Category: Senior Literary

I have so much free time. I’m about to have even more free time because I’m almost done with school entirely. So, the question must be asked: what do I do with all of this free time? I can easily answer that question: play video games. All-day. And listen to music and YouTube videos as well, but mostly play video games. What video games have I played the most? Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Now, some of you may be wondering: what on earth are those things? Well, settle down, cuz I’m about to teach you a lesson about two of my favorite video games.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a game that came out on March 20. Yes, I did drive out to the GameStop in McComb to get my copy of the game. Quarantine wouldn’t stop me from getting my game about talking animals and growing flowers. I was determined to get my hands on it; and once I got it, I drove back to my house, went inside, and loaded my new game onto my Switch.

Right away, I could tell that I would love this game. The music was relaxing, and the first characters I encountered were Timmy and Tommy Nook, two young raccoons that are related to the titular character Tom Nook.

Look how cute they are. How could you not instantly fall in love with them?

Right away, I got busy working on making my town the best it could possibly be. I spent a lot of time picking weeds, replanting trees, and visiting mystery islands to find new flowers and fruits to grow on my island (all I’m missing is oranges… which I got at the beginning of the game, but ate them without knowing that I could plant them. oops). My two starting villagers were Canberra, the koala, and Hamlet, the hamster. Hamlet is a jock. I hate jocks. They won’t shut up about sports. I hate them in Animal Crossing almost as much as I do in real life.

I’ve been working with this game since it came out on that very day. I’ve been doing my best to make my island the best that it can be. I’ve been planting flowers, getting new villagers, and messing with the layout in a way that makes visual and coherent sense. My sister has been helping me as well, though she helps a little less so than I would like. Currently, I’m working on paying off the next to last upgrade for my house, while also working on getting to a five-star rating so that my island has the best image that it can be.

When I’m not working on my tropical paradise, I’m beating people up in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. This fighting game is a lot different from most fighting games for one main reason: it’s a crossover of a multitude of different companies and franchises. From the Mario brothers to Final Fantasy VII, everyone from nearly every major gaming name in history has a place on the fighting roster. Also, this game is rather easy to understand; it doesn’t require very complex inputs like the arcade fighting games of old (Street Fighter, we’re looking at you). It usually requires the push of one button and a movement on the control stick, and your path to kicking butt is complete.

One of my favorite characters in the game is Hero, one of the downloadable content characters that’s from Dragon Quest. This character is unique in that, when you input the combination of down+B, you’re given four random moves that you can use against your opponent. Some of them are virtually useless (kacklang) and some are incredibly useful (heal and magic burst). I also love seeing a character in the game that isn’t just another normal sword fighter (see: every Fire Emblem rep except for Robin).

These two games have helped me keep my sanity during these crazy times, and I’m so happy that I have these games to occupy my time. I’m also grateful that I even have a Switch to begin with; it allows me to have an escape to a world where I don’t have to even care about what’s going on outside my home.

Seven years ago, a free game was released onto the internet. This solo-developed horror game was created by Joonas Rikkonen, and last year was the first time that the game was released in a stable condition. This game is called SCP Containment Breach, where you play as a D-class (what the game refers to as people who get tested on in the facility this game takes place in) charged with making an attempt to escape when one of the many anomalies that are kept on-site escapes, causing a facility-wide breach to occur. But this franchise didn’t start out as just a horror game: it started as an innocuous post on 4Chan.

SCP-173. A lab report written in the horror section of 4Chan about a strange creature kept in a containment site that was hidden from normal society. It is described as an animate statue made of concrete and rebar, painted with Krylon brand spray paint. It only moves when something is not watching it, so no less than three people can enter its cell at a time, ensuring the safety of personnel who may be around it who need to blink. Its method of killing is a quick snap of the neck; closing your eyes around this monster ensures your quick demise. No one knew what to make of this unique and disturbing post, but they did know one thing: it was something that had never been seen before.

