♬ About Me ♬

♬ Previous Participation ♬

♬ Cabin Preferences ♬

♬ Excerpt ♬

♬ Time Dedication ♬

♬ Time Management ♬

♬ Collaboration and Assets ♬

♬ One Quality ♬

♬ Cabin Atmosphere ♬

♬ Checkboxes + ♬

My Playlist - Bookie's Leader Application

Word count: 1644, not counting excerpt

Tell Us About Yourself!
Hey there and welcome! My nickname’s Bookie! I’m a huge fan of all things writing and SWC and I live in the MST timezone (super underrated by the way-)! I’m a high schooler who’s also taking some dual credit classes at a couple of colleges! I’ve been homeschooled all my life till now, and for that, I am so grateful. I’m a bit of a social butterfly- Just a bit- Outside of writing, I enjoy drawing art of my characters, participating in Speech and Debate, teaching others about politics, and serving the younger kids in my church! I love being able to strengthen my faith in an amazing group of believers. Jesus the Lord of my life and I think that my faith has improved my character quite a lot!
I am very fond of baking and cooking as well, and I’m also getting into crafts like embroidery and crocheting! I’m still a beginner, but I’ve enjoyed learning more as I’ve made treats like brown sugar boba, cowboy cookies, mochi, and other things like that! It’s all so fun, and I’m glad that I’m learning how to make things for myself!
I’m genuinely so excited to share what I have to say, so buckle up!

Have you previously participated in SWC? (If so, in what roles? In either case, what experience do you have with writing and/or leadership positions on and off scratch)
I have! My first session was in March 2020, and while I haven’t participated in EVERY session after that, I have participated in quite a few afterward. I’ve been a camper every time aside from November ‘22 and March ‘24, where I was a co-leader of the fanfiction cabin (both times haha-). I have not participated in other scratch camps, just SWC!
In terms of my experience with writing, I’ve been writing for as long as I’ve been able. Creative writing is something I have loved for such a long time, and I honestly have no idea when my passion first came to be. Dreams were my main inspiration for such a long time, and my overactive imagination has been working nonstop since… well, what feels like forever ago.
I’ve written many speeches for speech and debate that have gotten me high places in various tournaments as well, so my non-fiction writing is also something I’ve strengthened. My leadership experience ranges vastly from both small positions and big ones. I’ve been on a student council at a previous church, staffed a Christian political literacy class, and taken vocal and important roles in classes (where appropriate). These are just a few examples that I find to be most relevant. The political literacy class also provided staff training that I attended that prepared me for the role well, and those skills can easily transfer into other areas of my life. I had to go through an application process somewhat similar to this one (although a lot less fun-), and I think that I had a positive effect on those around me as I worked. I was called back to staff again this year, so I’m excited to see where that will lead me!

Which cabins would you prefer to lead?
I don’t mind which cabins I lead. I’d be satisfied with whatever cabin I get! However, here are a few suggestions for genres that I’d be a bit more inclined to lead.
Mythology
Fanfiction
Horror
Historical Fiction
These would all be really cool cabins that I’d like to see this next session! Most of them are SWC staples, as well as just being full of possibilities! If I /had/ to pick, it’d be one of these cabins for sure!
I have specific ideas for each of these cabins that I’d love to elaborate on! But, to give a summary, Mythology would be based on Norse deities and such, and would heavily tie into the theme of the nine realms specifically. Fanfiction would be a cabin where everyone runs their own ‘fan-blog’, which would heavily focus on group projects and interaction with other’s work. Horror would be set in an upside-down version of our world, where campers would have to navigate the mirror world and find a way out. Historical Fiction would be based around time travelers, where each week they’d travel to a new time period!
I’m okay with leading TCTWNW, although it wouldn’t be my first choice. I’m naturally a very competitive person, so do with that information what you will!

Writing Excerpt
!!!TW!! Please be aware of the themes of loss and grief present in this passage, as well as undertones of emotional abvse. If you aren’t in the right headspace to read about this, please click away! <3
‎“Hey!”
I looked up, tears sliding down my cheeks as I hid in the cold shadow behind the school. Standing above me, I saw the giant glass pitcher smirk.
“Come on, show me what you can do!”
I hissed a small reply at them, “Go away.”
They clearly didn't like being told that, but before they could act on that anger, one of my classmates shooed them away, yelling various silly threats at them till they ended up running off.
“Run faster or I’ll glue you to a wall!” She shouted after them, grinning in satisfaction as they left.
She turned around to look at me. She was dressed in overalls with paint splattered all over her. Her hair was brown, curly, and up in two little buns that bounced whenever she moved. She held out her hand in compassion, “Hey, I’m sorry that they were being so mean to you.”
I cleared my throat, “It’s- um, fine. Thank you? I think? Also, what did you mean by ‘gluing them to a wall’?”
She gave me a warm smile, revealing pink braces, “I was just saying some weird stuff. My name’s Gali, what’s yours?”
“John,” I muttered, “I don’t really like my name though…”
She tilted her head, “Why?”
I shrugged, “I dunno. It just doesn't feel right.”
She copied my movement, letting her hand fall, “Okay, works for me. Sorry that you don't like it.”
I shrugged yet again, “Thanks.”
She turned to walk away before stopping, “Hmm- do you want to come with me to the garden?”
I wanted to decline. She was just some random girl. But… her smile seemed genuine, and the warmth she radiated was oh-so-very inviting.
I sighed, getting up against my better judgment, “Sure.”
Gali squealed and dragged me over to the school’s garden. She excitedly showed me her patch, filled with buttercups. She picked one and split its stalk down the middle, before putting it around my neck and tying it in place.
She put her hands on her hips, “There we go! You look pretty nice with it!”
I looked down at the makeshift necklace, “Huh. This feels weird. Thanks…?”
She beamed.
She glanced around, “Which one’s yours?”
I searched for it for a second before spotting it. I walked her over to the patch.
“I think Ms. Kathy called these… Periwinkles?”
She oohed and aahed over the puny flowers. After a second, I grabbed one of them and made her a necklace similar to my own. After the third attempt to tie it around her neck, I finally got it.
Gali grinned, “Look! We’re matching!” She paused for a second to gaze at our necklaces. Her head snapped toward a sound.
“John! Gali! Inside!” Shouted our teacher, Ms. Kathy. We both followed her direction, running in together.

The bell rang and I sluggishly got out of my seat, reluctantly grabbing my backpack that was WAY too heavy for me at eight years old.
Gali spotted me and waved from across the room, giving me the biggest grin in the world. I smiled back at her.
We converged by the door and walked out together by coincidence.
I spotted my parents’ car out by the front and slogged over to them.
My mother spotted me and came to meet me.
“John, put your backpack into the trunk.” She instructed gruffly. I nodded sheepishly and toddled over to the trunk, tossing the backpack inside and closing it.
I went inside the car, watching my mother go into the driver's seat. She started the car and we drove off in silence. I glanced at her eyes in the mirror and discreetly took off the buttercup necklace when she wasn't looking. I tucked it into my pocket and hoped she wouldn't take it away.

We arrived home, and as soon as we stepped out of the car, my mother stuck out her hand, “Give me the flower.”
I dejectedly handed it to her.
She took it and stuck the flower into her purse. It was crumpled up at this point, looking sad and dejected.
I related to the poor flower.
We walked inside and I hung my backpack up by the door.
“You didn't break character did you?” She questioned.
I shook my head.
“Good. Nobody needs to know about your… interesting ability. Okay?”
I nodded, walking into my room. I slid the door shut. I flopped onto my bed and lost the shape of the random boy I had chosen as my ‘character’. I rotated my head to stare at the mirror right next to me. Now I could see my shape constantly changing. Exploding, contracting, and molding into different people in the world. Whenever I held character, I was constricting myself to be just one person, and that both annoyed and drained me. I threw a blanket over my body, not wanting to look at myself anymore.
I needed a nap.

I arrived at school the next day, and as soon as my mother drove off, Gali rushed up to me. “Do you still have your necklace?? Do you still have your necklace?”
I made a face, shaking my head.
“Aww, why not??” She pouted.
“My mom took it.” I replied.
“Weirddd. That’s okay! We’ll just get you another one!”
I grinned. “Ooh, okay! Thanks!”

We were pretty much best friends from that day on.

