so much more. Today, you'll get a chance to create your own storyline by writing a cabin intro! For inspiration, check out you own cabin's intro (the introduction to the storyline usually found at the top). Then, write a suspenseful introduction to a cabin with a genre of your choice (it doesn't have to be an existing cabin!) Your writing should be between 100 and 200 words, and you will earn 200 points for completing it. Sharing is required for this daily—we'd love to see what you create!

Day 13: It's time to bring back another old favourite - the victorian flower daily! In the victorian times, flowers were used as secret codes and symbolised different things. Today, we'll be writing using the victorian language of flowers and incorperate their meanings in our work using Alba's brilliant project, https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/741579314/ . Write 400 words using 2-5 flowers for 300 points! You can claim an extra 100 points for sharing proof.

Day 14: Another classic SWC daily - google translate! Copy and paste a song lyrics into google translate, and translate it into multiple different languages until the lyrics are completely different. Then, write a 400 word story based on the translated lyrics! This daily is worth 400 points, and 50 extra points will be awarded for providing proof.

Day 15: Today, we'll be telling the story of tonight—or rather of this session—in musical form! Choose some characters, pick an event from this session or your cabin's storyline, and write a song, script, or some of both from your characters' point of view. If you write a song, try not to parody an existing one. ^^ Once you get the job done by writing a script of at least 300 words, you can earn 300 points, as well as an additional 100 for sharing. Good luck!

Day 16: An old favourite returns to SWC this session - the aesthetic set! Choose one of your original characters (or any character you've developed or worked with this session) and put together a collage in a scratch project that represents their personality. Your aesthetic set should contain at least four pictures, as well a drawing of your character. The photographs you use do not need to be original, but remember to give due credit if you use someone else's images! You can win 100 points for your cabin by completing this daily, plus an extra 50 points if you share your project.

Day 17: For today's daily, we're going to take inspiration from mixed up emojis! Go to emojikitchen.dev and create any combination of emojis—then, use your creation as a writing prompt. Write at least 300 words to earn 400 points for your cabin.
(If you can't access that website, choose one of the combinations from this project instead: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/870068209/ )

Days 18-19: For our second bidaily of the session, your first task is to create and share a bizarre picture of an odd arrangement of everyday objects (for example a tower of forks or a row of clocks interspersed with carrots). If you are unable to take a photograph, a drawing or collage will work as well. However you choose to create your image, make sure to upload it to a project and share it in the main cabin's comments.
Then, claim someone else's picture, and write a 400 word analysis, story, or poem about whatever the image depicts. You'll earn 600 points for doing this bidaily, and sharing is required for both parts.

This is the (first/second) day of this bidaily!

SWC July 2023 - Weekly 1

Grab your lucky pen. Fill up on mangoes and creativity juice. Welcome, SWC-ers new and old, to the first weekly of July 2023!

This week, we’ll be diving into the genres of Illustrated Fiction and Literary Fiction, two new cabins this session. You’ll also learn about how effective storytellers can use theme and symbolism to make their message more powerful! :D

This weekly starts on July 3rd at 12:01 a.m. UTC. Wait until then to start writing!

Good luck, and we hope you enjoy the weekly! <33

Part One:

For the first part of this weekly, we’ll be looking at silent comic strips (https://behance.net/gallery/580916/Silent-Comics) for inspiration. (If this website is blocked, go here (https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/870119119/) to find silent comic strips that have been uploaded to a scratch project). Browse through the comic strips and select either a whole comic or singular panel. Alternatively, you can visit https://www.onceuponapicture.co.uk/ and select an image (or multiple, if you want to somehow connect them together) (scratch-based version for onceuponapicture: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/764339470).

Examine your selected silent comic strip (panel) or images. What are the key details that are popping out to you? How are the frames connected? Pay close attention to your comic strip or image, and write 300 words on your literal interpretation of the events going on. You’ve got this!

Part Two:

The second part of the weekly covers symbolism, about which you can learn more about in Sprout's fantastic symbolism workshop! https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/550221272/

After finishing the workshop, pick a culturally significant dish and write a scene in which one character gives it to another character. Keep in mind that this dish should be significant in a way that emphasises their conversation. Write 400 words for this prompt, either as fanfiction or with your original characters. Have fun!

Part Three:

The first step of this next task is to read this (https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/topic/584627/ ) fantastic workshop on theme, written by the wonderful Elfie. It’s a fascinating read, and it picks up on what we’ll be working on for Part 3 ;D

Read it yet? Good! Those of you paying attention will now be familiar with motif - that is, the writing technique of including a recurring idea or symbol in your work. It’s probably something you’ve used in your own writing already, perhaps even without realising; it is also key to many wonderful examples of literature. We’ve put together some such examples in this project here (https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/868198469/).

After you’ve browsed the Motif-tionary, your task is simple: choose a page, and write a scene continuing the use of its motif! Don’t worry - you don’t need to have heard of any of these stories before. Instead, use your imagination and base your writing only off the extracts we’ve given you. Your scene can expand upon the events of a previous extract, or even aim to conclude the story, as long as the motif is still present. Mimicking the author’s writing style will get you brownie points from Alba Alocasia, but is not compulsory!

Your scene, continuing a motif from one of the slides of the Motif-tionary, should be at least 400 words long. I hope you enjoy following in the footsteps of these incredible authors!

Part Four:

Now that you’ve learned all about symbolism and motifs from our wonderful workshop writers, it’s time to return to the narrative you wrote for part one! Looking back at the silent comic you chose to write about, try to pinpoint some of its symbols, themes, and motifs – what might some of the images signify beyond how they first appear? With this in mind, rewrite your original narrative with at least 400 words. You’re almost there–good luck!

Conclusion:

Congratulations – you’ve reached the end of our very first weekly! Remember you will need to submit evidence of all the parts you completed, as listed below:

1. A literal interpretation of events from a silent comic/once upon a picture image (300+ words)
   
2. A piece of original fiction or fanfiction, featuring the symbolic exchange of a food item (400+ words)
   
3. A continued or extended scene from one of the examples in the Motif-tionary (400+ words)
   
4. Your rewritten Part 1, now featuring acknowledgement of the symbolism! (400+ words)

This should result in at least 1500 words total.

Remember, this weekly is due on July 9th at 11:59 p.m. UTC, and must be submitted in the main cabin with your cabin name and a link to your evidence before this deadline. Extensions cannot be granted after the deadline has passed. By completing this weekly, you can win 2500 points for your cabin :O

And that’s all there is to it ;D Get writing!

{{ claaaiiiim dANG IT WAS I SUPPOSED TO POST HERE HHHHH }}

second <3

3rd also #MythFTW!!

fourth

fifth :00

i know this is a post itself, but i just wanted to say this for anyone else who comes here :] in the desc of the main cabin it says not to post here because it's supposed to be for all the activities for this session ^^ just wanted to let everyone know

CABIN WARS #1
swc july 2023

~

Cabin Wars officially begin at 00:00 UTC on July 8th. Do NOT send wars or start writing towards a war before then.

~


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

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

~


VALID WARS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~

CHALLENGES:
Every war is required to have an extra challenge- they all earn the same amount of points, and are not mandatory to be done by the cabin receiving the war in order to complete the war. But they make things more fun for the people being warred ;3

Extra challenge: stretch, take a walk, and/or drink some water (and do a penguin waddle - if you're daring) after every 500 or less words you write. Every person who does this consistently while writing towards the war wins 50 points each for their cabin. This applies for up to three campers (resulting in 150 points earned maximum.)

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

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

Extra challenge: Write 200 words in an archaic or old-fashioned style! Every cabin member who does this can claim 25 points for their cabin. This applies for up to six campers (resulting in 150 points max).

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

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

Completing a challenge is optional.

~

Good luck! Remember to be kind to every cabin, sleep at a decent hour and have a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious time. Alba out

Credit:
@luna-lovegood-lol for original writeup of structure and rules!

(Please remember not to post in this forum unless your reply has been preapproved by one of the hosts.)

SWC July 2023 - Weekly 2

Hello everyone, and welcome to the second weekly of July 2023!

Weekly 2, otherwise known as the Critiquely, is all about working together and learning from others. We hope this weekly will be exciting and enlightening for you as a writer, while also helping you forge new bonds with your fellow campers. Best of luck, and enjoy!

Thank you again to this session’s daily team for organising and putting together this weekly. I’m really looking forward to seeing what everyone creates together ^^

This weekly starts on July 10th at 12:01 a.m. UTC. Wait until then to start writing!

Without any further ado, let’s get this show on the road.

Part One:

Everyone has knowledge to share with others, whether it be on plotting or writing without a plan; character development or character arcs. For the first part of our weekly, you get to write a workshop on a writing-related topic that interests you!

To get started, head over to the Idea Bank studio and post a workshop concept or two of your own, then choose someone else’s to write about. Do a bit of research on this topic, then write an informational workshop of at least 500 words about it. Once you’re finished, share your workshop in the sharing forum.

Be as creative as you like with this, we can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Part Two:

Now that you’ve shared your workshop, it’s time to check out some of the workshops other people have written. Browse through the workshops people have posted, and pick one that interests you. Take some time to read through the workshop entirely and learn something new!

Afterward, using your newfound knowledge, write a 500 word or more story that implements elements that you have learned from the workshop you read. Have fun!

Part Three:

This is the final section of this weekly! For this part, you must submit your writing piece from Part 2 to the Critiquitaire and also provide 200 words or more of feedback towards another SWCer's work there.

(Note: you can also claim Critiquitaire points for this separately from your weekly points!)

Conclusion:

Congrats, you’ve made it through the second weekly of the month! When submitting the finished weekly, make sure you have all the following elements:

1. Your own workshop on a writing topic (500+ words)
   
2. A story using elements from someone else’s workshop (500+ words)
   
3. Feedback on another SWCer’s work using the Critiquitaire (200+ words)

This should result in at least 1200 words total.

This weekly is due on July 16th at 11:59 p.m. UTC. It should be submitted in the main cabin with a link to your writing before the deadline— don’t forget to include your cabin name! Extensions cannot be granted after the deadline has passed. By completing this weekly, you'll earn 2000 points for your cabin!

I hope you have a great time learning new writing skills from your fellow SWCers—good luck <3

~

(Please remember not to post in this forum unless your reply has been preapproved by one of the hosts.)

SWC July 2023 - Weekly 3

Welcome to the third, penultimate weekly!

In this weekly, loosely based on the new Action genre, we will be focusing on constructing longer pieces of writing. You’ll learn how to frame your story, how to incorporate a compelling conflict, include action into your piece, and much more!

This weekly starts on July 17th, 2023 at 12:01 a.m. UTC. Wait until then to start writing!

Good luck and enjoy the weekly!

Part One:

To begin, you will be required to do some basic story planning. Visit this amazing workshop on structure by Birdi (https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/479806014/) for help. In this part, outline the fundamentals of your story, including the characters, the setting, the main plot points, as well as the ending in 150 words or more. Ask the main cabin for writing prompts if you're having trouble coming up with ideas. This part of the weekly does not require any proof.

Part Two:

Hopefully you’re feeling inspired to get started writing! The first part of your long piece will be the introduction. You should aim to write 300 words towards this part of the story.

Part Three:

For the next step in the process, we need to introduce a conflict to your story. This is going to be what propels the entire plot into action. It could be that a character is given a dangerous quest, or a valuable object disappears, or anything else you can come up with - but whatever you decide on will shape the rising action and eventually lead to the climax. Use Gigi’s character motivations workshop to help you think about your characters’ motivations and how that might help create or influence the conflict: https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/topic/555257/ Write at least 400 words of your story’s rising action, and make sure you get ready for the climax!

Part Four:

You’ve reached the climax of your narrative, and it’s finally time for some ACTION. Whether your hero is fighting a monster or secretly rushing through homework before the end of class, this moment has to have tension, drama and excitement. Write at least 300 words, and enjoy watching everything you previously set up pay off!

Part Five:

In the final part of this construction weekly, you need to write a conclusion towards your story. Feel free to refer to the framework you did in part one of this weekly if you like. Using your framework and planning from part one, draft out a 250 word ending for your story. Good luck!

Conclusion:

Great job on making it through our second to last weekly! Here’s a quick summary of the parts you need to complete:

1. Brainstorming for your story (150+ words, no proof required)
   
2. Introducing your story (300+ words)
   
3. Establishing the rising action (400+ words)
   
4. Exploring your story's climax (300+ words)
   
5. Concluding your story (250+ words)

This should result in at least 1400 words total.

This weekly is due on July 23th at 11:59 p.m. UTC. Extensions cannot be granted after the deadline has passed. Once you’ve completed the five sections, compile your writing into a forum post or another place on Scratch and share it in the main cabin along with your cabin name to receive 2000 points!

~

(Please remember not to post in this forum unless your reply has been preapproved by one of the hosts.)

CABIN WARS #2
swc july 2023

~


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

RULES:
• See this project by Luna (https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/741708249/ ) for some information about cabin wars.
• You may not plan wars with other cabins (e.g. strategically planning to war an ally or get a war yourself), but you may plan wars within your own cabin. The one exception to this is asking generically for “a war” (not a specific one!) in the main cabin.
• A cabin can opt to write half the required words for ONE war every cabin wars day.
• Valid wars cannot be taken back.
• Your cabin may not war another cabin twice in a row.
• A cabin cannot be warred the same war nor extra challenge twice in a row.
• You must use the given wars. You may not make up your own.
• There is a 3 hour shield time, where a cabin may not be warred for 3 hours between each war.
• Leaders and cos may end their cabin's shield early if they wish, but they must lower it by commenting in the studio of their cabin.
• Each word you write may only count towards one war at a time.
• You do not have to ask before warring a cabin, though your leaders can set guidelines (based only on cabin relationships, not rankings).
• Cabin wars must be sent manually (not with bots).
• There is no penalty if you break a rule; the war just won’t count.
• SLEEP > SWC <3

~


VALID WARS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~


CHALLENGES:
Every war is required to have an extra challenge- they all earn the same amount of points, and are not mandatory to be done by the cabin receiving the war in order to complete the war. But they make things more fun for the people being warred ;3

Extra challenge: stretch, take a walk, and/or drink some water (and do a penguin waddle - if you're daring) after every 500 or less words you write. Every person who does this consistently while writing towards the war wins 100 points each for their cabin. This applies for up to three campers (resulting in 300 points earned maximum.)

Extra challenge: Attempt a fifty headed hydra (500 words in 5 minutes!) Every cabin member who attempts this monstrous challenge can claim 50 points for their cabin. This applies for up to six campers (resulting in 300 points earned maximum.)

Extra challenge: Character swap! To complete this challenge, at least two cabin members must share a short biography of one of their original characters in their cabin comments. They must then claim a character that is not their own, and write 300 words from the perspective of that character. Every cabin member who participates can win 50 points. This applies for up to six campers (resulting in 300 points earned maximum.)

Extra challenge: Write 200 words in an archaic or old-fashioned style! Every cabin member who does this can claim 50 points for their cabin. This applies for up to six campers (resulting in 300 points max).

Extra challenge: Use three song titles in your writing! Every cabin member who does this can claim 50 points for their cabin! This applies for up to six campers (resulting in 300 points earned maximum.)

Extra challenge: Ask any other swc-er for a writing dare, and complete it! The dares given out should be able to be completed within a short time frame; any dares that set a word goal over 500 or a time goal over 15 minutes are ineligible. Every cabin member who does this can claim 50 points for their cabin! This applies for up to six campers (resulting in 300 points earned maximum.)

Completing a challenge is optional.

~

Good luck! Remember to be kind to every cabin, sleep at a decent hour and have a great time. Alba out

BUT WAIT

This cabin wars, in honour of mango day, we are introducing a new function. Please give a round of applause, everyone, to our Mercenaries.

~

The Mercenaries are a select group of volunteers who expressed interest in writing for other cabins as well as their own this session. So this cabin wars, if you and your cabin ever need a helping hand, you will be able to contact a Mercenary and they'll be able to write towards your active war. Mercenaries, however, won't work for you for free. You'll have to pay the price…

~

The Mango System

When cabin wars start on July 22nd at 00:00 UTC, each cabin will automatically be given three mangoes. At the same time, the Grocery Store will be opened, and the identities of our Mercenaries shall be revealed. The rules are simple: the mercenaries will write for you, as long as you pay them in mangoes. The Mercenaries can then donate their mangoes wherever they like, to keep the economy moving. .

