The true challenge is narrowing it to 10 - Reading Challenge for WE2021!
Whoops, more than 10!— Stormbril
Well, right off the bat, I've failed this challenge. I can't limit myself to just 10. It's simply not possible. So instead, I've done 20! I wanted to split this into two groups -- 10 articles from worlds I haven't had the chance to interact with and have essentially no or limited knowledge of, and 10 articles from my notifications of followed worlds. Highlight some interesting and great work I haven't seen before, and also highlight the amazingness that I know a bit more! To get us started, let's dive into some new things! :)
My Own Words
If you're interested, here's my pledge from just before the event, updated to include a bit of a writeup on how the month went, and all 4 articles I wrote!The First 10
Oblogga
Rumengol
What can I say but wow, what a wildly unique, weird, and wonderful world this is! This article takes us through the "Spheres" of 'Oblogga', huge living spheres in a vast ocean with life living on, maintaining, and even connecting mentally with it? It's incredible, you just have to read it yourself.Inspiration to take forward
Living things living on living things -- get weird with stuff, it's so unique and captivating! Tease info throughout a long article that you can then answer later on in it
Stiydear Estate
Kummer Wolfe
I love the historical walk through the purpose and function of this building, as it changes hands multiple times throughout the years in often bloody ways. It gives us an idea of what events the building has seen, and what stains might be hidden under all those refurbishments and alterations it's seen.Inspiration to take forward
using prose in the article to create life and points of interest that can be referenced related to that, I really like how the article is ended with a large block of prose
Chalk: The Inverted Emperor
AwsmChimera
I love a good "lone wanderer pursuing all knowledge", something Chalk does for the noble cause of freeing his people. I love the detail on what Chalk looks like as an automaton, including fancy engraving and articulation. It gives us a great introduction into who Chalk is, before going on to explain his history!Inspiration to take forward
Use quotes from the character to breathe personality into an article and provide context Introduce notable relationships and reference them in different points
The Saints
Winger
I love a good article on gods, pantheons, saints, all of the above. This article by Winger showcases "The Saints", and the part that really stands out to me is the bit on the "Great Saints". I love the details going over what each saint stands for, what domains they have power over -- things like "the patron of gravediggers" is so good.Inspiration to take forward
For gods and saints, think of unique domains they stand for, and how that interacts with the world Lesser saints -- can I make something similar for under the God-husks?
Molten Platform
TerinHD
Ancient dwarven tech that allows for travel in the upper mantle via magma channels omg :O This is a really fascinating article, diving into the process of constructing these incredibly hard to build devices. Mixing magic and tech is always a delight, as well! I love the variations on speed that comes with different sizes, too.Inspiration to take forward
Magic and technology don't have to stay separate! It's so interesting to mix them Break things down into further classifications -- in this case, size and speed
Kya Seleþrin
VoxT1
This article is short and concise, and introduces us to a lovely character, Kya. I enjoy the length of the article, as it allows us to quickly learn what kind of person Kya is, before delving into the tragic story of what happens to her. Formatting wise, I really like the icons on each header! They add some nice flair.Inspiration to take forward
Play around with icons in text for a bit of visual flair and concept recognition Short articles work nicely with a quick intro and heavy conclusion
Ground Dragon Bones
George Sanders
The introduction to this article is full of short punchy sentences that you can really feel. The bit of prose caught my interest right away. The rest of the article is similarly told through prose that also mixes in more standard article/wiki style writing, and I really like the mix! It's a great way to learn about this interesting material.Inspiration to take forward
Try mixing things up the style of writing an article with prose and information Tell the discovery of an item/material through the actual incident
Thyoran
SpyglassRealms
It took reading this article to realize I'm not used to reading about "extinct" species at all, and it's interesting how that changes the way you frame things when writing about them! The species themselves are so interesting and alien, and I enjoy reading about how they used to live and interact with one another.Inspiration to take forward
Think about not only what lives now, but used to live What sort of impacts might past species have on the way present ones live?
Kelvark "The Seeker" Raventooth
ecl1psed
Kelvark Raventooth has the ability to hyper-focus on one thing, blocking out all else for as long as he needs. I need this ability. I really love how this article takes someone who appears to be nondescript, boring, and regular, and makes them to be fascinating instead. Almost into myth, with the name "the seeker"!Inspiration to take forward
Subvert expectations of physical appearance and personality A character that chronicles the tales of your world provides boundless intrigue
Mycoceph
Golemancer
If you know me, you know I love some good ol body horror, and these mushrooms are full of it. I really love the way in which they reproduce, with spores infecting a certain species that allow for these horrifying mutations and host-consumption to occur. The entire article contains some really great mental imagery!Inspiration to take forward
Build interactions between existing species in new scary ways! Mushrooms as predators fits body horror in general perfectly
There's a LOT of inspiration to be gained from reading all of these. I'm really absorbing ways to make interesting characters feel alive, with provoking backstories and relatable motives. A big hope of mine is to make Cathedris feel more alive and lived in, and thus the species and landmark articles here are more examples of how to do just that, populate a world with life and with stories. The way prose has been used in these articles really excites me as well. I've got to learn how to write better prose!
