Summer Camp 2023
Review, recap, and reading.
"Oh no. I was not expecting two additional prompts. Challenge accepted."
My Thoughts on Summer Camp
It was a busy month and I definitely cut out some cycling to get writing done. It was a busy time at work as well for a variety of reasons. Despite this, I was able to complete all of the Summer Camp prompts. Some were completed at a higher quality level than others but I wouldn't say that any of them were awful - especially when I see how much growth my articles have had since my first Summer Camp back in 2019.Reading: In Darosi's Wake
Prompt: "A character driven by wanderlust or the desire to explore."
Linebound is a world of exploration. Infinite skies means infinite journeys. There are explorers like Takalia and Karnaster Evulbrung but none are as well known as the first great explorer, Darosi. I will take this time to discover the explorers of other worlds. Fritz FramThis activist explorer by Annie Stein is an article I really enjoyed (and that led me down a bit of a rabbit hole into the world of Solaris). This character had noble goals in mind, working for system-wide peace and cooperation. One journey changed him forever, now obsessed with discovering the dangers and legends of space, he eventually goes on an adventure from which he doesn't return - which, given the disappearance of Darosi and the Harani, must be the fate of all great explorers. Also, did I mention that the art done by the author is amazing? Laura Pfieffer
Barriesaxxy has written an article about someone with things that tie them to their home in a way they cannot - or rather will not - sever but that feels the call of adventure. This character, Laura, has also written journals of her travels which remind me of one of my favourite books, A Masterpiece to Those Who Contemplate the Wonders of Cities and the Marvels of Travelling - or The Rihla for short - the travelogue of Shams al-Din Abu’Abdallah Muhammad ibn’Abdallah ibn Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Yusuf Lawati al-Tanji ibn Battuta - or Ibn Battuta for short. This is a great article and you should give it a read! Sahl al-Pasha Shoutout to fellow Tabletaler Frogdrake and this article about a terrible, violent, man. Someone who traveled looking for trouble, looking to fight and to kill. Certainly a far cry from the explorers I have written and darker than most characters I have written for Linebound. I have to remember to write villainous characters as well.
Reading: From Me to You, Across the Skies
Prompt: "A system to send messages between distant places."
Communication is very interesting to me, especially the speed of communication, perhaps because I miss the days when I wasn't expected to be able to pick up the phone at any time of the day. In Linebound, complex messages are generally limited in speed by the speed of an animal or a ship and that impacts how things unfold. I am very curious to see what creative ideas people have for communication in their settings. Chattering SkullsThis article by Lia Felis is a lot of fun. A mix of the macabre nature of using the skulls of the dead as tools and putting voices into their empty mouths and the comedy of the quirks that the creator cannot quite remove. Communicators
Deleyna has created an article that makes me think Star Trek communicators but if they were created in the 2020s. Customizable devices that can be pins or jewelry that actually have the ability to block callers who have your number but you don't want to contact. No longer will random plot points badger you on the comms! Rhythme de la Fureur
My article for this prompt also utilizes musical instruments but to a much different effect. Hellay wrote an article about a type of music that triggers the instincts of a group of soldiers and coordinates them, literally, the drums of war. As a musician myself, music does have a way of synchronizing groups. I will admit to using Google Translate on the words I didn't know, my French skills are fairly poor.
Reading: Show Me Your Bears!
Prompt: "An animal found in a non-populated area."
This one is pretty self-explanatory. Show me your bears. I live in a place with grizzlies to the south, polar bears to the north, and grolar bears in between. I have written the first bear article for Linebound by introducing the horned bear of Bral and want to see the great majesty and terrifying power of the bears of other worlds. BearogsFrom It's Moro come the bearogs. Massive mounts, herding animals, and companions, these bear-dogs are everything you could want from a bear. More specifically, a bear that doesn't want to kill you. Reading this, I realize that I can talk more about how the species of Linebound interact with the people who live in it. Doric Bears
The Doric Bears are a species that lives in one valley and has a small population. However, they are intelligent and use chalk to write letters and words on themselves that have some deep meaning to them. I adore this article. Thanks Chrispy_0! Harebear
I am a sucker for a name that immediately lets you know what something is and the harebear is exactly that. A bear that jumps. A deadly ambush predator. Govika nailed it with this article. The art is great, the depth and description of what it does and the detail of its use in perfume, just nailed it.
Stub Article
This article is just a stub for now and will be expanded upon later.Old Article
This article was written in the past and does not meet my current standards for any number of article quality, layout, or content.In-Progress Article
This article is being worked on, perhaps not at this very moment, but it is being worked on.The Year So Far
Only now after completing Summer Camp - excluding the unfortunate time early in the year when I got 2020 disease - am I taking a short break from worldbuilding. I am still writing, preparing for a Halloween one-shot that is unrelated to Linebound. I will be doing some reading on World Anvil over the next few days and should be back to writing by the 8th of August.Update
The wildfires took out internet for several days. Minimal service has been restored but it is still difficult to load web pages but I should be able to get back to the reading challenge. Took a few days off to just relax and think about my world.Goals Finished
Redo the meta for Linebound.Change the appearance of the world using CSS.
Write a new short story in the setting. Alternatively: Create an interactive story on Linebound.
Redo the world main page.
Complete Summercamp.
Goals Ongoing
Reorganize the world.Make an adequate timeline.
Create at least a basic map of Breharan. This may be quite different from all the previous ideas of the size and shape of the continent.
Write the important articles like nations and cultures and expand from there.
Create an introduction page for new readers.
Complete World Ember.
Do something towards these goals every day or at least write something.
The Year Going Forward
There is still a lot to get done before the year is out if I want to meet these goals. I am going to have to just accept a map that isn't very pretty so that I have any map at all. Organizing the world is something particularly difficult and not just because I would have to sort a ton of articles. I am just not sure what the best way to organize it is. Should everything be organized by where it is? Should every organization be in one category?Personal Achievements
Best ArticleOut of the 42 articles I wrote for Summer Camp this year, the one I am the most proud of is Palmister. I was stuck on choosing an obsolete profession, so I made a profession about choosing professions. Also got to use the word zeitgeist which is fun. My Style
One thing I notice about my articles is that I do not give all of the details often leaving things nebulous - clouded to be more thematic - and I have accepted that is just part of my style. I just prefer to leave space for people to think, to wonder, and to try to fill in the blanks themselves. Is the myth real? New Hobby
Because I did not have enough hobbies already, and because I want to take beautiful photos of the world when I bike around it, I have gotten in to photography. The first article I have written that uses a photo I personally took as a header is Faerie's Bell.
Great selection of articles! Just a heads-up, there's a missing closing tag for Chrispy. Best of luck in reorganizing your world!
Thanks! Everything about the formatting of that section was broken and I don't know why. Perhaps saving errors with the poor internet (still waiting for the last repair).