WASC22 Reading Challenge

Time files while having fun! Summer camp 2022 has been an absolute blast and I've managed to explore new parts of my world once again. Still, I'm always looking to learn and improve, especially when it comes to my writing that I'm so passionate about. Therefore, I'm taking this reading challenge head on and see what I can find to pique my interest in how I can change things up a bit!

Somewhere in your setting, describe a culture who lives by, near or within an ocean, desert or other expanse

I simply love cultures and I'm always looking for things to write about them. Let's see what these amazing beans have done!

I always love Mochi's work. It short, yet always packed with interesting titbits and details. I certainly could take a lesson or two from them, seeing as I always tend to elaborate quite a bit when writing, heh.

Rashkavar clearly close a different approach by focussing on two key aspects of their ethnicity that are tied together. It makes for a great and easy read, giving a good first impression of their gnomes while also leaving the reader with some questions.

Sometimes, inspiration comes from the seemingly simple things and the Boggers certainly are one of them. It shows me that I shouldn't try to make my worldbuilding unnecessarily complex at all times.

Somewhere in your setting describe a tradition or ceremony which confers an honor on someone

Something that goes well with my interest in culture, are the traditions that are tied to them.

This article brought back some amazing memories from my youth. Especially the part of making the night a super big deal, while in reality it is a great night of fun and bonding. Surely I've experienced more things in my youth that I can use as a source of inspiration.

It is okay to use (some) stereotypes when writing, and this article taps into that. I love how they created a tradition that has a serious note, but also a stereotypical trait of sailor: partying and getting blackout drunk.

I am fairly familiar with the PhD, so I got curious what Amélie had to say about this subject. But around the halfway mark, the article took an interesting turn in ways I didn't expect. It was a fun twist and taught me that things aren't always as they seem, so why not write like that every now and then?

Somewhere in your setting describe a food that marks a rite of passage for a culture in your world

For those who don't know, I love food in all shapes and sizes. Being an avid cook myself, teaching myself new recipes, techniques and more, I love to read what others make of food in their traditions.

What an amazing creation, these dumplings. There's just enough detail in the article to tie everything together without dragging it along, yet there is much variety as well. The story continues to flow naturally, especially with the smart use of the quotes. I still need to find such a sweetspot myself while writing.

From this article, I really love how I'm essentially reading a story, instead of... an article? I don't know how best to express that. Hardly have I even written articles as a story, they have mostly been informative. I would love to try out this style of writing to see if it fits my world.

In this article, multiple aspects of one tradition are worked out in some detail. It shows the diversity of the tradition within an ethnicity. It also taught me that you can fit a prompt narrowly too. I don't have to devote the entire article to the prompt, one small bit can also do the trick.

Going Forward

I will continue to follow the plan I had set out for myself at the start of the year. I'm slowly working through My Plans for 2022 to get started with my homebrew campaign by the end of the year. Although, I'm already pretty sure it'll be the start of next year, at my current pace.
Not that there is anything wrong with that. Worldbuilding is a marathon, not a sprint. First and foremost, it is important that I enjoy myself while building this chaotic mess of articles and make something remotely cohesive out of it for my players to enjoy as well.