Time passed.

Gali and I strolled down the street.
“Can you BELIEVE that my professor talked about mangoes for a solid thirty minutes?”
I shook my head.
Gali licked her ice cream which was dripping all over her hands, mumbling something or other about her college campus. I listened intently.
“Professoor- uh, Daniels, I think his name was, led a tour of the campus so that we could see everything. There were a lot of buildings that were, like, HUGE.”
I raised an eyebrow, “Your professor led a tour?”
She stopped for a second to think, “Uhhh- wait, yeah, that’s not right.” She licked her ice cream, “Oh, right! It was his SONNN that was leading the tour. He was a junior, I think-”
“Nice.” I tossed my popsicle stick into a trash can by a skyscraper. I took a moment to glance at myself. I loved how I looked that day. My power was in full use, my body a slideshow of other people. Every person in existence flashed for a second before changing. My name was Quinn, not ‘John’, and I was so happy about it. This was who I was. A shape-shifter, an identity adopter. Not just one person, but many. I could be restricted no longer.
Gali kept walking and I caught up to her after a second. She continued to ramble on about college, complaining about how small her dorm was, gushing about her roommate, and singing the praises of the food in the cafeteria.
We walked past a stand selling flowers, and after a second, Gali stopped right in her tracks. She pulled out her wallet and bought two small flowers, both little periwinkles. She split the stalk and tied it around my neck, grinning.
I held still for her. “Thank you.”
She beamed, “No problem! Can you do mine?”
I nodded, repeating the process. “There we go.”
Gali grabbed my hand and started to drag me away. She spotted a coffee shop and demanded that we go over there.
I voiced my approval, and we moved over to the crosswalk.
We crossed the street once we were able. After a second of silence, I heard the frantic screeching of tires and I snapped my head toward the sound. There was no time to move, so that horrible sound was the last thing I remembered from that point.

I had no thoughts during that time, other than the same reverberating screeches from that car. Everything else was input from the outside. I always felt so… cold. Sometimes, I was gifted with sounds from the people around me.

“She’s being unresponsive to the treatments they’ve been giving her.”

“Don’t let their mother in, she doesn’t deserve to see them right now.”

“Her heart is struggling.”

“They’re recovering, but I’m not so sure about the girl.”

“A funeral will cost… so much.”

My eyes fluttered open and I glanced around the room. I struggled to sit up. What had happened?! I spotted Gali’s mother sitting in a chair beside me, shoulders covered in a huge blanket. I blinked, trying my best to move around toward this woman who had acted more like a mother to me than my own.
She smiled at me. Gosh, she looked so cold, so tired. “Hello Quinn.”
“Hi.”
“Did I wake you up? Sorry, I was on the phone.”
“No, I didn’t hear very much.”
“Oh, alright.”
I looked around the room, expecting to see something indicative of Gali’s condition, “Where’s Gali? Is she in another room?”
Her face darkened, “I… guess you could say that.”
I immediately became more alert, “What do you mean?”
“Well…” She sighed, “Dear, I’m not sure how to break this to you.”
That’s when I knew it was bad.
She fought back tears, looking so small and shriveled up in that chair. “Well, um, when you two were out, you crossed the street, I’m assuming. And… somebody wasn't paying attention, so they didn't stop. You were just rammed down and passed over, but Gali…” she stopped for a moment to collect herself, “…got caught in the wheel.”
I swallowed, mind spinning with images of what might’ve occurred. It was horrible.
I took a minute to register, curling up till my arms could hug my knees despite the pain. I shivered, trying to grasp any sort of warmth I could in that sterile, cold room, but I found none.
Gali was my only friend. Ever. And she was gone. Gone for good.

Years passed after that. There were a lot of scars I collected from that event, some that no surgery could fix. But, despite all that, I lived. Gali wasn’t so fortunate, passing on August 22nd. Ever since that crucial moment, life has been so different.

Healing came, though it was slow.
Today was August 22nd, and so I stopped by a flower shop and bought a bouquet of periwinkles, which I was honestly a bit surprised that they had in such quantity. They didn't have any buttercups, so they offered me Zinnias instead. I thanked the shopkeeper, strolling out afterward. Kybi, my boss, expected me back in two hours or so, so that was all the time I had.
I visited where she was laid to rest. It was sunny out, the wind making it a pleasant experience overall. The sun beat down on my skin, filling me from top to bottom with warmth. I found her plot and sat by the headstone. It seemed like her parents had already visited. Everything was clean, one of the vases to the side of the stone was filled with some flowers. I set my flowers in the other vase, taking one of each and splitting the stems. After tying the two pieces together for both, I set them on the stone.
I smiled, laying back and letting the sun heat me as I sat with my friend, whose warmth I’ll remember forever.

What amount of time do you expect to be able to dedicate to SWC? What plans do you have that could affect your activity?
Well, being a high schooler doing /both/ high school and college courses, I do have a lot on my plate! In November, I will be dealing with final exams, Thanksgiving, and other things of the sort. I don’t have any huge plans, and I think I can afford time to SWC every day, just not an exorbitant amount. I know what I need to get done, and SWC will take a bit of a backseat should more important things arise. I can confidently say that I can give at least thirty minutes to SWC.
In the days of planning prior to SWC, about the same applies, aside from the finals. There will be some days that are less active than others, but I’m sure that I can manage this responsibility well! I could probably handle the load of a co-leader better than a leader, but I could adjust for both.

What are your skills and shortcomings in time management?
Gosh, I both love and despise this question. I’d say that over the years, I’ve gotten much better at time management! Now that I have so many responsibilities, I need to make sure that they’re all done on time. I think I could fit SWC into my schedule no problem! I like using timers and alarms to keep myself on track. I’m also pretty speedy at certain tasks, which can allow me to take breaks! I know that I’m not perfect, but I’ve definitely improved! Though… Sometimes I can get distracted easily. Social media, like Scratch, can be a huge distraction. I’ve had to wrestle with these distractions a lot. While I can /claim/ that I’m all better, I wouldn’t exactly be too honest. It’s a process, one that I’m marginally improving in. But it’s always a struggle. I’m working through it, and that’s okay! I know that I can set boundaries with myself and work to the fullest of my abilities! I will never be perfect, but I’m trying, and I’m getting better! Some days are better than others though. I’m working with my parents, trying to find ways to limit distractions. All in all, I think it’s working pretty well!

What are your strengths and weaknesses in working with others? What assets would you bring to a leading team?
I have this /weird/ thing about me that I find to be quite strange- I both love sharing ideas, but I’m also so scared of sharing them. It’s weird, and it’s something I’m working on. I think that I’m capable of taking on background work well, but I’m not afraid to not be in the spotlight. I can also be good at analyzing work and giving useful feedback! I do this a /lot/ in different classes, as well as in speech and debate, and I’ve done a pretty good job at it! I’m good at checking on communications often (unless it’s my email apparently haha-), and making sure that I have all my tasks done and accounted for. Sometimes I can have a hard time making decisions, and I always feel like I need to have someone give input because I don’t want to impose on anyone. This can be good sometimes, but other times it just ends up with me freezing up. As for my assets… I think that I mainly offer busy background work and feedback! I’m also pretty supportive, so there’s that I guess? I also really enjoy using Canva, and I’ve gotten pretty good at graphic design using that! So if we needed to do some designs, I could help! I’m also trying to get better at art, which has been fun!

What one quality do you value most in a leader? How will you embody this trait as a leader?
One thing I value in a leader is integrity. I think it is VITAL that leaders stick to their values, fulfill their promises and responsibilities, as well as be transparent. I promise that I’ll embody this trait as a leader. Even if I’m not selected, I hold myself to these standards, especially in leadership positions. This quality is very important to me. If I don’t demonstrate integrity, then I should not be allowed to lead in any capacity. If I’m not demonstrating this, call me out! I will appreciate it in the long run!

What cabin atmosphere do you aim to create?
A supportive, uplifting atmosphere focused on friendly competition, team building, and personal growth, as well as a moderate emphasis on the story of the cabin. (161)

A: Check those that apply
(✓) I will be available to help add points in the main cabin consistently throughout camp.
(✓) I’m willing to share a promotional project for SWC.
B: Are there any responsibilities that you can’t complete?
No, I should be able to manage all the responsibilities listed in the FAQ.
C: In the case of inactive leadership, what steps will you take to ensure that the cabin can still move on smoothly?
I will take on tasks that are delegated to me with grace, as well as support the remaining active leaders in whatever way I can. I will also notify the necessary people of the inactivity, either my own or someone else’s.