FAQ:
- Leaders and co-leaders can use mangoes automatically. Campers can only use one mango at a time, unless given approval to use more by any other member of their cabin.
- All mango trades must happen at the Grocery Store, so we can keep track.
- Mangoes cannot be loaned, or halved or quartered!!!
- Mercenaries are allowed to complete bonus challenges.
- A mercenary with mangoes left undonated at the end of cabin wars automatically have their mangoes donated to their cabin.
- All mango trades must happen on the Grocery Store project so we can keep track.
- Mangoes cannot be loaned, or halved or quartered!!!
- Mangoes should only be spent on mercenaries.
- Mercenaries are allowed to complete bonus challenges.
- Mercenaries can and should turn down any offers if they are already busy with their own cabins' wars.
- You are allowed to extend more than one offer at once to multiple Mercenaries, with the expectation you will pick the first Mercenary who responds.
- Mercenaries are obliged to hold up their end of the bargain once they’ve been paid; if they fail to complete what they’ve been paid to do before the war ends, the cabin keeps the mango.
- A mercenary might be advised by their cabin leader to turn down offers from enemy cabins, but ultimately they're independent forces and can make their own decisions. Writing for an enemy means they’re more likely to complete a war, but at the end of the day it means more mangoes for their cabin/their allies.
- You can't use a mercenary who comes from your own cabin - otherwise they'd just be writing towards their own war, which they really should be doing anyway!
- Mercenaries can no longer have their services requested after cabin war day is over in UTC (even if there are still active wars).
- You can only have one Mercenary working for your cabin at a time.
- Mangoes have NO POINT VALUE, or any bearing on the ranking.

~

Here's an example of how a Mercenary interaction might go:

Mystery has 3 mangoes.
Leader from Mystery asks on the Grocery Store project in a comment for someone to help them with their war, listing their cabin, the war currently active, and the amount of mangoes they’re willing to pay in return for help. In this case, they want 1k words in return for one mango.
A mercenary from Steampunk - let’s call them Mercpunk - comments to accept the war. Should Mercpunk fail to complete the 1k they promised, the mango stays with the cabin. If Mercpunk completes the 1k, the mango trades hands from the Mystery cabin. Mystery has 2 mangoes left.
Mercpunk now has a mango of their very own. They may choose to hoard it for a while, or donate it to a cabin (doesn’t have to be their own!) Mercenaries have been encouraged to donate evenly between their own cabin and their cabin’s allies. There is, however, no ban on going rogue and donating to the enemy

~

You will receive more information, such as how to format your mercenary requests, on the Grocery Store Project. Meanwhile, feel free to ask on the profiles of any of the hosts if you have a question that hasn’t been covered by either this post or the project!. Yes, this will be chaotic - it's the first time we're doing it, after all! But ultimately, it’s a celebration of mango day and the fun of writing, so nobody should at any point be made to feel undue stress. As always - if you find you're no longer having a good time at any point this cabin wars, remember it's completely okay to step away for a while. We hope, in fact, that mercenaries will be an invaluable lifeline to inactive cabins (and great fun to boot).

Alba out - properly this time ;D

Credit:
@luna-lovegood-lol for original writeup of structure and rules!

THE SWC ERAS TOUR (text version)
Read all instructions before beginning.


Welcome to the final weekly of Scratch Writing Camp, July 2023! Please only use this version if the project is unable to load on any device you have access to. Find the project here.

For this weekly, you’ll be doing varying activities. It doesn’t matter whether you use these prompts within a continued story, or write separate mini-pieces for each prompt!

You can visit the eras in any order – apart from The End, which you must save until the end. However, you must first complete a songwriting prompt! You should do these in order, so you end up with a song with one verse, a prechorus, a chorus, a bridge, and a chorus repeat.
For example, I might choose to visit the current day first. This would mean I first complete lyric prompt one, then read through the current day description and choose a currend day prompt. At this point, you repeat the process, completing the next lyric prompt in order to ‘take’ you to whichever era you’d like. When you’ve completed everything, you simply click the link to take you to ‘The End' (a project with audio + a transcript of that audio!)

In your final weekly post, you must include each area you went to and each sabotage you did, in order, and state that the daily team gave permission. If you did not get permission from a daily team member to use this version, you will be required to include the code you receive at the end of the project version.



~

DAILY TEAM
JULY 2023

THE SWC ERAS TOUR

YEAR: 2023

The Galaxwc is vast beyond comprehension; but you, an intrepid space explorer, know it better than most. Previous adventures in space travel (which may have involved you almost being eaten by a space monster) made you swear your planet-hopping days were over – so you hung up your meteor boots and retired to your workshop, content to stay home.

Until you discovered the secret of time travel. With the help of a friendly ibex, you’ve constructed a machine that will let you travel to 5 distinct eras of time, from ancient history to the very end of the world as you know it. And as you stand in front of your finished creation, you know that there’s one last adventure left in you after all.

INSTRUCTIONS

Press the buttons on the dashboard of your time machine to take you to various eras of the Galaxswc. Your time machine is powered by song, so get ready for some songwriting!

You can visit the eras in any order – apart from The End, which you must save until the end. However, before you can timetravel to an era, you must first complete a songwriting prompt! You should do these in order, so you end up with a song with one verse, a prechorus, a chorus, a bridge, and a chorus repeat.

Once you've arrived in your chosen era and read the description, you will receive various prompts. Choose one; you can use it to continue a story, or write a standalone piece. Once you’ve completed a prompt, you move onto the next era! After you've completed the four other eras, you can complete the fifth lyric prompt, and click the link at the bottom of this text post to take you to THE END.

~

Lyric prompts (complete in order.)

1:

Your time machine is powered by music; if you want to get anywhere, you’d better sing it a song!

‘London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down…”
Take a popular nursery rhyme and twist the concept to write the first verse of your song. Your first verse should be at least 50 words long, and consist of at least four lines.

2:

Off we go again…

Repetition is used commonly in lyrics; write a prechorus for your song which repeats a phrase or line at least three times. This prechorus should be at least 25 words long, and consist of at least two lines!

3:

Your time machine eagerly awaits the next melody.

“My white lies pushing up daisies…”
Pick an idiom around which to base your chorus. Make it catchy! Your chorus should be at least 50 words long, and consist of at least four lines.

4:

Where to next?

Google a list of the most famous songs and find a title you haven’t heard of; without listening or reading the lyrics, write a bridge based off this title. Your bridge should be at least 60 words long, and consist of at least four lines.

5:

Your time machine is thankful it got to sing through space with you.

Your song is coming to an end, so it’s time to repeat the chorus – except this time, change up the wording! Introduce some nature imagery into your chorus, which should remain at least 50 words long, in at least four lines.

~

THE ERAS

mythology – the ancient times

You feel the machine stop suddenly, and you’re strangely excited to see what awaits you outside. As the door creaks open, you gasp at the sight of something winged whizzing above your head. You step outside and look around; you’re surrounded by intricate architecture and statues far from what you’re used to, while creatures that you’ve never seen before roam the land freely. The time machine seems a little out of place nestled in a bed of overgrown plants and eroded bricks, but you figure it won’t hurt to leave it there while you explore this new era.

Ancient times prompts (PICK ONE)

Create a mythological creature based on a real-life animal or bird, and write a fictional factfile on it! Your factfile should consist of a drawing or image (doesn’t have to be your own but remember to credit the artist or photographer) and 400 words of writing.

Many ancient civilisations had their unique ways of life; select an aspect of worldbuilding (animals, languages, buildings, etc) and flesh out the lore of it. Feel free to base this off the Ancient Times aesthetic, or off a story for which you’ve already worked on worldbuilding! You should write 400 words towards this activity.

Fate is a common motif in many mythological stories. If you’re currently working on a story, have your main characters learn some lesson relating to uncontrollable fate (that is left up to the gods). This should be achieved in at least 400 words!

Tragedy – The Distant Past

The time machine goes dark. The reliable whiz of the machinery softens into silence. You hesitantly crank open the time machine door to take a peek outside. The first thing you notice is the rain. Then the cold. This place feels… oddly familiar. Like a distant memory, but you do not remember ever being here. This place feels… this place feels. A tear escapes from your eyes; this place reminds you of an emotion. Not fear, not apathy, but… loss. You stumble out of the time machine and only now notice the weeping forest around you. The world looks at you with disappointment. For no reason in particular, you begin to cry.

Distant Past prompts (PICK ONE)

Write a tragic ending for your most beloved original character in 500 words. Don’t worry, you don’t have to make it canon!

Think of a tragic event. Put it into action (in writing) – then subvert it, and give it a happy ending! This mini-story should be contained within 500 words – no more, no less.

In many tragedies, the hero has an Achilles’ heel or tragic flaw that will lead to their downfall. If you are currently working on a longer piece, write at least 500 words in which a main character demonstrates a trait that might get them into trouble in the future…

contemporary - THE CURRENT DAY

The machine hums and gives off a strange blue light. You waste no time pushing the ‘Go’ button, hoping to continue your journey, and within seconds, you feel yourself being flung through a tunnel of time. The stars blur as you travel through time and space, your awareness of the present moment completely lost in the chaos of the journey. Eventually, you arrive in a time just like the one you’ve always known. The current era: the SWC main cabin, July 2023.

Current Day prompts (PICK ONE)

SWC fanfiction time! Write 500 words of SWC fanfic about the events of the current session – be that the drama of cabin wars, the events of your cabin storyline, or just about the dynamics between your campers and co-leaders. You could even write about the daily team! ;D

Have you heard of the butterfly effect? We go through day to day life often without understanding the consequences of our actions. If you are working on a longer story, write 500 words where a main or side character makes a trivial choice that ends in disaster.

We hope you’re enjoying this project weekly – but remember, it wouldn’t exist without the iconic SUSwc! Revisit the very first project weekly (project version and text version both available in the description) and explore the various rooms. You don’t have to play it all the way through, but do pick three of your favourite room activities! The writing you do should add up to at least 500 words.

Steampunk – the Distant Future

Stepping out of the time machine, you shield your eyes from the glimmering golden landscape that surrounds you. Giant gilded gears spin in slow circles, seemingly powering the machines that crowd the city. The creak of metal sounds from above, and you look up to see an airship, suspended in the sky with a multitude of swinging propellers. Lights swing from the streets below you, bright bulbs encased in metal half-rusted over. You eye your time machine, a little worried that someone will steal it while you’re exploring, but also assured that no one in this futuristic world would have any use for a contraption as clunky as the one you arrived in. Descending a ladder from the rooftop you landed on, you step into a new world…

Distant future prompts (PICK ONE)

The future is full of new culinary possibilities! Write 400 words on the food you might find at a diner in the distant future of the Galaxswc.

Look to your right – what’s the first object you see? Write 400 words where you describe how it might be different in a world governed by steam power… and potentially magic ;D

Clocks are a common symbol in steampunk. If you are currently working on an extended story, introduce a clock within the next 400 words. The appearance of the clock should symbolise something – what that something might be is up to you.

~

STOP! Have you completed:

A) a song with one verse, a prechorus, a chorus, a bridge, and a chorus repeat
and
B) four prompts, one each from the Ancient Times, the Distant Past, the Current Day and the Distant Future?

If so, then you can move onto

THE END

November 2023 Dailies ^^

(Reminder that dailies only count for words while they're still up on the Main Cabin description. These are just for reference if you'd like to look back and redo a missed activity. Enjoy!)

-

Nov 1: Welcome, leaders, campers, ghosts, and tyrants, to the November ‘23 session of SWC! We hope you're just as excited to be here as we are to have you – for today's daily, take a few minutes to introduce yourself to your fellow writers and write out your goals for this session. If you're feeling adventurous, there will be mangoes for those who describe themselves as a childhood toy – are you a teddy bear, a set of dominos, or something in between? You can earn 100 points for sharing at least three goals in the comments - have fun, and happy writing <3

Nov 2: Welcome to the second daily of this session! Hope you're enjoying discovering what your cabin and storyline look like. In this activity, you'll be writing a letter to your future self. Mention any goals you have for this month, maybe talk about a writing project of yours? Anything you want to include is great We'll be opening these letters near the end of the session. Write 350 words to earn 200 points for your cabin, with a bonus 200 points for sharing proof.

Nov 3: From rainy days to bookstores, pumpkins to scarecrows, fall is a season of many meanings in literature. Some of the most prominent interpretations of the season's symbolism are of harvest, new beginnings and prosperity, and entirely conversely, of endings, decay, and reclusion. In today’s daily, In 450 words or more, taking inspiration from this symbolism and writing a relationship between two characters using only the external setting of the season to convey the characters's dynamic. This daily will earn you 400 points, and an additional 200 points for sharing your writing in the main cabin to have others guess the mood.

Nov 4: Today we're bringing back a classic SWC daily - constellations! Constellations have become a huge part of our society over the centuries, from using them to track crop growth, to navigation in the night, to even retelling legends about they were created. All of these constellations, including the Ursa Major, Orion, and Pisces, carry a variety of traits that make them unique! For this daily, you will write 400 words of either a fiction or non-fiction piece based on how your favorite constellation came to be. Complete this daily to earn 300 points, with additional 100 points for sharing proof. Have fun!

Nov 5: Today, Word Wars begin! They can be found here: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/918963105/. Word wars, much like word sprints, are an enjoyable and easy method to earn points for your cabin! They're also a great way to interact with new people while also competing with them to see who can write the most amount of words during the span of the war. Word Wars will be open for the rest of camp - more information can be found in the project itself. Have fun!

Nov 6: Welcome to the first bi-daily of the session! We'll be exploring skills on providing background information through actions or dialogue. First, head on over to Gigi's workshop on this to learn a little more about doing this! https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/post/7630630/ Then, write a scene where two characters are having a conversation, and one of them reveals something about themselves through dialogue. You should write at least 550 words for 400 points, with a bonus of 100 points for sharing your conversation with us

Nov 7: For an extra fun bidaily activity, have a character introduce themselves in 150 words, and reveal their background story without using dialogue! This bonus activity is worth no points, but we hope you have fun <3

Nov 8: Today, you’re going to do a bit of self-reflection! Remember your life when you were younger, think of your life now, and imagine where you’ll be in the future. Then, write a fictional conversation between your past, present and future self of at least 400 words! What questions would you have for yourself, in, say, 10 years? What advice would you give to your past self? This daily will earn you 200 points, and make sure to share your conversations in the main cabin for an extra 200 points!

Nov 9: You walk into the main cabin as a shoe flies past your head, you turn around in surprise but find no explanation. “It’s Chaos Never Dies Day!” A voice says as if reading your mind. “Some campers decided to cause some mischief, and now, you can only talk in third person!” Your eyes land on the bulletin board in front of you. You see the words, “Roleplay Day” in big letters. You sigh, realizing it was going to be a long day.

Nov 10: For today's daily, we'll be honoring Armistice Day, which will commemorate World War I tomorrow. Poppies, as you may know, often symbolise the war. With that in mind, you'll be writing 550 words for 400 points (with a bonus of 200 for sharing proof) )about a historical time period of your choice, featuring a specific flower as an important part of the tale. Ponder for a bit, then get writing!

Nov 11: Arr, arr - get your pencils and swords ready It's battle time! Head on here for the list of rules, applicable wars, and extra challenges: https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/post/7641334 Good luck, brave writers <3

Nov 12: Buckle up everyone, because today’s daily will be filled with numerous twists and turns! It’s National Tongue Twister Day, where we all try to calculate how much wood would a woodchuck chuck. To begin this daily, share a tongue twister in the comment section. Then, once you’ve done that, pick someone else’s tongue twister and write a story based off of it that is at least 500 words long! By doing this, you’ll earn 400 points! You can earn another 100 points from sharing your story. Have fun, and if you’d like, go sell seashells by the seashore!

Nov 13: “Don't make a sound, they're watching…” Today, you'll be exploring writing off a prompt! First, take out the last sentence of your cabin's storyline/intro. Using this as a starting point, create a short story with this sentence as first line! Write at least 350 words for 100 points, and share your writing for an additional 200 points! Have fun with it! ;]

Nov 14: NOTICE FROM THE DAILY TEAM: From today onwards, the daily team is going on strike! There will henceforth be no more dailies…unless, perhaps, you’re able to convince us why we should continue to supply dailies and activities.
This is your last chance to salvage activities and have the daily team return! For 200 points, write a 400 word persuasive essay to get dailies back. You can earn another 200 points by sharing your essay. The future of the daily team now rests in your hands…

Nov 15: One of the biggest parts of a story is the characters, and some writers meticulously plan out their traits, backstory, and all the other information they might need. But what if you didn't do that? Today's daily is all about characters, but instead of choosing what they do, what if you set them free? Start or write a story in which the characters control themselves, which means don't plan ahead for you as a writer! Imagine that you are your character, and live in the moment, don't bend what they do so that the end result is specifically something you want. Try and see how your story ends by doing this! For this daily you must write at least 400 words to earn 300 points. You can earn another 200 points for sharing your story.