Soon, these types of posts began to clog the 4Chan board where it had been born. So, along with a few others, the SCP Wiki was created. On this site, the list of SCPs began to exponentially grow. Some notable entries include:

SCP-294, a coffee vending machine that can dispense any liquid, including those that have the potential to be catastrophically destructive. Upon depositing fifty cents, the user is prompted to enter a liquid of choice into the keypad, and the machine can dispense it. When tested, the machine could produce water, coffee, beer, and soda, non-consumable liquids such as sulfuric acid, wiper fluid, and motor oil.

SCP-426, I am a toaster; I can only be referred to in the first person in order to keep ambiguity. When I am in prolonged exposure to an individual, I slowly cause the person in question to believe that they are a toaster. I was given to a couple as a wedding gift, and after two months, an electrical fire caused the house to burn down. I was afterward taken into SCP’s custody, and I have remained there ever since.

SCP-1974, a bathtub that holds the consciousness of two individuals: SCP-1974-1, who is a male American, and SCP-1974-2, a male Russian. The two consciousnesses are in a near-constant state of arguing, and one can hear it if they submerge any body part into the water.

The only SCP that has never been designated is SCP-001. There have been a few proposals, most of which are catastrophic events, but to this day, those who man the SCP Wiki refuse to give this coveted spot away.

A few years after the SCP Wiki was created, a game designer commonly known as Regalis decided that he was going to make a game based off the SCP series. The main question is: how would one go about creating a game about a series that is home to hundreds of thousands of individual creatures? The answer was to create a game that was focused on escaping an SCP lab. The game was titled SCP Containment Breach, and to this day, it is still getting consistently updated.

The player character in the game is a D-Class personnel (in the SCP universe, the foundation often uses death-row criminals in their testing), and during a routine check on SCP-173, it breaches containment. It is now the job of the player to safely evade the many SCPs in the facility and find a way to escape.

This game, along with the efforts of those who work for the SCP Wiki, has kept the SCP Foundation a staple in modern horror and suspense. If you have the time, here’s a recommendation: to find out which SCP you are, go to Google and search “SCP” plus your birthday. Mine, SCP-825, is a medieval helmet that induces visions in those who wear it. And if your SCP interests you, why not search for readings of SCP articles on YouTube? This series is full of interesting creatures, and I am sure that you will find something that is both exciting and entertaining.

I have read five of the books in the series so far, there are thirteen. There is a TV series called True Blood that is based off of these books, but the books are very different. The author, Charlaine Harris, is actually from Mississippi and I wish I had heard about her before. I suppose she’s not as looked at as widely because she is a science fiction writer, however she’s an amazing story teller.

The books are about a twenty five year old woman who is a waitress who lives in Bon Temps, Louisiana ( a fictional town ) with her grandmother, and she can’t hold down a date because she’s a mind reader. I suppose that being a telepath can really hinder dating; I wouldn’t want to always hear what a man is thinking about me.

In the book, vampires are known by people and they actually exist. One night, a handsome guy comes into the bar and she immediately knows something is different about him because she can’t hear his thoughts.

As it turns out, because vampires are dead their brainwaves don’t work the same way. Sookie immediately finds peace within him and so begins the long story of Sookie being drawn into this dark and dangerous world.

She works for these creatures often to help them find out information from humans that they need to know. She discovers that they aren’t the only creatures that exist and ends up having so many different love interest that I almost can’t keep up. I don’t really know how to explain all of it cause it’s so much information..

I think the way it’s written is really entertaining  and I’ve been listening to it on audible so that’s fun. I’m sorry I’m not writing this amazingly right now, this quarantine has really drained me, but I’m trying my best. That’s why I’ve read so many of these books because it gives me something to focus on and breeds creativity for me.

I hope all of you are reading as much as you can and soaking in all different types of stories. Thank you for reading.

