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Summer Camp 2024 Wrapup

Another Summer Camp is in the books, and I'm pretty happy with how it went this year. It's only my second time through this event, and I'm happy to say that I have hit my goal of writing for 100% of the prompts again this year. I've also spent a lot of my time this year working on the overall look and design of my articles, and I've learned things that I think will improve my work all through the year. I've included a list to all of submissions in the sidebar if you are interested in checking them out - I hope you like what you see!

Celebrating Excellent Worldbuilding

There were so many wonderful articles published during Summer Camp this year that it was hard to choose only a few to call out. Below you will find the ones I've chosen, but for each article here there are ten more just as good that I didn't have the time and space to feature. I'm limiting myself to one article per prompt, and one article per author.

Ademal

"A profession that is considered dirty"
Dredgers
Profession | Jul 20, 2024

Alishahr

"An organization fighting corruption"
Society of Agreeable Philosophers
Organization | Jul 23, 2024

AmélieIS

"A faction of an organization built around belief"
Lord Adélème's fanclub
Organization | Aug 3, 2024

Join Lord Adélème now to get the maximum chances to prove your worth! He's sure to reward you with loots and government posts in the conquered fiefs. Wait to join & you'll be the one on your knees, waiting to be beheaded while everyone else is having fun!

Autumnkitsune

"A tumultuous region prone to natural disasters"
Skycharged Archipelago
Geographic Location | Jul 11, 2024

An archipelago made from the body of an ancient dragon. It's constantly pummeled by the elements, yet life thrives in every corner.

AsterVela

"Food often eaten by travelers"
Every Traveler Their Own Cook: Recipes for the Weary
Item | Aug 3, 2024

barriesaxxy

"A vehicle that, when introduced, caused social upheaval"
River Rat
Vehicle | Jul 2, 2024

A ghostly boat has upended the way of life along the Silk River

Blue Fairy 74

"A geographical region that is expanding"
Mirror cloud paths
Geographic Location | Aug 2, 2024

Callyxtus

"A sub-culture considered larger-than-life by some"
Heroes
Ethnicity | Jul 26, 2024

The great warriors that fought at Dorstulon, the greatest of all living mortals! and the ancestor of some of the modern countries and nations of Yeia!.

Chrispy_0

"A myth, urban legend or conspiracy theory believed by many to be true"
The Human 'Disease'
Myth | Jul 29, 2024

Why does Tazil hate you so much and what are the true origins of humans?

deleyna

"A material that is resistant to decay"
Dragonfire Peppers
Material | Jul 31, 2024

DesdemonaRose

"An animal or plant that feeds on decay"
Sanguine Weaver Fungi
Species | Aug 11, 2024

Dragonquillca

"A building associated with joy and fun"
The Laughing Lantern Pub
Building / Landmark | Jul 12, 2024

drunkenpanda951

"A document of spurious or controversial attribution"
A Suspicious Letter
Document | Aug 3, 2024

elspeth87

"Slang or a language associated with a religion or belief"
Runes
Language | Aug 30, 2024

George Sanders

"A storyteller, author or bard in your world"
Fishy Performance
Character | Aug 3, 2024

The captain of the boat instructed the new passengers, "Have a seat. I am Captain Phineas Smucker, but please call me Finn." He pulled a few ropes and slid a bucket across the deck with a kick as he spoke.

Hallucigenia

"The practices and ceremonies of worship"
The Ruskansmøt
Tradition / Ritual | Oct 28, 2024

The trials to determine the ruling Ruskandireij on the continent of Valamon

Hughpierre

"A myth or prophecy about the end of the world"
K'ayral
Myth | Sep 10, 2024

Jester%

"A building that was meant to be temporary"
Lancer Base
Building / Landmark | Aug 2, 2024

Once a temporary military base during the Shadow Wars, now it is used as a security base that provides security to Western Canagar.