Amethyst-animation wrote:

Tell us about yourself
Hi! I’m Amethyst, a half-Japanese and (this is shocking) Aussie who lives in the AEST timezone. I go by she/her and am a swiftie, a Christian, a dog-lover and, of course, a writer. I’ve loved SWC ever since my great friend, Vc555, introduced it to me. I also really, really want to go to Canada ;D

I’ve been obsessed with Scratch for 6 years and have adored writing since my very first story 7 years ago. My favourite author is Lynette Noni, and I’ve read every single one of her books! I also love Jessica Townsend and Carol Wilkinson, but I might be biased towards them as they’re all Aussies *and* in my state – which is really rare! All of their writing styles have influenced the way I write significantly.

My favourite book series is either Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend, Dragonkeeper by Carol Wilkinson, The Prison Healer or the Medoran Chronicles, both by Lynette Noni. I’m obsessed with Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift’s music – I’m a massive Evermore, Speak Now and folklore fan, and Sabrina’s first album is the best.

My favourite genres to write in are Fantasy and Adventure, which corresponds to what I enjoy reading. I’m also really into gaming – some of my favourite games include Minecraft and Sky: Children of the Light.

Previous Participation
I believe I’ve been in 7 sessions so far – it’s hard to keep track as my SWC journey has spanned over many years and accounts!

Leading

• Co-led twice in 2024
  
• Fairy Tales in March (with Alana and Sienna <3)
  
• Poetry in July (with Coco and Fi!)
  

I had such amazing times both sessions with the most incredible leaders. This is my first session applying for leader, not just co-leader!

Outside of SWC

• Hosted Scratch Music Camp once
  
• Co-hosted twice
  
• Led three times (including at the start of SMC)
  

Volunteering

• Panelist for writing competition in March 2024
  
• Member of memory book committee in March and July 2024
  
• Member of the POLAR BEARS/Daily Team in July 2024
  
• Leading weekly committee of POLAR BEARS this session
  

Awards

• Juniors Category in November 2023
  
• School’s Top Writer Award in 2022 (out of 160 in my grade)
  

Cabin Prefs

Below are examples of what my thought process and style for creating cabins are. I am by no means limited to the examples I give below – they’re just ideas for a few cabins! Regardless of what cabin I am potentially selected to (co)lead, I will make sure that it:

• Has an interactive storyline
  
• Benefits for;
  
• Contributing to cabin rankings
  
• Participating in SWC activities
  
• Consistent visible progress on storyline
  

Fantasy
I’d create a magical cabin filled with fantastical elements. Campers would stumble across a cove of what was thought to be extinct dragons, all hiding from the dark forces sweeping across the island. Throughout the session, each camper would take care of a dragon by completing dailies, weeklies and other activities, tame them, nurse them back to health, and the session would ultimately conclude with the campers taking the dragons to defeat the evil on the continent – but they can only do this if enough dragons are at a certain health and bond.

Myth/Folklore
Campers would travel across ancient times, through multiple cultures and countries. However, the myths, folklore or tales surrounding each culture would be taking place where the countries are. For example, in Greece, the Greek gods would be duking it out, and campers would have to ensure that the stories do not end badly by completing both point and non point activities. They would travel across the world to Japan and go help defeat the evil Oni with Issun Boshi.

Dystopian
An underground labyrinth, hiding in plain sight from the artistocrats who sponsored the winning side of the war. The campers will be the less fortunate souls hiding from the tyrannical government who took over the continent. Most people hiding underground have given up and are hopeless about the future of the continent, but the campers will progress to do progressively more impactful activities to help those underground and grow a rebellion against the government. Whether they successfully defeat the government will depend on how many they recruited for their cause (which they can do by completing dailies/weeklies).

Below are cabins sorted into three lists- “I’d absolutely LOVE to lead this” (sounds amazing, let’s go) “I’d be OK with leading this, it seems fun” (why not) “I don’t want to lead these cabins” (i’m good, thanks)

Sounds amazing, let’s go!!!!!!
Action
Adventure
Dystopian
Fairy Tales
Fanfiction (Fan-Fi)
Fantasy
Novel
Steampunk
Solarpunk
Thriller
Tragedy

Why not :D
Historical Fiction (Hi-Fi)
Literary Fiction (Lit-Fi)
Mystery
Poem/Poetry
Romance
Science Fiction (Sci-Fi)
Script
Short Story
Folklore
Mythology

I’m good, thanks </3
Bizarro Fiction (Bi-Fi)
Classics
Contemporary
Horror
Illustrated Fiction (Illu-Fi)
Lyric
Nonfiction (Non-Fi)
Realistic Fiction (Real-Fi)

Excerpt
formatting's messed up rn lol i'll fix it later
(for project- The excerpt can be found in the text version of this application.)
The captain’s quill scrawled across the yellowed parchment in the secret code he had made to his beloved. Hunger clawed at his stomach, but the ocean swayed him quietly, assuring all would be well.


Dearest Ari,


I hope home is in a better state. I haven’t heard anything that may suggest that our coastal town has been destroyed by Xirenia, and I do believe it would be remarkably stupid of them to set fire to their own territory. But you never know.


My crew wants to stop by Pavel, but I believe it’s too dangerous. Yes, it’s the heartland of all trade and riches, but it’s prone to pirate and Xirenia attacks. I do wish I had your wisdom, Ari, and look forward to meeting you soon. What do you believe is the right course of action?


Ink is running out– I best recap hastily.


We have spotted pirate flags in the distance, and that gods-forsaken country Xirenia. Of course, we must stay down and submitment. Please always remember that, dearest, or terrible things may happen to us and our family. We cannot allow our loyalty to our own country to override our loyalty to our family. Better safe and alive than loyal– and dead.


I will write to you when I get new shipments of ink and paper.


Jareth


➸


A woman held a small child gently as she received the coded message from their bird. The magpie sat on the perch, looking mildly proud of itself as the oldest child fed it a few fish. A small gasp escaped her lips, before she hurriedly wrote on the back of her husband’s letter.


Dear Jareth,


All is well in our town. Xirenia has recognised that our family is “loyal” to them, and we have escaped their wrath. Much of our friends have been executed, however, as they conspired against them. I regret to tell you that Ellsa, Marita and Novius’ families are no longer with us. However, I cannot bear to stay like this much longer. They murdered one of our children, Jareth. How could we possibly sit back and bow to the very kingdom who tore away a five-year old from this world?


Go by Pavel, I beg of you. We need food, quickly. Xerinia is choking the supplies to our town, so be careful when you return. Bring salt, meat and vegetables before our town starves to death. The provisions and limits placed upon us are hefty – although our family is on the good side of Xerinia, and try to stay that way for a little.


She hesitated, then plunged on with sharp words.


But not too much longer. We can’t sit back and let Xerinia run wild and ultimately kill us, and our pride. Chin up. Don’t be a coward. Trade as you wished to, fight against Xerinia should they be cruel to you, and come home.


Ari


➸


Ruffling his ginger hair worriedly, he glanced towards his second as the bird patiently waited on his shoulder. Inhaling the salty breeze, the rotting floorboards and sweat and grime deeply, he nodded, and reached for his quill.


Ari.


He paused for a second, the ink on his dot running into small rivulets across his page.


Thank you for telling me what to do advising me on this scenario. I’ve followed through with your recommendation, and we’re setting off to Pavel as I write these words.


The boat lurched forwards as the sail billowed into the brilliant blue sky, catching the wind. Finally breaking out of her slumber, she rode the sea to approach the famed trade city.


I will trade anything I possibly can. Our town has many incredible things that’ll surely be marveled by foreigners. Your perfect bead necklaces will be the spectacle of the town. They’re so–


A war horn blasted in the distance. He recoiled, fear briefly seizing his body before he recalled the exact tune. It was of Xirenia– and they often played their horns for the sake of scaring one. They rarely, rarely followed through with an attack… and why would they do so to their own, rich city? Cautiously, he lowered his quill again.


–beautiful.