Nov 16: We'll be turning the Main Cabin into a bookstore today! Write 150 words of a synopsis for either a story you're writing, a story you hope to write, or anything else original, then post it in the comments <3 After that, browse through all the other lovely books, and reply to at least 3 that you'd be interested in reading. This daily will earn you 100 points, have fun!

Nov 17: Today is National Take a Hike Day, which means for this daily, you are going to take a break from screens and try and relax. Extra kudos if you go outside and exercise, and even more if you do take a hike! Some things you can do are read, play a sport, do your homework, go on a trail, etc. Anything that doesn't require you to stare at a screen counts!

Nov 18: Happy International Sidekick Appreciation Day! Don’t check your calendar, I totally just made that up. But you agree, right? Side characters and supporting roles deserve more appreciation. So today, we’ll be celebrating them. First, post an unlikely sidekick scenario in the comments. Anything from getting the day off to suddenly being declared the chosen one works—let your creativity shine! Then, choose someone else’s scenario and your favorite sidekick, whether from a book, show, movie, or other story. Finalize your sidekick appreciation by writing at least 300 words of your chosen character in your chosen scenario for 200 points, and an additional 200 for sharing.

Nov 19: For this session’s second bidaily, we’ll be working with balancing metaphor and figurative language! Figurative language comes in handy when you're looking to paint a more detailed picture for your readers. To learn a bit about how to use intricate wordplay while keeping your storytelling coherent, check out River's workshop: https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/post/7658114 Now, write at least 550 words utilizing the wonders of figurative language in whatever way you like–but remember, don’t overdo it! You’ll be able to earn 400 points for your cabin, and another 200 for sharing

Nov 20: Congrats on making it to the second day of the second bidaily—so many twos! For today’s extra challenge for no extra points, share an example of figurative language in the comments. Then, reply to other comments with related examples. So if I commented “Splash!” the replies could include “a drop in the bucket,” “as clear as mud,” and “the stream snakes through the hills”—all are bits of figurative language related to water.

Nov 21: Hello everyone! Since there are so many amazing cabins, there are many unique ideas and genres to explore! For today’s daily, you will be picking a cabin (other than yours) and/or their aesthetic to write about. There are plenty of options and plenty of designs. Go get inspired!! Writing 350 words will get you 300 points, and an extra 200 for proof <3

Nov 22: Hey there you marketing genius! Instead of going door to door selling thin mints, today we're going to put our very own concoctions on retail sale! Be a crazy innovator a la zaphod beeblebrox's pan galactic gargle blaster and write an advert for your very own eccentric creation 200 words for 100 points, with an extra 50 for sharing proof!

Nov 23: Today we're bringing back yet another classic daily - Alba's flower daily! Back in Victorian times, people used to send secret messages to each other using flower arrangements! Some examples include roses for love and friendship, snowdrops for hope, and marigolds for grief. This daily is all about using the Victorian Language of Flowers! The very slay Alba has compiled this beautiful collection of flowers and their meanings here: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/741579314/. In 450 words, write a piece incorporating least 3 flowers (and their symbolic meanings!) into the narrative to earn 400 points, and an extra 100 for sharing proof! Have fun!

Nov 24: Sometimes it can be tiring always writing about the good guys. So today's daily is to dip your toes into the underlying evil of either yours or someone else's villain, whether that be their dastardly plans or an explanation of their motives! Write 400 words of some good old villain's monologue for 300 points. For an additional 200 points, share some bad will in the SWC main cabin!

Nov 25: Cabin Wars #2: Raise the star shields, because it's time for a rematch! Per usual, you can find a list of cabin wars, challenges, and rules here: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/930095099/ Remember that war favors the well-rested, and at the end of the day, we're all comrades sharing the same sky <3 Now, go crusade across the GalaxSWC, and may the constellations ever be in your favor!"

Nov 26: With everything from helping with Thanksgiving decorations to making costumes together, there are lots of things we can collaborate on this autumn! Today, we'll collaborate in another way, with three-word stories. Comment three words to start a story, then find others' prompts and continue them with three more words! Have fun, and remember every three words you write count towards your word goal!

Nov 27: From our beloved teddy bears to the notebooks we write in, inanimate objects surrond us! Ordinarily, these possessions have no voice of their own, but that's not quite fair, is it? For 200 points (and a bonus 100 for sharing your story), write at least 300 words about the life of an inanimate object of your choice. From your teddy bear's secret life of piracy to your notebook's journey across the galaxswc, the possibilities are endless - have fun!

Nov 28: It’s an experience we’ve all had before — you’re so close to the end of a book, so excited to finally reach the end, finally see how everything plays out, and… it’s a cliffhanger. Today, we’re solving that problem! take any cliffhanger you want (yours or not, resolved already or not) and write a conclusion for it! Write 400 words to earn 300 points, and an extra 200 for sharing proof.

Nov 29: Today is National Tuxedo Cat Day! To celebrate, write something from the perspective of a cat—anything from a poem praising catnip to a sci-fi Warriors fanfiction, or whatever else you can think of. Write at least 300 words for 200 points, and another 200 for proof. We’re excited to see your meow-velous creations ;D

Nov 30: We’ve come to the last day of the session. We hope it was a good one for all of you! Today, take some time to think back on the session. What are your favourite memories from the past month? Who or what made the biggest impact on you? If you completed the daily on november second, where we had you write letters to your future self, go ahead and take a look at those now. When you’re done, why not tell the people who made this session special for you how much you appreciate them, and write thank you notes!

Note that some of these had to be edited as they overflowed the studio description limit, so they might be different from the final version that was presented in the Main Cabin on the day of.

SWC November 2023 Weekly #1 - Characters

Intro (written by Alana)

Calling all SWC-ers both seasoned and new, welcome to our very first weekly of November 2023! Remember to stash up some mangoes, because you're in for an eventful ride!

This weekly is all about Characters! Here we'll be diving deeper into how to develop motives, get inspiration for your characters, and build up a cohesive personality that has the potential to develop/grow throughout your story. In the end, we'll be tying all these aspects in - so get your thinking hats on! We can't wait to see the amazing characters you create!

This weekly starts on November 2nd at 12:01 AM UTC. Please wait until then to start writing!

Good luck, we hope you enjoy this weekly! <3

Part 1: Character Inspiration (written by Willow)

For the first part of this weekly, we will be looking at inspiration and how to use it to your advantage. Before we start, just know that plagiarism is not the same as inspiration, inspiration is when you take small ideas from a certain thing, or when you are inspired by it. Plagiarism is when you take entire ideas and ‘steal’ them, which is what you do not want to do. With that in mind, for this part's activity, we will be using the lyrics of a wonderful Taylor Swift song to inspire us as we create a character. First, go to this website to get a random TS song. Once you have a song, look up the lyrics.

Choose 1-5 lines that speak to you the most. Once you have chosen your lines, examine them carefully. How could you create a character out of them, how could you design their personalities or state of mind using these lyrics?

Write 200 words, focusing on character development through description and dialogue. In this character development, you should include personality traits, character background, and the physical description of the character.

Example by Alia

Song: I Know Places

Alissi feels Mina’s hand slip into hers. “How long do you think we have until they suspect?” she whispers.

“They suspect already,” Mina says with a soft laugh. “They’re not saying anything, not yet, but-”

A young boy passes them, staring openly, and Alissi flinches. “Sometimes I think it would be easier to break everything off in public,” she says bitterly.

She hears Mina’s breath catch. “You don’t-”

Alissi sighs. “Of course I don’t mean it,” she murmurs. “I couldn’t survive the hunt without you.”

Mina glances at their entwined hands. “They can’t break us,” she says curtly. “I refuse to give them that.”

Alissi squeezes Mina’s hand. “I know. I’m not giving them us either.”

Good luck!

(If the link doesn't work for you use one of these songs: All Too Well, Midnight Rain, Cornelia Street, Cardigan, Safe & Sound, The Archer. Their lyrics can be found here.)

Part 2: Character Sheet (written by Fae)

For the second section of this weekly, we'll be taking a look at further developing your character further through the use of character sheets! Character sheets are often presented in the form of questions to be answered by the author/character creator, covering a range of categories from physical appearances to values and beliefs. Character sheets can help to flesh out a character, and ensure you're well acquainted with their qualities before you start writing.

In this section, you'll be filling out your very own character sheet - you should ensure you've written at least 100 words in total from your answers to the questions.

Example by Alia

Name: Alissi
Pronouns: she/her
Sexuality: Bi
Species: Human
Strengths: empathetic, strong listener, careful, fiercely loyal
Weaknesses: indecisive, easily swayed, slightly naive
Tendencies: if someone close to her is in any kind of pain, she won’t rest until they’re feeling better (can be a detriment to her own health if overcommitting), spends hours secluded in her garden if she feels overwhelmed due to any kind of societal pressure, tries not to burden others with her secrets and often keeps them bottled up

You can check out this website for inspiration on what to include in a character sheet or alternatively, head to the notes and credits of Aleia's (@Starfairyelise) workshop for a Scratch-based version.

Part 3: Character Motivations (written by Juli)

Welcome to the third part of this weekly! Hopefully you're having fun <3 In this section, we'll be exploring character motives! Every character should have a motivation of sorts - it's the explanation behind their actions, and often contributes to the plot of their story. Before we go on, have a look at this lovely workshop written by Gigi (@Imacreamoo).

Once you're done reading, you should have a better grasp on what motives are and why they're important. This brings us to our next part: writing! Using what you've just learned, put the character you created from the last two activities into three different scenarios to develop what their motives are.

Example by Moonlit

Alissi - Alone in her garden; exploring her want to be understood, but also to protect others

Plants, Alissi ponders, are the most delicate, yet ever-loyal friends one could ever ask for.

To Alissi, her garden is one of the few places is still free to think. Left with only her plants for company, there is no one left to judge – only silent friends. Though they are entirely unresponsive to her pleas, the silent nature of her plants gives Alissi an assurance of safety – no mouth will ever brief her secrets to another.

What if I told her? Told them. Everything – all the things I wish they knew.

You can’t, the quiet, sensible voice in her head whispers back, speaking all the things she imagined the plants would say to her. Or perhaps Alissi only imagined her own justification of her brand of crime – needless to say, open truth would never be an option. Your words endanger every soul they touch, every heart they reach. Keep your secrets to yourself.

Each scene should be at least 150 words long (450+ words total). Think about what they’re trying to gain from each situation - try to keep it consistent! (ex. having a tendacy to save loved ones/things) That’s all - good luck! <3

Part 4: Expanded Scenario (written by Mouse)

Welcome, brave explorer, to the final part of the first weekly! You've just created three beautiful scenarios, now it's time to pick your favorite and expand on it, writing at least 500 new words and tying in at least 3 things from your character sheet. Keep your character's motivations in mind as you write, and make sure everything is consistent with the character. Good luck, and have fun! <33

Conclusion (written by Starr)

Congratulations - you've made it to the end ;D Before you dust off and submit your work, make sure to go through this checklist!

- 200 words of character development by taking inspiration from song lyrics.
- At least 100 words from a character sheet answered in reasonable detail.
- At least 450 words on three different scenarios (150 for each scenario) with specific character motivations.
- 500 words expanding one of the previous scenarios into a developed story. Remember to include at least 3 things from your character sheet!

This weekly is due on November 9 at 11:59 pm UTC, and upon completion, you'll receive 1500 points for your cabin <3

(P.S. If there are any cool new things you've learned about your character during this weekly that you'd like to share, feel free to do so in the Main Cabin! We'd love to hear.)

November '23 Weekly 1 Taylor Swift Song Lyrics

All Too Well

I walked through the door with you
The air was cold
But something about it felt like home somehow
And I, left my scarf there at your sister's house
And you've still got it in your drawer even now

Oh, your sweet disposition
And my wide-eyed gaze
We're singing in the car, getting lost upstate
Autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place
And I can picture it after all these days

And I know it's long gone and that magic's not here no more
And I might be okay but I'm not fine at all

'Cause there we are again on that little town street
You almost ran the red ‘cause you were lookin’ over at me
Wind in my hair, I was there
I remember it all too well

Photo album on the counter
Your cheeks were turning red
You used to be a little kid with glasses in a twin-sized bed
And your mother's telling stories ‘bout you on the tee-ball team
You told me ’bout your past thinking your future was me

And I know it's long gone and there was nothing else I could do
And I forget about you long enough to forget why I needed to

'Cause there we are again in the middle of the night
We're dancing ‘round the kitchen in the refrigerator light
Down the stairs, I was there
I remember it all too well, yeah

And maybe we got lost in translation
Maybe I asked for too much
But maybe this thing was a masterpiece ’til you tore it all up
Running scared, I was there
I remember it all too well

And you call me up again just to break me like a promise
So casually cruel in the name of being honest
I'm a crumpled up piece of paper lying here
'Cause I remember it all, all, all
Too well

Time won't fly, it's like I'm paralyzed by it
I'd like to be my old self again
But I'm still trying to find it
After plaid shirt days and nights when you made me your own
Now you mail back my things and I walk home alone
But you keep my old scarf from that very first week
'Cause it reminds you of innocence
And it smells like me
You can't get rid of it
'Cause you remember it all too well, yeah

'Cause there we are again when I loved you so
Back before you lost the one real thing you've ever known
It was rare, I was there, I remember it all too well

Wind in my hair, you were there, you remember it all
Down the stairs, you were there, you remember it all
It was rare, I was there, I remember it all too well

Midnight Rain

Rain, he wanted it comfortable
I wanted that pain
He wanted a bride
I was making my own name
Chasing that fame
He stayed the same
All of me changed like midnight

My town was a wasteland
Full of cages, full of fences
Pageant queens and big pretenders
But for some, it was paradise

My boy was a montage
A slow-motion, love potion
Jumping off things in the ocean
I broke his heart ‘cause he was nice

He was sunshine, I was midnight rain
He wanted it comfortable
I wanted that pain
He wanted a bride
I was making my own name
Chasing that fame
He stayed the same
All of me changed like midnight

It came like a postcard
Picture perfect, shiny family
Holiday, peppermint candy
But for him it’s every day

So I peered through a window
A deep portal, time travel
All the love we unravel
And the life I gave away

'Cause he was sunshine
I was midnight rain
He wanted it comfortable
I wanted that pain
He wanted a bride
I was making my own name
Chasing that fame
He stayed the same
All of me changed
Like midnight

Rain, he wanted it comfortable
I wanted that pain
He wanted a bride
I was making my own name
Chasing that fame
He stayed the same
All of me changed
Like midnight

I guess sometimes we all get
Just what we wanted, just what we wanted
And he never thinks of me
Except when I'm on TV

I guess sometimes we all get
Some kind of haunted, some kind of haunted
And I never think of him
Except on midnights like this (midnights like this)

Cornelia Street

We were in the backseat
Drunk on something stronger than the drinks in the bar
“I rent a place on Cornelia Street”
I say casually in the car
We were a fresh page on the desk
Filling in the blanks as we go
As if the street lights pointed in an arrowhead
Leading us home

And I hope I never lose you, hope it never ends
I'd never walk Cornelia Street again
That's the kind of heartbreak time could never mend
I'd never walk Cornelia Street again

And baby, I get mystified by how this city screams your name
And baby, I'm so terrified of if you ever walk away
I'd never walk Cornelia Street again
I'd never walk Cornelia Street again

Windows swung right open, autumn air
Jacket ‘round my shoulders is yours
We bless the rains on Cornelia Street
Memorize the creaks in the floor
Back when we were card sharks, playing games
I thought you were leading me on
I packed my bags, left Cornelia Street
Before you even knew I was gone

But then you called, showed your hand
I turned around before I hit the tunnel
Sat on the roof, you and I

I hope I never lose you, hope it never ends
I’d never walk Cornelia Street again
That's the kind of heartbreak time could never mend
I'd never walk Cornelia Street again