JoellaKay

"A species with protective anatomy"
Dragon Pigs
Species | Oct 11, 2024

Magical Mischief Makers

Jeffrey Lebowski

"A tradition that gives comfort"
Spring Turtle Hunt
Tradition / Ritual | Aug 1, 2024

kitoypoy

"A naturally sheltered place"
Blue Aria
Geographic Location | Aug 3, 2024

The Blue Aria is the second facet of the Silversong Moon and is inhabited by goblins, both green and blue.

Kefkejaco

"A piece of tech that prevents decay"
Reincubator
Technology / Science | Aug 3, 2024

Kittymonster

"An evil spirit or divine antagonist"
Greatmother Klaxas
Character | Jul 27, 2024

A skethal world and superorganism patrolling the Skethern Confluence.

Lady Grayish

"A degenerative disease"
Bendahan's Syndrome
Condition | Jul 27, 2024

Lady Wynter

"A tradition that represents moral decay"
First Night Rites
Tradition / Ritual | Jul 26, 2024

Mochimanoban

"A hybrid species intentionally bred"
Wire Dancer
Fauna | Aug 9, 2024

Parasitic jellyfish that target armoured whales, one of the largest organisms in the oceans of Norrab.

Moonlight Bard

"A conflict that involved a changing environment"
Ellen Allen's Last Straw
Military Conflict | Jul 6, 2024

Myth-X

"A displaced people in your world"
Buniru
Ethnicity | Nov 9, 2024

"Oh, what cute ears and fluffy tail!" Buniru: "Don't pet me, please."

Ononomad

"A myth about food"
Tale of the Greedy Swain
Myth | Jul 6, 2024

Children of the Protectorates are reminded of the fate of the Greedy Swain whenever they take more than their fair share.

pa_kalsha

"A building considered a refuge against the world"
"Hideaway" inns
Building / Landmark | Jul 8, 2024

Rumengol

"A charity or other organization focused around doing good"
Anubis Agents
Organization | Jul 7, 2024

Anubis Agents guide the soul of the deceased toward their last judgement.

Scalenex

"A tradition that gives comfort"
Hearth Lighting Ceremonies
Tradition / Ritual | Aug 19, 2024

Ceremonial hearth lighting to invoke Mera's blessing

shyredfox

"A settlement considered a refuge"
Soujou-bou's Castle
Settlement | Sep 8, 2024

Soujou-bou's residence and League HQ

The Winter Salmon

"A leader or high-ranking person in an organization"
The Chief Chimp
Rank/Title | Jul 25, 2024

Tillerz

"A unit dedicated to guarding someone or something"
Wardens of the Written Word
Military Formation | Sep 2, 2024

Protectors of ancient and forbidden knowledge.

tlcassis

"A relic or symbol of belief"
All Father's Thinking Pipe
Item | Oct 26, 2024

The All Father's Thinking Pipe is a iconic symbol of the god, symbolizing his wisdom and thoughtfulness in action.

Travakh

"A personal item that keeps you safe"
Wind Guardian
Item | Aug 3, 2024

Tynen_TM

"A document that changed the course of history"
Berlin Conference
Document | Nov 5, 2024

Tyrdal

"An environmental or other large-scale natural disaster"
The Eclipse
Physical / Metaphysical Law | Nov 8, 2024

When the moon sisters embrace, everything will change..

Viewol

"A character who goes through a great change or metamorphosis"
Adelard Greenhand
Character | Jul 4, 2024

WellsyGaming

"A technology used for defense or protection"
False Seed
Technology / Science | Aug 12, 2024

Worldwildbuilder

"A sickness that caused societal upheaval"
Blood-Pox
Condition | Jul 5, 2024

What I Learned From Summer Camp 2024

Last year during Summer Camp, I decided to write at least 300 words a day. I wanted to do this as a mental health practice, and also to help develop my writing style. I'm happy to say that I haven't skipped a day of writing since then, and I feel like it is has made me a happier person and a better writer.

