Summer Camp Pledge 2022
My History with Summer Camp
Camp Chill
Last Summer Camp I heard one refrain more than any other; Diamond or die! It was amazing seeing peoples passion. There's no doubt that stretching towards a goal can be motivating and can really help push you into accomplishings things you didn't think you had in you. However, more than I think we creatives need to push ourselves to productive extremes, I think we all could do with learning how to create and have a good time doing so. I think some of us fear that unless we force ourselves, we won't make anything. However, as Qurilion quotes; "Nothing that's forced can ever be right. If it doesn't come naturally, leave it." So hereby I welcome you to join me at Camp Chill. The guidelines are simple. Write when you want to, and write what you want to. All that means is, don't force yourself to write. Trust me when I say that the writing you do with joy will be some of your best. Trust yourself to create without a cudgel.Camp Chill Guidelines
If you'd like to repost these rules, Amy Winters-Voss made a block version you can easily copy by adding [block:1050823] to your article
Personal Goals
One short comic for each theme.
To have fun!
Copper badge or beyond!
Read and comment on at least one article every day
Themes
During Summercamp we'll get eight prompts for four different themes; Expanse, Leadership, Discovery and Monstrous. These overarching themes will influence the prompts, and to prepare I've done some brainstorming on what I might write for each of the four themes.Expanse
The scorched wastelands of Mercury are ripe for inspiration, from the boiling hot maria, the sharp scrapes from the shrinking of the planet, and the hidden ice sheets that the locals mine for water. I'd love to write more about the dayside and nightside and how that affects things. Other expanses worth exploring is the interplanetary transport systems, from long haul trucking to luxury liners. Not to mention the Oort Cloud, full of horrors and, well, perhaps it indeed is best not to mention it.Leadership
The Keystones are a big part of the setting that deserve their own article sooner rather than later. These mortals are bestowed godlike powers by their home planet to guide and protect it. Every planet has their own traditions and rituals surrounding them. I'd also like to write about the various world leaders, from Saturns Merchant Princes, to the Jovian Senate, the matriarchal monarchy of Neptune, and so on. We'll see what fits the prompts.Discovery
What is a Sci-Fi lite setting without some amazing tech? I'd love to write about Remote Projection, where you upload your conciousness to a vessel at your desired location. Once synced, you control the vessel rather than your own body, and can interact in real time. It's an important technology in a world without FTL travel or communication. There might also be a prompt that works well for exploring some terrible lost artifacts of the eldritch horrors in the Oort cloud, and the locations where they were once worshipped.Monstrous
Sometimes, you become the monster to protect those you love. I think this might be the theme where we look at the Sentinels, the defenders of the Sol System. These valiant defenders have their humanity stripped and their natural talents honed into lethal weapons. I also hope to expand upon the Scourge, the invading force that Project Ikarus and Penumbra were established to fight.Inspiration
Points of Drama
I have loved the stars too truly to be fearful of the night.
Amy Winters-Voss
As the head of the Self Care Mafia, I wholeheartedly support the Camp Chill Guidelines! This is awesome!
Annie Stein
Thank you so much, and an extra thank you for making the block!