And I will not roll over to Xirenia again. I will fight them, if I must. When we return, we will run – run across the oceans, and join Xirenia’s only opposing country. We will fight for our lost child.


I’ll be seeing you soon, dearest. I look forward to returning home, rich.


Jareth


➸


A smile graced Ari’s soft features as she read Jareth’s warm words, an odd kind of molten happiness filling her frosted veins.


Dear Jareth,


Time and time again, you never fail to remind me why I married you. Thank you for listening to me. Our children look forward to your letters, although I try to keep them from reading the more… confronting parts of them. Stay safe, darling, but never let them walk over us. Again.


The villagers are waking up. The soldiers are being more cruel, even to the most loyal families who obediently wave their little orange-yellow flags and shout: “Long reign Xirenia!” as though that would give them more food.


She almost laughed at the memory. I can’t believe we used to do that.


I must go now, as our magpie is getting into some trouble with the children!


From Ari


➸


Jareth


Jareth dear– our bird’s returned without a response. You must’ve received the letter, though, since she returned empty-clawed. I’ll send this to you to let you know that the bird’s probably accidentally dropped your letter in the ocean.


Don’t leave me in vexation– I can hardly bear the tension!


Ari


➸


Jareth…


Where are all the letters going? You still haven’t sent a letter back. I’m wasting ink rewriting this message. Please, send me even the smallest letter to confirm that you’re coming home soon.


Ari, your anxious wife


➸


Jareth, where are you? The bird keeps coming back without any letters. Are you getting mine? What’s wrong? Please, reply.


➸


Jareth, it’s been eight weeks since you last responded. If you don’t hurry up and come home soon, I’m going to have to leave. The Xirenian’s are getting suspicious of the bird flying back and forth with paper. Quickly, respond!


➸


Jareth… we’re leaving. Next week. This is your last warning before we go.


➸


Goodbye, Jareth.


Time Dedication
As of now, I haven’t planned to do anything in November. However, from approximately 10 November - 23 November, I’ll have the majority of my exams and assignments. I typically don’t study too much for my exams, other than Maths, so it shouldn’t impact my activity too heavily.

I set aside a lengthy amount of time for SWC purposes – even outside of sessions, where I am helping with the Polar Bears. I can guarantee at least an hour of SWC time every day, including periodical check-ins throughout the day, and most days I can dedicate 3-4 hours. Since I enjoy SWC so much but I still feel productive doing it, I absolutely love dedicating huge chunks of my day to it.

Time Management
If I am dedicated to something, I will work on it a lot. If I have something to do, I don’t like the feeling of having free time and doing other things – I’d much rather get it over and done with so I could spend my free time without feeling any guilt. However, I will prioritize whatever is the most urgent – so if I have a Maths exam upcoming, I may invest most of my time on that instead of SWC.

On the flip side, if SWC clearly requires more activity, attention and time, I will turn to that. Again, I hate the unsatisfying feeling of resting knowing that there is work that needs to be done. It is a bonus that SWC is such fun work!

Procrastination on things that are not as urgent is a major issue that I have to tackle. For example, I’ll often leave weeklies until the last few days. This is because I don’t regard weeklies as “important” or “work that needs to be done ASAP” until the last second. Yes, I know that this is ironic considering the fact I’m the weekly coordinator this session XD To negate procrastination this session, I will make sure to create a list of things I have to do, in order from most urgent to least, so I can work through that list at a steady pace and not leave things until last minute.

An issue I have encountered is that because of my timezone - in that, I have anywhere from a 16-24 hour time difference from the typical American/European Scratcher - I find it difficult to engage in active discussions as they unfold. I attend these discussions first thing in my morning, but however, as the Polar Bears saw last session, I often arrive late to the conversation and sometimes miss the decision-making part of it because of my timezone.

However, on Scratch, the way commenting is formatted makes it easier for me to engage in real-time discussion. My timezone also makes it easier for me to cover the Asian/Oceanic timezone people of SWC, and my timezone activity also overlaps with that of the other side of the world in my morning, so I can still participate actively in that time. In dire situations, I can also stay up late to attend to SWC matters (…that time when I stayed up til 3 with Alana to make the project version of the weekly because the dang forums weren’t working)

Collaboration and Assets
I strive to include everyone in our discussions, as listening to everyone’s input is so important for me to make larger decisions. After all, we’re a team – we should work together! For example, in group projects at school, I make sure to prompt others, especially the more quiet and shy ones, to learn of their opinions and their ideas. They often come up with the most creative and brilliant ideas that would otherwise not have been heard, if I hadn’t asked them for their opinion.

I also believe I’m an active member in projects and I try to help in the best way I can, and I do more work than expected. I used to be a little bit of a pushover and would do most of the work for group projects. However, I now ensure that other people do their part by setting clear expectations on what work they have to do before I do any work, and strive to act as a leader and coordinator for group projects to make sure no one does too much or too little work for them.

My inclusion, participation and collaboration skills, combined with my enthusiasm and love for SWC, lead to me believing that I’d be a valuable asset to the leading team. I will do this by ensuring all ideas are heard, weighing them as a team and deciding unanimously. This way, no one on my leadership team would be left out in decision-making, and the best quality ideas, thoughts and opinions will be able to come to life in my cabin.

One Quality
Commitment

Once I agree to do something, I will try to complete and help with it in every way I can. Essentially, I’ll go the extra kilometer (oh fine, the extra mile) to help out! Although my time zone difference to most of SWC makes this slightly difficult, I still attempt to involve myself in every aspect of SWC and leading.

For example, I made lengthy reviews of every writing piece as a writing comp panelist. People who placed in the results of March of 2024 could request feedback from me, and I’d have it prepared from when I helped to place each writing piece. Also in March, I suggested the idea of a Fairy Tale cabin memory book, where Sienna, Alana and I all worked together to pull together a mini-memory book of sorts in under about a week! Since I decided a while ago that I really wanted to apply for leader this session, I also had to fight, maybe not-so-literally-tooth-and-claw with my parents to let me bring my laptop with me (all my application work is on my laptop) to Japan. Yep, I’m in Japan right now! Here’s a photo of the view from the hotel window I’m sitting at right now ;D

As I have a deep love of SWC and enjoy helping make a session the best it can, I believe that if I become leader I’d be able to commit and go the extra mile to make my cabin as fun and loving as possible.

Cabin Atmosphere
A tight-knit cabin with a friendly competitive spirit, where the cabin mates can safely rely on their leaders and one another. (126 characters)

Checkboxes
A | I will be able to help add points to main cabin consistently
Willing to share promotional project
B | There are no responsibilities I can’t fulfill
C | In the case of inactivity by another leader, I will firstly discuss with my (co)leader(s) whether the inactivity has gone on for too long. If so, I would send a message to the (co)leader who is inactive and if they have not responded within 2 days, I would discuss with the other co-leaders on who would step up to be (co)leader of the cabin, and would altogether decide on another co from applications that have not been selected.

If I am the inactive person, I would ensure to let my (co)leader(s) know that I was going inactive, which unless in dire situations would not be more than 2 days long. If the inactivity is caused by forces out of my control – such as a power outage – I would attempt to contact (co)leader(s) through other means. If this is not possible, I would be comfortable with a temporary co-leader being installed in my place until I can return online.

Co-led twice in 2024
Fairy Tales in March (with Alana and Sienna <3)
Poetry in July (with Coco and Fi!)

“ Has an interactive storyline
Benefits for;
Contributing to cabin rankings
Participating in SWC activities
Consistent visible progress on storyline”

I attend these discussions first thing in my morning, but however, as the Polar Bears saw last session, I often arrive late to the conversation and sometimes miss the decision-making part of it because of my timezone.

One of my personal favourite ways to gain ideas is by just listening to music! It doesn’t matter if it's lyrical or lyricless, just listen to music and start daydreaming. This application was originally going to be themed around one of my favourite music artists, but I changed the idea.

I usually comment in lowercase letters, but my perfectionistic self would be annoyed if my application was formatted like that, so we’re using proper capitalization and grammar today. Anyway, hey! Welcome to my coleader application! It’s only for co-leader, since I’m not sure how I feel yet about leadership responsibilities. My nickname is Crystie, and I use she/her. I’m a Catholic Filipino who currently resides in Australia. My timezone is AEST, also known as GMT+10. I’m obsessed with MBTI (there would probably be a dozen references to cognitive functions throughout this app if only everyone knew what that was), and my type is INTP (5w4).