When it came time to plan for Summer Camp 2024, I decided I wanted to carry that goal of self-improvement a little bit further. I had already increased my wordcount goal for Worldember 2023 (to 325 words), and I wanted to give myself a different challenge. So this year I decided to spend more time on the visual look of my articles, specifically in the area of adding art, as well as some attention to layout and design. Up to now, I've not spent a lot of time on those elements - I was focused on getting words into the articles, and planned to come back to the look of them later. Later came this month.

I didn't have the time to dive all in with CSS (I have two kids under 5 and a full-time job - that limits my options a bit). But I wanted to make sure that I included some art for every article, and I looked for other things I could do to make my articles more visually pleasing. I did achieve the goal of getting at least one image for each article, and I think I've made strides towards improving the design.

Looking Forward: Goals for the next twelve months

First and foremost, I want to continue writing daily. I'm regularly exceeding my goal wordcount, and I will probably increase that for WorldEmber again to see if I can push to the next badge level. But the important thins for me is to keep on writing.

Secondly, I want to maintain the progress I've made towards better design in my articles. That means more art, and more thought towards elements that break up the wall of text - quotes, images, headers, etc. I'm still learning the skills I need in this regard, and I'm going to take my time and pick them up as I have the opportunity. This is a marathon for me, and I intend to set a pace I can maintain indefinitely.

Last goal is a big one - I want to spend more time reading your work. Yes, you - whoever you are that is reading this, I want to read what you have written. This is somewhat selfish of me - I enjoy reading, and there is a lot of wonderful worlds here to read. I also know that there is a lot I can learn from your worlds and ideas, and I intend to soak up everything I can from them.

And with that, I'm going to say farewell. I hope you have all had a lovely Summer Camp experience, and that you are ready to tackle the next steps in your projects. Have fun, pace yourself, and never stop learning. Tata for now!

- Demongrey (aka Andrew)
 

My Summer Camp 2024 Articles

Awa Tauranga
Geographic Location | Oct 28, 2024

The busiest bay in the Southern Region of the Great Ring

Baille Mel
Settlement | Nov 11, 2024

The Fae pleasure city, reachable only in the Dream

Bojanina Koplja
Item | Oct 11, 2024

The lost spear of a missing goddess

Bolvirki
Profession | Oct 27, 2024

Those who do the necessary evil, and take the punishment for it

Clotberry Laurels
Myth | Oct 11, 2024

Berries imbued with sadistic pleasures

Cogadh na Scéalaithe
Military Conflict | Oct 28, 2024

The Storyteller's War

Courier's Mark
Item | Oct 23, 2024

The mark and shield of a Kendari Courier

Dissolutio Identitatis
Condition | Nov 1, 2024

A mental condition where a person’s identity collapses under the pressure of collective belief

Eclectic Temples and Rites
Tradition / Ritual | Oct 11, 2024

How the gods of different pantheons can cooperate

Gwenynog
Species | Oct 23, 2024

The hedgehog beekeeper. Whizz, whizz, whizz!

Inngirtut
Tradition / Ritual | Oct 28, 2024

Bespoke lullabies that can become personal biographical songs

Invasive Narratives
Condition | Oct 4, 2024

Alien stories that take over the local reality

Keterbagaan
Myth | Oct 11, 2024

The endless void that came before and after the universe

Kunifā Mūtān
Organization | Oct 11, 2024

The Ninth Archive of the Gwāsa that contains secrets and hidden knowledge of a dozen worlds

Lagi Mūmū
Physical / Metaphysical Law | Oct 6, 2024

The red aurora over Matamata

Lurah Adhi
Rank/Title | Oct 21, 2024

The Exalted Leader of the Tirta Baya

Military Vessels of the Million Islands
Technology / Science | Oct 23, 2024
Minamijima
Geographic Location | Oct 27, 2024
Musahae
Geographic Location | Oct 4, 2024

The Fighting Sea

Ngyelumayi
Technology / Science | Oct 6, 2024

Imprisonment by mummification

Numina Salvation Society
Organization | Oct 23, 2024

Dedicated to the preservation of Lifworðig's many minor gods

Pangdambana ni Luek
Building / Landmark | Nov 2, 2024

The great temple to Luek

Papagálos Tavern
Building / Landmark | Oct 28, 2024
Pemilikan Raga
Tradition / Ritual | Oct 27, 2024

A traditional practice in the city of Kendari that allows for the sale and ownership of bodies.