Phew! Time to take a quick break -- a small "aaannnd breathe!".
Okay, onwards we go to the next 10! Here are 10 articles from my notifications of followed worlds. They might be familiar to you, they might not be, but they're excellent and serve as incredible sources of inspiration!
The Next 10
Matazel the Lonely
thechangeling
TC is a master of myths and gods, and this article is no exception! I'm fascinating by creation myths, and this article details the god responsible for said creation. It starts out with a perfect poem/quote, and then dives into intriguing details as to who this god is. I also particularly liked the part on worship!Inspiration to take forward
CREATION! Think of what sort myths might exist of the beginning of time Unique and compelling worshipping methods for specific gods
Veld the Imaginative
Naelin
I always love the way Naelin mixes in art with compelling writing in his articles. Veld comes across as such an amazing likeable character right away, thanks to their portrait and to the introduction Naelin gives them! Giving a character a love for all knowledge is great character motivation, too.Inspiration to take forward
Character vibes! A great quick introduction to personality/type Great meaning and thought behind gender choice of "Neutral"
Teor & Tarr
MaybeStewartArtist
This article starts off with such a beautiful quote that really sets the mood <3 This myth that Maybe weaves is tragic and beautiful, and touching in so many ways. It feels so full and complete. After having your heart broken by the myth, there's a bit of relief when reading of the very sweet worship and rituals section!Inspiration to take forward
Stories of love and heartbreak to fill articles with emotion How might the myth itself build worship rituals? How do they fit together?
Lady Oriane Merisse
AmélieIS
This article is a master class in linking to other articles you've already written, as well as weaving a story throughout many articles on WA! I like the quick overview of her history interspersed with block links, and then afterwards getting into some extra points of what makes Oriane unique. It's so well done!Inspiration to take forward
Consistent characters, quotes, and stories through articles Work in links and references to make a connected reading experience
Tarvan
KrostaTina
Poor Tarvan does not have an easy life D: But despite that, the way Kros writes them paints this picture of a really likeable, nice person, despite it all. I really enjoyed the quotes from Tarvan throughout the article especially. They're short, but they have a consistent character voice throughout them that works perfectly!Inspiration to take forward
Work hard to nail a consistent character voice to use throughout an article Put characters through tough situations to reinforce their personality
Selkirk Nero
SolarCat02
I LOVED Solar's Five Hundred Fun Ways To Die article, and so being introduced to the host of that show is an absolute treat. Seeing this poor host absolutely hating his job, but being trapped via his success, is hilarious in a very special kind of way in this show where death is constant, but temporary at the same time.Inspiration to take forward
What are a characters likes and dislikes in context of their occupation? There's always place for hiding humour in plain sight
Snapvine
Barron
Barron starts this article off with a killer bit of prose that tells a micro story and showcases the danger of these Snapvines expertly. It immediately hooked my attention. I really love this take on a carnivorous plant, as it digests victims into the surrounding soil rather than in a maw/pitcher like you might expect!Inspiration to take forward
Take existing conventions and twist them enough to be new but recognizable Think of how flora fit into a larger ecosystem, or how people might use it
The Common Calendar
melior64
TJ consistently blows my mind with his articles -- there's so much detail and thought worked into them, and this one's no exception, it's so polished! A circular calendar is so cool, and featuring it with a large spinning image in the article works so well for this. I absolutely love every part of this article.Inspiration to take forward
CSS and formatting -- large feature pieces to tie the writing together! What would my cultures base their calendar off of, and how would it look?
Private Aye
Timepool
I really love Time's comedic work with APRA, and the characters they fill that world with. A pirate detective is just too good of a character to miss. The quotes throughout the article of Private Aye talking to his clients are hilarious, and really work perfectly to set the tone in this article. His physical description is particularly great!Inspiration to take forward
Interactions between characters can masterfully set article tone Mixing in different styles of dialogue with different containers is effective
Gilded Hoard
nnie
This WE Nnie showed off her amazing work on Dragons, Gold coins, and the banking systems, and I was amazed. They're such a fascinating take on dragons and coins! I really love this article going more in depth into this large bank with this most prolific currency. It's got history, rumours, reveals, and it's a joy to read :DInspiration to take forward
Work in rumours early and lead up to a reveal at the end of an article Come up with great core ideas that tie together series of articles
Okay, that is a LOT of inspiration xD I absolutely love going through these articles, there's so many incredible worlds and worldbuilders out there that I look up to and get inspiration from. Multiple great examples of taking existing ideas and twisting them into something surprising, or inventing new things from scratch and creating something wonderful. As mentioned before, I was particularly interested in reading about characters this time around, and there's great examples here of how to create compelling characters (as well as how to put them in intriguing situations and stories!).
Thank you, Stormbril. It's such a lovely feeling to know someone, especially a content creator like yourself, took the time to point at something I made and go, "Aw yeah; ya done did good, Chimera."
Absolutely! Ya definitely have done great, Chimera :D I was happy to feature Chalk here, he was a joy to read about :)