SC 2021 "A Coming of Age Ceremony" Finalists

As you may or may not know, I'm judging Prompt 18, the "A Coming of Age" prompt, for Summer Camp 2021. I published an article for the Honorable Mentions and now here are my Finalists.

While reading 457 articles about the same subject, you get pretty numb. I'm not a teacher, but I have a newfound sympathy for teachers who have to grade papers! As I was going, I marked off the articles that stood out to me, that made me laugh or gasp or just feel something. Of those, I had the very hard job of picking a winner.

I personally picked them based on writing, layout, and ease of reading. They didn't necessarily have to have fancy css. However, line breaks, quotes, columns, and an image or two definitely keep me reading. I started reading every article, but I'm not going to lie and say that I finished all of them!

The twelve below are the cream of the crop for me, They pulled a real reaction out of me and I hope they do the same for you.

Finalists

Childhood Funeral

by Mgatta

Every child in the culture of this article raises a pet and isn't considered an adult until they have buried it. This touching article shows the deep links between life and death, beginnings and endings. As always, MGatta delivers a well-written and thoughtful entry.

Splitting the Stride

by Stormbril

Stormbril describes a suicidal ritual that you really shouldn't attempt. It features one of his signature god-husks and the foolhardy thrillseekers who get too close to it. The article features beautiful layouts, custom art, and revealing quotes.

Empyreal Eclosion

by Sloqush

This article opens with a verse describing the ascension of a celestial child to godhood. This article is detailed and well written and comes with a soundtrack. Press the play button before you read it to get the full experience!

Tenth Birthday

by ReachingForStardust

This well-written article delivers solid and central worldbuilding for ReachingForStardust's world. This article is well thought out and feels like an intersection between Harry Potter and Star Wars with the midichlorian like "power carrier concentration." But this article does it better than George's ham-fisted attempt!

Unfurling

by RiverFang

RiverFang opens their article with some beautiful prose, describing the moments when a fairy's wings first unfurl marking the beginning of a lifetime in the sky. This article is polished and as detailed and delicate as the subject matter.

First Use of Magic Celebration

by shyredfox

One of the sweetest members of World Anvil delivers a sweet article about magical foxes. Shyredfox delivers a Japanese-style ritual featuring kitsune that first use magic and receive their names along with gifts and treats.

The Beckoning

by thechangeling

This charming article takes place in a realm full of indeterminate weirdness, and surreal dream logic. I enjoyed the lack of objective truths!

The First Walk

by Qurilion

Cynical street mages take their first walk between worlds in the gritty world of Shedim. In typical Qurilion fashion, the celebrants of this ritual poke at the foundations of reality with the stick of their curiosity. This article is creepy, dangerous, and darkly funny.

The Admiration Day

by Naelin

There are birthdays and then there is Admiration Day. This is an uber celebration of everything about the celebrant. This once-in-a-lifetime event honors someone who has reached the peak of their profession and celebrates everything about them. Naelin engages all of your senses in this beautiful article.

Initiation Rituals in the Polytechnique Military School

by AmélieIS

The wonderful Amélie does not write short articles and this is no exception. We get an extensive article about the school, its history, and the hazing ritual that the article is actually about. Love the commentary by the sassy Sargeant. He sounds familiar for some reason.

The Pinning Ceremony

by LauraVAB

This ritual is anchored deeply in the lore of a corrupted ancient empire and its conspicuous consumption. This article is short and simple but dense with worldbuilding. I aspire to write as well as Laura does.

Zabak'Taârr

by SableAradia

In this ritual, starfaring orcs haze their young recruits. The prose interspersed with the information in the article completely transports you into their culture. This should be no surprise to anyone who already know's Sable's work. She's one of the best writers and most helpful streamers in our community.