Pemmican
Item | Oct 28, 2024

A food common among sailors and travelers

Rangdayan
Character | Oct 28, 2024

The creator and goddess of the Utkrośa

Rusalje
Ethnicity | Oct 4, 2024
Salt-Maggots
Species | Oct 15, 2024

Strange insects that appear on ships in turmoil

Selkie Skin Trade
Myth | Oct 4, 2024

The rumor that Selkies are being skinned for profit

Sjenapodzemlje
Settlement | Oct 31, 2024
Tagapangalaga ng Aten
Military Formation | Oct 4, 2024
Teikoku Nintei-sho
Document | Oct 27, 2024
The Floating Treehouse
Building / Landmark | Oct 9, 2024

A temporary home in a floating forest

The Maskers
Ethnicity | Oct 27, 2024
The Sleepwalkers' Tale
Document | Oct 4, 2024

A compilation of strange fragments that tell of an alien world

Tirta Baya
Organization | Oct 28, 2024

The Godslayers

Tonggali
Vehicle | Nov 1, 2024

An elaborate covered litter that was used by royal family of Lampuato and became a symbol of their decadence

Ualter na Isigidh
Character | Oct 28, 2024
Uritz Wood
Material | Oct 28, 2024

A kind of wood that grows in the Floating Forests and is excellent for shipbuilding

Utkrośa
Species | Oct 27, 2024

The hybrid flying warriors of the Nakaal

Vǫlva Ormr
Character | Oct 28, 2024

The witch-goddess of Eyju who was once Baba Zmeya.

Wind-Whistling
Language | Oct 4, 2024

The language of the winds


Comments

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Aug 4, 2024 16:01

Thank you for the little shout out of my Mirror Cloud Path article.

Stay imaginative and discover Blue´s Worlds, Elaqitan and Naharin.
Aug 4, 2024 16:02

Thank you! I really enjoyed reading it!

Aug 4, 2024 16:02 by Mochi

Thank you so much for including my Wire Dancers! It's been a thrill to watch you write so steadily for so long, and it's inspired me a lot <3

I hope you have a great day!   Explore the endless planets brimming with life of the Yonderverse! Go after creatures, discover new places, and learn about the people you find along the way.   Come prep for WorldEmber with me!
Aug 4, 2024 16:04

Thanks! It was hard choosing one article from your Summer Camp page, but I really loved the Wire Dancers.

Aug 4, 2024 17:00 by Nimin N

Amazing job finishing all prompts and getting so many great quality ones out at that, congrats! I've been looking forward to catching up with the latter half as I clean out my notifs. :) And thank you so much for the feature. <3

Aug 4, 2024 17:54

Thanks! I knew that Greatmother Klaxas was going to be in my mentions as soon as I had read it - it was a fantastic article.

Aug 4, 2024 18:30 by Marjorie Ariel

Congratulations on all the goals you've achieved so far! I used to write daily, but got out of the habit, and you're encouraging me to find it again. Thank you so much for reading all my Summer Camp articles, and for shouting out the River Rat! I'm adding this to my reading list to see what else you end up adding to the list.

Aug 4, 2024 18:56

Thanks! I can’t recommend daily writing enough; it has been critical for my health and happiness in the last year. I really enjoyed the River Rat article; I can’t resist a ghost ship, and the story behind the legend is very cool.

Aug 4, 2024 20:30 by Alan Byers

Thanks so much for including the Ruskansmoot in there! I've been really enjoying just hitting random places in the Million Isles, it's part of the vibe I hope to achieve in Waking Materia!

