Summer Camp 2022 Reading Challenge

Welcome. These are some of the articles I have read thus far. I absolutely love reading about other people’s worlds! When deciding which ones I would ultimately post here, I tried to keep a balance of writers who I follow and new writers whose worlds I have never explored. I hope you can use this to explore new worlds, as well.

A military conflict resolved through excellent leadership

I chose this article because of the unconventional method at answering the prompts. Military Conflicts can be difficult for me to write and I loved the idea of thinking outside the box and considering how a sport can sometimes feel like war between two warring teams. Despite the fact that this was a game, there are still lasting impacts in the culture. The conversational method used to write this method also draws you into the conflict.
I really enjoyed the irreverent tone taken in this article. The opening quote especially makes me laugh. Another thing that strikes me was that the conflict was really unnecessary in the first place. It is only because of the prejudices of the elite that the skirmishes happened in the first place. Which is good to think about when writing military conflict articles, as I have a tendency to always want to include some all-encompassing good vs. evil, world-changing battle. But sometimes, it’s just some asses hating the idea of another folk living beneath their feet.
I loved how this article spent time exploring the characters. Particularly the conflicts of a quite horrid family. These descriptions are important because it served as contrast as to why the peasants would be so quick to latch onto the new king’s speech. This article also includes a few dangling ends that will provoke a reader to want to know more so as to solve the mystery. This reminds me that when I’m writing, I don’t need to answer every question for the readers. It’s important to leave loose ends for them to explore.

Α species that survives in an unlikely place

This is an extremely well-done article because it focuses on what would physiologically be different for an ‘ice person’. I especially like the section on genetics and reproduction. I know I have a tendency to make most of my sapient folk as biologically compatible. However, this has challenged me to think about reproduction on a deeper level.
The first thing I love about this article is the contrasting perspectives that open the conversation. It’s easy to get stuck in one point of view when world-building. However, even if writing in an omnipresent viewpoint, it draws the reader in when you bring in perspectives from in-world characters. Beyond this, the snails itself are very creative. And rather than just talking about the snails, it provides a necessary use (and dangers!) for characters who find themselves without oxygen.
I thought that this was a very creative use of lichen in the desert. What I especially appreciated was the conversation about the danger to the ecosystem if the lichen were to escape from the desert. The use of links throughout the article helped to ensure that I knew the relevant information about the world so as to understand the significance of words such as the “change”.

An artifact that embodies a hideous or monstrous idea

I especially love the conversation which opens this article. It helps to remind me, again, that you can really draw readers into your articles by bringing the characters of your world to the forefront. The scepter itself is amazing, as any magical item that transforms you into a creature, be it monster or divine, is incredible. The mystery of the entire process also makes me want to read more about this world.
The beginning of this article is absolutely riveting. It fully paints the picture of the artifact before the reader even knows what it is. Beyond that, this article does a good job at showing prejudices of a certain class as a result of the artifact and the lasting impact it has had so that even the children know to be terrified. This article also leaves the mystery of whether or not the artifact is actually destroyed (leaning towards it not) so that can open up all kinds of stories or role-playing adventures.
The first thing that captured my eye in this article was the quote about solar energy, something that should be positive but has turned into something terrifying. I feel as if the author also drew on some real world analogies of what can happen during world wars and the devastating effects that can happen when humans wield a weapon too powerful to be allowed to exist. This article is also short. I have a problem of writing way too much, at times. This helps to remind me that you can have something concise that still packs a punch.

Life After Summer Camp 2022

I haven’t been writing very much lately. When I realized it was July, I hopped into Summer Camp on a whim. My job keeps me incredible busy and often emotionally exhausted. But I wanted to commit to things I love to do for myself. Writing is one of the big ones. So even though this was a personally hectic month, I felt joy in creating.
Beyond this month, I want to focus on consistency. Once I start writing, I can go for hours without stop. But it is the starting that’s most difficult for me. So I just want to start. Last year, I focused on the hope-filled magi-tech side of Adazuri. This year, I wanted to dive into the grittier, medieval side. Now, I really want to focus some more on the cultures I haven’t explored yet. And all of the ways these cultures interact with one another. (History is fun and I haven’t explored Chronicles yet).
My secondary goal is to start having fun in this world. I have done a couple one-shots with friends based in Adazuri, but it would be good to do an ongoing campaign or two in the world. Before I do this, I want to set up my character creation page with some new species and finish a couple home brew classes that I find fun. Organize some hooks and then just see what happens.