And baby, I get mystified by how this city screams your name (city screams your name)
And baby, I'm so terrified of if you ever walk away
I'd never walk Cornelia Street again
I'd never walk Cornelia Street again

You hold my hand on the street
Walk me back to that apartment
Years ago, we were just inside
Barefoot in the kitchen
Sacred new beginnings
That became my religion, listen

I hope I never lose you
I'd never walk Cornelia Street again
Oh, never again

And baby, I get mystified by how this city screams your name
And baby, I'm so terrified of if you ever walk away
I'd never walk Cornelia Street again
I'd never walk Cornelia Street again

I don't wanna lose you, hope it never ends
I'd never walk Cornelia Street again
I don't wanna lose you, yeah

“I rent a place on Cornelia Street”
I say casually in the car

Cardigan

Vintage tee, brand new phone
High heels on cobblestones
When you are young, they assume you know nothing

Sequin smile, black lipstick
Sensual politics
When you are young, they assume you know nothing

But I knew you
Dancin' in your Levi's
Drunk under a streetlight, I
I knew you
Hand under my sweatshirt
Baby, kiss it better, I

And when I felt like I was an old cardigan
Under someone's bed
You put me on and said I was your favorite

A friend to all is a friend to none
Chase two girls, lose the one
When you are young, they assume you know nothin'

But I knew you
Playing hide-and-seek and
Giving me your weekends, I
I knew you
Your heartbeat on the High Line
Once in 20 lifetimes, I

And when I felt like I was an old cardigan
Under someone's bed
You put me on and said I was your favorite

To kiss in cars and downtown bars
Was all we needed
You drew stars around my scars
But now I'm bleedin'

'Cause I knew you
Steppin' on the last train
Marked me like a bloodstain, I
I knew you
Tried to change the ending
Peter losing Wendy, I
I knew you
Leavin' like a father
Running like water, I
And when you are young, they assume you know nothing

But I knew you'd linger like a tattoo kiss
I knew you'd haunt all of my what-ifs
The smell of smoke would hang around this long
'Cause I knew everything when I was young
I knew I'd curse you for the longest time

Chasin' shadows in the grocery line
I knew you'd miss me once the thrill expired
And you'd be standin' in my front porch light
And I knew you'd come back to me
You'd come back to me
And you'd come back to me
And you'd come back

And when I felt like I was an old cardigan
Under someone's bed
You put me on and said I was your favorite

Safe and Sound

I remember tears streaming down your face
When I said I'll never let you go
When all those shadows almost killed your light
I remember you said don't leave me here alone
But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight

Just close your eyes, the sun is going down
You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now
Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound

Don't you dare look out your window, darling, everything's on fire
The war outside our door keeps raging on
Hold onto this lullaby even when the music's gone, gone

Just close your eyes, the sun is going down
You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now
Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound

Ooh (ooh)
Ooh (ooh)
Oh whoa (oh whoa)
Oh whoa (oh whoa)
Ooh (ooh)
Ooh (ooh)
Oh whoa
Oh whoa

Just close your eyes
You'll be alright
Come morning light
You and I'll be safe and sound

Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh

The Archer

Combat, I'm ready for combat
I say I don't want that, but what if I do?
'Cause cruelty wins in the movies
I've got a hundred thrown-out speeches I almost said to you

Easy they come, easy they go
I jump from the train, I ride off alone
I never grew up, it's getting so old
Help me hold onto you

I've been the archer
I've been the prey
Who could ever leave me, darling?
But who could stay?

Dark side, I search for your dark side
But what if I'm alright, right, right, right here?
And I cut off my nose just to spite my face
Then I hate my reflection for years and years

I wake in the night, I pace like a ghost
The room is on fire, invisible smoke
And all of my heroes die all alone
Help me hold onto you

I've been the archer
I've been the prey
Screaming, who could ever leave me, darling?
But who could stay?
(I see right through me, I see right through me)

'Cause they see right through me
They see right through me
They see right through
Can you see right through me?
They see right through
They see right through me
I see right through me
I see right through me

All the king's horses, all the king's men
Couldn't put me together again
'Cause all of my enemies started out friends
Help me hold onto you

I've been the archer
I've been the prey
Who could ever leave me, darling?
But who could stay?
(I see right through me, I see right through me)
Who could stay?
Who could stay?
Who could stay?
You could stay
You could stay
You

Combat, I'm ready for combat

say [MYSTERY'S GONNA WIN]

look up

im going to make my own forum page sooo

Gone, a writing thread now exists…

forever
say [Mystery for the win!]
end

I'll move this over to the Collaboration section for you - that's a better fit for this kind of topic

Proof for a Word War

I show up to the party in nothing but a T-shirt and jeans, which ends up being a big mistake.
I open the door, and to my dismay, see what is definitely a formal event - everyone’s wearing suits and dresses, and I’m embarrassingly out of place. My heart thuds as anxiety begins to set in.
You can’t back out now, I tell myself. You’ve already opened the door. I give a shaky grin, and my feet tremble as I step forward. I’m so nervous that I take my shoes off, almost subconsciously. That just makes it worse.
Giving a trembling chuckle, my face flushes red as I try to quickly fix my mistake by awkwardly sliding my tennis shoe back on. Everyone stares at me as I do so.
Why did I take my shoes off? I yell at myself. WHY WOULD I EVEN DO THAT? I NEVER DO THAT!
I’m even further into the mess now. I really can’t leave at this point.

Workshop: Naturally Incorporating Exposition
by Gigi (@Imacreamoo)

Here is the thing with writing a story: The story is normally only about half of what you write. The other half is exposition, explaining to our readers what we want them to imagine and how we want them to feel. If we want our readers to stick around and love our stories, we need a great story and great, natural exposition. They go together like peas in a pod. So, in this workshop, we'll focus on how to incorporate exposition naturally.

There are, I find, two types of exposition. What we can show our readers and what we are tell our readers. So we'll focus on these two types of exposition separately.

1: What we can show our readers.

This type of exposition is more about the inner workings of your world and characters, eg: The science behind your fantasy world or the feelings of the characters. This type of exposition is for the sense that we see and interpret

For example in Treasure Planet: The audience are not told they are in space, they get to see the setting of space. In writing, this might come about in describing the setting around the characters, such as the stars, rather than saying: Jim was in space. That's a pretty straight forward example. In reality, exposition is far more likely to become unnatural for smaller parts of the worldbuilding, such as telling your reader that dragons breathe ice rather than fire. The same rule applies however, show your readers a dragon breathing ice.

An example for characters would be Katniss Everdeen from Hunger Games. The audience is not told that Katniss cares about Prim in words. We're told that Katniss cares about Prim by how Katniss acts and feels about Prim, such as noticing the bed is empty and not strangling Prim's cat, whom Katniss hates. We can take this for your characters and tell the reader that your character is kind by having them accommodate a stranger on the bus etc…
If your character is traumatised by a fire, instead of telling us their backstory, you can give it to the reader in increments. Show your character being weary around cooking materials, unable to breathe when they smell smoke etc… That way your reader will already be making assumptions before you tell them what happened to make your character this way.

The reason we do show instead of telling our readers about these parts of the story is to submerge our readers deeper into the world. When we tell the reader these facts or when we pile these examples on one after another, we run the risk of reminding our readers that they are reading a book. When you're sucked out of the world you're less likely to be anxiously thumbing the next page to find out what happens next.

2: What we tell our readers

It however, inevitable that we have to tell our readers some parts of the exposition. We do after all have to write. We unfortunately cannot project everything as a movie into our readers head. So when writing your story here's how to include information as naturally as possible.

My best advice for this section is don't pile everything onto your reader at once. Switching between what your character feels and what they hear is a great way to break up a long series of sight descriptions. Once you've told your readers it is cold once, don't hammer home how cold it is twenty more times that chapter.

There are, of course, exceptions to this rule. Horror novels will often repeat how little light there is. This isn't because the reader needs to be told there's no light twenty times but because it hammers home the feeling of being in the dark can bring: feelings of vulnerability and fear. Readers will imagine the scene with no light at the mention of night but readers will begin to feel terror as they are reminded that they cannot see what might be coming to them. or if your narrator is unreliable, making a statement will help blur the situation to their perspective and put a new lens onto what the reader will have just read.

In the same way sometimes you need to repeat certain facts, sometimes it's most natural to leave facts out and let the reader imagine it. Your character is going to get up and get dressed everyday. We already know that fact as well, a fact. Your reader doesn't need to be told that your character got dressed when they wake up. You wouldn't tell a family member that you got dressed, or even what you wore when describing your day on a phone call. Unless that information would suggest or will build up to a break from normality, then it might not add anything to the reader's experience.

What should you take from all of this?

You cannot avoid exposition and sometimes you're not going to be able to avoid simple statements about what's going on. However, to make your exposition natural you should aim to have readers reach their own conclusion about what's happening. While guiding them to these conclusions, try to avoid long descriptions of one sense. Don't be afraid to spread your information across time.
You should also only include what's necessary for the story to affect the reader. Sometimes that will mean repetition and other times that will mean not telling your readers anything.

set [ Fantasy's points] to [infitity]

forever
say [Fantasy ftw!]
end

so, it's like “show don't tell?” Though, with a bit of telling for describing

Intro (written by Moonlit)

Greetings, Silly Weekly Community!

It would be my pleasure to welcome you to the second weekly of the session, a humourous parody of our beloved camp acronym. In this playful creation of ours, we’ll be taking a deep dive into humour, writing star(r)fish inspired parodies, and pirating our way to my personal favorite form of gold, SWC fanfiction! Remember to pack your matches and mangoes – we can’t wait to see what you come up with ;D

(This weekly begins on November 10th at 12:01 a.m. UTC – please wait until then to start writing.)

Best of luck, and have fun!

Part One (written by September)

Welcome to the first part of this weekly! To begin, you will be writing a short skit using humour. Humour can be an important tool to adding personality your characters, and it can make reading more fun as well! Follow along with either of these workshops for a brief overview on how to write humour: Starr’s Workshop or September's Workshop. After you’ve done that, write a skit involving humour of at least 350 words. Have fun, and keep on writing! <3

Example by Finley:

INEA (to herself, scanning the shelves): Wow, there are so many books here! I can't believe how much I'm missing out on.
EMILY (peering over Inea's shoulder): What are you looking for?
INEA: I'm not sure yet. I just want something interesting to read. Something that will transport me to another world, make me think differently, or just make me laugh.
EMILY (wandering off): Okay, let me know if you find anything good. I'm going to explore the fantasy section.
INEA (sighing): Emily, where are you going?
EMILY (from the other side of the store): I'm just looking around. I love a good fantasy story.
INEA (raising her voice): Emily, come back here!
EMILY (returning to Inea): Sorry, I got distracted by the dragons and elves.
INEA (rolling her eyes): I knew it. You're hopeless.
EMILY (smiling): What can I say? Fantasy stories always take me on amazing adventures.
INEA (chuckling): I guess I can't blame you. They can be pretty captivating.
EMILY: They're a great escape from reality. Sometimes, it's nice to get lost in a world where anything is possible.
INEA (smiling) : Well, I'm glad you find them so enjoyable. I'll stick to my more grounded stories, but I'll admit, I do envy your imagination.

Part Two (written by Alia)

Welcome to the second part of this weekly, where we’re going to be adapting a classic SWC daily - song parodies! A song parody is when you take a song and rewrite the lyrics around a specific theme.

For this activity, look back at your skit. Did you write a particularly ridiculous line about dancing jellyfish? Or a cackle-worthy scene about runaway homework? Then, write a song parody using a song of at least 250 words, using a humorous element from your skit. We can’t wait to see silly parodies you create - good luck! <3

You can find some examples of song parodies made by the community here.

Part Three (written by Moonlit)

Welcome to the third and final part of the Silly Community Weekly! I hope you've enjoyed your humor and parodies – it's time to bring your writing back to our beloved community with a bit of SWC fanfiction. From including SWC traditions (like cabin wars!) to including fellow SWCers in your piece, there's no shortage of ways to accomplish this!

Using your parody as inspiration, your final task will be to write a piece of SWC fanfiction of at least 700 words. Have fun, and happy writing! We're very excited to see your creations <3

Example by Alana:

The two gauntlets were lit outside the main cabin, their light shining brightly amongst the faint stars dispersed across the night sky. There was a lot of commotion as members from different cabins were making their preparations. Wondering what all the fuss was about, Alana left Scripts' tent and trudged her way across the forest. After reaching the main cabin, she noticed a large, freshly-painted sign draped across the entrance, it read, “CABIN WARS!”

Suddenly a voice called out from behind, “Alana! How could you have forgotten?” It was Alia, one of the co-leaders from Adventure, who also happened to be a very close friend of Alana's.

“Alia! It's so great to see you. And yes, I did forget, but may I ask.. what are you doing out here?”

Before Alia could answer, a girl with dark brown hair and blonde highlights approached her from behind. It was hard to tell who exactly it was, but their cargo pants and dark brown eyes glistened amidst the darkness.

“SMALLIA! ALANA!” The voice called out, it seemed very familar, but Alana wasn't able to identify who this mystery caller was. It was when the figure stepped out of the shadows did both Alia and Alana realize that this was the legenedary tyrant Luna, and she was carrying a whole batch of mangoes!

“So! Who's ready to cause to some mango arson?” With that, the threesome went running off into the darkness.

Conclusion (written by Soki)

You’ve come to the end of the weekly!

We hope you had a lot of fun completing this weekly and got a chance to explore your silly side.
Before submitting, make sure your weekly meets the following requirements:

- 350 words of a humour-related skit
- 250 words of parody inspired by your humour from your skit
- 700 words of SWC fanfiction based on your parody
This amounts to at least 1300 words total.

This weekly is due on November 16th at 11:59 pm utc and must be submitted by that point. Completing this weekly earns you 2000 points for your cabin!

-

Weekly was formatted by Moonsy, ‘u’s in humour added by Starrsy ;')

SWC CABIN WARS #1
november 11, 2023

⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆


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

-

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

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

-


VALID WARS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~

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

Extra challenge: stretch, take a walk, and/or drink some water (and do a penguin waddle - if you're daring) after every 500 or less words you write. Every person who does this consistently while writing towards the war wins 50 points each for their cabin. This applies for up to three campers (resulting in 150 points earned maximum.)

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

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

Extra challenge: Write 200 words in an archaic or old-fashioned style! Every cabin member who does this can claim 25 points for their cabin. This applies for up to six campers (resulting in 150 points max).

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

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


-

Good luck! Remember to be kind to every cabin, sleep at a decent hour and have a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious time. Starr out ;D

Workshop: Culture and Language
By: Alia and Moss

Intro

Culture and language are inherently connected; after all, all natural languages are connected to a group of people with identities. This is the same with conlangs and literary languages! Here, we'll be taking you through the connections between language and culture and how to incorporate them into your languages.

Pidgin and Creole Languages

One thing to think about when creating a language is how it developed! Pidgin and creole languages are both examples of the mixing of two or more languages into a new language, with words drawn from the previous languages but with their own grammatical structure and vocabulary. Think about if your language is one of these - did it form from two other languages? Is it a mix of other languages? Since languages never form in a vacuum and always have elements from other languages and cultures, figuring this out is a great way to figure out worldbuilding, not just for your language, but the world around it.

It’s also important to know what stage your language is at. Pidgin languages often evolve into creole languages, since pidgins are usually less standardized grammatically and are a secondary form of language for their speakers. Once the language develops stable grammar and native speakers, it becomes a creole language. Not all pidgins become creoles, but most creoles started as pidgins. This could help give the people in your world an identity. For example, if you want to create a world where a group of people are in rebellion against another, they could have a pidgin language that shows their identity.

Geography

An important thing to think about when creating your language is the geography of the world in which it is spoken. For instance, is your main city built in the shadow of a huge mountain? If so, maybe the word for mountain could be derived from its name. As another example, perhaps it is constantly raining in your world—in that case, maybe its inhabitants use many separate words for rain and storms so that seasons can be more easily differentiated. This category leaves a lot of room for creativity—you can expand on this as much as you want based on your plans for your language's world.

Dialects

Dialects are different from pidgin and creole languages in that they develop from just one mother language, and are often mutually intelligible with that mother language. These are all ways that show how cultures, the shifting and mixing of them, makes changes in language as well! This is another way to develop your worldbuilding. What are the groups of people in your world like? How similar are they to each other?