Aug 4, 2024 21:03

Thanks! Ruskansmøt really grabbed my interest, and I’m looking forward to reading more in Waking Materia!

Aug 4, 2024 21:07 by Salmon Man

Thanks for the mention! Congrats on getting Diamond!

Aug 4, 2024 21:14

Thanks! The Chief Chimp was a really intriguing article, and I’m looking forward to see how your world develops!

Aug 4, 2024 22:34 by Tim Day

Thanks for the inclusion! And i love your goals for the year ahead... I'm impressed by the daily writing progress... I need to do something similar, so will try to take a leaf out of your book. Keep up the great work :-)

Aug 5, 2024 00:01

Thanks! The Greedy Swain was an incredibly engaging and enjoyable read. I would love to see more of your writing, so good luck with taking up a daily habit!

Aug 4, 2024 22:39 by Ephraïm Boateng

Thanks for including my (Rather disgusting) disease Blood-pox! Also, i hope you're able to remain on track with your goal! Wishing you the best!

Aug 5, 2024 00:02

Thanks! I really enjoyed the history you built around Blood-Pox; it really made the impact stand out.

Aug 5, 2024 01:54

Congrats on getting all the prompts finished this year! Good luck with your goals for the next 12 months, your consistency in writing every day is something to look up to.   Also, thanks for mentioning one of my articles (The Human 'Disease'), and for going on that reading blitz on all my SC articles yesterday. I do appreciate that and I hope you enjoyed my work!

Aug 5, 2024 02:17

Thanks! You wrote a lot of great articles and it was hard to choose just one!

Aug 10, 2024 16:13 by Elspeth

Thank you so much for including my article among so many great choices! <3

So many worlds to choose from...
Aug 10, 2024 21:57

I had a lot of trouble picking one article; you wrote so many great ones to choose from!

Aug 21, 2024 22:01 by Haly the Moonlight Bard

Eee! It's such an honor to be included in the company you've chosen here!! Thank you sincerely for the shout-out!!!

Haly, the Moonlight Bard

Rhapsody by Moonlight , a daily email worldbuilding newsletter.

Aug 22, 2024 00:07

Thank you! It was a fantastic approach to a conflict, that really showed the range of the prompt!

Aug 24, 2024 15:30 by Haly the Moonlight Bard

...It's the prompt I'm sponsoring, LOL!!

Haly, the Moonlight Bard

Rhapsody by Moonlight , a daily email worldbuilding newsletter.

Aug 23, 2024 08:19

Thanks for including my fun little blurb of an article among all these great reads.

Check out some of my summer camp articles, like the dangerous flying jackalope or dragon wasps. Or, for something more light-hearted, there is the whimsical language Gobbledygook and Jaden's interesting job as a guano polisher.
Aug 23, 2024 10:10

It made me laugh out loud when I read it; it was delightfully written!

Aug 30, 2024 20:50

Thank you for including the eclipse Demongrey. Really glad you liked it.

Sit down, my friend, and let me tell you of Aran'sha . A world where the sands shift and the stars sing, where the wind carries secrets and the twin moons keep silent vigil over it all.
Aug 30, 2024 22:24

It was a fantastic article, and one of the first that I knew was going on my reading roundup.

Aug 30, 2024 22:24

It was a fantastic article, and one of the first that I knew was going on my reading roundup.

Aug 31, 2024 12:57 by Jeffrey Lebowski

Thank you so much for including the Spring Turtle Hunt, glad you like it! Best of luck in the awards ceremony today!

Aug 31, 2024 13:19

Thanks! Good luck to you too!

Aug 31, 2024 15:23 by Chris L

Thanks for the shoutout!


Take a look at my Institutions of Learning challenge article.

Learn about the World of Wizard's Peak and check out my award winning article about the Ghost Boy of Kirinal!

Aug 31, 2024 20:43

I really enjoyed Blue Aria; it was one my favorite sheltered places.