I hold many self-proclaimed titles, including artist, writer, aspiring author, reader, aspiring theatre worker, aspiring computer science major, aspiring guitarist, OC life ruiner, roleplayer, and much more! As you can probably tell, I have a lot of goals haha. I want to have a coding-related job when I grow up. Shoutout to Scratch for helping me understand coding (and giving me an opportunity to experience SWC <3). If not a computer-related job, I’d like to work in the film industry, especially as an animator. Animating and generally just bringing stories to life is one of my favourite things ever, which is probably part of the reason why I love writing (and why I would like to publish a book in the future!).

My interests are very scattered, which probably shows on my Scratch account as well. I make DMC entries, object show camp entries, TFCRP projects, animatics, OC art, SWC projects, and much more. Outside of Scratch, and outside of what I already mentioned, I love listening to music, watching shows, designing things, playing games, looking through memes, reading random Wikipedia articles, daydreaming, journaling, and other stuff!

Now onto favourites. My favourite show is currently Inanimate Insanity, and my favourite movie is probably some Studio Ghibli movie (or the Inanimate Insanity Movie, if that counts). My favourite flower is a sunflower! My favourite time of day is probably evening, since I love writing in my diary in the evening light while listening to Noah Kahan in the background. Noah Kahan isn’t my favourite artist though (though I do love his music!), since my favourite music artists are Go! Child and Good Kid. Please listen to them. I will gladly ramble about music and give suggestions.

This was a very disorganised starting point, but let’s move on and get to the rest of the application!

I love just looking through Google featured photos and getting inspiration. It can also help with worldbuilding, if you’re interested in that! Looking through beautiful images used to be one of my ways of calming down when I was stressed.

I have previously participated in SWC every session starting July ‘22, so that will make the upcoming November session my 8th session, I think? Wow. In all my sessions so far, I’ve been a camper! Being a camper is enough for me, but I think co-leading would be an interesting and exciting experience, which is part of the reason I’m applying. Additionally, I’ve participated in Scratch Art Camp about three times, all as a camper again: Botanical October ‘22, Traditional February ‘23, and Gouache February ‘24.

Writing, especially roleplaying, was something that I’ve been interested in for a while. I’ve been roleplaying on and off Scratch for about three years now, but I didn’t really take writing “seriously” until around my first SWC session. Shoutout to SWC for improving my writing tenfold, haha. Outside of scratch, I admittedly don’t have much experience with leading, even in group projects at school. :,D I do my work, yes - I can even end up doing most of the work a lot of times. However, I’m a really shy and subjectively independent person in real life, so that’s sort of a disadvantage when I’m working with a group. I’d say that I’m usually more of a follower than a leader. This doesn’t mean that I won’t cooperate in a leading team, though! I find it much easier to talk online than in real life, and I’m willing to discuss ideas. SWC will hopefully be a way to improve my leadership skills. Though this is starting to sound a lot like the time management sections, so let’s save the rest for that part, shall we?

Hi-fi Ren. Faire: July ‘22
Poetry Isle of Fame: November ‘22
Poetry Coffeehouse: March ‘23
Folklore Long Pond Studios: July ‘23
Fairy Tale Academy: November ‘23
Epistolary Letter Terminal: March ‘24
Poetry Palace of Shattered Prophecies: July ‘24

This is probably an obvious one, but look through premade prompts online! They were made to help you. If you’re willing enough to have social interaction, ask someone for a random idea. Or just a random word and somehow morph that into an idea. Even comment in the SWC main cabin asking for an idea, that’s good enough!

I don’t really mind what cabin I’m in! I’m flexible. I would just prefer not to lead TCTWNW and romance if it comes back. I do enjoy the competitive parts of SWC, so TCTWNW isn’t really my thing. Don’t get me wrong though – I love the idea! Meanwhile romance, especially on a site mainly for kids, makes me a little uncomfortable. :,D I’m also a little bit iffy with mythology, folklore and gothic for reasons that I’d rather not disclose, but I wouldn’t be completely against co-leading them. Additionally, fantasy is a genre that I personally find easy to write in, so that’s that if you need it! Poetry also holds a special place in my heart since I’ve been in that cabin a lot.

Since I’m applying for only co-leader, I’m mostly leaving the main cabin idea for the leader. I find it way easier to bounce off others' ideas than to create my own on the spot, so unfortunately I don’t have many cabin ideas right now. I promise I can make ideas though, haha.

What’s a good way of getting inspiration for your book, if not by reading other books? Seriously, my current novel was inspired by another book’s synopsis. It was a book that I hadn’t even read at the time. Even just picking up little vocabulary words from other books can be fun!

This is an excerpt from my July ‘24 2nd weekly! It was rather rushed so it’s not as high quality as I would like my regular writing to be, but it should show a somewhat good display of my writing style. It’s around 300 words but takes a bit long to read, sorry about that. :,D (Though I’m not sure if anyone actually reads these?)

With a frustrated groan, Pierce crumpled up the paper in a ball and threw it against the wall. It bounced back and landed at his feet. He kicked it lamely.

“This is helpless!” he whined, slouching against the wall. “At this point, I’ll never find the answers.”

Riptide glared at him from where he was researching. “We all will find the answers,” he said. “You don’t gain anything from just giving up. Give it a chance.”

Oath sighed, watching them interact.

Anastasia leaned over to Oath’s ear. “Here we go again,” she whispered.

“Yep.” Oath nodded.

“I know that!” Pierce said, putting his hands up. He let them flop to his sides again. “But sometimes it feels useless.” he murmured, lowering himself to the floor.

Riptide stood up. His eyes were locked on Pierce, furious and determined. He marched over.

“Here it comes,” Anastasia mumbled.

“Useless? Are you saying this is useless?” Riptide snapped, each word punctuated by an irritated question mark. Pierce opened his mouth to speak, but Riptide cut him off. “This quest, this research may be the only thing to save the world from utter destruction! Nobody else would do this job, so we’re doing it for them. And you’re calling it all useless?”

Pierce got up, his usual shy expression replaced with an enraged spark. “I’m not! I’m just saying it feels useless! I know how important this quest is, and I’m not willing to actually give up anytime soon!” he said. He crossed his arms. “You take things too seriously all the time, Riptide.”

“Well, excuse me for not being a mind reader! I’m just trying to keep everything in check, and you’re certainly not helping.” he retorted, rolling his eyes.

“Okay, you both, you can stop now,” Oath said, coming in between the two, receiving glowers from both of them. “We’re all friends here, right? All amazing superheroes who will save the world? Let’s stay calm, okay?”

“You both do this like all the time, doesn’t it get tiring?” Anastasia sighed.

Riptide and Pierce replied with nothing, but their glares were enough to communicate.

“Fine,” Riptide scowled, striding away.

“Fine!” Pierce yelled, leaving.

“How long until they make up?” Anastasia asked, standing next to Oath.

“A day this time, I reckon,” Oath replied.

Sometimes we have ideas but no motivation (and trust me, I’ve been there). And my personal advice is: just do it. Two of my favourite quotes are “only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to forever leave undone.” - Pablo Picasso, slightly edited to be more Scratch appropriate; “you’ll always find a reason to do {the task}f later, just don’t listen to yourself.” - random YouTube commenter. Of course, don’t overwork or burn yourself out! Remember to stay healthy.

Other than school, I don’t have too much going on! Of course, this is definitely subject to change since November is still quite a while away, but I can expect to dedicate a lot of time to Scratch and SWC. Probably around 45-120 minutes each day, weekend or weekday, spread across multiple sessions? This varies a lot depending on my schedule and honestly just my mood. I know this is a very vague answer, sorry. :,D

Going back to school, it really is going to make a significant impact on my activity, especially considering that I live in the southern hemisphere. The school system here runs from approximately February to December, so November is when a bunch of end-of-year stuff is going to begin for me. My teachers have already mentioned several times that a LOT of stuff is going to be happening end-of-year.

