How To Write An SCP

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Throughout this page you'll find red links to other guides and essays on writing, in the form of "For more information, [[[how-to-write-an-scp| see here]]]". If this is a topic you want to read more about, we recommend you take a look. Additionally, you can find more official guides on the [[[Guide Hub]]], and other useful writing advice on the [[[essay-resource-hub|Essay Hub]]].

[[tabview]]
[[tab Introduction]]

So, you want to write an SCP. 

Writing an SCP is something that most new members of our site are eager to do.  However, writing for the site can be challenging, and your first attempt may not be successful. Even authors with experience writing elsewhere can struggle, because an SCP requires you to tell a story in an unusual format.

The fact is, a lot of authors struggle with their first attempt. But don't think of this as a rule, a curse or an excuse not to try. **Think of it as a challenge!**

The difficulty doesn't come from bad luck or a lack of potential, but from a lack of experience, and the only way to learn is through practice and feedback! With help from more experienced members of our community, you will be able to write something successful. The best advice is to **be patient**. The writing process takes time, and it's unlikely you're going to write the next hit SCP overnight. 

Before you start writing, take time to read recently published works to get an idea of what your article could look like. Read critically- think about why the works that are highly rated are so well received, and why works that aren't highly rated aren't. Additionally, don't spend all your time here! A big part of writing is thinking through what makes for a compelling story in a wide variety of genres and forms of media. 

There is no need to rush to post right away - we'll be here regardless of whether it takes you a week, a month or even a year to complete your article. We'd rather have one good piece than several weak ones, and if you can learn what works by writing your first article well, you can follow it up with something even better. For this reason, critique is available for everything from your initial idea to your final draft, to spot things that could be improved on and to help you to refine your ideas. This is an essential part of the creative process, so if you want to succeed on the SCP Wiki, make sure to pay attention to the sections on getting feedback from others.

It should be noted that this guide is intended as basic advice for beginners - while there are successful articles that don't follow all of this advice, it's important to understand what the basic expectations are before you try subvert them.

It's also worth mentioning that you don't have to start by writing an SCP! We have several different types of article on the site, from [[[foundation-tales| tales written in prose]]] to [[[goi-formats| "Group of Interest" formats]]] looking at the anomalous from a different perspective. If you come up with an idea you think could be better conveyed as a tale or GoI format, you may want to try that instead. While more general writing advice will still apply, including the importance of receiving critique, the lack of a defined format for these articles makes it hard to offer guidance in a guide like this, although the looser format does come with more freedom for you as the writer.

While we'd recommend reading the whole guide, you may find it more helpful to focus on the **Generating an Idea** tab first, get some feedback on your concept, then come back to this guide when you're ready to develop it further.

[[/tab]]
[[tab 1. Generating an Idea]]
All successful writing needs to start with an interesting idea.

The first thing to be aware of is that the SCP format is a short story, written in the style of a secret government document. Go to any work on any SCP List and start reading it - we recommend checking out [[[top-rated-pages-this-month| this month's Top Rated Pages]]] or the [[[main|Featured Articles on the front page]]]. The anomaly itself will probably catch your eye first, as detailed through the list of Special Containment Procedures and then Description, but look closer and you will find a narrative. It doesn't have to be complicated, the point is simply that the anomalous objects are a narrative device, a framing device for the rest of the work. For this reason, when thinking of an idea, __focus on what you want to tell in the work, and not on the details of the anomaly itself__.

Even the most simplistic SCPs tell a story. [[[SCP-173]]], for example, was posted without any surrounding context on the /x/ board of 4chan in 2008. The document on its own implies a larger universe, with at least 172 other, equally terrifying and weird objects. SCP-173 is a simple idea, but it engaged so many people that it eventually turned into an entire Wiki. While the story you tell doesn't have to be long or complicated, it does need to engage the reader's attention.

With that in mind, how do you come up with the basic idea for your SCP? One approach is to consider the emotional reaction you want to get from your reader, then think about the best way to convey that. While the site began with horror, it has expanded into genres as diverse as comedy, action-adventure, and slice-of-life, and each of these aim at creating a different emotional response. Even within a genre, there are a lot of different ways to achieve this - monsters, darkness, isolation and confined spaces can all be sources of horror, but work in very different ways. To write a compelling article based on an emotion, you'll need to think about the things that you find scary, funny or exciting, and then work out how you're going to communicate that feeling through your writing.