My review this month will be on a song entitled “Run Run” by Jill Scott. I chose this song because it reminds me of my mother, and most mothers in times like these. Since we have been out of school, my mother has continued to work and thrive in working two jobs. The song lyrics are as follows:

Baby, mama be back in a minute
Gotta hustle and handle my business
I’ll be right back when I’m done

I gotta run run run run, baby
Gotta put food on the table
Mama’s workin’ and know mama’s able

I’ve gotta run run run run
I’m Superwoman
Flying through the city
There’s only one way to make baby go and get it
Overworked, underpaid
Lord knows I need a raise
But when I walk by the guys say
“Baby, do you wanna go for a ride?
We can cruise on down 405
‘Cause it look like you could be the one”

I gotta run run run run, baby
Gotta put food on the table
Mama’s workin’ and know mama’s able
I’ll be right back when I’m done
I gotta run run run run

Me, oh my
Me, myself and I and my baby
I tell no lie
I try for my baby
Every night, I pray for my baby

Oh
I swim the deepest sea
I climb the highest mountain for you, baby
Oh
Anything, oh

Mama’s gonna be there when you’re
Mama’s gonna be there when you’re down
I love you, baby
So now
I’ve gotta run run run run run run run run run run run run baby

While this essay isn’t really a review of literary works, I think it still goes well with the theme of literature. It began as a rant I once had to myself, but I turned it into a slightly more formal essay for Mrs. Lambert’s class. If you’d like, you can think of this as a bit more of a peek into my brain, at least when it comes down to what I identify as in terms of writing. And in case you’re wondering, I identify as a writer.

Approximately 81 percent of Americans want to write at least one book. Does that qualify someone to be an author? To answer the question, those that wish to write a book are more than likely going to be a writer, not an author because they are less likely to dedicate their career to the craft. That sparks another question: what sets an author apart from a writer? The literal definition of a writer is “a person who has written a particular text,” and the definition of an author is “a writer of a book, article, or report.” While the words seem to be defined differently, they are too similar. As a solution, the definitions of “writer” and “author” should be further altered to avoid confusion.

A form of leisure, writing is often used as a way to deviate from the everyday. Many writers practice their craft to share it with those close to them. Some publish their stories in smaller works like literary journals and magazines, but not all writers strive to become famous for their work. Unlike authors, writers are not pressured to create something new; rather, they have the choice to continue a book or not. Therefore, a more accurate definition of a writer would be any person with a desire to write.

Authors are almost the opposite of writers in terms of their qualities. If a new definition of author was created, it should be worded something like “a person who writes not only for pleasure, but also for a living.” What begins as a passion for writing turns into a way of life for authors. Writing is more than a hobby; it is a career. When one takes into account how much work (deadlines, editing, revisions, etc.) an author has to devote to one story, it is clear that there is a divide between the two types of artists.

As briefly mentioned, the two are quite different when dissected, however, they do share some similarities. A thin line divides authors and writers, making them seem to be opposites. They have similar origins: finding pleasure or satisfaction in writing something into existence. Although, writers and authors take separate paths and end in different destinations, so to speak. For example, writers, often, do not have to devote their time to writing. If they wish, a writer can begin a story one day, then finish it some time afterwards. Authors, however, must create a story and produce a manuscript within a timeframe set by their editor. In the end, authors are more pressured to write for their earnings while writers do not experience the same. 

Due to their similarities, the terms “author” and “writer” are misused. A writer creates stories for leisure and might publish their work(s) to let others experience it. Alternatively, authors write for work before writing for pleasure. As one can tell, the divide between the two is slim but divided, nonetheless. As for how one can determine if they are a writer or author, consider how much time and effort one puts into a story or book idea. 

I haven’t read much throughout the past month, but I am about half way through The Diary of a Teenage Girl by Phoebe Gloeckner. The book is an interesting read and I would overall recommend it to anyone who likes coming of age stories. This is the book for you in that case.

The book is based off of the authors diary entries when she was a teenager. It’s even formatted like a diary in which it has doodles and dates above each entry. Sometimes it feels like you’re literally reading someones diary.

The main characters name is Minnie and she is a very wise yet naive girl. She likes having fun and being a little rebellious at times. She lives with her mother and younger sister in San Francisco. The story is set in the 70s which is also interesting. The story’s plot is based on Minnie’s life experiences at this time in her life.

I love the language of the book. The writing style is like no other that I’ve ever read before. The character development is also very interesting and relatable as a whole.

So far, I’m absolutely in love with the book. It has comic strips at times as well and sketches embedded within it which keeps things interesting and helps the reader visualize what is going on. I would recommend it to anyone in need of a good read at this time.