what happens at the cabin stays at the cabin

Summary:

A sign that keeps the cabin separate

what happens at the cabin stays at the cabin(Seeking greenlights)

grapesofwonder 25 May 2020 05:38

Seeking Greenlights: Yes

Page Type: SCP Article

Elevator Pitch: A sign reading "what happens at the cabin stays at the cabin" that causes all events in the structure it is hung in to have no physical consequences outside of the structure. Peoples memories persist but that is all. This includes minor things like overeating to major things like murder being undone upon exit from the signs area of influence. What it doesn't erase is memory, trauma, and strange effects on time. People may have phantom pains of any injuries sustained in the area of effect as well.

Central Narrative: May include interviews with a family who bought the cabin with the sign. What starts as a relatively benign influence, "we can totally stay up all night and watch horror movies without being tired tomorrow" to finding out accidents can be undone, "That cut on my finger healed so fast" to eventually worse.

Hook/Attention-Grabber: Many people have been on family vacations to a cabin or old bed and breakfast that has a similar sign. Vacations often feel like another world. Like what happened then has no bearing on the now. What if it didn't. At least directly. That sense of otherworldly dream state is what I want to grab people attention with.

Last edited on 25 May 2020 18:40 by grapesofwonder Show more

Re: what happens at the cabin stays at the cabin

Rex Atlas 26 May 2020 00:38

Honestly, this anomaly does have some potential for narrative, so with that being said, what is your narrative? What in this will become narratively compelling? Will it be testing log-based or based on interview logs with the family? What about this would be interesting?
These are just questions to sit and think of prior to responding. They should also help with ideation for a narrative.

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King of the Meese

Last edited on 26 May 2020 00:38 by Rex Atlas Show more

Re: what happens at the cabin stays at the cabin

grapesofwonder 26 May 2020 22:09

Thanks for the questions. I wasn't certain on narrative at first but sitting and thinking about it I think the best story would come from interview logs with those who came in contact with the anomaly.

The narrative arc would broadly be that a group went to the cabin to vacation and after an accident that kills one of them find out about the anomaly. Later the one who died is afraid of leaving and dying permanently so kills the others to keep anyone from leaving but sees it simply as preserving them figuring they can be brought back later. The foundation discovers the incident when reports of a hermit who doesn't age reach them. During initial containment on of the "dead" people may be brought back showing consequences of changes reverting after many years.

To me this is interesting because the promise of being safe in the cabin ruins the lives of many despite its seeming potential for good.

I can think of a few test logs I could write yet they seem less interesting as the foundation would be competent enough to not really let it get out of hand.

Thanks again for the feedback and questions!

Re: what happens at the cabin stays at the cabin

Sonderance 30 May 2020 02:00

Placeholder! Got summoned via PM to take a look-see. Will crit in a bit.

Alright, here’s my take.

+ show block

Starting off, I’d like to say that your concept intrigues me. As sapient beings, we tend to carry the emotional aftereffects of most things that happen to us long after the physical effects have worn off. The exaggerated version of that you’ve described here is definitely a solid foundation on which to build a narrative.

However, I’m a bit confused as to how you’re planning to tell the story you have in mind. The most prevalent issue with writing SCP articles is that a lot of the actual documentation takes place after the events of the narrative have passed. Since the interviews with the family members will be taking place after everything they have went through, how do you plan to tell the actual, overarching story with enough emotional stake to keep the reader hooked?

If you respond to this comment and would like me to see it, please send me a Wikidot PM, as I will not be notified otherwise.

Last edited on 31 May 2020 04:52 by Sonderance Show more

Re: what happens at the cabin stays at the cabin

Naveil 01 Jun 2020 15:24

Responding to PM Request - will crit soon-ish

So I do like the premise you're going for here, but I'm a tad confused on your narrative(s?). Like, you have two, the family and the group. Which one are you using? I'll crit both, anyhow.

For the family, it seems interesting enough, but you're not elaborating. Like, the family realizing they're essentially immortal (while still bound under the restrictions of the SCP) could be extremely fucked up, in both the good and bad variations. But, like I said, you're just giving the general outline, and necessarily where you want to take the plot. Like, what emotion are you trying to evoke? What kind of horror are you planning to express? That kinda stuff.

The group plot seems a bit more developed, but still suffers from a lot of the same problems I mentioned previously. Like, you're clearly trying to evoke horror in some aspect, you're just not elaborating enough for me to get you.
Also, it sorta reads like a campy horror movie (á la Friday the 13th) which… is kinda strange? Like, if you think you can make it work, I won't stop you, but I can't say I'm the biggest fan of a narrative essentially being forced out of existence by nonsensical plot points, like the person who died killing everyone else. It just comes across as cheap horror and an easy way to gain morbidity points.

Last edited on 02 Jun 2020 22:21 by Naveil Show more