ValentineDM's SC24 Reading Challenge

---

Summertime Madness

Ever since I've been actively using Worldanvil, I've been partaking in summercamp, so for about four years now. The first year, back in 2021, I only got ten articles in. In 2022 I only got 11. At the time, these results were a bit demoralizing for me, as I wanted to know I was capable of better. I graduated college in Mid-2022, and by the time for that summercamp I was still worn down to the nib (me and academia don't work well together, but the sunk cost fallacy had long since stuck in me), but last year? Last year I was able to fly freely and succeed, making it all the way to 32 articles by the skin of my teeth.
Sure, I wasn't up in the wildly successful or popular worldbuilders on here, I don't have like a public audience or anything, but at the very least I had proof that I could do it. But it still burnt me out pretty heavily, and that combined with focusing on my campaigns and novel writing made me worldbuild less and less. So, coming into this year, I had those hurdles behind me on top of recently getting a promotion at work that gave me more hours, a life positive but a detriment to the time I could worldbuild, especially when you add in the struggles of ADHD and energy maintenance. At the outset, I wanted to go the distance, but set my goal at a reasonable 16 articles, to allow myself that wiggle room to rest and recover should I need it.
And then I had multiple days where I just really hit energy gold and by the time the month was out, I had finished not just 16, not just 32, but all 42 articles for the challenge. More than 60k words in total.
This whole month has been a reminder of several things. Why I love worldbuilding, the depths I want to create for my setting, how much I can really write when I get down to it, and belief in my own skills. Imposter syndrome hangs heavy, even in a time where people need to use AI to replicate skills we have as writers either as talent and/or hard work. With a writing career that has had very little in terms of "audience" or outside engagement, it can be easy to fall into the idea that my writing isn't good enough to garner any reaction, but the most important thing hasn't just been the amount I could write, it's the fact that I feel good about every single article I came up with. Maybe there are areas I could expand more on some, and maybe I repeated myself here or there, but there isn't a single article I feel ashamed of or that I shouldn't show anybody.
So now, the inevitable question appears: Now what? I hope to keep worldbuilding more, ideally getting at least one article a week out in two of my worlds, and I want to start planning for my novel writing more now that this season has not only given me a confidence boost but also proof of what I can accomplish in a short time when I have the right strategy in mind. I also hope to get more involved and speaking with other worldbuilders, however I can, and I want to feel more confident in doing so.
In short, after this summer camp I want to stop calling myself an attempted writer and just call myself a writer. Full stop. And right now? That begins by being a reader.

---

Goals met and goals to reach

Where we started vs where we ended:

---

By this time next year, I want to have at least begun releasing my real stories for Edda, the first of which I know will be the story titled Tales of Edda: The Scattered Petals. I plan not to release massive novels, but more serial volumes on a near arc basis, allowing for some breaks and divergence in the plotline without feeling like straight up filler, as every great quest has side quests. I also want to do something similar with my work with Tacoma by Night, although since that is derivative work even though the setting and characters are original, it takes a backseat in terms of where I want to put my full energy.
As mentioned before I also want to get out two articles a week minimum, one for my World of Darkness stuff and one for Edda stuff, but at the same time I don't want to hold myself strictly to the point it becomes stressing rather than motivating, so if I need to take recovery time, I will.
Because of these, I'm not sure how active I'll be in challenges before WorldEmber, but I'll make an earnest attempt at the very least! I hope this all has just been the starting gun for what'll continue to be a progressive series of improvements.

---

The Reading Challenge

I've gotten out what I had feelings wise, now let's get into the actual meat of what this challenge is about. From here I'm going to keep a list of articles I've read and my thoughts about them. While the list will be numbered for keeping track, it is by no means a ranking and each article is going to be something good that can be learned from. Without further ado, let's begin!

1. by drunkenpanda951, I really appreciated the article taking a character voice and narrative, with it being one scientists report on another's work, poking questions at the methods and future potential of the method. I feel that giving articles a voice and a good framing like this helps break things up from being too surgical or encyclopedic.

   ---

2. by Endrise, I can't ignore an article with a pun as great as that! Writing wise I really like that it's short and to the point, along with the fact that it has a more modern form of entertainment, comedy shows, in with a more fantasy setting as evidenced by the actual Kraken beak in the establishment. Adding things like that is a favorite little trope of mine (a part of what went into the creation of Ricky Ramones as a metal rocker). Designwise, the headers have a literal pop to them as they move sligthly and gain a glow, adding a fun bit of flair that I really like!

   ---

3. by Tillerz! Before even getting into the reading, the design of this article is amazing, from the font to the theme to the maps and little quote boxes throughout the article! It is really well developed and coded! Going into the writing, I'm delighted when me and another writer are on similar wavelengths, so seeing another train project that began as controversial is wonderful. I like how it went into the consquences of construction, even amidst the positives, and really fleshes out that side as well. Also, love a good comprehensive timeline. Honestly the layout and depth here is enviable and wonderfully done!

   ---

4. by Jontaro . A shorter article but one wonderfully made, with an in-world historic context that details the effects its discovery had for future developments! The article also speaks well on the limitations and specifications of the tactic, making it feel all the more real and studied to the reader.

   ---

5. by JDebro ! Another article that emphasizes conciseness, it's a fun and easy read about this key diplomatic and curious Bard, that still has that hint of class and charm one expects of the class. It's easy to imagine the kind of journies he goes on and what kind of descriptive songs he must sing throughout the different adventures he takes.

   ---

6. by Ecl1psed . Much like article #2, I adore the modernity mixing with fantasy, so seeing an energy drink can in a steampunk-y fillagree was pretty entertaining, even if I'm not the biggest fan of AI generated pictures. The inception of the different flavors and where the ingredients could come from is also fun to see, as sometimes modern melding can be very handwave-y. Adding those details grounds it much more in the setting!

   ---

7. by Haleo ! This article is a fun peak into a culture that seems to take perfectionism very seriously, in a way that I felt was really relatable. The ritual itself however offers a bit of self-therapy, an outlet for the inevitable emotions and foibles of society. It also adds a fun bit of narration detailing how there's one specific person who is an outlier, and should not be counted, which tickles my funny bone.

   ---

8. by Jaar'ek Auron . This one was darker than a lot of stuff I've seen, with this idea of a charred world spread althroughout it, and the titular Houndsbane itself being this strange alien god-like creature that got its name because of the mutated canines they supposedly created. In so few words a lot of character and bite is added to this article by telling you just enough of what you need to know, and leaving enough up in the air for a sense of mystery at that same time!

   ---

9. by Kereminde . This article is an interesting look at places where it's more about where you go than why you go, especially with a supposedly debaucherous party locale the likes of Vegas or Fire Island. In reading the article it feels like the setting is subject to a kind of tiki culture in it's own way.

   ---

10. by Pen Surname. This article does a good job at emphasizing the danger and risk of the job to prevent the spread of the corruptive ecosystem called The Tinge by way of describing the nigh-blank check given to the workers in terms of resources. With the veritable hazmat suits and vault-esque bunkers the Tingescrubbers find themselves using, it really feels like the Tinge is a biological radiation of sorts, and the mutation and spread it threatens makes for a really harrowing concept.