SCP ideas can instead be more focused on the plot, for example showing how the lives of ordinary people might be affected by an anomaly, or depicting some aspect of the Foundation or another one of the many [[[Groups of Interest]]] that you think is worth exploring in more detail. You may be interested in exploring the history of a bizarre civilization, or describing the biology and behaviour of a strange life form. It's fine to start with a simple concept, but if your idea could currently be summarised as a "thing that does a thing", you may find [[[things-what-do-a-thing-an-essay-on-things| this essay on how to expand on that core idea]]] to be helpful. If you're still struggling to think of an idea, [[[ideation|this essay may offer some inspiration]]].

New writers often worry that their idea may be too similar to an existing article, and with thousands of SCPs already published it's likely that there is something with similarities to your concept. It's important not to be overly derivative, and directly copying from an existing SCP or another piece of media is a very bad idea - while all authors take inspiration from other works, this is a website for original works of fiction. The thing to keep in mind is that there are many different ways to expand the same basic concept, so rather than trying to think of a completely unique idea, instead focus on conveying it in a unique way. 

++ A Word of Caution
 
Certain ideas that have been done so often that they're hard to do again in an original way, such as anomalies that make other anomalies, portals to other dimensions and things that make you crazy and then kill you. Additionally, articles that are focused on crosstesting, long experiment logs or people who can fight other anomalies are generally not received well. [[[essay-on-common-newbie-ideas| This essay goes into more detail on these common ideas]]], explaining why articles need a very creative approach to ensure they stand out.

Additionally, topics such as sexual assault or child abuse are generally considered taboo, and for good reason. If you decide to include them in your work, you will need to be very careful to avoid treating a sensitive topic in an inappropriate way. The same caution applies to historical atrocities like the Holocaust, and to some extent anything involving their perpetrators (especially the Nazis) - it is difficult to write fiction portraying these events without either trivialising real experiences, or exploiting them for shock value in a disrespectful way. We'd recommend reading an essay on [https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/sensitive-topics-and-you this specific subject] if you intend to write a work involving these kinds of themes, but we wouldn't recommend trying to do that in your very first article.

++ Developing your Idea

Once you have your idea, the next step is to develop it, and imagine the basic outline of the article you plan to write. One approach to this is to ask yourself questions about the anomaly you plan to use, for example: "What might people do with it?", "How would the Foundation react to it?", "Where does the object come from?", and "Why does it do what it does?" The article you write could focus on the anomaly itself and its history or capabilities, or you could use it to introduce and explore a character, location or series of events. For more about how to tell a story through your SCP, we have an [[[https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/an-exercise-in-narrative-based-scps| essay on narrative-based SCPs]]].

If your idea involves a humanoid or otherwise intelligent anomaly, you'll have to put some thought into how you plan to characterise them in the article. See [https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/overdone-humanoid-cliches-and-how-to-avoid-them this essay] for advice on doing this well and avoiding common pitfalls.

++ General Guidelines

# **Dangerous doesn't equal interesting.** An object that can kill every person within a hundred kilometres in one second is certainly a great threat, but unless you create a compelling narrative around it, the work will not be very interesting. While raising the stakes can be exciting, the deaths of thousands of nameless extras will have far less impact on the reader than a threat to a single person who's been given characterisation within the article. 
# **The Foundation contains and researches.** When writing your piece, remember that the motto of the SCP Foundation is __"Secure__. __Contain__. __Protect.__", not "__Destroy__. __Destroy__. __Destroy__." The purpose of the Foundation is to secure and contain objects, and destruction is the last resort when all else fails, not a standard procedure.
# **Have a clear and coherent vision.** Don't try to put too many ideas into a single article. Focus on one, then naturally develop it so that any additional elements you add make sense and build on the original concept. If your idea is too complex, it may benefit from being simplified down to only the essential elements. 

++ Idea Critique
Once you have your idea, we recommend getting feedback on the [https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/c-89000/help:ideas-critique Ideas Critique] forum, the [https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/chat-guide IRC channels], or in the [https://discord.gg/scp writing channels section of the Discord Server]. [https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-13282684/required-reading:how-to-use-this-forum-ideas This thread] explains the basic rules, but due to the large number of ideas that get posted every day, you'll need to reach out to other reviewers if you want to receive critique. You can read some advice on the best ways to do this [https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-13282692/how-to-get-more-reviews here].

