WorldEmber 2024

The most wonderful time of the year is nearly here. And no, I don’t mean the Winter holidays. Nope. They’re stressful and dark and, at least here in the U.S., bound to be full of uncomfortable conversations with relatives on the other side of the political spectrum—even more so this year, an election year. So when I say “the most wonderful time of the year,” I’m talking about the impending arrival of WorldEmber—a community event put on by the fine folks at World Anvil each December.

The goal of each WorldEmber is to write at least 10,000 words of original worldbuilding over the course of 31 days. And this page you’re reading right now—this one right here—is where I’ll be planning for the event and sharing what I make.

Preparation

Week 1 Homework: Goals and Focus

As you would expect, the first step in planning for an event of this size is to define your goals and your focus. I mentioned above that the minimum word count for WorldEmber is 10,000 words. That said, many folks write more than that—including me! I’ve written 25,000 or more words in each of the last three WorldEmbers, an achievement I’m very proud of. But just as I did last year, I’m setting my goal at 10,000 words—the minimum—to keep things manageable, and to be pleasantly surprised if I get to the bigger number.

Regarding an area of focus, I’ll be channeling all of my energy into building out the parts of Eden which will be showcased in the next few issues of The Blood of Seven Queens—the issues I’ll be writing and illustrating in 2025. These include the city of Watersmeet, its famous brothel—the birthplace of the Sisterhood of Sex Workers—and more.

Here’s a breakdown of where we’re going in issues 3 (January 2025), 4 (April 2025), 5 (July 2025), and 6 (October 2025):

• Covenant, to find Rumapa Stiltskín, to learn the secret history of Marnie Miller, and to gather support for Frieda Jacobs’ war against The Wizard of Oz
• Watersmeet, to learn more about Gretel der Jäger and her son Alexey II, to bring the Cheshire Cat into the action, and to witness a battle between the White Mages and the aforementioned Sisterhood
• Old Ludditon, to visit Yesterland Academy and recruit a professor into Frieda Jacobs’ fold, to learn more about the romance between Ella of the Ashes and Gwendolyn, and more.
• The mountain range between Yesterland and The Realm, where we will encounter a young Willem Shaxbeard—a bard who’s working as a dragon watcher to make ends meet.

Week 2 Homework

coming soon…

Week 3 Homework

coming soon…

Week 4 Homework

coming soon…

Bonus Homework: One of Everything, Year Four

For the past three WorldEmbers, I’ve embarked upon a little mini-quest of my own to write at least one article per article type available on World Anvil. Here’s the ever-evolving plan:

• Building
  
  • Yellow Brick Road
  • The Watersmeet Brothel
• Character
  
  • Medusa
  • Big Bad Wolf
• Country
  
  • Ninth Empire of Oz
• God/Deity
  
  • Triceratops Goddess
• Geography
  
  • Cavern of Innuendo
• Item
  
  • Phina’s Tongue
• Organization
  
  • The False Kings
• Religion
  
  • Elven elder gods religion
• Settlement
  
  • Watersmeet (primary location of issue 4)
  • Covenant (using visual inspiration from issue 3)
  • Mab Bexkosh (using visual inspiration from issue 2)
• Species
  
  • Jabberwock
• Vehicle
  
  • spirit of punk train
• Condition
  
  • a secret wars-style selective amnesia which affected refugees in the second age
• Conflict
  
  • The Darling Débâcle
• Document
  
  • Pinup magazine (maybe sold via scrolls, which might lead to slang: “I saw the whole scroll” or “That guy went whole scroll and streaked across the field.”)
• Ethnicity
  
  • A group of artificial life who believe, like Cylons and Terminators and whatnot, that traditional life must be put in their place or possibly wiped out. Make it more nuanced than that, though.
• Language
  
  • Elvish
• Material
  
  • Draconic Saliva
• Military Formation
  
  • Aerial Reconnaissance Patrol
• Myth/Legend
  
  • The One About the Ducks and the Squirrels — recounting a version of the Bradford legend about the Necronomicon being buried at the bottom of Tupelo Pond
• Natural Law
  
  • Sacrificial Magic
• Plot
  
  • A Mad-Libs/Cards Against Humanity-style game
• Profession
  
  • Dance/Dream Therapist — someone who uses the Dance of Dreams to heal mental trauma in their patients
• Prose
  
  • A story about Medusa and Athena, based on conversation with Lissa from September 2024
• Title
  
  • King of Hearts
• Spell
  
  • Dance of Dreams
• Technology
  
  • EEP Audiovisual Implants
• Tradition
  
  • Wonderland Croquet

Who?

The ever-lovin’, hazel-eyed E

What?

WorldEmber 2024

When?

December 1–31, 2024

Where?

The Beef

Wherefore?

Ours is not to wonder why. Ours is just to do or die.

How?

I know not. It’s a mystery.

Progress

This is where my finished articles for WorldEmber 2024 will go, once they’re done.