One important thing to note about dialects is that not all mutually intelligible languages are dialects of each other. For example, Sanskrit is an ancient parent language for many Indian languages, which is why many are mutually intelligible, such as Hindi, Punjabi, and Gujrati, but none of them are dialects. Dialects usually have the same writing system and similar grammars, but the vocabulary and patterns of speech will be different enough that although the speakers of a dialect and a mother language would understand each other but wouldn’t be able to speak the other. Having dialects is a great way to understand your language better, because by creating offshoots of your main language, you get a better feel for the intricacies of the main one!

Importance of Words

Based on its importance in the culture surrounding it, a concept may have more or fewer words relating to it. The Vietnamese language, for instance, has several words for rice—the word is different based on the type, the age, the level of preparation, and several other factors. Even without knowing much about their culture, one could of course assume that rice is a common food. While planning your conlang, brainstorm some important things to the inhabitants of your world, as well as some common variations of them. Using different words for these variations is a great way to make your language unique!

Conversely, another thing to think about is the concepts and items that don't exist in your culture. Your language likely won't have words for them, so speakers may create compound words or utilize words from a different language to express the concepts. If a language doesn't have a word for a certain concept, speakers may be surprised that such a thing exists, which could lead to a funny moment in your story. Additionally, if both your conlang and a real language coexist in your world, you could try rendering words from the real language with your conlang's grammar/phonetic system, or vice versa, to create cognates.

How Roles Shape Language

Languages aren’t just different based on geography, they’re also varied based on who one’s talking to. Within languages, the way someone talks can change entirely based on what environment they’re in. One common example of this is the formal you - many languages have two words for you, one for when someone’s talking to people close to them, and another that they use when talking to people older than them or to give respect. For instance, Spanish has the informal tu and the formal usted, Hindi has the informal tum and the formal aap, and many languages follow the same pattern.

In your world, what are rules of respect like? You can use your language to show these rules and differences without having to say them outright, saving exposition time and helping the reader be more immersed in your world. Use your language as a way to develop cultural patterns - it’s a fun, unique way to keep both the reader and yourself engaged!

Slang

Slang is another way roles shape language, and also show a form of cultural mixing! Slang words are the way new words enter languages - while some slang words fall out of favor, other slang words become accepted in a language’s lexicon. Figure out how your language does the same! How is it affected by the other languages near it? How does your language develop with these slang words?

Slang in one language might be entirely different in two places. In the US, if you were to say “that’s amazing!” you might say “that’s so slay!” but in England, you could say something like “that’s cracking!” Slang develops on a regional basis and can often denote native speakers and where someone is from. You can use slang to show this, and also to create a feeling of the opposite. For example, if you write a character going to a new place, you can use slang terms the character is unfamiliar with to show how the character might feel uneasy.

One last component of slang is the way one language can borrow words from other languages and turn them into slang words with different meanings. “First class” in English means little other than a plane class, but in India it means I’m doing great. Slang is also a lot of fun to write because of this, since it’s sometimes nonsensical and slightly wacky, a mesh of languages and ideas. Let your imagination go wild, and come up with the most ridiculous terms and statements for your language!

Stereotypes

Stereotypes can also play a large role in language, especially in slang words. For example, in a story I wrote a couple of years ago, magic-users were generally thought of as evil. While I didn't create an entire language for the story, I used different words for what others called perception of the magic-users (Anomalies) and what the magic-users called themselves (Etheri). The words that characters used to describe them helped to show their beliefs without me having to say it outright. Reusing words with strong negative or positive sounding words to stand in for another concept may be helpful in your own conlang as well—if your culture has several groups with different beliefs, this is an interesting way to differentiate them.

Conclusion

And that's it! Hopefully this helped you understand how language is connected to our world, and helped you get some ideas for your own writing! Good luck - we can't wait to see what you come up with <3

SWC November 2023 Weekly #3 - Conlangs and Culture

Intro (written by Reese)

Hey there swcers! Welcome back to your third weekly of november <3 We've got a brilliant and beautiful cast of campers this session, from all corners of the internet, creating a stunning constellation of cultures coming together to write. wait… what was that about cultures? I think it's time for a deep dive!

For this weekly, we're going to be taking a look at the concept of culture and language in literature. We'll be conversing in conlang, pondering phrases, dreaming up dialgoue, and finally, tying it all together with a short scene. Go forth and explore the realm of culture, dear writers. We wish you luck in your adventures!

This weekly begins on November 17 at 12:01 am UTC – have fun!

Part 1: Creating Conlangs (written by Jasper)

Welcome to the wonderful world of conlangs! For part one of this weekly, you'll be using a workshop on conlanging, written by the wonderful Lio! Using this workshop, you and a partner can have a simple conversation in a conlang of your own!

Find a partner and read through the workshop to learn more about conlangs. Then, to get started, you and your partner just make up words on the spot! You'll be having a conversation in the language at the same time you're coming up with. Remember: it doesn't have to be complicated! Don't forget to provide translations for your conversations, too!

Example by Alia and Moonlit

Moonlit: Jaku Alia! Nomi ce hei nadle? Hi Alia! How are you doing?

Alia: Jaku Moonlit! Nomu hei ladro, hred pruj li frudo. Nomi bre hei? Hi Moonlit! I'm doing well, looking forward to the weekend. How about you?

Moonlit: Jayy, nu ladro! Nomu hei kui ladro, lai hei. Nomu jeke oi loru li wena, zin c'ai ladre. Nami ce hei jedin li? Yay, that's good! I'm doing pretty well, thank you. I have a lot of work to do, but it's okay. What are you up to?

Alia: Gyuri loloru, nomu creyy oi brequ jislr. Nom juru fre oi poim crey liroper, yop nomi hri derimo esrip. Beyond homework, I’m reading a lot of good books. I haven't had a lot of time to read recently, so I've been enjoying that.

Moonlit: Hee, nu ladro ai! Lorloru ai jek poim jejeli, zin nomy ladro hei bre ludren heinda. Juro hei liroped voi ladro jislr ki jecidu? Ooh, that's good too! Homework is very time consuming, but I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. Have you read any good books in particular?

Alia: Nomu creyy Lor Yarvaru oii Addie LaRue, gruw ste tre zunim lirtor upionar. Juro hei ui vios griiu liroper? I’m reading The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, which has been really interesting so far. Have you done anything interesting recently?

Moonlit: Jeli, uli nomu too! Xij nomu helin upionar, zin nomu rendile poitij nami eding aduna ki lor jislr yilo lor jecki oii jkaldi. Wait, me too! I haven't gotten far, but I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next in the book during thanksgiving break.

Write at least 200 words each, not counting the translations. Good luck!

Part 2: Common Cultural Phrases (written by Finley)

Welcome to the second part of this weekly! For this part, firstly, read over this workshop by Alia and Moss. Then, you will be picking a common phrase used in your community or a culture and consider the significance of that phrase. An example of a common phase could be “Hakuna Matata”, which in the Swahili language means “no worries”. It is often used to express a carefree attitude or to reassure someone to not worry about something. After you've chosen your phrase and considered its impact on the society and/or individuals, write a scene using that phrase in at least 300 words!

Part 3: Brainstorming Phrases in Your Conlang (written by Alana)

For the third part of the weekly, we will be taking some time to brainstorm a few commonly used phrases among characters. I'm sure we've all heard the sayings “break a leg”, and “easier said than done”, both of which are phrases that we hear from time to time.

Today you will be referring back to the conlang workshop found in Part 1 to brainstorm such common phrases for three characters. To complete this part of the weekly, write 100 words worth of phrases for each of your three characters for a total of 300 words. Have fun - you've got this!

Part 4: Putting it All Together (written by Reese)

Finally, it's time to tie it all together ;D So far we've used Lio's conlang workshop, Moss & Alia's language and culture workshop, and your previously brainstormed commonly used phrases between characters– why not put it all in one? Wrap all three elements into one coherent dialogue scene of 600 words using your conlang, and tie it off with a bow to conclude your third weekly! <3

Conclusion (written by Finley)

Well done, and congratulations for finishing the third weekly! While submitting the weekly, please confirm that you have completed the following parts:

1. A conversation with a partner in a language you constructed including translations (+200 words)
2. Scene incorporating a common phrase used in your culture or community (+300 words)
3. Brainstorming commonly used phrases for three characters using the conlang from part one (+100 words per character, +300 words total)
4. A scene of dialogue incorporating all the elements in earlier weekly parts (+600 words)

Including all of this, your weekly should be 1400 words in total for 2500 points! This weekly is due on November 23rd at 11:59 pm utc.

swc workshop ~ balancing figurative language without losing coherence
by river (@starr-light)

hello there! welcome to the second bidaily workshop of the session; we'll be working on not overloading figurative language, more commonly known as “purple prose”.

first things first, what is purple prose?
・purple prose is writing that is overly flowery and descriptive, often used to boost word count and made an author sound more intelligent with the use of metaphors and long words. while purple prose is in some cases useful, more often than not, it makes writing sound incredibly convuluted and as difficult to follow as the maps of faraway cities, which are tangled like a bag of yarn and never seem to unravel…i think you get the point! in that sentence, the metaphors, although grammatically correct, were rather difficult to follow.
・some common literary devices are alliteration, metaphor, simile, rhyme, onomatopoeia, and sensory images (description based off the five senses)

when is it useful to use a lot of figurative language?
there are some cases in which figurative language is useful, even necessary! here they are:
・in description, especially in sci-fi or fantasy where there are invented places and people, figurative language is very useful to give readers an idea of what things look / sound / smell / feel / taste like.
・for particular emphasis—often, when someone is describing someone or something new / interesting / attractive to them, they may use some figurative language to properly describe what exactly intrigues them
・rhythmic literary devices can be helpful in writing that has something echoing the rhythm—repetition, for example, sounds a bit like raindrops, over and over and over and over…
・sometimes, the style of a piece can just lend itself to more figurative language than normal, but be careful not to overdo it!

things to watch out for:
・when using any sort of literary device, take care that it fits with the mood you're setting—especially for similes and metaphors, whatever you're comparing the subject to should be in line with the rest of the piece.
・in fast-paced action and dialogue, don't add literary devices unless it's absolutely necessary—that high-speed chase becomes a bit less exciting if you describe every building passed by in meticulous detail.
・when writing in first person, even third or second person, consider what your character would know and observe before describing a telephone pole a ways down the street.
・adjectives and adverbs can take away from a sentence. try finding stronger adjectives and verbs instead of choosing a less powerful one and adding dozens of modifiers.

how do i know if i'm overusing figurative language?
・if you find yourself glancing at a thesaurus every couple of sentences or struggling yet again to find a good simile—stop. pause your writing, see if you actually need all the fancy stuff, and close the thesaurus. you don't need it, and you won't have to interrupt your writing zone by searching for the just-right adjective.
・unless you're in cabin wars, more words are not always better. when editing, check every couple of sentences to see if you can reword into something more concise; use a formal voice only for characters who are more formal, and it'll draw your reader's attention when the character does start talking more descriptively, if they do at all.
・again, when editing, try something to see if you're using too much figurative language: copy your piece, or a portion if it's very long, and highlight/bold/underline all of the metaphors you see. if there are more than 1/3 to 1/2 (eyeball this) and the writing doesn't fit any of the “when to use” qualifications (even then, you should edit), figure out a way to edit or delete the excess material.

wrap up
・alright, we've hopefully covered what you need to know about figurative language. you know what it is, when and when not to use it, and how to check if you're using too much of it. and with that, i send you onwards to the bidaily—get writing, swcers!

—river

links used:
・what is purple prose from masterclass.com
・5 easy steps to avoid purple prose from writersedit.com
check out these links to learn more! faer's workshop on literary devices is a great resource as well <3

March 2024 Dailies ^^

(Reminder that dailies only count for words while they're still up on the Main Cabin description. These are just for reference if you'd like to look back and redo a missed activity. Enjoy!)

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Mar 01: Welcome, leaders, campers, fairies, and trolls, to the March ‘24 session of SWC! We hope you're as excited as we are for the exciting month ahead of us. To start us off, introduce yourself to your fellow writers and jot down your goals for this session. Who's your favorite author? How long have you done SWC? Give encouraging messages and compliment each other's intros - some of this might just come into play in tomorrow's daily. Have fun, and happy writing! <3

Mar 02: Hello, swc-ers, and welcome to our second daily of camp! Yesterday was world compliment day, and we all exchanged compliments on our introductions. Today, we'll use them in our writing! Take someone else's compliment and integrate it as a focal point of your story. How does the main character react to these compliments? How does it affect other people? Complete this daily with a minimum of 250 words for a scrumptious 300 points for your cabin, plus a bonus 100 points for providing proof!

Mar 03: Hello, patriots! Today is national anthem day, so you’ll be writing national anthems! Write an anthem for your cabin and 1-3 other cabins for a maximun of four anthems - 100 points per anthem in at least 100 words each. Be sure to think about the cabin’s values, history, and ethics. If you need some inspiration, head on over to this link https://nationalanthems.info/ to find a list of national anthems for you to draw from. Happy writing, adventurers!

Mar 04: For today's daily we'll be breathing in the air of spontaneity! Start by grabbing a die and rolling it - if you get 1 or 2, write in present tense, 3 or 4, write in past tense, and 5 or 6 write in future tense. Now roll it again! If you get 1 or 2, write in 1st person POV, 3 or 4, write in 2nd person POV, and if you get 5 or 6 write in 3rd person omniscient POV. Using this tense and POV, write 300 words of a story to earn 250 points, and an additional 100 points can be earned for sharing proof!

Mar 05: Hey there! Today, word wars begin—ready for the adventure? Hop on over to this project (https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/977035871) to begin clashing swords! Additionally, here's a mini-activity: read one chapter of a book, then write a continuation of it—perhaps Percy refuses to go to Camp Half-Blood, or Elphaba and Galinda defy gravity together! Write 200 words for 100 points, and an extra 50 for sharing proof <3

Mar 06: Get ready to stretch your imagination with this daily! Today, you'll be inventing a new genre. It can be anywhere from something like a Cashier Memoir to Sci-Fi. Get creative! What genre would you love to write in? Then, write a story in this genre that is 250 words long. Post it in the comments, and try to guess other people's made-up genres. You will receive 200 points for doing this daily and an extra 50 points for sharing proof!

Mar 07: We hope you're ready to have fun and create magic with your peers, because it's time again for three word stories! Comment three words to start a story, and reply to others' stories with three words to keep them going (until, of course, you hit the dreaded studio reply limit ;D)! Have fun, and remember that every three words you write count towards your word count goal! <33

Mar 08: Channel your inner gratitude for international women's day! Pen a 200 words thank-you note to a feminine figure – historical trailblazer or personal hero. dive into what makes her amazing, add a splash of humour and spread the love! This daily is worth 200 points, and you can gain an additional 100 points for sharing proof.
Reminder: It's cabin wars tomorrow! Hope to see you there <3

Mar 09: Get your longbows and staffs at the ready, wizards - it's Cabin Wars! Journey over here scratch.mit.edu/discuss/post/7849808 for rules, valid wars, challenges, etc. And here, at the Warrior's Wharf https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/979423626 you'll find the mercenaries hanging out by the sea, should you need them Deep breaths, get some rest, and prepare for the adventure of a lifetime.<3

Mar 10: Have you recently finished a piece of writing? Well then you're in luck - it's Critiquitaire time! Although the spelling tends to mess most of us up from time to time, the Critiquitaire is pretty similar to our well-known SWC tradition, Word Wars! It's a place for you to receive feedback on your writing, whether that be for a novel, daily, or weekly - the piece of writing you decide to submit it up to you! Head on over here https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/979951956/ for more info. Let the fun begin!

Mar 11: Today is the first day of Ramadan, a month of fasting, introspection, and charity that is considered the most important part of the year for millions of Muslims worldwide. Do some introspection yourself - what are things you are happy with? What are things, both in the world and about yourself, that you'd like to see changed? Make a list, pick one or two things, and create a 200 word story out of it for 400 points. An additional 100 points will be given for sharing!

Mar 12: Another classic daily today! For this one, the Main Cabin has turned into a bookstore! Write 100 words of a summary of a story you're writing, a story you want to write, or any original writing idea, then post it in the comments <3 After that, browse through all the other lovely books, and reply to at least 3 of them that you'd be interested in “buying”. Have fun!

