Experiment Gone Wrong

What happens when you're brewing a potion to make stuff grow in size and forget to set the 15-minute timer? In this episode, on the 9th of May 2016, Gary and Jack Black are conducting an experiment. Gary thinks he's started the timer, but after 30 minutes (double the required time), he declares it done and tries the potion on his Xbox. It does grow in size. Success! But then, after five minutes, Gary and Jack start turning into their Minecraft characters. Another two minutes pass, and they're sucked into Minecraft. The consequences? They have to survive 1,000 days in hardcore mode with 0.00000001% of a heart. You normally spawn with 10 hearts. Chapter Two: The Plan. Get diamond armour. Go to the Nether. Find ancient debris. Get smithing templates. Craft netherite armour and enchant it. Chapter Three: The Push. Act on your plan. Their last hardcore world was ruined by Jason Moora using 36 stacks of TNT and spawning an Ender Dragon. Chapter Four: The Outcome. Mission success. They survived. But they then spent five years without playing Minecraft. They'd also avoided being killed by a Warden. Structured, strategic, and built on the logic of Minecraft survival mechanics, this is a story about consequences of mistakes, methodical problem-solving, and the friend who ruins everything with TNT. This story proves what one Year 6 student told us: "The only superpower you need is imagination." About the Story Story Type: Gaming adventure with portal fantasy elements Themes: Consequences of mistakes, strategic planning, survival under extreme conditions, friendship chaos (Jason and the TNT) Setting: Real world (experiment lab), Minecraft world (hardcore mode, the Nether) Key Elements: Why This Story Matters This author has created something brilliantly structured: a gaming disaster story that follows actual Minecraft survival logic. Notice the specificity: not just 'they got trapped in Minecraft' but '1,000 days in hardcore with 0.00000001% of heart'. That's understanding game mechanics and translating them into narrative stakes. The five-step plan in Chapter 2 shows strategic thinking: you can't just survive, you need to follow the progression system. Diamond armour → Nether → ancient debris → smithing templates → netherite armour. That's the actual game progression, used as story structure. And Jason Momora? The one who ruins the hardcore world with 36 stacks of TNT and spawns an Ender Dragon. The casual mention of him adds brilliant social realism. Survival isn't just about game mechanics, it's about dealing with chaos. When children are given complete creative autonomy, they write stories that blend real-world consequences (forgot timer, double-strength potion) with gaming logic (hardcore mode survival), methodical planning with chaotic friendship dynamics, and success that comes with lasting consequences (five years without playing afterward). That ending detail, spending five years without playing Minecraft after surviving, is psychologically astute. They succeeded. They survived. And they never want to do it again. That's someone who learned that some victories cost more than they're worth. About StoryQuest™ StoryQuest is a validated methodology that achieves 100% engagement across all learners, including reluctant writers, boys, and students with SEND. The approach is simple but profound: give children complete creative autonomy over something that truly matters to them. Resources & Links Bring StoryQuest to Your School: Visit my-storyquest.com to download the curriculum guide and discover how your students can become published authors. Start Friday Night Storytelling at Home: Download Gabriel's StoryQuest Family Kit at theadventuresofgabriel.com Read Gabriel's Adventures: The international #1 bestselling series that started it all, co-authored by Kate Markland and her son Gabriel Khan. Available at theadventuresofgabriel.com Connect with Kate: Website: katemarkland.com Share This Episode Know a teacher struggling with reluctant writers? A parent whose child says 'writing is boring'? A school leader looking for proven literacy solutions? Share this episode with them. Because every child has a story. And when we give them the freedom to tell it, extraordinary things happen. Keywords Child authors, creative writing for children, literacy education, reluctant writers, StoryQuest, student engagement, children's storytelling, authentic writing, educational innovation, child-led learning, Minecraft stories, gaming narratives, portal fantasy, hardcore mode, netherite armour, Bradford UK, UK education, December Story Celebration Next Episode Subscribe to Stories Without Borders to hear more incredible stories from children around the world who discovered their voices through StoryQuest. Tomorrow: Day 3 of our December Story Celebration, 31 stories over 31 days. Production: StoryQuest "When given complete creative control, children don't just create great stories, they discover their voice. And that voice deserves to be heard." - Kate Markland