It should be noted that both the forums and the Discord require first-time authors to get their basic idea Greenlit by two experienced reviewers before you'll be allowed to get feedback on the full draft, so it's worth getting critique on your idea before you start writing your draft. For more advice on getting you idea Greenlit, [https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/essay-on-communicating-ideas read this essay on Communicating your idea], showing how well-known SCPs, even long and complex ones, can have the key details summarised in a single paragraph of text. The key thing to remember is that it's much more important to say what you plan to do with your anomaly in the forum post than it is to fully describe every detail of it.
 
While you should put thought into your idea before posting, you ultimately won't know how well it works as an SCP concept until you try to write the full article. If your idea is approved but you can't work out how to expand it into a full length draft, there's nothing wrong with beginning again, and coming back to this step to get a different concept Greenlit.

[[/tab]]
[[tab 2. Resources, Templates and Formatting]]

++ Sandbox
A Sandbox is a place to create your drafts and a way to share them with others, for example when asking for criticism. Working there is useful, as both you and your critics can see what it will look like when actually posted on the wiki. Remember to read the information and rules on the main page, you'll need to become a member of the sandbox site before you can post on it.

__[http://scp-sandbox-3.wikidot.com/ A link to the Sandbox Site]__

++ SCP Template
The first thing is the template to use when writing. It is as follows:
[[div class="code"]]
@@[[>]]@@
@@[[module Rate]]@@
@@[[/>]]@@

@@**Item #:** SCP-XXXX@@

@@**Object Class:** Safe/Euclid/Keter (indicate which class)@@

@@**Special Containment Procedures:** [Paragraphs explaining the procedures]@@

@@**Description:** [Paragraphs explaining the description]@@

@@**Addendum:** [Optional additional paragraphs]@@

@@[[footnoteblock]]@@

@@[[div class="footer-wikiwalk-nav"]]@@
@@[[=]]@@
@@<< [[[SCP-XXXX]]] | SCP-XXXX | [[[SCP-XXXX]]] >>@@
@@[[/=]]@@
@@[[/div]]@@

@@[[include :scp-wiki:component:license-box]]@@
@@> **Filename:** @@
@@> **Name:** (if different from filename)@@
@@> **Author:**@@
@@> **License:**@@
@@> **Source Link:**@@
@@[[include :scp-wiki:component:license-box-end]]@@
[[/div]]
This is the bare minimum for an SCP object. The elements are:
* Rating Module, this small bar at the top of works which allows you to click + or - to vote on the work when it's posted on the wiki.
* Item #, the number your object has, in the format of SCP-XXXX (replace this with the actual SCP number when posting it to the SCP Wiki).
* Object Class, the indicator of how difficult the object is to contain. Information on this subject can be found [[[object-classes| here]]]. The three most common are Safe, Euclid, and Keter, but there are other object classes, some used frequently and others only in a single article. Just keep in mind that it's about how easy it is to keep it locked up, and not about how dangerous it is if it manages to escape.
* Special Containment Procedures, from which the acronym "SCP" originates. In short, you need to describe 2 elements here: What to do for the object to be contained, and how to proceed with the object. This will be described in more detail in a later section.
* Description, the description of the anomaly itself and its operation. Similar to the Special Containment Procedures, this will be described later.
* Navigation Module, the element designed to allow users to quickly navigate between pages, which needs to be put at the bottom of the page. Change SCP-XXXX to SCP numbers, with your number in the middle, and on the left and right numbers 1 smaller and 1 larger, respectively. If you don't understand, check how this it is done in other works.
* The License Box. [[[component:license-box|Check the component page]]] for more information.

There are also additional elements, often used with the baseline template. Amongst these are:
* Addenda, wide-ranging additional information. These can include experiment logs, exploration logs, interview logs, and any other elements not falling under Special Containment Procedures or Description.
* Supplementary Classification Systems - you can use other systems in addition to the Object Class . These include the [[[anomaly-classification-system-guide| Anomaly Classification System]]], which assigns SCP objects a Disruption Class and a Risk Class on a scale of 1 to 5, and color-coded [http://scp-int.wikidot.com/niveaux-de-menace-des-objets-scp Threat Levels] to describe how dangerous an SCP object would be if containment was breached. It's entirely optional whether or not you decide to use these in your own article, but follow the links for more information on how to add them if they interest you.