Mar 13: Ominous or lucky, thirteen has a variety of attributes – there are 13 loaves in a baker's dozen, 13 lunar cycles in a year, including a blue moon, and 13 cards every suit. Today, 13 happens to be a host's favorite number - for 350 points (and a bonus 100 for sharing your creations), you'll be writing at least 300 words using any line from a host or daily team member's profile as inspiration! Best of luck, and have fun <3

Mar 14: Happy Pi Day! Although pi doesn’t have an ending, our stories (well, most of them) do. Try writing a story that begins and ends in the exact same way, but throughout all the events occurring in between, gives it a much different meaning by the end. Write 500 words for 400 points and an extra 100 (plus a free pi pie!) for sharing proof. Happy writing <3

Mar 15: “Beware the ides of march…” In typical julius caesar fashion, a character has just been informed by a mysterious cloaked figure that they're going to die. How are they going to spend their last day? Will they heed the warning - or try to escape their fate? Ponder this peculiar turn of events in 400 or more words, and perhaps you'll escape with 400 points, an extra 100 for proof, and your life <3

Mar 16: One of the best things about SWC is its ability to connect young writers across different countries and cultures, which is absolutely incredible In today’s daily, we’ll be embracing our community’s uniqueness by writing about life from another swcer’s perspective! What would their average day look like? What hobbies, interests and activities do they engage in? Answer these questions and more in at least 300 words to claim 200 points for your cabin, plus an additional 100 for sharing proof!

Mar 17: It's Hozier the bog man's birthday today! (Yes, that would be the musical artist.) Here's an age-old prompt, but with a twist - pick a Hozier song lyric, and write a piece inspired by it - as abstract or literal as you like. If you're unsure about what lyric to choose, feel free to ask in the comments ^^ 300 points for 300 words, and an extra 150 for providing proof. (Bonus: Name your favourite Hozier song in the comments and Starr will give you a daisy <3)

Mar 18: Pick-a-Plot! For today's daily you'll be creating a choose-your-own-adventure story, written in second person. Once you're done writing it out, post it in the comments for others to give it a try. Then, go ahead and reply to other stories that have been shared to see where that journey will take you ;D Best of luck, and have fun!

Mar 19: Capturing the perfect atmosphere is essential in writing! Come up with three words to describe one of your characters and three more for a setting you'd like to put them in. Use a thesaurus to make a list of six related words, and write a scene of at least 400 words that embodies the vibes of your list for 300 points. Earn 150 extra points for providing proof. Bonus: Post your list in the comments and write a scene using the words from someone else's list.

Mar 20: Villains are often formed after some traumatic backstory that is later revealed to the hero and humanizes the villain. For this daily write 400 words about a villain, whether an existing one or one of your creations, who ends up not actually being the bad guy. Completing this daily will earn you 350 points with an additional 100 points for sharing!

Mar 21: Happy World Poetry Day! There are many types of poetry, from haikus to odes, but they all have one thing in common: they are written about something the author is passionate about. For today's daily, it's your turn to write a poem about one of your passions! Whether it's ballet or world peace, poems can be about anything that you enjoy. Be creative with poem style, wording, and topic. You can earn 200 points for 200 words, along with an extra 100 for sharing. Good luck, (tortured) poets!

Mar 22: Writers use a lot of figurative language, and today we're focusing on just one type: pathetic fallacy. Similar to personification, pathetic fallacy is when a story utilizes the environment to convey emotions by using typically human actions (ex: weeping raindrops, dancing leaves, etc). For 300 points, write a story of at least 250 words using pathetic fallacy to convey an emotion. Then, post it in the comments for 150 more points and see if anyone can guess which emotion it is!

Mar 23: *stomps echo in the distance* Hey hobbits <3 Welcome to cabin wars! As you arm yourself with pencils and swords, please take a look here https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/topic/695082/?page=2#post-7877867 for the list of wars & rules. This round of cabin wars will run a bit differently from past occasions, so stay sharp. Additionally, it seems a looming presence has magically cursed the camp - until this curse is lifted, you may only talk in third person. Best of luck, and have- *deafening rawr*
Go here to fight against Gurtle's evil reign! https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/topic/749561/?page=1#post-7877895

Mar 24: “It was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort…” To honour Tolkien Reading Day tomorrow, let's take a breather to really fall into Middle Earth Hobbit-holes, our heroes' lovely underground homes, have come to be a fixture of Tolkien's cultural impact. Describe what your own personal hobbit hole might look like - the ambiance, the bookshelves, the secret passageways in your cellar; include details! 400 words for 400 points, and an extra 100 points for providing proof.

Mar 25: Happy Holi! Holi is a Hindu festival celebrating the triumph of good over evil and the arrival of spring, typically celebrated with large, colorful gatherings and people throwing colored die on each other. Use color imagery to symbolize change, whether in time, setting, or anything in between! Since today is also National Hobbit Hole Day, try setting your daily in your hobbit hole for an extra wink from the daily team ;D 500 words for 300 points, with 100 points for proof!

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Intro (written by Alia)

Welcome, heroes, to the first weekly of the session! This week, we'll be taking a look into stories of yore, tales that have been passed down through generations and generations, turning from simple narratives into legends.

While walking this path of fabled characters, you will have the chance to chart your own journey! Firstly, read Skyler's workshop here about the the four genres explored in this weekly. Then, from each of the sections below, choose six prompts to write about. You must choose at least one prompt from each of the four sections, and the last two can be from any section you'd like! Write 200 words per section to complete this weekly.

This weekly starts on March 3rd at 12:01 am utc, so please wait until then to start writing. Good luck, and we can't wait to see what legends you create!

Part 1: Mythology (written by Sienna)

1. Crossover
Some of the most interesting stories can be made from already existing mythology (think Percy Jackson ;D ). From gods and goddesses to tricksters and schemers, there are so many different elements you can pull from. Find a couple (or more!) pantheons that interest you the most, and write a story that incorporates them all together. Maybe there's a power struggle between them, they're joining forces, or they've just discovered each others' existence. The choice is yours, so don't be afraid to play with it!

2. Epic Poem in Prose
An epic poem is a long story told in a poem about heroes and their impressive feats. You've probably heard of quite a few without even knowing it. Some of the most widely known ones are the Iliad, the Odyssey, Paradise Lost, and Metamorphoses. For this option, read part (or all if you're feeling it) of an epic poem, and rewrite it in prose. You might have to reimagine it and add more details to accommodate your own writing style, so go where the story takes you!

3. Retelling
Original myths are great, but there are many different ways to look at them that bring in a novel perspective. Take an old myth and make it something completely new and interesting. Pick your favorite myth and consider what you could change to put a new spin on it. You could change the point of view, genders, setting, time period, or anything really! Choose as many elements as you want to play with, and write your original and fantastical retelling. You'll be amazed at what you come up with!

4. Genre Swap
Genre is arguably the most integral part of any story. It's what builds the atmosphere, and shifting it can create a whole new plot. A story wouldn't be quite the same without it's signature style, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. Take one of your favorite myths and rewrite it in a completely different world or genre. What would happen if you put the Greek gods (or any mythical characters) in 1850? How about 2024? What if they were solving a noir-style mystery? Have fun tapping into your inner Hermes (the divine trickster) as you explore the endless possibilities!

Part 2: Hi-Fi (written by Kenzie)

1. Original Characters in Historical Times.
You’ve probably heard of historical characters in historical times, but have you ever heard of original characters in historical times? Pick a character you’ve written with, whether it’s the character from your first ever story, one from that novel you’ve been procrastinating on, or your favorite character, any will work! How would that character react during the Boston Tea Party? Would they make a good knight in the Medieval times? For this task, write a story using an original character in a historical time.

2. Historical Figures in Modern Times.
History has changed a lot over the years, Leonardo Da Vinci probably didn’t use Pinterest for inspiration, nor did Christopher Columbus have Google Maps to guide him. For this part, choose a historical figure, such as a famous soldier, political figure, or any other character from your favorite history story and then write a story about how they’d react to being in modern times.

3. What if: Change One Thing About a Historical Event.
You’ve probably heard about the butterfly effect, if we could change one tiny thing in the past, it could drastically change the future. If one tiny thing such as a butterfly flew off before it was supposed to happen, it could cause SWC to not happen. For this activity, change one thing about a historical story, such as maybe Covid-19 was never discovered. Write about that changed event to complete this activity.

4. If These Walls Could Talk: The Events One Place Has Seen.
There have been so many different events in one place, such as your friend’s house has probably seen many other friends and people. How would it be if the walls could talk? What would the walls say if they could talk? Would they mention that fit you had when you were three? Or maybe the time you lost your first tooth? For this activity, explain an event from the place’s perspective.

Part 3: Fairy Tales (written by Alana)

1. Using Sparks from the Past: Retelling
Has there ever been a part of a fairy tale that you've wanted to change? Today is the day you get to unleash those dreams and make them come true. Start off by choosing your favorite fairy tale and deciding on a specific aspect that you would like to alter. It could be the time period, genders, setting, plot, or anything that your heart desires! After deciding, write an adaption/retell of the story that portrays how you wish to see that fairy tale written. Have fun, I can't wait to see where your creativity takes you!

2. Mixing in a Little Magic: Place Yourself in a Fairy Tale
Wouldn't it be great if we had the power to control our fate? What if we could choose the obstacles, if any, that life throws at us… wouldn't that make everything easier? For this activity, you'll be placing yourself in a fairy tale, writing your own happily ever after, whether that be replacing a character, evolving into an antagonist, or becoming the lead role - it's up to you! Choose to go in any direction you like as you write a fairy tale that you've placed yourself into. Your fate lies in your own hands!

3. An Enchanting Reunion: Multiple Fairy Tale Characters Meet Up With Each Other
I think we've all faced that dilemma where we had to choose one favorite character. But fear not! Today you don't have to narrow it down - expand that list as far as you would like for matter! For this activity you will be arranging a little meet up between multiple fairy tale characters. Who you decide to choose is up to you! To complete this task, write a story that focuses on the meet up of multiple fairy tale characters. You'll be amazed to see all the creative plots that come out of this activity!

4. A Journey of Motifs: Using Popular Fairy Tale Motifs in Another Story
I don't think you'd be surprised to see common motifs being reused in different fairy tales. Although the plot might be different sometimes, there is a general outline or pattern that seems similar in some sense. An example of a common fairy tale motif is a journey that the protagonist takes in order to face their conflict (there are also many other examples of motifs that simply relate to the characters themselves). For this activity you will be writing using popular fairy tale motifs - good luck!

Part 4: Folklore (written by Em)

1. Oral Retelling: Show Characters Passing Down a Story
One option you can choose is to show characters passing down a story. I’m sure you’ve read fantasy stories where all the main characters sit by a fire and one of them starts to tell a tale that has been in their family for generations. These stories are all different, but they all share one thing in common: the mystical allure each of the stories has. If you choose to go down this path, write a story depicting characters in your writing telling their own story that has been passed down somehow!

2. Regional Differences: Write About Different Versions of the Same Story
True folktales do not have one author. As they get passed down, each storyteller adds a bit of their magic to the story, leading to many different versions of the same story, each with unique and different parts tracing back to the original one. An example of this is the story of Cinderella. You may not have known this, but the tale of Cinderella has many faces, such as Cinder Edna, the Rough-Face Girl, Adelita, Yeh-Shen, and the Golden Sandal. For this prompt, write at least 2 different versions of the same story that you decide to create. Have fun making your folktale!

3. Write a Story With a Moral
All folktales have one basic idea in common. They all somehow tell us a lesson, maybe to be honest all the time, or to take it slow and steady and not worry about what other people think of you. Sound familiar? If you choose this option, write a story with any moral of your liking. After writing, maybe compare your story to other well-known fables and see how similar they are!

4. Magical Realism (Talking Animals, Little Bits of Magic, Etc)
Folktales are often known to have little bits of magic scattered inside them. Talking animals are common in them, and so are magical items or prophecies. If you choose to do this, write a story implementing magical realism into your own story. Good luck, and I can’t wait to see what you do with your ideas!

Conclusion (written by CJ)

Congratulations, you’ve completed the very first weekly of this session! Before submitting, make sure you have completed six sections of 200 words each.

Completing these should result in a total of 1200 words written!

This weekly is due on March 10th at 11:59 p.m. UTC and must be submitted in the main cabin by that time to earn points. Make sure you include your cabin name and a link to evidence of your work, and extensions cannot be granted after the deadline has passed. By completing this weekly, you will earn 2000 points for your cabin, good luck!

Workshop: Legends Genres and Their Difference
By Skyler

❀ Intro
In this weekly, you're going to be dabbling in four different, incredible genres–but what are those genres? What makes them so unique, and, more importantly, what makes them different from each other? By the end of this workshop, you'll have those answers ;D

❀ Myth
Myth is a subgenre of folklore (and often theology as well) that consists mostly of narratives about characters like non-humans (gods, demigods, or other supernatural figures), as well as occasionally human heroes–however, stories of everyday humans (often a leader of some type) are usually considered legends instead of myths. Myths are occasionally distinguished from legends because myths deal with gods and supernatural beings, usually have no solid historical basis, and are set in a world of the remote past, which is often very different from that of the present. Many cultures consider myths and legends to be true accounts of their remote past and are usually closely tied to a culture or group's religion. Myths can also explain how a culture's customs, institutions, and beliefs came to be. Some of the most widely-known myths are those from Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Norse mythologies!

❀ Historical Fiction
Historical Fiction is characterized by a fictional narrative taking place in the past, usually at a specific time or during a specific historical event. Its main characteristics are that it's almost always set in the past and it pays attention to the customs and mannerisms of the time period (which means that you do indeed typically have to do some research to write in this genre well and accurately <33). It's also used to explore notable historical figures, allowing readers to see one way they might've perceived the events that happened and the time they lived in when they were alive.

❀ Fairy Tale
Fairy Tale is another subgenre of folklore and is rich with fantasy elements–from dragons to fairies to monsters to talking animals and other mythical or supernatural beings. They of course usually also include some sort of magic and/or enchantments and/or curses. Fairy Tales usually contain a moral lesson of some sort, which is the characteristic that separates them the most from folklore, myths, and legends. Many popular collections of Fairy Tales have been written and have been adapted into movies and retold over and over again.

❀ Folklore
Folklore is often considered the metaphorical heart of a culture, subculture, or particular group of people. It's a very broad term that includes stories, material culture, folk beliefs, and rituals or celebrations. But of course, I'm only going to cover the story part in this workshop ;D Folklore stories traditionally originate from stories told and retold for generations, and then were eventually written down. This includes myths, legends, proverbs, tales, songs, and much more! Many evolve and change over time, especially when it's retold by a different storyteller who has their own take on it, so the original story/song/poem/etc. could be wildly different from the ‘newest’ version. Folklore is almost always passed along informally between people, regions, and/or generations, and isn't typically something that you'll find being taught in a school curriculum or a study into the fine arts.

❀ Differences
So now that you know a bit more about these genres… what makes them different?
Historical Fiction is the most different of the four, because of its non-fiction/historical elements. But how is a folk tale different from a myth or fairy tale?
As I said above, the main characteristic that separates Fairy Tales is the moral lessons told by them. Myths typically have connections to the distant past of gods and the like, explore the culture of the myth's origin's worldview, and can also help explain how certain customs came to be.
Folklore contains fairy tales and myths under its umbrella, but it also contains lots more, anything from oral stories passed down for generations to written fables of times long gone. Unlike myths, folklore is often widely recognized as fictional tales instead of true accounts from the past.

❀ Conclusion
I hope this workshop gave you a better knowledge of these four incredible genres, and I wish you good luck on your journey to complete the first weekly!

❀ Rescources used
Google for miscellaneous research ;D
Wikipedia for information about Myths, Hi-Fi, Fairy Tales, and Folklore!

Chapter 1
I Become A Ghost

I know what you’re thinking.
Jade, you can’t be a ghost! You were training Kennedy earlier today!
I know, okay? I think I remember that. And I’m not a ghost as much as I am, say, a time-traveler. Boom. I said it. Get over it. Time travel exists. To be honest, I was a bit surprised too. I didn’t actually mean to end up here. Well. I guess I sort of did. This is getting confusing for me, and I’m the one with all the info.
Let’s start over.