In general, if I had to rate my activity from 1-10, I’d say probably a 7/10. I am definitely able to check in on Scratch a lot throughout the day – sometimes I do it without even realising haha. I do think that my activity could easily be a 8-9/10, but I don’t want to make any promises because my schedule really is spontaneous and unexpected. I can basically guarantee that I’ll be able to be online a lot, though!

Brain dump time! What do are you trying to find ideas for? What’s the main theme you would like to convey? Write that down. Then just write down a bunch of words, phrases, sentences, ideas, etc. related to that theme. Don’t think, don’t skip an idea even if you think you’ll never use it. I love brainstorming. I do understand that it doesn’t work for everyone though, so don’t fret if it doesn’t generate useful anything for you!

Shortcomings:
- One of my shortcomings in time management DEFINITELY includes procrastination. Like seriously. I procrastinate so much. I tend to wait until the last minute to get things done. However, I recognise this problem and I’m trying to overcome it!
- I get distracted easily. I’m very spontaneous and don’t really keep a schedule, which isn’t necessarily bad on its own, but it leads me to get sidetracked and not do my work. I am trying to combat this struggle by being more organised: setting reminders, alarms, keeping to-do lists, et cetera.
- Like mentioned in one of the first lines of this application, perfectionism is definitely something that I struggle with. I can spend so long on one detail, leading to wasted time. It’s a struggle, but it’s not one of my biggest ones. Like all my other shortcomings, I’m trying to change and reduce my perfectionistic tendencies.

Skills:
- I would consider myself to be somewhat organised. I try to keep to-do lists and just generally make sure that everything is in check! I look for unfinished projects, set priorities. I try to look at the big picture and check that everything is completed and ready to go.
- Even though I procrastinate, I DO usually end up getting things done (even if it takes a while). I try to remember what I need to do, and I keep it on my to-do list.
- Heavily related to the last point, I can really commit myself to things if I want to (SWC is definitely something that I would like to commit to!). I can get things done in little time while still keeping a somewhat high quality. A majority of this application was made around 6 days before the deadline. Like I mentioned, procrastination hits hard, but I can really achieve things if I have enough willpower to do it!

Go on Wikipedia and go down a rabbit hole. That’s it. Just look through random facts, and maybe you’ll randomly think of something along the way. If you don’t get any ideas, hey, you still have your facts! Warning: would not recommend if you are prone to procrastination, distractions and forgetting the time. (Coughs as I remember the last question.)

Weaknesses:
- Like mentioned earlier, I’m very shy. While this trait isn’t nearly as prominent online as it is in real life, I am rather afraid sometimes of confrontation, speaking up and generally just communicating with others. This leads me to not share my ideas sometimes, or even just not respond. It’s a huge struggle haha, but I do recognise how much of a weakness it is and I’m trying to overcome it.
- I’m a people pleaser. If I don’t really like an idea and I have suggestions to change it, I’m not really one to share those opinions. I try to make sure that everything and everyone is happy in a team, and while that’s okay on its own, it leads to me to being unsatisfied myself. I am, again, trying to change this trait into a healthy habit where I make sure everyone is cheerful while still keeping my health okay.

Strengths
- Contrary to my app theme, I’d consider myself to be a very creative person! I can easily come up with ideas that possibly think outside the box. I love experimenting, going down rabbit holes, seeing what could be, stuff like that. If it helps at all, I’m rather artsy too. I can easily draw sketches, diagrams, drafts, whatever we need to properly envision an idea if imagination isn’t enough.
- I listen to others’ ideas and stay flexible. I’d say that I’m open-minded, and I’m okay with switching ideas! Everyone’s ideas matter in a leading team, and I try to listen and comment on each one of them. There’s not much else to say here.

If worst comes to worst, just stare into space. Find a comfortable spot and look at the ceiling. Just force yourself to think of ideas. I find some of my best ideas to come from random epiphanies when I’m not actively brainstorming. (Can you tell that I’m starting to lose ideas for making ideas?)

This was probably the hardest question to answer, since there’s a ton of things that a leader should embody (not to mention that I take a while making decisions since I want to find the most accurate outcome). But in the end, one quality that I really prioritise in leadership is probably cooperation. A leader should make decisions and get things done efficiently, yes, but if nobody else likes those decisions, then what’s the point? I believe that a leader should work together with their team (and cabinmates!) to reach their shared goal. That shared goal can be anything, from making sure all the campers are happy to just getting the cabin description done. Regardless, I believe that a leader should get things done, but should cooperate with others as well to get the best results. It’s a leadership team for a reason, after all. Be open-minded, listen to others. Don’t be dead set on one decision and refuse to hear any other perspectives out. In the end, I think that’s what I value most as a leader.

As much as I value independence, I do recognise how important it is to cooperate as a team. I’m going to try to embody this trait by doing what I mentioned: listening to others, hearing differing perspectives, brainstorming ideas with others, assigning tasks, stuff like that.

Take a breath of fresh air! Go outside! Watch the world! Meditate! I personally love taking walks (only during colder temperatures, though) and just drifting off. Feeling the wind in my hair, smelling the flowers, listening to the crows and cockatoos. The crows and cockatoos are really loud. Help. /lh

An interactive and engaging cabin that encourages competition but focuses more on friendships, goals and achievements. (118 characters)

Tried everything and still have no ideas? That’s okay! I have a solution for you! As a last resort, become scratch.mit.edu user @PixelDucko also known as Crystie and make a project about finding ideas. Maybe you’ll motivate yourself along the way! Or maybe you’ll run out of ideas too! Either way, it’s sure to be an experience! (Guys I’m running out of ideas for this project. How ironic. Help it’s 7 PM on a Wednesday and I’m not yet done with this application and I have homework due on Friday morning. Don’t worry, I’m working on my procrastination: I did half of the work on Monday! /gen And I like working on this app haha.)

A. I am willing to share a promotional project for SWC. (I’m not sure if co-leaders add points in the main cabin? I’ll be able to update word counts within my own cabin though.)

B. I believe I will be able to complete all leadership responsibilities listed in the FAQ!

C. In the event that I am inactive, my actions will differ depending on how long my inactivity will last. If it’s simply for a day, I’ll just leave a heads-up comment in the cabin. However, if it’s for five days or more, I’ll still leave a comment in the cabin, but I’ll inform the other (co)leaders on their profile. If it lasts for over two weeks (which is really unlikely, but it’s good to just make sure haha), I’ll do the same things I just mentioned but possibly notify a host if necessary. I’ll try to do as much work as I can before going inactive.

In the event that another (co)leader is inactive, I’ll wait a few days to make sure that they really are inactive. I’ll also recheck comments and leader applications in search of any possible warning in advance. If the (co)leader is completely inactive for over a week, I’ll leave a comment on their profile asking if they’re still there. If they do not respond within a few days, I’ll let my other (co)leaders know, and possibly a host if necessary. I’ll try to find a way that the work can still be done.

I have been working on improving my writing skills by practicing a lot. As well as discovering what I can use my imagination for, such as my ideas or other creative things.

After finding a note from an unknown figure, they discover that to escape they’ll need parts for a machine that will set them free.

Using teamwork, skills of their imagination, and their wits, the apprentices, under the supervision of their masters, will find the problem, figure out a solution, and find out who caused the malfunction in the first place.

Of course above all of that,

it helps to not forget what I have to do.

One trait that I value in a leader is the ability to serve others, which means putting others needs first before your own and helping others develop and perform as best as they can.

November will be my 8th session of SWC and my 6th time applying for a leadership position!

In the recent few years

Fantasy I have endless ideas for.

School is probably the biggest thing in my schedule, but aside from my weekly activities like trapeze, Scout meetings, volunteering, the random activities we do, etc, the other thing eating up time in my schedule is campouts!

My campouts are usually on the third weekend of the month and are only for 2-3 days, plus I will have access to my phone and (hopefully) the internet, so this also shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

I do this by limiting distractions so I can focus on my task, settling with ‘good enough’ instead of being a perfectionist, and I’ve developed a workflow where I work on one task for half an hour, take a short break, work on a different task for half an hour, take another short break, and repeat.

I’ve worked on dealing with both of these by phrasing everything as kindly as I can whenever I have to say no and by making sure I am voicing my opinions and am happy with what’s being planned.