++ Formatting
Formatting, changing the look of the text using Wikidot's code, is an important element of your work's aesthetics. A guide with an extensive list of possibilities is [[[wiki-syntax| located here]]], with additional templates in the [[[SCP Style Resource]]], but the following are the basic formats.
> @@**bold**@@ —> **bold**
> @@//italics//@@ —> //italics//
> @@__underscore__@@ —> __underscore__
> @@--strikethrough--@@ —> --strikethrough--
> @@[[[SCP-002|on-site link]]]@@ —> [[[SCP-002|on-site link]]]
> @@[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page external link]@@ —> [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page external link]
> @@> text@@ —> The blockquote in which this text is located
> @@Text ^^superscript^^@@ —> Text ^^superscript^^
> @@Text ,,subscript,,@@ —> Text ,,subscript,,

++ Stylistic aspects

You will likely have seen articles that look different to the default appearance of the site. This is usually accomplished through the use of themes and components. The main categories of themes are those based off of Sigma-9 (the default) and Black Highlighter (an alternative). Comprehensive lists of these themes can be found on the following pages:

* [[[sigma-9-themes| Sigma-9 Themes]]]
* [[[black-highlighter-themes| Black Highlighter Themes]]]

Components are like themes, but more focused. These can add things like the [[[component:anomaly-class-bar| Anomaly Classification Bar]]], add information boxes for author notes, and much more. A comprehensive list of all components on the site can be found on the following page:

* [[[components-hub| Components Hub]]]

While these tools can be useful, keep in mind that people will care a lot more about how your article is written than about how it looks!

If you do see something in an article you like, you can generally see how it was done by scrolling to the bottom of the page, clicking __- Options__ and then clicking __View Source__. Just be aware that many stylistic elements may be part of a component or a feature of their theme, so not everything is as simple as just copying and pasting a specific section of text.

++ Images

Images are not mandatory in an SCP object, but can grab the reader's attention and help them visualise the anomaly or its effects. Remember that all images you want to use in your work have to be compatible with our **Creative Commons license, [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ CC BY-SA 3.0].** More information can be found in our [[[image use policy]]].

The following sites can help you find an image with a compatible license:

* [https://wordpress.org/openverse/?referrer=creativecommons.org CC Search]
* [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Wikimedia Commons]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Public_domain_resources Wikipedia General Resources]
* [https://publicdomainreview.org/ Public Domain Review]
* [https://publicdomainvectors.org/ Public Domain Vectors]
* [https://www.loc.gov/ Library of Congress]
* [https://www.flickr.com/ Flickr]
* [https://torange.biz/ Torange]
* [https://snappygoat.com/ Snappygoat]

If you use an image in your article, put the licensing information in a [[[component:license-box| License Box]]] at the bottom of your article.

[[/tab]]
[[tab 3. The SCP Format]]

While the basic format of an SCP is a rather unusual way to tell a story, it does still have an introduction, development, and ending. It's best to use the Object Class and Special Containment Procedures as an introduction — it gives the reader some expectations, but never explicitly says what the work is about. Development consists of the description and any other elements that expand on the presented object and the events that happen around it, such as explorations, experiments, interviews and incidents. Naturally, the ending will be the concluding element, which could be the end of the description, the final addendum to the article, or the end of a supplementary log.

SCP articles can be of any length, but for your first article we'd recommend keeping it short. This limits the amount of writing you need to do, and will make it much easier to get feedback. While your article can be as long as it needs to be, it shouldn't be longer than necessary, and one of the simplest ways to improve your writing is to edit out any parts that distract from the story you're telling.

++ Special Containment Procedures
What are these? As the name implies, these are the procedures that guarantee the object is safely contained. For this reason, you have to write two things in the Special Containment Procedures.
* Procedures for containing the object.
* Procedures for handling the object.
That's basically it, although you can add additional information if you want to, like the number of the facility where the object is stored, or the name of the doctor who runs the anomaly research project.

But how do you write Special Containment Procedures? It's going to be easier to come back to this after writing the Description, because the appropriate Special Containment Procedures will depend on how difficult it is to keep it contained, and can range from trivial to elaborate. Limit your procedures to what your anomaly actually requires to be safely contained, because the Foundation doesn't have unlimited resources. The procedures will also seem more plausible to the reader if you keep them grounded in what's possible with current technology, rather than relying too much on futuristic or fictional technologies.

Remember that these should serve as the introduction to the rest of the article, creating an expectation of what lies ahead. Well-written containment procedures introduce your anomaly in a way that's intriguing, not boring, and a paragraph or two is usually sufficient. For more information, you can read [[[doing-the-safety-dance| this guide]]] on writing reasonable and engaging containment procedures.

If your anomaly is a humanoid, or even just an animal or another kind of intelligent being, the Special Containment Procedures may contain some basic details about their accommodation. Remember that the Foundation treats these as just another type of anomaly to be contained. The Foundation is neither a hotel nor a prison, and so while they won't just give the anomaly whatever it wants, basics like food, bedding and medical care are assumed, while entertainment and leisure activities like books or television might be conditional on good behaviour. The exact details of how the Foundation treats your anomaly are up to you as a writer, but try to avoid either extreme - the Foundation is cold, not cruel.

Generally, the Foundation keeps a tight grip on their anomalies, and won't just let them wander freely or be used by anyone. With that said, some articles do explore ways in which the Foundation might want to make use of SCP objects - just remember that the Foundation needs a good reason to take this risk.

++ Description
The Special Containment Procedures will likely only make sense after reading the Description, which should contain everything the reader needs to understand the rest of the article.

It's best to start with the most normal elements and move on to the anomalous ones. If you're describing a bear, first write that it is a brown bear //Ursus Arctos//, weighs 450 kilograms and is 2.8 metres tall in an upright position, and only then say that it has six paws. Introducing an oddity without first establishing what the creature or object actually is will only confuse the reader and make the work seem chaotic. Once you have a basic physical description of the anomaly, you can move on to the other elements, including its anomalous properties. Remember to introduce before describing - write that the entity gives off radio waves, before saying that the radio waves cause headaches. You don't need to describe every detail, but it should be enough to give your reader a decent idea of what your anomaly looks like and what it is capable of doing.

Some articles include information about the anomaly's origins in the description, while others save that for the addenda. Other articles leave it as a mystery - it depends on whether the origin is part of the story you're telling.

++ Addenda
With the description and SCP in place, the core of the work is finished and it is time to move on to the more peripheral elements — the addenda. While not all works have them, this doesn't mean they're unimportant, and they can often be the real focus of the article, where characters are developed, concepts are explored, and surprising events occur. While there's no limit to what can be an addendum, make sure that it adds something meaningful to your article and the story it's telling.
* Interviews are a good way to add dialogue and characterisation to your article, whether it's an interview with the anomaly itself, or with the person who discovered or created it. The main thing to be aware of is that both the interviewer and interviewee need to seem like actual people having a conversation, albeit in a very formal environment, rather than just existing to deliver information to the audience. Think about how the personality of the people involved would affect how they ask or answer each question, and whether there are things that would be implied rather than said explicitly. Once you've written it, try reading your dialogue out loud. Does it sound like a real person talking?
* Exploration Logs, Recovery Logs and Incident Reports serve a similar purpose, but are likely to incorporate action and adventure in addition to dialogue. This can be a more exciting way to reveal information and raise additional questions, but will require you to think carefully about how the characters, and consider how their motivations and personalities that affect their actions. Make sure that trained professionals working for the Foundation don't come across as too incompetent, or events that you intended to be tense or even horrific may instead seem comedic. In terms of the plot of these addenda, your anomaly may simply be an object the characters are trying to obtain, but it could instead be the antagonist (in the case of an intelligent or monstrous anomaly) or even the setting itself (if the anomaly affects or grants access to a specific location). 
* Experiment Logs can be a way to explore the scientific side of the Foundation. However, for a list of experiments to remain engaging, the Description will need to raise a lot of questions about exactly what this anomaly can do, and the experiment log will need to answer these in an interesting way. Remember that the longer the list of experiments, the harder it will be for your reader to keep track of what's going on.
For all of these supplementary materials, remember that you only have to show the interesting parts - if it doesn't improve the experience of reading the article, you can remove or summarise it instead.

[[/tab]]
[[tab 4. Additional Writing Advice]]

++ Clinical Tone
The language you use to write your SCP is very important. Remember that __the SCP report is an official document__, at least within the fictional universe. It should be written using language, terms, and sentence construction similar to a scientific paper or government report. This is called "clinical tone" on the site. A more detailed description of how to achieve this can be found [[[clinical-tone-declassified| in this essay]]], but the basics are:
*  **Don't refer to your object as "The SCP".** This acronym in articles stands for "Special Containment Procedures". Use the words "object", "subject", "instance", "entity" or "anomaly" instead.
* **Avoid colloquial or subjective language.** Avoid writing in first person ("I", "we"), and instead write in the third person ("Researchers have observed"). Describe the anomaly in terms of hard facts and objective observations, rather than personal opinion ("induces a fear response in test subjects" rather than "is very scary"). Informal language can be included in Interviews and Exploration logs, since those should convey how people actually speak, although Foundation employees will probably still try to appear professional if they're aware they're being recorded .
* **Be precise.** Part of the tone of an SCP article is a scientific approach to the inexplicable, so if you are describing your anomaly in detail, use the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_System_of_Units appropriate units] (the metric system), and make sure that any scientific terms are used correctly - for more on this, see [[[technical-writing|this guide on technical writing]]]. Additionally, the Foundation does have its own technical jargon, and the community has invented various pseudoscientific terms for describing the anomalous, with [[[glossary-of-terms| examples listed here]]]. There's no obligation to use these, but you may find them helpful in "scientifically" describing things that don't actually exist.
* **Write clearly.** It's important not to overuse technical terms, real or fictional - while a few can help immerse the reader in the setting, filling your work with complicated words and complex sentences will make it harder to read and even harder to enjoy. The Procedures should be simple to follow, and each part of the description should flow logically from the previous point. Any terminology that the average person would need a dictionary to understand should be kept to a minimum, and the context should make it clear what it's referring to.
* **Use detail carefully.** If you focus your article on addenda or other supplementary material, a long description may get in the way of the most interesting parts of your article. You'll have to decide for yourself how much detail is appropriate, but most of the time, a few sentences of physical description followed by a brief summary of the SCP object's anomalous properties are all that's required in the Description section.

++ Crosslinks
It's worth remembering that there are literally thousands of SCPs at this point, so when writing your SCP, it's best not to assume that the reader has an in-depth knowledge of another article. Crosslinks and references to other works can help to tie your work into a broader fictional world, but make sure your article makes sense and tells a compelling story even if the reader is unfamiliar with the other works. For more information on crosslinking well and the kind of crosslinks it's best to avoid, check out the [https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/crosslinks-guide Crosslinks Guide].

++ [REDACTED]
Another frequently used element in SCP articles is redaction, when the author deliberately leaves out portions of the text. We generally indicate Foundation censorship in three ways, by writing [DATA EXPUNGED] or [REDACTED], or by replacing text with ████. In practice, [DATA EXPUNGED] and [REDACTED] are synonyms with little distinction in their usage, although "expunged" implies that the information has been destroyed rather than just concealed. Avoid overusing ████, since it's very distracting for the reader when used too often.

There's no expectation that a work will be redacted, so don't use this technique just because you feel like you should - only use it if concealing information is more interesting than revealing it. Censorship forces the reader to speculate about what might be hidden behind it, and to ask questions about why it's being kept from them. It's most impactful if you've given enough information to allow each reader to make their own guess at what it might be, while also leaving enough unsaid that what it actually is remains open to individual interpretation.

Additionally, the fictional Foundation needs to have a good reason to keep this information hidden from their staff. While you can redact parts of the description and addenda, you shouldn't hide information in the Special Containment Procedures. SCPs are written as important procedures that must be carefully followed, so concealing parts of them would be dangerous. Detailed information on censorship and its use in real life can be found [https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/avoid-the-blackbox in this guide], and we encourage you to read it if you plan on using redaction in your article.

++ Aesthetics and Readability
It is time to talk about aesthetics, or what makes a work readable and attractive. One might even argue that aesthetics is the second most important element of the work after the narrative itself, because no matter how interesting the story is, it still needs to be able to be read easily.
# **Avoid large blocks of text.** Divide your article into multiple paragraphs to make sure the reader doesn't get lost in big blocks of text. It also helps to write about different pieces of information into separate paragraphs.
# **Don't use bold, italics or underlining for emphasis.** You can use these for other things, such as headings, notes or other irregular elements, but there's no need to highlight the most important parts of the text - people will be reading the whole thing.
# **Don't cross out large chunks of text.** The more text that is crossed out, the harder it is to read. A word does not create a problem, a sentence is annoying, a paragraph is frustrating. At some point, people will give up.

++ Reviewing your own work
We recommend that you start by just getting a first draft written, instead of tweaking and editing every sentence to try to get it perfect. However, once you've finished writing it's a good time to read back through your work, ideally out loud. If anything sounds off, you'll want to rephrase it, and if you (or your spellchecking software) notices any typos, you'll be able to correct them. The end result will be much more polished and easier to read, and you may find that going back to the start after writing the end gives you additional ideas. For example, you may notice inconsistencies in details or characterisation that need to be amended, or think of an interesting way to use the Special Containment Procedures or Description to hint at dangers or surprises that become relevant later in the article. While the next step is to get input from a critic, spotting and correcting these errors before bringing your draft to them  allows them to focus on helping you with specific details, instead of pointing out common mistakes.

[[/tab]]
[[tab 5. Critique]]

The natural next step, after finishing and rereading your work, is to submit it to other more experienced members for review. This is done in the [https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/c-89000/help:ideas-critique Ideas Critique] forum, the [https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/chat-guide IRC channels], or in the [https://discord.gg/scp writing channels section of the Discord Server]. Please read the pinned threads at the very top - this will help make sure you follow forum guidelines!

If you haven't published a successful article before, you'll need to get your idea greenlit on the ideas forum before you can post a draft to the forum or Discord server, as described in the Generating An Idea tab. This is another reason why it's important to get feedback on your idea before you start writing.

It can be difficult to find people to review your draft - remember, we are all volunteers doing this in our free time. One approach is to message people who have previously expressed interest in the idea, especially people who Greenlit it originally or who have written similar works in the past. You can also [[[butterfly-squad-roster| ask the people listed here]]] to review your draft, although keep in mind that they each have their own personal preferences for the drafts they choose to review. We have a [[[how-to-get-good-feedback| more detailed essay on getting good feedback]]] if you're still struggling to find people.

__There’s no reason to be afraid of getting feedback or avoid getting feedback.__ Even the most experienced authors on the site still get regular feedback from their peers - that’s how they can continue to improve their writing and keep publishing great work.

Remember - reviewers are here to help you. Make sure you go in with an open mind and are ready to listen to what they may have to say! They may not find the idea interesting, or they may really enjoy it, but if you listen to their suggestions for ways to improve the draft, you'll end up with a much better article than you had originally.

[[/tab]]
[[tab 6. Publication]]

Before we explain publication, one final reminder: SCPs that have not received feedback in the Draft forum or official chats are unlikely to succeed, and we don't recommend posting them. Even if the idea has potential, there is generally a lot that still needs to be improved. The site is for the final judgment of finished work, and people will downvote your SCP if it isn't up to their standards. If you haven't already, read the **Critique** tab and follow the advice it gives.

With that in mind, when you and the people you've gotten criticism from are happy with your work, it's time for the final step in our journey, publication. This will focus on posting a mainlist SCP article - for information on how to post another type of article, go to [[[contribute| How to Contribute]]]. We have some illustrations of the process in this section - click the images to see them at full size.

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|speed=320
|float=true
|align=left
|width=25%
|url=HTWASCP-Image1.png
|alt=alt|alt-text=The SCP Mainlist
|add-caption=true
|caption=The SCP Mainlist
]]
[[include :scp-wiki:component:image-features-source |click-fullscreen=--]
|speed=320
|float=true
|align=right
|width=25%
|url=HTWASCP-Image2.png
|alt=alt|alt-text=New Page Message
|add-caption=true
|caption=New Page Message
]]

When you’re finally ready to post, go to the **[[[scp-series-8|most recent SCP series]]]**. Links to available numbers are visible in orange, accompanied by the title "[ACCESS DENIED]", as shown in the image to the left. Once you decide which identifier you want your work to have, click on the link and read the message it displays carefully - a screenshot of this page is shown right.

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[[include :scp-wiki:component:image-features-source |click-fullscreen=--]
|speed=320
|float=true
|align=left
|width=25%
|url=HTWASCP-Image3.png
|alt=alt|alt-text=New Page Editor, Before
|add-caption=true
|caption=New Page Editor, Before
]]
[[include :scp-wiki:component:image-features-source |click-fullscreen=--]
|speed=320
|float=true
|align=right
|width=25%
|url=HTWASCP-Image4.png
|alt=alt|alt-text=New Page Editor, After
|add-caption=true
|caption=New Page Editor, After
]]

After opening the page editor, paste the source code of your draft from the Sandbox page into it, making sure to go through your draft and change "SCP-XXXX" to match the number of the slot you just chose. You should also edit the page title to the correct format, as it defaults to **Scp XXXX**. Rewrite the name so that it is in uppercase, and replace the spaces with dashes. For an example, if the SCP-7506 slot were empty, creating an SCP in that slot would look something like the process shown in the images to the left and right, replacing Scp 7506 with SCP-7506 and then pasting the content of the SCP in the box below it. 

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[[include :scp-wiki:component:image-features-source |click-fullscreen=--]
|speed=320
|float=true
|align=left
|width=25%
|url=HTWASCP-Image5.png
|alt=alt|alt-text=Previewing the SCP
|add-caption=true
|caption=Previewing the SCP
]]
[[include :scp-wiki:component:image-features-source |click-fullscreen=--]
|speed=320
|float=true
|align=right
|width=25%
|url=HTWASCP-Image6.png
|alt=alt|alt-text=Saving a new SCP 
|add-caption=true
|caption=Saving a new SCP 
]]
To check that everything looks right before posting, use the "preview" button at the bottom of the editing window, as shown to the left. Note that certain components and themes won't work on the initial preview, but you can try those out in your draft on the sandbox - this is just a final check that everything else has been copied over correctly. If it looks OK, save the page, as shown in the image to the right. The SCP is now on the site, but this does not mean the end of publishing.

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[[include :scp-wiki:component:image-features-source |click-fullscreen=--]
|speed=320
|float=true
|align=left
|width=25%
|url=HTWASCP-Image7.png
|alt=alt|alt-text=SCP Mainlist, before editing
|add-caption=true
|caption=SCP Mainlist, before editing
]]
[[include :scp-wiki:component:image-features-source |click-fullscreen=--]
|speed=320
|float=true
|align=right
|width=25%
|url=HTWASCP-Image8.png
|alt=alt|alt-text=SCP Mainlist, editor open
|add-caption=true
|caption=SCP Mainlist, editor open
]]
[[include :scp-wiki:component:image-features-source |click-fullscreen=--]
|speed=320
|float=true
|align=right
|width=25%
|url=HTWASCP-Image9.png
|alt=alt|alt-text=SCP Mainlist, adding title
|add-caption=true
|caption=SCP Mainlist, adding title
]]
[[include :scp-wiki:component:image-features-source |click-fullscreen=--]
|speed=320
|float=true
|align=left
|width=25%
|url=HTWASCP-Image10.png
|alt=alt|alt-text=SCP Mainlist, title added
|add-caption=true
|caption=SCP Mainlist, title added
]]

First, go back to the main list. Scroll to the bottom and click edit, then find your SCP number and give it a title, using the SCP-7506 slot and "My SCP Title" as the placeholder title. The before and after of this process is show in the images! Some users opt for complex word games or references, while others stick with a simple description. Keep in mind that the SCP name serves as an advertisement to encourage others to click on your work, so try to make it interesting.

You may also want to post a comment on your own article to provide commentary, list image sources, or thank anyone who offered critique and feedback.

The final (optional) step is to notify people that you published your work in the Forum's announcement section, which you will find [/forum/c-7409511/page-announcements here]. Inside the relevant thread you will find all the necessary instructions.

You'll want to come back later to see how your article is doing, and how other people have voted and commented on it. If your article is positively rated, congratulations! You've successfully written an SCP! Still, if your article does fall into the deletion range (-10 or below), as explained in the [[[Deletions Guide]]], don’t get too demoralised. While harsh feedback can be difficult to hear (even if that feedback is a simple as clicking the "-1" button), it's an important part of improving as a writer. Don't take people's dislike of the article as a judgement of you personally - nobody is born a great writer, and it is always possible to improve if you're willing to try again. Take the time to read the comments, and keep them in mind for your next attempt. 

If your article doesn't succeed, it may be worth rereading this guide to identify areas for improvement next time - it's likely that getting more critique earlier would have helped to improve the article. You may want to try rewriting the same idea with the feedback you received in mind, or set it aside for now to work on a different concept. 

[[footnoteblock]]

[[/tab]]
[[/tabview]]
How To Write An SCP

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