Calvin complains about his assignment to think up a story, write and illustrate it. He says he's not a novelist. He can't tell stories. Hobbes suggests he explains the noodle incident. Calvin yells that wasn't a story, it was the unvarnished truth. Hobbes says he's modest. He says Calvin deserved a Pulitzer.

Calvin plays in his sandbox. Hobbes asks if he has a story idea yet. Calvin says he's has to be in the right mood. Hobbes asks what mood that is. Calvin says "last-minute panic".

Calvin complains these assignments don't teach you how to write. They teach you how to hate to write. He asks how you can be creative when someone's breathing down your neck. Hobbes says not to think about the end result and just have fun with the process of creating. Calvin says when he does that, he ends up in the school psychologist's office.

Calvin has an idea. Hobbes asks if it's for his story. He says it's a way he won't have to write one. He pulls out his time machine from the closet. Calvin says he'll go into the future a few hours. The story will be done by then, so he'll pick it up and bring it back to the present. Hobbes says something doesn't make sense, and he thinks it's him sitting in the box.

Calvin and Hobbes time travel to the future. They meet the 8:30 Calvin. The 8:30 Hobbes asks the 6:30 Hobbes why he always goes on these things.

The 6:30 Calvin asks if the homework is done. It's not. The 6:30 Calvin asks why not. The 8:30 Calvin says that two hours ago, he went to the future to get it. The Hobbes' knew this would never work.

The 6:30 Calvin clarifies that it's time for bed, and the story isn't written. The 8:30 Calvin thought the story was done. The early Calvin asks how it could be done if he didn't write it. The future Calvin says it had to be done before now, because he's supposed to be in bed. The early Calvin says that means he should have written it. The future Calvin asks why he didn't. The early Calvin says he came to the future to pick it up. The future Calvin says that if the earlier Calvin hadn't screwed up his past, the earlier Calvin's future wouldn't be like this.

The two Calvins discuss things. They decide the homework should have been done between their two times. They decide it should have been done at 7:30. They decide the 7:30 Calvin is a lazy little punk. They decide to go get him.

The two Calvins go back to make the 7:30 Calvin do the homework. The two Hobbes' talk. One says this has to be the least efficient way to write a paper. The other says all this modern technology makes people try to do everything at once.

The two Calvins catch the 7:30 Calvin reading a comic book. The 7:30 Calvin asks why he should do all the work. The others could do it, too. The 6:30 Calvin asks if the 7:30 Calvin will start writing or does he have to pound him. The 7:30 Calvin tells him to go ahead. It will be the future Calvin who hurts. The 8:30 Calvin isn't so sure about this.

The Hobbes' figure none of the Calvins will write the story. They decide to write it. They choose to write about Calvin. One of the Hobbes' says it's easy to draw Calvin. You just make a big mouth and add some hair.

The 7:30 Calvin says the others can't gang up on him because they're all the same Calvin. The 6:30 Calvin asks whose dumb idea this was. They all point to each other.

The Calvins return to 8:30. The Hobbes' give Calvin the story. The 6:30 Calvin and Hobbes are going to return. Mom calls for Calvin. The 8:30 Calvin tells Mom not to come in. He's changing into his PJs.

Mom asks if Calvin wrote his story. He says Hobbes helped, and he had to do a lot of time traveling. Mom asks if the story is written. Calvin says it is, but he hasn't read it.

Miss Wormwood asks Calvin to read his story. Calvin reads that Hobbes, the handsome tiger, saves the day. He reads that Calvin is a time traveling chowderhead. Miss Wormwood asks if there's a problem. Calvin says there will be for a stripey furball when he gets home.

At home, Calvin complains to Hobbes about the story saying Calvin tried to get out of writing the story by time traveling. Calvin complains the drawing was of three of him fighting. He says he was a laughingstock. Hobbes asks what grade he got. Calvin says it was an "A+". Miss Wormwood wrote the "tiger" narration was a clever touch and is glad he's finally applying himself. Hobbes thinks he should send it to the New Yorker.