One final thing that can be counted as both a strength and a weakness depending on the situation is that I…

-BookDragon- wrote:

۩ Graveyard: Mouse's SWC Leader App

Approximately 2390 words

Dragon Ghost

If you know me, you know I love dragons! Not only are they incredible, but they’re also a staple of my favorite genre: fantasy! Any media with dragons in it immediately has my attention, so if you have recommendations, please let me know!

۩ About Me

Hey! I’m Mouse(y)! I use any pronouns and I’m in the wonderful timezone of CST. When my head isn’t in the clouds, you can usually find me spending time outdoors, talking to people, listening to music, or doing one of my many hobbies, which include drawing, crafting, reading, singing, volunteering, theater, playing games, storytelling, and–of course–writing!

I’m a very kind, energetic person–I’ve always been extroverted and love talking to people, online and off! One of my passions is helping people–I volunteer at my local senior center and I always find myself smiling while I do so <3 Some other things I enjoy are history, doing flying trapeze, completing logic puzzles, listening to music, and getting lost in the worlds I create!

My current novel has no title, but it’s about a girl named Crystal who manifests powerful magic but doesn’t want it and a demon named Mira who’s loyalties aren’t as they seem… (I promise there’s more to it than this, but if I go into it this will get very long ahaha)
I am so obsessed with this project–please do ask me about my novel. I have so much to rant about!! I am planning on doing NaNoWriMo in November to complete another draft because my eventual goal is to get my novel published, and with every draft I get closer to my dream <33

I found SWC two and a half years ago, and have never regretted it since. Through SWC I have improved my writing, found incredible friends, gained much better leadership and communication skills, and have really become a better person because of this wonderful, chaos-filled writing camp, and I plan on participating in it for years to come!

Writing Ghost

I got into writing when I was extremely young. I had always loved stories and I have been telling them to myself long before I thought of writing them down. They are–and have always been–magical to me. The power to create your own worlds with a brush of your fingertips and breathe characters to life with a thought is something everyone has, but not many use <3

۩ Experience

November will be my 8th session of SWC and my 6th time applying for a leadership position! I have participated in every session since I joined in March 2022, and in every session since November 2022 I have been as active as I can be, exceeding my word count goals, checking in almost every day, and having so, so much fun:

March 2022 - Real-Fi - Backup Camper
July 2022 - Script - Backup Camper
November 2022 - Hi-Fi - Camper
March 2023 - Horror - Co-Leader, MBC member
July 2023 - Action - Co-Leader
November 2023 - Sci-Fi - Leader, MBC member, Daily Team helper
March 2024 - Dystopian - Leader, Daily Team helper
July 2024 - Gothic - Co-Leader, Daily Team helper

This session, I’m a Daily Team Polar Bears coordinator, which has been amazing!

I’ve also had roles in other camps across Scratch–in total, I’ve participated in 26 sessions of various camps (including my sessions in SWC)–out of those sessions, I’ve been a camper 16 times, a co-leader 3 times, and a leader 6 times! I have also hosted two camps in the past–Camp Jewel Peak and Mangoes & Mayhem Arson Prompts–both of which are currently inactive but were a lot of fun to plan and run, and taught me a lot in the process.
I am one of the hosts of Mangoes & Mayhem (the SWC Podcast!!), which I run with Bella–M&M has taught me a lot about time management, planning, and organization!
Outside of Scratch, I’m very active in my community! I have around 150 volunteer hours, which I’ve collected mostly by volunteering at the senior center <3 I’ve also organized and run several large (easily 100+ people) events, I’m on my local advisory board, and I’m in Girl Scouts and Scouting America, which both have a heavy focus on building leadership skills.

As for writing experience, as I mentioned before I’ve been telling myself stories for as long as I can remember <33 In the recent few years I’ve put much more of a focus on improving my writing by practicing, completing multiple high-level writing courses, and attending workshops by published authors in my area!! I’ve also entered my writing into several competitions on and off Scratch, and I’m working tirelessly on getting my novel written, polished, and published <33

Spooky Ghost

Autumn is my favorite season and Halloween is my favorite holiday… so whether it’s real things like spiders and snakes, Halloween decorations, or special effects, it goes without saying I love spooky things

۩ Cabin Preferences

I would cherish the chance to lead any cabin! Each one has endless, incredible possibilities, and I’d love to explore and experiment with all of them.
That said, the cabins I would like to lead most this session are, in no particular order: Paranormal, Adventure, Fantasy, Thriller, Myth, Tragedy, Fairy Tales, Hi-Fi, Mystery, Steampunk, and Solarpunk!
Naturally, I am overflowing with ideas for all of these and more, but I’ll only list a few of them here <3
Out of the cabins I listed above, my top three choices would be Paranormal, Hi-Fi, and Fantasy!
As I’m sure you can tell from the theme of this app, I have a very strong love and obsession for ghosts, so Paranormal would absolutely be filled with them!! This is my loosest cabin concept because I’d love to work with my leadership team to create everything else <33
For Hi-Fi, I have a very ambitious idea of a witch coven, where campers can level up their powers on their own in a project similar to Gothic’s Rooftop Garden while learning spells as a cabin and having a whole lot of fun together <33 I have been sitting on this idea for nearly a year now, and I have an entire google doc detailing how everything could work–I’m absolutely willing to elaborate on this idea if you’d like me to!
Fantasy I have endless ideas for. It’s my favorite genre and my dream cabin to lead one day <33 One thing that will be included is (unsurprisingly) dragons, most likely in the form of something like the Gothic Rooftop Garden project!!
As for the rest of them, I have brief summaries of plot ideas–if you’re interested in hearing them, just ask!!

I would rather not co/lead TCTWNW, as I adore the competitive aspect of SWC and hope to incorporate it into my cabin <3

Reading Ghost

Just like I love writing stories, I love reading them too! Stories can transport you to other worlds, let you live other lives, let you play in a world of your own making, or they can bring awareness to important issues. They’re little portals, giving you an escape from the world. I’ve been reading for a very long time, and my current favorite book series is a tie between Artemis Fowl and Six of Crows–both of which I highly reccommend!

۩ Excerpt

The city was silent and almost breathless as the sun began to sink towards the horizon. Everyone was waiting. Not even a bird’s cry rang out, but if you listened closely, you could hear the sounds of terrified sobs. Those who were crying could not be blamed, of course.
It takes a lot not to cry at the end of the world.
All the news stations were displaying the same prerecorded message, saying over and over again that the world would end when the sun set.
The entire population was caught off-guard. The news had come just that afternoon, after all. Waking up this morning, Zayden hadn’t thought that this would be the day he would die.
Or would he? Would he just continue to exist in the vacuum of space? He might be a god, but he didn’t really have experience with the whole world-ending kind of thing. Staring at the sky, he watched the sun creep lower. Silently, he wondered where his friends were. If Nick was watching them now, if Alexander had gotten better, if Rebecca was okay. He especially missed Rebecca.
And Owen…
The kid was naive and stupid, overconfident and stubborn, but the idiot had grown on him. It was refreshing to have a conversation with someone as innocent and foolish as Owen, he was always optimistic and believed in himself–probably more than he should.
It was, after all, Owen that had led them to the situation where…
Zayden shook his head, ridding his mind of the thought. Better to not think about such tragedies. He looked back to the sky, wondering how much more time they had left.
“Hey.” A dry, flat, shockingly familiar voice came from behind him, “We’ve got roughly thirty minutes left. Are you going to stand there, or are you going to help me try and stop whatever’s going on?” He recognized to voice the second he’d heard it, but he was still surprised to see Alexander when he turned around. Alexander looked… confident, with a bit of a smirk tugging at his mouth–which shocked Zayden out of speaking for a moment. Two people were standing behind him–a tall man and a Drelsh woman, and all three of them were armed. Ready. Not willing to stand in silence while the threat of death loomed heavy. Zayden’s brain caught up with itself, and he conjured a sword.
“I think I’ll help. Better go out strong and fighting than in defeated silence.”
Alexander smiled a full smile then, which Zayden thought looked so strange on his face–but also so right. Like he was an entirely different person. Like he was…
Realization hit, but Alex had started striding away from him, leading them into the battle.
“Wait!” Zayden exclaimed, chasing after him, “Hold up. Are you–?”
He glanced back and gave a wink before turning back. The four of them ran towards the sunset, determined to change the fate set before them.
If they were to die, Zayden was glad to go out fighting.