I blinked my eyes open and looked around, confused. Where was I? Where was Kennedy? The delicate scent of salty water wafted through the air, like a song drifting through a hall on open night. The ground rocked beneath my shoes, and I subconsciously tilted from side to side to adjust my balance. Somehow, I was a natural at this shifting ground. A breeze twisted around me, a snake curling around my body. A mist sprayed against me, refreshing in the sun baking down on me from above. Tone it down, will ya Apollo? I asked silently before gazing around.
I was on an enormous ship, with people rowing on each side. Deep, mysterious blue stretched in every direction. I shivered, but it wasn’t because of the wetness sinking into me.
“Nefritis, hurry up and get to work! We won’t reach Colchis if we have people slacking off!” Someone shouted angrily. I blinked, hearing the word ‘Jade’ in Greek. Why were these people speaking in Greek?
“HURRY UP!” The same person bellowed, and I figured I should start rowing before I got attacked.
I sat down on the wooden benches, hesitantly grabbing an oar. I moved it experimentally before falling into the same rhythm the other people on other benches were in, propelling us forwards. Eventually, a blond guy with olive-tone skin sat down next to me, watching me work.
“So, uh, I’m not quite sure what I’m doing here.” I whispered to him. “Where am I?”
The guy blinked, then laughed. “Nice joke buddy.” He chuckled, elbowing me. “C’mon Nefritis, you won’t get out of rowing THAT easily.”
I looked at him, puzzled. “Do I know you?”
He laughed again, but stopped when he looked at my expression. “You really don’t know what you’re doing here? Or who I am?”
“Nnooo… Am I supposed to? Dude, I just appeared here.” I told him, raising an eyebrow. Something sketchy was going on.
“Wait, what year is it?” I asked, suddenly remembering an experience that someone had once told me about before.
“Sometime in the 14th century.” The guy asked, scratching the back of his head. “Why? Oh, right.”
I stopped breathing for a second.
“That- I’m not supposed to be here.” I choked out.
“What do you mean? Yes you are! You volunteered, AND the Oracle explicitly told me to pick you for this trip.”
“No, like, this isn’t my time.”
“What?”
“I’m not from this century. I’m not from this century at all.”
The guy’s eyes widened. “You’re telling me you’re from the future?”
“Yes. The gods think they’re awfully funny right now.” I grumbled, folding my arms. The blonde dude took over rowing, swapping seats with me.
“Okay, well then… I’m Jason. This is the Argo. You are one of the Argonauts.” Jason explained, gesturing to the ship.
“Oh no. I am NOT supposed to be here.” I muttered again.
“Well, you are, so you might as well help. Also, I’m not fully sure I believe that you are from the future and you aren’t messing with me.”
“Okay then.” I growled. “This ship’s first stop will be at Lemnos, and you will all take wives until Hercules and Atalanta smack some sense into you all. Then you leave, and then you stop at the island of Cyzicus. Then you get warned not to go to the other side, but you were so drunk at the time you forgot to. Or, you will forget to. Anyways, you go around and get beaten up a lot. Is that enough for you, or shall I go on?” I challenged.
Jason let out a nervous laugh. “How are you sure we’ll be-“
Someone ran up to us both and we dropped the conversation for a moment. “What is it?” Jason asked sharply.
“There’s been a detour. We’ll be stopping at the island of Lemnos. Thought I should let you know.” He panted, before running off to go do something else.
“Ahem.” I coughed.
“Okay, you win. You are from the future and know every move we make. Happy? I can’t exactly send you back.” Jason said bluntly, running his fingers through his hair.
“Okay, okay.” I said, raising my hands submissively. “I get it. Just, don’t trust the women on Lemnos. It won’t turn out well.” I warned, staring Jason down.
He rowed the oars for a few minutes and we fell silent, thinking our own separate thoughts. I was thinking something along the lines of, How dare the gods rip me away from my friends and camp, those jerks-
It was a good thing Jason interrupted me, or else I might have been killed by some certain gods then and there.
“If… if you know everything that happens…” Jason said hesitantly. “Do you know how I die?”
I winced. I did, actually. Percy Jackson himself once wrote about Greek heroes and gods, and he mentioned how Jason died.
Jason took the flinch as a yes. “I see.” He murmured. “I won’t ask much, but do I die on this trip?”
I hesitantly shake my head. It might have been better if he died a hero’s death. I mentally sighed. Sure would be good for his reputation after death, at least.
“Don’t agree to Medea’s commands. I know how to help when the time comes.” I whispered, before standing up and walking away.
Please, Olympians, do not let me mess this up for Jason.

Word count: 999
I didn’t really like this one, it was kinda hard. That’s why I didn’t write much.

SWC CABIN WARS #1
march 9, 2024

── ೃ⁀➷' ──

Cabin Wars officially begin at 00:00 UTC on March 9th. Do NOT send wars or start writing towards a war before then.

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

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

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VALID WARS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~

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

Extra challenge: stretch, take a walk, and/or drink some water (and do a penguin waddle - if you're daring) after every 500 or less words you write. Every person who does this consistently while writing towards the war wins 50 points each for their cabin. This applies for up to three campers (resulting in 150 points earned maximum.)

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

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

Extra challenge: Write 200 words in an archaic or old-fashioned style! Every cabin member who does this can claim 25 points for their cabin. This applies for up to six campers (resulting in 150 points max).

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

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


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May the wind under your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks <3 Remember to be kind to every cabin and sleep at a decent hour. Starr out ;D

Intro (written by Alia)

Welcome, everyone, to the second weekly of the session! This week, we’ll be taking a journey down memory lane and exploring some SWClassics, classic dailies in weekly format. Feel free to take these prompts and put your own spin on them - this is your chance to mix the old and new to create something completely unique!

This weekly starts on March 11th at 12:01 am utc, so please wait until then to start writing. We’re so excited to see what new things you create!

Part 1: Flowers (written by Sienna)

Welcome to another classic SWC activity: flowers! In the past, Victorians used flowers to tell secret messages. Each flower represented a phrase, word, or idea, and they could be arranged to represent a specific message. Here's a catalog of a bunch of flower meanings compiled by Alba for reference. For example, bluebells (constancy), elder blossoms (compassion), and gillyflower (affection), might represent a deep friendship. Because each flower stands for something, they make great symbols. For this part of the weekly, write a story of at least 300 words, weaving flower symbolism into the plot or theme. Maybe there's a malevolent organization called the Nightshade or your characters are trying to deliver a message. Play around with the mechanics of the symbolism, from names to obstacles to literal flowers. The possibilities are endless, so make like clover and get writing!

Part 2: Constellations (written by Rockie)

Time for another swclassic activity: constellations! These groups of stars have been used to help wanderers find their bearings for thousands of years, and they’re still used today to name stars, track crop growth and more! Constellations often have a story behind them, whether that be the tale of Orion the hunter or the punishment of the boastful queen Cassiopeia. Each constellation is interesting and unique, and in this activity, you’ll be carrying on the tradition of using the stars to tell stories by creating a backstory of your own for a constellation! you have two options for this segment: you can either create your own brand-new constellation and explain how it came to be, or you can find an already existing constellation and write about its (real or fictional) backstory! Either way, you should write at least 300 words of your constellation’s origins. Feel free to let your imagination go wild: maybe your constellation jumped into the sky to escape pirate mangos or accidentally catapulted into the heavens after a failed science project. The only limit is your imagination, so get writing, explorers!

Part 3: Aesthetics (written by Yume)

We hope you had fun with the previous swclassics <3 Now it’s time to use what you’ve written for another old favorite - the Aesthetic Set! Choose one of your pieces from the previous sections and create an aesthetic set that represents the theme or motif that you have selected. your set should contain at least five different images, chosen in reference to your selected piece. of course, the photographs you use do not need to be original, just be sure to give credit if the images aren’t yours! once you’re done, share your aesthetic as a project and submit the link alongside the rest of your weekly. Happy designing!

Part 4: SWC Fanfiction (written by Skyler)

Hey heroes! Welcome to the last part of this wonderful weekly– I hope you've had a blast so far <33 Now, it's time to write some fanfiction–SWC fanfiction, to be exact! Take the motif of the flower you chose earlier in this weekly or the meaning of the constellation and use that in your fanfiction, which can be about anything, from creating chaos in the main cabin to exploring your cabin's storyline with your cabinmates! You can have volunteers in your fanfic or just yourself–anything goes as long as it's at least 600 words!

Conclusion (written by CD)

Welcome, everybody, to the end of the second weekly of this session! We hope you'll enjoy these SWC classics- it's always lovely to return to some of our favourite activities across the camp <3 So, without further ado, here's a recap of how to submit your weekly and earn the points for your cabin!

Section one: Alba's flower workshop, with a minimum of 300 words!
Section two: Constellation task, with a minimum of 300 words!
Section three: Aesthetic set from either the flowers or the constellations, with at least five different images!
Section four: A classic SWC fan-fic, using a flower or constellation motif, with a minimum of 600 words!

Completion of this weekly will earn you 1500 points for your cabin!

In total, this weekly will require at least 1200 words and 5 images in your aesthetic set to be complete. It must be submitted by 11:59 UTC on the 17th of March in the Main Cabin to earn points. Please ensure to share your amazing work with us, and if you need an extension, request one from the hosts before the deadline.

Thank you- we hope that you have an awesome time with this weekly! :D

⯎ Intro

One of the greatest powers an author can possess is the ability to pull readers in and keep them in a state of anticipation for pages and pages. The reader lays awake at night- either reading their book under the covers with a flashlight or staring at the ceiling, wondering what could possibly happen next.
Mysteries lend themselves really well to this- their whole purpose is to keep the audience on their toes. However, sometimes the genres that are the most fun to read are the hardest to write, and mystery is no exception. It can take a lot of thought-out planning, but once you get into it, it’s only fun, games, and riddles ahead.


⯎ Pt.1 ~ The 'Why’

Many of you may be looking at your screen, thinking something like- “Why should I care about plotting a mystery? I can write plenty well without outlining anything!”

It may be true that you're really great at writing without an outline- and that's amazing! However, mystery can be a tricky genre because it's incredibly complex, with many layers that can be hard to juggle if you don't have a road map to work with ahead of time. An important part of writing mysteries is knowing where to drop hints and clues, all while pacing the story to stay suspenseful without giving away the mystery too quickly. Having an outline- even a basic one- will help you feel more in control of your story and will help you grow more comfortable with the genre as a whole.


⯎ Pt.2 ~ Road Trips and the Initial Wrongdoing

To put a mystery story in perspective, think of going on a road trip- getting from point A to point B.
When you’re on a road trip, along the way, you’ll likely see signs of where you’re headed- whether that’s a changing landscape or a sign that something like “Exit to the Misty Mountains- 7 miles”.

Think of it like this- the plot of your story (the characters/the reader slowly coming to make sense of the mystery) is the road that they're travelling along. Along this road, they’ll encounter those “road signs” that show hints of where they’re headed- clues, flashbacks, etc. The further the story goes, the closer they’ll get to their destination- or in other words, having a full understanding of what happened. The mystery itself and the central story of discovering it may come together later (the main character is threatened by the criminal, the culprit commits another crime, etc.), but the majority of your story will likely be focused on trying to make sense of something that's already happened. In short, it’s a story that slowly reveals another story beneath it.

You'll probably want to start by figuring out what that mystery is- the big revelation that the character will discover towards “the end”. Think like a detective. What was it? Who did it? What was their motive? How would they try to hide what they did? Where will signs of their wrongdoing peek through?

Got an idea? Even a little one? Congrats! You've just created the first parts of your mystery. Keep building on this as long as you can, understanding everything about the heinous act until you know it like the back of your hand.

Next up, it’s got to be solved.


⯎ Pt.3 ~ Solving the Mystery

First, you want to think about how long you want your story to be. If you’re just working on this mystery for a daily or weekly, you likely don’t have the room to throw around endless clues and red herrings.
You can divide it into little chapters, episodes, or (especially if it’s a shorter story), you can divide it into the well-loved plotline- exposition / inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution. This type of planning works especially well with writing mysteries because it gives you a sense of where to build more tension by adding more clues.
For the sake of your average-sized SWC daily/weekly, we’ll be looking at that type of outline!

⇾ Exposition / Inciting Incident ~ Like any other story, this is where you’d introduce the main characters, the setting, and the general tone of your story. Additionally, this is also where you’ll want to introduce the mystery itself- the big question that looms over the whole story. Maybe the main character finds something new that points them to an old mystery (such as someone in modern-day solving something that happened years and years ago), or something entirely new happens that throws the main character into the thick of the story.

⇾ Rising Action ~ This is where the speed of the story picks up and the riddles and puzzles start piling up, ready to be picked apart by the main character (and the readers!). Here, the main character learns more about the mystery via clues. This can be evidence from the crime scene, a tip-off from another character, or really anything that has to do with the mystery. The rising action should take up the majority of the story, as the main character discovers clues that lead them closer to the truth. However, all good rising action has to involve some setbacks. Typically in mysteries, these manifest themselves as red herrings, loss of important clues, or another issue arriving. All that matters is that it’s building up to…

⇾ The Climax ~ It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for! Here is where it really all comes together. In this part, something happens that leads the main character/detective to answer the classic question- whodunit? Or, more generally, what happened? What’s the big answer? A lot of things can lead to this big moment, whether it’s an important clue that comes to light, a plot twist, or the main character having a stroke of genius. All in all, just think of those big “lightbulb moments”. Your goal here is to leave your reader open-mouthed in shock.

⇾ Falling Action ~ Even once everything is solved, the work isn’t quite over. Oftentimes, a few things have to happen before everything is considered to be fully wrapped up. Maybe the culprit puts up a fight, or an accomplice to the crime appears, or the culprit pulls out one last trick. It’s all up to you how this goes. The only thing that matters is letting the reader worry about the safety of the characters for a little longer before putting their mind at ease.

⇾ Resolution ~ Happily ever after! Or… almost. Or not at all? There are countless ways to end any story- all it takes is knowing which way is right for you. You could do a picture-perfect happy ending, where all the questions and clues are nicely tied together and the whole adventure is at rest. You could leave a question hanging over the characters’ heads, that could lead to another mystery (though you’ll likely want to avoid this unless you plan on writing more mysteries). You could also torture your characters further by leaving them in agony. Maybe the villain won! Maybe an important character d!ed! Anything can happen- the only thing that matters is that the main mystery has been solved and there aren’t any loose plot holes anywhere.


⯎ Pt.4 ~ Last Notes

Congrats! You’ve now got an idea of how to set up a mystery, whether it be only 300 words or a full novel. Plotting mysteries can be hard - really really hard- but it’s one of the aspects of mysteries that make them so compelling. Their layered plots keep the reader (and often, the author) trying to think three, ten, or twelve hundred steps ahead.

Note that your plot outline might not be perfect at first. You might start writing and you realize that you have too many clues planned for one part, or that you’ve accidentally created a plot hole. It’s no big deal- you can always go back and edit until you’ve got something you’re proud of. Writing takes time. Solving mysteries takes time. All that matters is getting the words down and letting your creativity run wild.


⯎ Useful Resources
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-a-gripping-mystery-novel
https://self-publishingschool.com/how-to-plot-a-mystery-story/

hello there, fellow writers! ready to master the art of red herrings and clues? in this workshop, we'll be learning how to craft a thrilling journey for your readers, filled with suspense and the puzzle of unfolding the truth! this will equip you with the tools to weave a gripping story that keeps your readers guessing until the very end. so, buckle up and get ready to unleash your inner detective!

understanding the terms

clues - these refer to the breadcrumbs you scatter throughout the story, leading your readers towards solving a certain mystery. clues provide essential information, guiding the audience towards piecing together the puzzle.

red herrings - on the flip side, red herrings are intentional distractions. they divert attention away from the truth, injecting suspense and unpredictability into the story. a well-crafted red herring keeps readers guessing until the big reveal.

inserting red herrings and clues

setting - don't underestimate the power of your setting! it can be more than just a backdrop – it can actively participate in leading readers astray. seemingly insignificant details can be subtle clues, while deliberately placed elements can act as red herrings. for example, in gone girl by gillian flynn, the missouri landscape serves as a clue, revealing the complexities of the characters' relationships.

evidence - planting evidence isn't just about placing a smoking gun at the scene. It's about strategically introducing elements that shape the investigation, be it:

• subtle clues | footprints, trace materials (hair, fibers, soil), library records, deleted browser history and more!
• altering evidence | tampering with the crime scene, forging documents, or destroying evidence raises questions about who to trust
• misinterpretation | a piece of evidence might be misinterpreted at first, leading the investigation astray until the truth is revealed

characters - characters in a mystery are more than just people in a story; they are players in shaping clues and red herrings. here's how they can reveal information:

• dialogues | everything a character says can serve as a lead towards solving a mystery; and the casual conversation might hold hidden details
• actions | nervous ticks, changes in behavior, or seemingly irrelevant stories can offer subtle clues.
• secret relationships | a character might conceal a past connection to the victim or suspect, adding intrigue about their role in the story
• double identities | a seemingly innocent character might be living a double life, harbouring a dark secret that connects them to the crime

how to use them effectively

plant clues early - give your readers a chance to play detective! scatter subtle hints throughout your story, allowing them to piece together the puzzle as they go.

plausible red herrings - ensure your red herrings are believable and don't contradict established facts or break the story's logic!

don't overdo it - too many red herrings can be frustrating for your readers. use them sparingly, but strategically, to maximize their impact.

serving a purpose - every red herring should have a reason for being there. it should either develop character motivations, showcasing how someone might be trying to shift blame or manipulate events - or illustrate the protagonist's difficulties and false starts they encountered during their investigation.

the concluding payoff - this is where the magic happens! reveal the true purpose of both clues and red herrings. show how the clues led to the truth and how the red herrings were cleverly used to mislead. this ensures a satisfying conclusion for your readers.

perceiving characters - introduce characters with suspicious motives, means, and opportunity, only to reveal their innocence later. conversely, try incorporating innocent characters that eventually unfold their evil motives towards the end. this keeps the reader guessing and adds a layer of suspicion.

unreliable narrator - experiment with a narrator who is biased, unreliable, or even delusional. this forces the reader to question everything they read, creating a challenging and immersing experience.

