SCP-XXXX (Slave of Ink)

Summary:

A calligraphic pen that creates a creature that does your bidding.

SCP-XXXX (Slave of Ink)

Doctor Zook 16 Dec 2019 13:24

SCP-XXXX is a calligraphic pen dating back to feudal Japan. SCP-XXXX was discovered by [REDACTED] on an archeological dig. Upon hearing that [REDACTED] was shipping a highly dangerous item, MTF Alpha-4 ("Pony Express") successfully recovered the item from a guarded transport convoy. The anomalous property of the object is that when the user of the pen draws any figure and writes a bidding in Japanese, the ink will then come off the paper and attempt to do the bidding until it succeeds or the user opens the refilling portion of the cap. The creature the ink creates that has come off the paper will be designated as SCP-XXXX-1. This will be used by the foundation to attempt to neutralize some SCP’s like 682.

Re: SCP-XXXX (Slave of Ink)

Doctor Fullham 16 Dec 2019 16:47

Firstly, I recommend reading several items on the Guide Hub:

How to Write an SCP

Clinical Tone: Declassified

Things What Do a Thing: An Essay On Anomalies That Are Things That Do A Thing

There are other guides there that can be very helpful, but these three are some of the most often recommended for first-time contributors.

What An SCP Really Is

So, what you have currently is the "thing that does a thing" or "X that does Y" concept. An SCP article is much more than simply an anomalous item, being, place, or event. The true meat of the SCP is the story around the anomalous thing. The thing itself is a vehicle that the narrative is attached to. To give my best example from Series 1, look at SCP 093: The anomalous item itself is a rock that turns mirrors into inter-dimensional portals. The thing that makes this SCP shine is the story; the history of the dimension that it leads to.

You need more than just "it's a pen that can make things it draws come to life to fulfill a specific goal." What story are you going to tell - How The Foundation found it, Who or what created it and why, did someone use it to some end? Do the created figures have any degree of sentience? Is there a limit on how complex the commands can be? Is the figure made out of whatever material it was drawn on, or something else? (These are not all questions that must be answered, these are some possible narrative hooks.) You need something that differentiates this as an SCP, instead of just an Anomalous Item.

This will be used by the foundation to attempt to neutralize some SCP’s like 682.

It's a generally accepted rule that The Foundation does not try to neutralize SCPs except in extreme cases, and cross-linking to other SCPs is a tricky prospect, especially one as old (and as hotly debated) as 682. They Secure, Contain, and Protect, not Neutralize.

Other Thoughts

I recommend reading several (at least 10-20) of the top-rated SCPs from the last several months, and avoid reading series 1 SCPs for inspiration. Many series 1 SCPs would not last a day under current SCP standards, and a few are only still around because of their history with the wiki itself. (This does not apply to all series 1 SCPs, as you can see I mentioned 093 earlier, but many of these were written before the wiki's style had really been cemented.)

The object, while important, is not actually the main focus of the SCP. A good story, a compelling narrative, something that makes the reader feel something - that is the goal of an SCP article. What feeling do you want to evoke from the reader? Horror? Empathy? Sadness? You need to create a narrative around this object and its effects.

I am not saying this to discourage you, I just want you to understand the amount of effort that goes into creating a successful SCP.

If you can revise this idea with a story that you want to tell, we will be able to give you much more meaningful and constructive critique.

One of our members is actually hosting a seminar today (Dec 16, 6pm EST) on Narrative advice for beginners.