To A Brighter Future

For the 10 articles written by other authors on World Anvil, I chose to read ones that either delve into why they put so much time and effort into bringing their stories and worlds to life or, if I couldn't find a suitable article, one that at least exemplifies their passion the best.

Here is a list of the articles I read:

Ushering in 2025 by Alikzander_Wulfe

The Karak'Thoon Stand, by WreckerDwarf

Trick of the Light- Prologue by solomonjack

Order of the Lorekeepers by PKrisher

Reading Challenge 2024 by delenya

A Cup Left Behind, a part of Echoes of Us by Piggie4299

Thalas by jaroslav.hrabkovsky

The Origin of Magic and Magical Beings by Witan

The Old Language by the_ames

Overview of Scarterra versus Medieval Earth by Scalenex

It was interesting seeing the different approaches each author took to convey their passion. Some of the articles outlined the origins of their world, others detailed one of the more prominent languages spoken in theirs, others compared the similarities and dissimilarities of their world to our own during medieval times, and others took a much more personal look, delving down into the experiences of individuals characters and revealed the world through their eyes. I was mostly impressed by the latter category as the intricate details evoked emotions that made me feel for the characters and their plights. My wok usually stays at a much higher scope, rarely peering into the lives of individuals, but I could see how such a tactic can bring life and vitality to and world.

It's fascinating to see what others write and what it reveals about their inspirations and motives.

As for me...

I write because it always gives me something new to explore. I try to keep my worlds within the realm of feasibility when it comes to the laws of nature and physics, striving to create plausible worlds that feel real and tangible while still allowing for awe and wonder. I don't strictly adhere to this, allowing for Magic and mystery to elevate the setting beyond a reimagining of a world similar to ours, but I still strive to keep it within the realm of believability. This puts me in the exciting position of Learning about our own world along with the laws that govern it and the patterns that emerge on it.

One of the more thrilling examples of this is when I followed Worldbuilding Corner's Step-By-Step Worldbuilding Guide on YouTube (I highly recommend checking it out) to put a little creative realism into The World of Aroka. An Excel spreadsheet and a lot of astrophysics and trigonometry functions later, I had a plausible three-star solar systems where a planet without an axial tilt experiences two winters and two summers a year with five Dark Days of no sunlight to signal the end of the 1,000 day year (I had way too much fun making that spreadsheet).

This was just the beginning, as I have continued to explore additional real phenomena and take advantage of advanced modeling and simulations brought to us by the wonders of modern science. The advent of AI being integrated to most browsers makes it even easier to get quick answers to questions like, "what would happen if the moon exploded?", "how long would an impact winter last?", and "if humans went extinct, how long would it take for all signs of our existence, namely our buildings and structures, to disappear?" (turns out, it's not as long as you think and structures made out of stone would stick around the longest). I've expanded my knowledge even further into coding and statistics to simulate Combat for the TTRPG system I'm designing to test for balance and functionality. I love Learning new things and I love going beyond what is to imaging what could be.

In retrospect, 2024 has been a year of transition. Long story short, much of my adult life up to this past year had been challenging for me from a mental health standpoint. I went through a lot a sessions where I though I knew what I was going to do with my life only to learn that I was wrong once again. Finally, after over a decade of trying to find somewhere I felt I belonged, I feel like I'm at least heading in the right direction. I switched careers into a field I believe I can thrive in, started going back to school to increase my capabilities, and feel a sense of optimism I haven't felt since I was a child. My outlook on life and future is the brightest it has been in a long time and I feel I can devote more time than ever to flexing my creativity and getting involved in a community of people that share my passion. I don't know what 2025 will hold as there is a lot of uncertainty ahead, but I am hopeful for a brighter future, even if that means braving a few storms before it comes.