Activity

You blink and find yourself in the middle of a clearing. Twisting trees towers above you, their leaves rustling in the wind. The rising sun casts newborn shadows across the dew-covered grass.

“Hello there!”

You turn. An archer jumps down from a tree, wild hair waving. She bows. “Guildmaster Gabby, at your service. I’ve waited a long time to show you this.” She motions to the trees around her.

The branches are full of epic treehouses that weave and twist like graceful dancers. A maze of swaying ropes and bridges connect the buildings. “This is Avensbeck, our secret hideout. Don’t worry, there are nets below the bridges to make sure you don’t get hurt before you find your tree legs.” She winks. “After a long fight…ahem…discussion with guildmasters Brandon and Daeus, I’ve managed to secure the eighteen of you for my guild. Together, we’ll sharpen our skills until we’re the best storytellers this side of the forest!” She leads you to a ladder and motions you up to the first house. “Here is where I’ll post the announcements.”

The walls are covered with posters announcing competitions and guidelines. A dais stands in the middle of the room. Gabby leads you to a window and points to the different houses as she speaks. “We have a space for Avensbeck’s Writing Discussions, where we find a home for any topics that don’t fit under the other categories. Over there is a section for critiques, were we sharpen each other’s stories by pointing out their strengths and weaknesses. We also have a wonderful house for story analysis, where we discuss books and films to discover what we should emulate and what we should avoid. We also have a space where we can keep each other accountable and celebrate our achievements. And not to forget…”

She observes the bored expression on your face. “Ah. I see you wish to explore! My apologies for keeping you. There are two important things I must explain before you get started. One, we have a pest problem. This forest is infested with angry monkeys that like stealing snacks and chucking blocks at writers, and I can’t seem to get rid of them. That said, make sure to keep your weapons and wits about you at all times.”

“On a more serious note, each guild has a yearly theme. Guildmasters take this theme and help sharpen their guildling’s skills through prompts, discussions, and the like down in Annual Theme Discussions. Since I believe emotion is an invaluable storytelling element, I’ve picked it as our yearly theme. Our prompts and discussions will cover everything from how to use showing and telling to manipulate emotion to enhancing moods through contrast and setting. Don’t worry. All other topics are welcome under the other threads.”

Gabby hands you the keys to the other buildings. “Welcome once again to Avensbeck!”

@toklaham-veruzia @overcomer @martina @Epicaddie2 @Sam-kowal @supermonkey42 @Gabrielle @morreafirebird @Snapper @Jenwriter17 @NaomiJackson @Dekreel @bonnie @melissa-G @kiraelizabeth @aislinn-mollisong @Dragongeek @Haviloki @natalie-marie
(P.S. If you have any more questions, feel free to tag me! 🙂