Welcome to another December Word Crawl!
Don’t know what a crawl is? No problem! I’ve given you a run-down of everything you need here
In short though, it’s like a writing board game: you write from one instruction to the next to create a story of 300 words or more and it can be about absolutely anything (you don’t have to stick to the Harry Potter theme in any way).
If you’d like to share your story, you’ll earn 20 beans and it will count towards your chance of earning one of our shiny quill and ink awards. You can post it below or if you’re uncomfortable sharing publically but would still like it to count, you can email it to us at hol.bookclub @ gmail.com (without spaces) with the subject line Crawl-Month-HOL ID. There is no deadline, though if you want to scoop that award, we’ll need it by the end of the school year.
We’ve reached Half Blood Prince and in deference to Harry’s new potions prowess (ehem), today you won’t just be writing a story. You’ll also be brewing The Draft of Living Death. With a tiny portion of Felix Felicis up for grabs, light the fire of creativity beneath your cauldron and get started!
Completely failing to be surprised, you watch on as your friend correctly identifies nearly every potion the Professor has ranged around the room
*In celebration of the 30 points she snags, write as many words*
Now it’s time to get down to work. You nervously flip open the stained and tattered text book. The page is almost indecipherable beneath the scrawls and additions of the previous owner.
*Write 50 words while you struggle to make it out and fetch the ingredients you need* (Bonus if you can do at least part of this with your eyes closed)
With what you think are the correct ingredients, you try to make a start
*Chop your Valerian Roots and chuck another 50 words into the cauldron*
You prod fruitlessly at the incredibly recalcitrant sopophorous bean for a long while. In the background, you can hear certain members of the class trying desperately to smarm their way into the professor’s good books
*Write 70 words while you struggle*
Caving in, you actually follow the annotator’s advice and crush the bean with a silver dagger. This results in an alarming gush of juice that nearly soaks you (and everything else within a 2 feet radius)
*Write 30 words while you decant the juice and try to mop up a bit*
You move onto stirring and guiltily decide to throw in a clockwise stir after 7 counter clockwise, as your new advisor from the book suggests. To your amazement (and the dismay of your friend) it pays off.
*Write 50 words while you stir* (Bonus if you can use one hand and switch every 10 words. Yes, I’m evil)
The professor begins to come round to inspect everyone’s handy work and you wait in nervous anticipation to see if yours really is as good as it looks
*Write 20 words while you squirm* (bonus if the final moments of your story are very tense)
You receive a vial of liquid luck in return for your sterling work (and new-found willingness to take advice from strangers)
*But before you celebrate, don’t forget to share your story with us!*