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

— finley

resources i used
• what is a red herring - twinkl
• how to mislead and surprise readers - storygrid
• difference between red herrings, evidence and clues - zara altair
• ultimate guide to red herrings and clues - the write practise
• should your mystery include red herrings? - dabble
• non fishy ways to plant red herrings - autocrit

feel free to refer to these to further develop your understanding!

Intro (written by Alana)
It’s my greatest pleasure to welcome you to the third weekly of the session! This week, we’ll be heading down a different path - one with more mysteries to solve along the way perhaps ;D With that being said, this weekly will have a focus on developing plot points, providing clues and creating red herrings, where in the end, we’ll tie all these aspects together to create a compelling mystery.

This weekly starts on March 17th at 12:01 am UTC, so please wait until then to start writing. Good luck heroes! We can’t wait to solve all the amazing mysteries you create!

Part 1: (written by River)
To begin your mystery, wander on over to @PoppyWriter's workshop to learn how to plot one! After you've read and internalized the information, write short, 50 word descriptions each for five major plot points in your tale. Be as creative as you like, and feel free to include some classic mystery elements as well.

Part 2: (written by Niko)
Now that you have introduced yourself to the world of mystery and have the basics of your story down it is time to dig deeper. If you have ever participated in host speculation you'll know how many twists and tricks add to the fun. Now create a list with 4 clues and/or red herrings consisting of at least 50 words , that you can incorporate into your story. Check out this wonderful workshop that should help you with this task: Red Herrings and Clues - have fun!

Part 3: (written by Finley)
Greetings, wanderer - and welcome to the third part of this weekly! Find yourself a partner, and together embark upon an interview. One of you can claim the role of a witness to a crime, whereas the other can wield the power of an interviewer. Go ahead and ask the most ridiculous questions, and answer with the most unexpected responses! Once you’ve completed your interview, it’s time to jot down your conversation. To move onto the next part of this weekly, write 200 words per person for this activity. Have fun with this - after all, every witness carries a small piece of the truth ;D

Part 4: (written by Rockie)
Welcome, detectives, to the final part of this splendiforous weekly! For your fourth activity, you’ll be combining everything you’ve worked on in previous parts into a longer piece. Using your plot points, red herrings, clues, and evidence from the witness interview, write a mystery scene of at least 550 words. You can go about this however you’d like: it could be a snippet of a longer work or its own self-contained story. Make it gripping, make it exciting, make it page-turning (or in this case, screen-scrolling?), and above all, make it mysterious ;D Best of luck, sleuths, and remember to have fun!

Closing: (written by Yume)
Congratulations, wanderers- you’ve completed the third weekly of the session! Before submitting, please make sure you have completed all of the following in order for your weekly to count for points.

Part 1 - Plotting using Poppy’s workshop, minimum of 250 words
Part 2 - Clues and red herrings using Finley’s workshop, minimum of 200 words
Part 3 - Witness interview, minimum of 200 words of conversation per person.
Part 4 - Mystery scene, minimum of 550 words

Completing this weekly will result in a total of 1200 words written!

This weekly is due on March 24 at 11:59 p.m. utc and must be submitted in the main cabin with evidence of your work and cabin name by then to earn you 2500 points for your cabin. In the case of needing an extension, feel free to ask for one on this project before the deadline, as they can’t be granted afterwards! Great work, detectives, and farewell- until next time

SWC CABIN WARS #2
march 23, 2024

── ೃ⁀➷' ──

Cabin Wars officially begin at 00:00 UTC on March 23rd. Do NOT send wars or start writing towards a war before then.

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

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

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VALID WARS:

Cabin Wars! Write 2000 words as a cabin in the next 9 hours or lose 550 points.

Cabin Wars! Write 1700 words as a cabin in the next 8 hours or lose 400 points.

Cabin Wars! Three people must write 250 words each in the next 8 hours. If not, you lose 500 points.

Cabin Wars! Write 1000 words as a cabin in the next 4 hours, or lose 700 points.

Cabin Wars! Write 750 words as a cabin in the next 3 hours or lose 500 points.

Cabin Wars! Write 2500 words as a cabin in the next 7 hours, or else lose 400 points.

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

Extra challenge: stretch, take a walk, and/or drink some water (and do a penguin waddle - if you're daring) after every 500 or less words you write. Every person who does this consistently while writing towards the war wins 50 points each for their cabin. This applies for up to three campers (resulting in 150 points earned maximum.)

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

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

Extra challenge: Write 200 words in an archaic or old-fashioned style! Every cabin member who does this can claim 25 points for their cabin. This applies for up to six campers (resulting in 150 points max).

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

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


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May the wind under your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks <3 Remember to be kind to every cabin and sleep at a decent hour. Starr out ;D

Introduction
Hey chefs! Welcome to MemorieSWC - a land of story stews with an emphasis on creating an outline of your hero's journey to follow throughout your writing of the story. With stages defined by a (1) ordinary world, (2) call to adventure, (3) refusal of the call, (4) meeting the mentor, (5) crossing the threshold, (6) tests, alliances, and enemies, (7) approach to the inmost cave, (8) ordeal, (9) reward, (10) road back, (11) resurrection, and (12) return to the ordinary world, the tales of many heroes have been crafted along this framework. As you tell your character's stories, you'll be selecting ingredients (found further below) inspired by SWC icons and symbols - these components will provide you with plot devices to incorporate into your hero's journey plot. We look forward to devouring seeing your stews - best of luck, and have fun ;D

Making an Outline
Now, chefs, it’s time to outline our recipe!
Outlining is a way to get all of your ideas down on the page before writing, and it gives yourself a foundation to build from when crafting your story stew. Think of it as the writing version of “mise en place”- having all of your ingredients and tools in their place before you actually start cooking. Once you have an effective outline, writing is a breeze, but how do you make one?

A great outline is specific: it doesn’t include every single detail, but it’s still in-depth enough that you can build from it when writing. Additionally, it’s flexible. It’s a given that your story will change a bit as you delve deeper into the plot and characters, so your outline should accommodate that.

There are four main ways to formulate a story outline: the plot-based method, the theme-based approach, the scene-by-scene strategy, and the Freytag’s Pyramid technique. I’ll quickly summarize these different outline types, but keep in mind that an outline should be something that works for you, so if you have a different method that works better for your writing, feel free to utilize it!
The plot-based method is the most common: simply bullet-point or number your plot points with a short description. You can fill it in with details later if you’d like, or leave it simple! For example:

• Harry Potter receives a letter of acceptance from a magical school

• His aunt and uncle try to stop the letter from reaching him, and the letters build up until the uncle eventually takes them to a shack in the middle of the ocean, away from the mail

The scene-based approach is similar, but focuses more on world-building and setting than specific plot points. This strategy works best for short stories with complex world-building, but it works for other things too! For example:

• The story is set in an alternate version of our world, primarily in Europe, where magical humans live secret lives as wizards, away from prying “Muggle” eyes

• Within this alternate Europe, there are magical schools, the most famous of which is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
  

Next up is the theme-based approach. This is sort of a zoomed-out way of outlining, where you examine how your plot points will advance your primary theme or idea. For example:

• The story explores themes of good versus evil and the triumph of love, family and friendship through a magical lens

• The characters learn how to cope with loss, fear and despair through their battle against the dark side
  

Finally, there’s Freytag’s Pyramid, which is the simplest method. For this approach, you simply summarize the five main elements of your story (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution). For example:

• Exposition: We learn about Harry’s upbringing and we are slowly introduced to the magical world.

• Rising Action: Harry arrives at Hogwarts and begins to get used to his new life, all while witnessing strange events around the school that might point to the return of Voldemort
  

• And so on.
  

Now that you know how to make a good outline, it’s your turn! For this activity, write xxx words of outline for your story stew. You can use any of the methods listed above, a combination, or your own personal approach. Whichever you choose, make sure to have fun! <3

Exposition
As all writers know, the exposition is critical to any good story. The exposition, or the beginning, of a text gives details and background on what the rest of the story is going to be like. It sets the scene for whatever great ideas you have next. For this weekly, you'll be writing your own narrative- but first, we must plan it all out. Before you get started on the hero's journey ahead, think about how it's going to start.

Provide background information so your reader knows what's going on! Better yet, add dialogue to introduce the characters. Take inspiration from your favorite tales! Whether the character must travel to a foreign land or achieve a seemingly impossible feat, the exposition of this story should provide your readers with everything they need to know as well as guide you for the rest of the narrative. To start off the journey ahead and earn your points for this part of the weekly, write at least 100 words.

How does Story Stew work?
It's now time to start putting together your story! Ahead, you'll find twelve story elements you can choose from. Try to consider which ones would best fit with the outline you have! Or, if you’re skipping ahead here - no harm in getting inspiration from the ingredients

Just remember you need to include a minimum of FIVE, but you can do as many as you like beyond that - to put together exactly what you feel is a perfect story recipe.

The Ingredients

New Character Introduction (Jim Flabsdz)
“Greetings swc-er, I'm Jim Flabsdz, guardian of the skies and keeper of the galaxswc. Many people pass through beneath my watchful gaze along their travels, and they're all the same. The monotony bores me; I need some variety in my existence before I devour another planet.”

Choosing this ingredient will add a new character introduction to your stew.

Flashback (Smarlls)
“Hey!! Smarlls here- remember me? I just came by to say hi and remind myself of the good ol' days… I've really missed hanging out with all you swc-ers, so it's great to see everyone again and to be part of another weekly. I'd forgotten how chaotic you all were, and it's awesome to get to relive another session with you.”

Choosing this ingredient will add a flashback to your stew.

Plot Twist (Gurtle)
“Hi everyone! I’m Gurtle - as I’m sure most of you probably know. At this point, you all have probably tried to use the Heimlich maneuver on me in order to get all of your very scrumptious links back. But… what if I were to tell you that I wasn’t the one eating your links, and that it was actually just Smarlls disguised as me? That’d be quite a plot twist if I do say so myself!”

Choosing this ingredient will add a plot twist to your stew.

New Conflict Arises (Mangoes)
“Have you ever seen fire mangoes being used as arson during Cabin Wars? If you haven’t, I assure you it’s definitely a sight worth watching..at least in some cases! As allies betray each other and enemies form truces, it’s interesting to see where new conflict is just waiting to arise.”

Choosing this ingredient will add a sudden new conflict to your stew.

New POV (Fire)
“Ah, fire… I yearn for more chaos to engulf the world, to fuel my hunger switch it up a bit, and change the POV of your story to something different. Feel free to go as crazy as you want with this one, how about a pebble on the road is suddenly able to narrate the events happening around it? Or how about the family dog who has their own opinions on the situation?”

Choosing this ingredient will add a scene with a different POV to your stew.

Foreshadowing (Writing Utensils)
“Hey, do you see something in the reflection of the pen? Wait, are those the results of the session? Just like how some people can guess the results as the session passes by drop some hints that foreshadow an event in your story. Whether through dialogue or actions find some ways for readers to guess the end of your story.”

Choosing this ingredient will add some foreshadowing to the main conflict in your stew.

Introducing a Symbol (Frying Pans)
“Ah, yes- the glorious Frying Pan. Supreme ruler of the kitchen, ultimate form of weaponry, and master of all things frying and panned. truly, whenever I gaze upon its form, I feel emboldened by it. It exudes a sense of pride, of passion, of glory! ‘tis a symbol of SWC’s true brilliance.”

Choosing this ingredient will add a recurring and meaningful symbol to your stew.

Breaking the Fourth Wall (Computer Screen)
“Do you ever feel as if your characters are trapped within the confines of their surroundings? Perhaps the people you see on your screen are just itching to burst out into real life- or perhaps, even, Smarlls and Gurtle and Jim Flabsdz from this project have already snuck through your screen and entered the real world… who knows?”

Choosing this ingredient will add some fourth wall breaking to your stew.

Epistolary – Diary Section (Among Us / SUSWC)
“Well, well, well—by now, you've surely hit some snags, but they've all been outside threats. Unfortunately, not everyone on the inside is trustworthy—once again, there's an impostor in suswc. Thankfully, whoever it was has left behind some diary entries—confessions, you could say.”

Choosing this ingredient will add a section in letter/diary format to your stew.

Genre Swap (Peeles)
“Hey there, astronaut! It's me, Peeles, your friendly planet-alien-being from the far outreaches of the galaxswc. You've come quite a way in your journey, and I'm sure you've seen planets and galaxies unlike any you've ever known! How odd, the way different planets change radically with a mere light-year of distance between them.”

Choosing this ingredient will sandwich a genre swap into your stew.

Cliffhanger (Parodies)
“Imagine that you’re reading through a mystery story (maybe perhaps from last week’s weekly) - as the events progress, more tension is start to build up. It seems as if the protagonist is on the brink of solving the mystery - but before the author reveals the truth, the chapter is done! Talk about getting someone’s hopes up-”

Choosing this ingredient will add a cliffhanger somewhere in your stew.

Open Ending (Goats and Apples)
“Goats vs Apples is quite an interesting thing to think about. It truly depends on what terms and conditions we’re considering, am I right? If we were to write a story on which one was better overall, wouldn’t it be best to let the reader decide? Give them the chance to determine who’s the winner - I mean, that’s the beauty of open endings after all!”

Choosing this ingredient will make your stew conclude with an open ending.

All Done?
Now that you've chosen your elements, hold on! Don't do anything with them quite yet - move on to the next part to discover how to use your elements in the outline.

Stirring the Stew
After you’ve chosen all of your components, it’ll be time to start stirring things up . Add them into your narrative where they feel appropriate, then start writing your story. Try to follow the order of the recipe/outline in the exact order. Good luck! We can’t wait to see what you brew up <3

Every stew is going to have a different amount of words - this will depend on your outline, the number of ingredients you chose, and the amount of you put into it. Make it your own! Here’s a quick checklist of everything we’ve gotten up to by this point.

Make outline - 200 words
Write exposition - 100 words
Choose ingredients (minimum of 5, maximum of 12)
Stew/write until you reach at least 1000 words.
And, of course…

Editing
Now that you’ve mixed all the components together, it’s time to get editing! Before going any further, remember to check through your amazing story - try to rephrase certain things and make edits that you think will benefit your story <3

From there, it’s now time to get some external feedback! Once you’re ready, post a link to your story in the Critiquitaire to get feedback from another SWC-er. After receiving their critiques, go through your story once more and apply the necessary changes that were suggested!

Remember, this step may take some time, so be patient with yourself! You’re almost at the finish line <3

Conclusion
And there it is! You went from nothing but an idea to an outline to a full story- that’s incredible! Give yourself a pat on the back and maybe even a self-hug <3

Make sure that you’ve completed the entirety of the outline and story for a total of 1300 words or more before you submit. Congrats on going on this little writing adventure! Hopefully you had a good time and you can take what you learned here and bring it with you on future adventures <33

The finished weekly will be worth 3500 points.