??? Ghost

words!!

۩ Dedication

I have no plans and no life so I will be able to dedicate 24 hours a day to SWC. /j
Okay, so maybe I do have some plans. But it’s nothing major! I will be able to dedicate at LEAST an hour every day to SWC, and even more time to writing. Since I’m doing NaNoWriMo, a chunk of time every day will go into hitting that word goal, but it shouldn’t impact my activity at all. School is probably the biggest thing in my schedule, but aside from my weekly activities like trapeze, Scout meetings, volunteering, the random activities we do, etc, the other thing eating up time in my schedule is campouts! My campouts are usually on the third weekend of the month and are only for 2-3 days, plus I will have access to my phone and (hopefully) the internet, so this also shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
I don’t expect anything else to come up that will impact my activity, but if it does, I’ll make sure to notify my leadership team and the hosts <33

Headphones Ghost

Music is such a huge part of my life. If I’m at my desk, you can bet I have my headphones on–listening to music is such a habit of mine that I find it incredibly hard to work without them on XD The music I listen to varies widely, but I love the genres of Rock, Pop, Metal, and Alternate, my favorite bands currently being My Chemical Romance, Set It Off, Sleep Token, and The Score! If you have any music recommendations please let me know–I’d love to hear them <33

۩ Time Management

I am so much better at time management than I used to be. Slowly but surely I’ve worked to improve my skills, and I can proudly say I have! There’s still plenty of room for improvement, and I’ll always work on improving my skills this session and in the future!

The two skills I believe I’ve improved on the most recently are efficiency and planning!
I try to be efficient with my tasks so I can get more done in less time. I do this by limiting distractions so I can focus on my task, settling with ‘good enough’ instead of being a perfectionist, and I’ve developed a workflow where I work on one task for half an hour, take a short break, work on a different task for half an hour, take another short break, and repeat. This method really works for me and I find myself getting the most done when I know I only have half an hour to try and finish it–overall enabling me to be as productive as I can be!

I also plan out the things I need to do so I can actually get them done! My main strategy is making to-do lists of everything I need to get done throughout the day to prevent me from forgetting anything, and it is SO satisfying to check off the boxes! Before I make my to-do list, I try to make a priority list, sorting the things I need to do by actual importance before writing them down in that order, so I tackle the biggest, most important things first!
But I’m definitely not perfect at any of this, and a lot of the time I find myself struggling with time management. I’d say my biggest weakness is distraction–it is so easy to get distracted, and I constantly lose focus on my tasks, especially if I don’t want to do them. I’ve worked on this by trying my best to notice when I am distracted and getting myself back on track, usually by turning on music or taking a short break! My second biggest weakness is overestimating myself–I will take on task after task and then quietly drown in my pile of work, pretending everything is fine and I’ve got it under control until it’s clear I don’t. Now, I try to make sure I complete my current tasks before taking on new ones and I ask for help. I’ve found countless times that the assistance of others is priceless, and more often than not they’ll help you finish the task easily and quickly with minimal stress for everyone!

Friendly Ghost

I’m a very extroverted person and I love being around people <3 I’m always as kind as I can be and I try always try to be myself–a silly, kind, approachable person who’s there if you need a laugh or need someone to rant to. I love talking to anyone and everyone, and I’m always there to lend an ear and to lift people up–when someone isn’t happy I always try to change that <3

۩ Collaboration & Assets

I am extremely extroverted, and I love people–anything from being on a team to just talking to someone brings a smile to my face <33 Working with amazing people from all over the world is one of the main reasons I always apply for a leadership position in SWC!!

Through SWC, I have learned and improved on many leadership and collaboration skills, and I’m very proud of the arsenal I’ve built up <3

My first strength is I always do everything I can to create a warm and welcoming environment where everyone feels comfortable to share their ideas and be themselves. Another strength of mine is that I treat everyone as an equal, and make sure everyone on the team is heard and is contributing to the whole of the project, and that everyone is happy with what we’re headed towards.
However, I am a people-pleaser. I’m afraid of making people unhappy or upset with me, and if I do end up accidentally getting on someone’s bad side, I’ll feel absolutely terrible and do everything I can to redeem myself. So to avoid this, I’ve ended up going along with things that make other people happy, even if I’m not, and I’m usually too anxious and scared to voice my discontent.
Another thing I struggle with is telling someone no. At some point, especially if you’re a cabin leader, you’ll have to say no to someone’s idea, usually because there’s no way to do it in the time you have left or it just doesn’t fit with the plot at all. And for the same reason as above, I struggle with shooting down people’s ideas, no matter how nicely I phrase it.
I’ve worked on dealing with both of these by phrasing everything as kindly as I can whenever I have to say no and by making sure I am voicing my opinions and am happy with what’s being planned. I have a long way to go, but it’s definitely less terrifying than it used to be ahahaha ^^”
One final thing that can be counted as both a strength and a weakness depending on the situation is that I usually take everyone’s ideas and combine them into something everyone’s happy with and excited about; something that’s a little bit of everyone <3
However, this can lead to the team having an unclear plan and too much to accomplish, and I’ve been working on figuring out when and when not to do this
Finally, the assets I’d bring would be a fun-loving, friendly individual who is skilled in art and graphic design, is overflowing with ideas, and has an endless love of writing and of SWC <3

Drawing Ghost

Art has been a big part of my life since I was very young. I’ve been drawing for most of my life, and while I mainly draw people, animals and scenery are also things I’m working to improve on. I’ve also worked on doing more digital art and animations, which is on display in my app

۩ One Quality

There are so many qualities to value in a good leader. But to me right now, the most important thing is community. A leader who is able to create and maintain a community is an excellent leader. Having a community makes everyone feel welcome, more comfortable, builds lasting friendships, and it makes them more approachable! I will embody this trait by creating a strong community and a plotline that’s interactive and moving but not overwhelming. I want to make a place where campers can be themselves and have fun, bonding over the storyline and joking competitiveness, similar to cabins I’ve seen in the past like Thriller Escape Rooms (March 2023), Mystery Mansion (November 2023), and Fairy Tales (March 2024)! Another thing I want to place a huge focus on is the enjoyment of writing. Writing is something everyone who writes should have fun doing, and I really want to make sure that’s at the core of the cabin <3

Nature Ghost

I’m a very outdoorsy person. I grew up exploring outside, and I know a lot about the natural world that surrounds us <3 I collect rocks and grow/study plants, but most of all I love animals <33

۩ Cabin Atmosphere

A fun and welcoming cabin with a focus on in-cabin bonding and a dynamic storyline, (cabin) is a place where you’ll make new friends, forge new memories, and have an experience you’ll never forget!

(198 characters)

Dream Ghost

I have always had big dreams! My current biggest one is publishing my novel, but I also dream about being a singer/songwriter, being better at aerial arts, and getting a brand new iPad ✨

۩ Checkboxes & More

(x) I will be able to help add points in the main cabin consistently throughout camp
(x) I’m willing to share a promotional project for SWC

I can complete all leadership responsibilities!

In the event of inactivity by someone on my cabin’s leadership team, I will discuss and figure out the best way for the team to move forward–this could look like trying to reach out to the inactive person, and if that fails, dividing up the inactive person’s responsibilities, or asking the hosts for permission to get a new co. In the event of my own inactivity, I’ll do my best to let the hosts and my leadership team know that I’m going to be inactive, how long I will be inactive, and if I can still complete my responsibilities or if I’ll need to step back for a bit or drop out.

• Remember to chop out unneeded words!

• Condense sentences when possible to help cut down on the word count

• Use contractions whenever you can. I didn't mention it earlier in the critique, but I noticed several instances where you used words like “I am” instead of “I'm,” which adds to the word count bulk

• Keep being awesome

Oh, and I have church on Sunday mornings and Sunday and Wednesday evenings, so I won't be online during those times.

I tend to want to bite off more than I can chew and execute big fancy ideas when a simpler one would not only suffice but work better.

Because of this, I would make sure to run things by my team first to confirm that my idea was both something we could execute in a timely manner, was the best fit for the situation, and was something we were willing to commit to.

And is this something that I actually want to do?

About me:

Experience:

Genres:

Excerpt:

Time dedication:

Time management

One quality:

Collaboration:

Atmosphere:

Checkboxes: