============================================================== Guild: Write Club Channel: Archives-2026-August / 08-16-26-carol-viana ============================================================== [8/12/2026 2:29 AM] camillabokbok https://open.substack.com/pub/authorcarolviana/p/the-lovecule-experiment?r=8mqajf&utm_medium=ios {Embed} https://open.substack.com/pub/authorcarolviana/p/the-lovecule-experiment?r=8mqajf&utm_medium=ios The Lovecule Experiment A Guided Trip to Mount Olympus Placebo Research Center on Mars https://images-ext-1.discordapp.net/external/TkZm-QawN1OkN4PfeiQ6H_wEbWO0fmI8Jon7sPN9Rqc/https/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/%24s_%219ExH%21%2Cw_1200%2Ch_675%2Cc_fill%2Cf_jpg%2Cq_auto%3Agood%2Cfl_progressive%3Asteep%2Cg_auto/https%253A%252F%252Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%252Fpublic%252Fimages%252F95f4d85e-8957-4f88-850a-a51d6651a041_626x553.png [8/16/2026 5:21 PM] camillabokbok {Attachments} https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1536890006281658468/1538659036591824946/03b3c3aa-a30c-47d4-9282-6fff54b2b319.mov?ex=6ab8e025&is=6ab78ea5&hm=7427aa6027a5d1680bd97c1ba888461db635f11dc7ced8317fe59c9ab2bc2262& [8/16/2026 7:00 PM] starcryst https://klipy.com/gifs/my-hero-academia-boku-no-hero-academia-74 {Embed} https://klipy.com/gifs/my-hero-academia-boku-no-hero-academia-74 My Hero Academia: Present Mic's Loud Quirk https://images-ext-1.discordapp.net/external/th7VbMjxhdpOIFmvM-RBKhlisNyyZjbPHLsXrCxTtZI/https/static.klipy.com/ii/e293a233a303a98e471f78d04e13a1b0/fa/6e/SXEVPl8o.webp {Reactions} 🎉 (3) [8/16/2026 7:00 PM] starcryst @everyone its time again for Write Club! [8/16/2026 7:00 PM] camillabokbok https://klipy.com/gifs/hex-astronaut {Embed} https://klipy.com/gifs/hex-astronaut Hex Astronaut Gives Thumbs Up https://images-ext-1.discordapp.net/external/IAkcn9ZCS6toSJMEoi7PoYEtIrHW5racavC5payjAQw/https/static.klipy.com/ii/8ce8357c78ea940b9c2015daf05ce1a5/2a/20/O6R1TIy4.webp {Reactions} 🤣 ❤️ (2) [8/16/2026 7:00 PM] erisindex https://klipy.com/gifs/flo-space-day {Embed} https://klipy.com/gifs/flo-space-day Flo's Martian Farewell https://images-ext-1.discordapp.net/external/jv9r-PjxV-FKuE3GZjtdAFVAIrFVltEGdmMza0Pm8_U/https/static.klipy.com/ii/d7aec6f6f171607374b2065c836f92f4/de/e0/HZn5iGRA.webp {Reactions} 🔥 (2) 🥐 (3) 🐔 [8/16/2026 7:01 PM] starcryst If you are new to Write Club here is a handy dandy guide to how it works: {Attachments} https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1536890006281658468/1538684123542061116/Write_Club_Chat_Format.png?ex=6ab8f782&is=6ab7a602&hm=145cfb98f63b9a9cb08aee5e8c8a0ba1cd95a893afcf09c358dac21f4a183efe& [8/16/2026 7:02 PM] starcryst @camillabokbok what kind of feedback do you want tonight? Placebo or Real Medicine? {Reactions} 🤣 [8/16/2026 7:03 PM] camillabokbok I will let the person giving the feedback decide 🙂 {Reactions} ❤️ (4) [8/16/2026 7:03 PM] erisindex 👋 [8/16/2026 7:03 PM] camillabokbok Hi Eris 🙂 {Reactions} 👋 (3) [8/16/2026 7:03 PM] starcryst Okay we all have complete agency tonight which feels in keeping with the story! [8/16/2026 7:04 PM] starcryst Raise your hands if you are ready to provide feedback! And remember when you are finished, please say DONE! [8/16/2026 7:04 PM] starcryst @Eris Index Award Winning Author: GO! {Reactions} 🤣 🥰 (2) [8/16/2026 7:04 PM] rubygs 👋 {Reactions} 👍 [8/16/2026 7:04 PM] erisindex Favorite lines: –You will soon find out that you too have special abilities on Mars, one of them is to program your own Molecules of Love, the Lovecules.-- {Reactions} ❤️ (4) [8/16/2026 7:04 PM] erisindex Alright, I really like this narrator already. They REFUSE to apologize for this absurdity. Let me just list a few lines below so I can squeeze more than a few in. 😭 {Reactions} ❤️ (2) [8/16/2026 7:05 PM] erisindex –You will spend the night and sleep aboard the Space Croissant.-- [8/16/2026 7:05 PM] erisindex –On Mars, everyone takes the placebo.-- [8/16/2026 7:05 PM] erisindex –Mine, her name is Charlie. She is really potent and once took me to Europa, the moon, in one sprint.-- [8/16/2026 7:05 PM] erisindex –We go up, and then we go that way.-- [8/16/2026 7:05 PM] erisindex –The idea is to talk to our Love Police, the Space Pants Force. – These lines are so ridiculously hilarious that I am mind blown. This is some deadpan commitment and it works. {Reactions} ❤️ (2) [8/16/2026 7:05 PM] snowpuppie 👋 [8/16/2026 7:05 PM] erisindex Favorite scenes: The entire first half of the article, when they are explaining mars, and the Lovecules? I don’t know if I spelled that correctly. The author is committed to this bit, and now so am I. [8/16/2026 7:06 PM] erisindex My second favorite is when they are describing the emoji capsules later on towards the bottom of the article. That imagery is five freaking stars. {Reactions} ❤️ (5) [8/16/2026 7:06 PM] erisindex It was unlike any pill the astronauts had ever seen. The transparent capsule shimmered softly. Inside, hundreds of tiny emoji floated weightlessly. Golden stars twinkled. Sparkles drifted from one end of the capsule to the other. And keep going, all the imagery is awesome. [8/16/2026 7:06 PM] erisindex Light criticism: I don’t have much to say criticism wise. I think when the heavy dialogue starts some of it sounds informative and not as imaginative as the first half. It kind of felt like an interview piece. I notice there is a bit more explanation, and after the first half, and I don’t want any explanations. I want absurdity and no matter what’s said, the beginning sets the second half up for the absurdity to make sense. [8/16/2026 7:06 PM] erisindex Overall, this? I one hundred percent enjoyed the entirety of it. This is one of the reasons why I try not to miss write club, because it forces you to branch out and you just might find things that you become a die hard fan for. Like this piece. It’s funnily weird and comforting, all in one go. It owns its nonsense. I can’t stop thinking about space croissants. {Reactions} ❤️ (3) [8/16/2026 7:06 PM] erisindex Question: I want an in-depth explanation on how this came to be. I want all the imaginative details. DONE. {Reactions} ❤️ (2) [8/16/2026 7:07 PM] starcryst @steffie GO! [8/16/2026 7:07 PM] rubygs Favorite line: Tiny unicorns trotted in slow circles, leaving trails of rainbow glitter behind them. I LOVE unicorns. Any excuse to include a unicorn is awesome! Favorite scene: We’re imagining a trip. Take your time. Smile. Take a deep breath. Close your eyes. Questions: I'm still not sure what's real or not about this trip to Mars? Overall though I had a good time in Pretendland Mars, nothing much to say as far as criticism {Reactions} ❤️ (4) [8/16/2026 7:07 PM] rubygs Done [8/16/2026 7:08 PM] camillabokbok All right, you got it! [8/16/2026 7:08 PM] starcryst @Lisa N Snowe GO! [8/16/2026 7:09 PM] snowpuppie This was a unique, creative approach to introducing the need for self-affirmation and self-love (which is how I read it). {Reactions} ❤️ (4) 🔥 (2) [8/16/2026 7:09 PM] snowpuppie Favorite Lines: If you are used to sleeping with a pet, we can do that too. The pod will bring forth the consciousness of your favorite pet, or pets, and you can sleep in a cuddle puddle. << I am likely bias b/c I am an animal lover, but this line gave me the feels. {Reactions} 🔥 (5) ❤️ (2) [8/16/2026 7:09 PM] snowpuppie Hugs floated through the capsule, wrapping themselves around lonely hearts before drifting off to find someone else to embrace. << lovely imagery -- can i get one? Now? 😄 {Reactions} ❤️ (2) 🔥 (2) 🫂 [8/16/2026 7:10 PM] snowpuppie Favorite scene: When Captain Camilla described the Space Croissant, running on pain. I was enamored by the idea of literally naming your own pain, like a friend, who has both good and bad qualities, and pouring their energy into productive things (in this case, powering space travel). Particularly, "Your pain is a sentient being, it is an aspect of you. Mine, her name is Charlie. She is really potent and once took me to Europa, the moon, in one sprint." << nice characterization of pain in your story {Reactions} ❤️ (2) 🔥 [8/16/2026 7:11 PM] snowpuppie Critique: Gosh I'm gonna sound so serious here lol! This is a uniquely creative take on introducing people to the psychological concepts of self-love and self-forgiveness. The narrative perspective shifted a few times and that snapped me out of its flow? Maybe that was me, though - the absurdity was fantastic so everything goes, right? 🙂 [8/16/2026 7:11 PM] snowpuppie Question: What motivated you to choose this approach for the topic of self-love/self-forgiveness? [8/16/2026 7:11 PM] snowpuppie DONE 🙂 [8/16/2026 7:12 PM] camillabokbok @Eris Index The Space Croissant is a shared dream of about 36 people now. We meet up on Reddit and take about 2k people to Mars and beyond. We started in 2022. Think of a video game 🎮 you play eyes closed with your imagination. Brain is the console. I'm the one who has 90% of the ideas, as Camilla Bok, but my crew helps me create the visuals. For 24 hrs every Sunday (today) we believe something absurd and our bodies commit to it. It's deeply healing. And addictive! {Reactions} 🥐 (4) [8/16/2026 7:12 PM] .revanarchy 👋 [8/16/2026 7:12 PM] starcryst @Joshua Bader GO! [8/16/2026 7:12 PM] camillabokbok I love what David did to the Lovecule! {Attachments} https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1536890006281658468/1538687017171550219/IMG_1308.png?ex=6ab8fa34&is=6ab7a8b4&hm=f8c78ae53fd54f86c658f65c20da2a9f69938e8d20fc655ff3615e093d4d3b8c& {Reactions} 🔥 (2) ❤️ (2) 😍 💋 🦄 [8/16/2026 7:13 PM] .revanarchy First off, I accidentally read Lovecraft not Lovecule when I first saw the title, so I came prepared for a very different experience. {Reactions} ❤️ (7) 🫂 (3) 😆 (3) [8/16/2026 7:14 PM] .revanarchy Once I got into it, very well written and an interesting way to mix and recirculate some psychology concepts. [8/16/2026 7:14 PM] .revanarchy I can.honestly say I have never read anything like it. {Reactions} 💯 (2) [8/16/2026 7:14 PM] .revanarchy I have a few small criticisms. [8/16/2026 7:14 PM] somuchfor_subtlety ✋ {Reactions} 👍 [8/16/2026 7:15 PM] camillabokbok Hi Ruby, In your imagination it's all real. Your brain can't tell the difference between reality and fantasy when emotions get involved. You believe the pill is real, you take it with some water and your body will buzz as if you had a star pill. It feels amazing. Fantasy or not, the body is the judge. {Reactions} ❤️ [8/16/2026 7:15 PM] erisindex So, is the article I read a legitimate experience then? Or an example of the experience. This info takes it to another level. Is there an article on substack explaining how you do this [8/16/2026 7:15 PM] .revanarchy The way the buttons are distributed throughout the article kind of breaks up the flow. I am not a fan of mid article buttons. {Reactions} ❤️ (2) [8/16/2026 7:15 PM] .revanarchy And this sentence... kind of threw me. You will soon find out that you too have special abilities on Mars, one of them is to program your own Molecules of Love, the Lovecules. [8/16/2026 7:15 PM] rubygs Ahhh. I love that [8/16/2026 7:16 PM] .revanarchy I think the issue I have is that comma in the middle should probably be something else. Colon, semi-colon, em dash. [8/16/2026 7:16 PM] .revanarchy But really well done and very unique. [8/16/2026 7:16 PM] .revanarchy I would visit Mars someday [8/16/2026 7:16 PM] .revanarchy Done [8/16/2026 7:16 PM] starcryst @SGH GO! [8/16/2026 7:17 PM] somuchfor_subtlety Here we go with the notes dump [8/16/2026 7:18 PM] somuchfor_subtlety I may have to dash -- I'm at a trampoline park w/ my kids and our time is almost up so apologies if I'm spotty on replies -- if you have any comments or questions about this stuff I will reply as soon as I'm able {Reactions} ❤️ (5) happyjump (2) [8/16/2026 7:18 PM] somuchfor_subtlety Thank you for sharing your work. First, candidly: I did not like this piece, I’m confident I’m not the audience for it, so I think my feedback may not be useful, since it would develop it in the wrong direction. My core dislike of the piece is that it doesn’t take it’s framing device seriously or sincerely — there are a lot of delightful, whimsical ideas in the piece, but it strays from the idea of a ‘briefing’ for an unaware patron/client frequently in both form and content, and I think if the framing device were tighter, the whimsy would jump off the page more. Alternately, go full on at a script for a visualization, rather than framing it as a passenger briefing, and just speak to me directly as a reader. My other note would be similar to the note I gave on Friday: Specificity. In this piece, I think emotional/nostalgic specifity would improve the piece. Some examples:

 “You get a teddy bear and a blanket that reminds you of the happiest years of your childhood.” — If you were to describe the happiest years of a passenger’s childhood, in a way that was specific but evokes a reader’s own childhood, or the childhood they imagine having, this could be great. “Your pain is a sentient being, it is an aspect of you. Mine, her name is Charlie. She is really potent and once took me to Europa, the moon, in one sprint. If you read more stories here you will get to know everyone. Forgive your pain as you let go of it.” — What kind of pain is Charlie? The pain from an old wound? The pain of looking out the window of a car at night and seeing hundreds of pairs of headlights that each represent another life that you could’ve lived but didn’t? The pain of wishing you could be as in love with another person as they are in love with you? Moar specificity! “You know that “high” you have when you are in love with someone?” — This could be anchored in a specific, embodied moment - hand-holding in the dark during a movie, her reading aloud from her favorite book during a long drive to the coast, sharing a cigarette on a cool autumn night outside a nightclub. “You don’t need to lie. If you have “beef” with your body or with your own self, you will receive buttons to apply Unconditional Love, Unconditional Compassion, Unconditional Forgiveness and Unconditional Gratitude on yourself.” — A few references to the silly, small beefs that people have with their bodies here could be fun Re-reading all my examples/suggestions, they’re all way too melancholy, I don’t really do a lot of whimsy in my own writing, but I still think specificity in your own voice would go a long way. [8/16/2026 7:20 PM] camillabokbok Hi Lisa 🙂 here is your placebo pill with a hug inside 💊 🫂 💊 I had a car accident and a traumatic brain injury in 2017. Pretendland saved me. Some people have religion. I have Mars. I built an entire universe to cope with pain (my Charlie) and the isolation of a brain injury. My brain is now healed and I sincerely believe I was able to heal it with self love. 💕 {Reactions} 🫂 (5) 👆 (3) 🎉 (4) 🎊 (4) 🥂 (4) 🥳 (4) 🙌 (4) foxParty (2) 🥰 (2) [8/16/2026 7:20 PM] starcryst Okay while I do my feedback, if you are lurking and you want to share feedback, get a hand in the air! {Reactions} 🔥 ❤️ [8/16/2026 7:20 PM] starcryst General Feedback: I was laughing the whole time at the absurdity of this particular story being up for Write Club the very week we started the Emoti Awards! How bizarre! How peculiar! {Reactions} ❤️ (2) 🤣 (3) 🔥 (4) 🫶 (2) [8/16/2026 7:20 PM] starcryst The act of reading the story dismantles the very barriers we put up that prevent us from accepting these kinds of ideas in the first place. It's a little like Bob Ross meets MK ULTRA for giving people permission to feel good about themselves. {Reactions} ❤️ (2) 🤣 (2) 🔥 (2) [8/16/2026 7:21 PM] starcryst Best Line(s): Attention, Space Croissant Crew. We are now fully boarded and ready to press all the buttons. <<< I REALLY hope this isn't how pilots on airplanes work. But for imaginary space travel, it made me laugh out loud. {Reactions} ❤️ (4) 👆 (2) ☝️ (2) 👏 (2) ❤️‍🔥 (2) [8/16/2026 7:21 PM] .revanarchy That's what this oddly reminds me. This is what a practioner of Bokonon might sound like in a group of other practioners. (Cat's Cradle - Vonnegut if the reference missed.) I love that philosophy [8/16/2026 7:22 PM] camillabokbok How funny. That sentence was someone else's favorite 😉 [8/16/2026 7:22 PM] starcryst I think useful criticism requires an answer to the question below first: [8/16/2026 7:22 PM] starcryst Question: Who is your audience? This story feels very much like really good Children's Theatre back in my acting days. Stuff that is legible and healthy for kids but has a message for adults that transforms to something more mature and relevant to each person based on their needs and age and experiences. {Reactions} ❤️ (4) 💯 (3) [8/16/2026 7:22 PM] .revanarchy Its strictly a punctuation issue I think, not a content issue. [8/16/2026 7:22 PM] camillabokbok Oh let me know where. The comma, I mean. I will fix it. [8/16/2026 7:23 PM] starcryst I'll share more after Camilla answers who her intended audience is [8/16/2026 7:23 PM] starcryst Okay do we have anyone else who'se ready to go tonight? [8/16/2026 7:25 PM] starcryst Okay then @camillabokbok do you have any final words for the room? [8/16/2026 7:27 PM] camillabokbok Charlie is all kinds of pain. All of the above. And physical pain too. I wrote another article about Charlie called "Charlie is terrible at whispering " See here: https://open.substack.com/pub/authorcarolviana/p/charlie-is-terrible-at-whispering?r=8mqajf&utm_medium=ios My stories are not a series but they are a bit related. {Embed} https://open.substack.com/pub/authorcarolviana/p/charlie-is-terrible-at-whispering?r=8mqajf&utm_medium=ios Charlie Is Terrible at Whispering On How I Reframed My Relationship With Pain https://images-ext-1.discordapp.net/external/o8WGBjsVAIsYPvxfB5dlE0BUVZKKpapJl4djwLsMfW8/https/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/%24s_%21-B38%21%2Cf_auto%2Cq_auto%3Abest%2Cfl_progressive%3Asteep/https%253A%252F%252Fauthorcarolviana.substack.com%252Fapi%252Fv1%252Fpost_preview%252F203990765%252Ftwitter.jpg%253Fversion%253D4 {Reactions} 🫂 (4) [8/16/2026 7:29 PM] camillabokbok I like your idea of showing some examples of "beef." Thanks for that 🙂 {Reactions} ❤️ (3) [8/16/2026 7:30 PM] starcryst @camillabokbok any final words for the room before we adjourn Write Club? [8/16/2026 7:33 PM] camillabokbok David, I do Bok Bok impersonations on my own discord every Sunday. That's exactly how I say it. "Attention members of the crew, this is your captain 👩🏼‍✈️ and I am pressing all the buttons!" 🤣 {Reactions} 💯 (4) ❤️ (5) [8/16/2026 7:34 PM] starcryst Okay we'll wrap it up here then -- @camillabokbok will continue answering questions I'm sure. But for those who are ready for drinks and shameless self promotion - join us in the #write-club-after-party-july-through-sept-2026! Thank you all for your time tonight! {Reactions} ❤️ [8/16/2026 7:35 PM] camillabokbok I am a huge fan of Pastafarianism. I had never heard of Bokonon. Yes! [8/16/2026 7:36 PM] vesperlrayne_04128 I am in the middle of my kiddos birthday party- just wnated to say I will pop my feed back in here later tonight! [8/16/2026 7:37 PM] camillabokbok My audience is The Inner Child. I invite you to play . You pretend you can take a pill in emoji that will heal your boo-boo. And it does 🙂 Because the healing is in your belief. [8/16/2026 7:38 PM] camillabokbok Ahhhhh I get it now. The punctuation! Thank you! 😊 [8/16/2026 7:40 PM] camillabokbok I'm so happy you guys read the story with an open mind. Pretendland is my universe and I write about it every week. This was an amazing experience. I feel warm and fuzzy inside! [8/16/2026 7:41 PM] camillabokbok Please do! Thank you 🙂 [8/16/2026 7:43 PM] msadventurouspurple Sorry I’m late! [8/16/2026 7:44 PM] msadventurouspurple My feedback: This was whimsically hilarious. I can’t even pick a favorite line. I like how the tone is consistently upbeat but also I kept wondering if I’m being used for an ominous science experiment??? (Don’t worry I’m still taking my emoji pill either way) Critique: maybe a bit long? Maybe? Feels a bit like someone telling me a dream that I can’t always keep up with. Could also just be that I’m tired 😅 Question: what prompted you to write this? [8/16/2026 7:49 PM] camillabokbok I've been playing with my imagination in Pretendland since a car accident in 2017 gave me a TBI. I used imagination to cope with pain. I've been playing with this on Discord and Reddit since 2022 but I had never put on paper the adventures of the space croissant. Long overdue. {Reactions} ❤️ (2) [8/16/2026 9:43 PM] krislynlyon Just finished reading, and my main takeaway was, THAT, WAS, WHOLESOME. What a fantastic way to teach people how to better engage with existence, without ever teaching them at all! I suspect that if I read this to start my day every day for the next year, in one year I would have a much happier life. Also all the rumors are true and the methods here really do work. What a wonderful way to activate the imagination and strongly suggest to people, that life could be better. {Reactions} 🥰 [8/17/2026 6:38 AM] camillabokbok Yay! I'm glad you like it! And yes, it works! I was in a car accident and managed to hurt my entire body. All my writing is to help the reader better deal with inner conflict. All my stories have the same goal, to heal. Pretendland healed me, that's why I share 🙂 {Reactions} ❤️ ============================================================== Exported 93 message(s) ==============================================================