Unpacking Summer Camp 2023

Welp, it's over now. My first summer camp, and boy was it fun and educational. The sheer creativity and unity of purpose on display by the community was inspiring, and I felt privileged to be taking part.

I also learned a lot about myself and the direction I want my world to go in going forward, but more about that in the sidebar, now it's time for some of my favorite reading from the event!

A species known for its mischievous personality

This prompt turned out to be a real highlight. Some of these entries are my absolute favorite material I have read on WA. For myself, this prompt offered the chance to do something a bit more lighthearted than what is usually on the menu for Nascindor.



By Hanhula

Comments

I LOVE the concept behind these puckish parchments! The article and the writing therein is delightfully evocative as well as just the right amount of tongue-in-cheek that one can just imagine the pestering pages flitting about oneself if one was to close their eyes.

By RueMarr

Comments

This article did a really good job at introducing the concept of the creature, as well as painting a vivid picture of what interactions with one are like. It has a very classical folktale feel to it, which I am all for.

By Ononomad

Comments

These critters won me over not only because they are so darn adorable (Seriously, look at them!), but also because the descriptions are informative and evocative. I could picture what the feeding and nesting of the Skelters would look like, and when you can achieve that in a reader, you know you've succeeded.

A character driven by wanderlust or the desire to explore

This prompt was another surprise hit for me, producing some really great character pieces. My entry, Rattlejaw, was one of the few articles I thought I really succeeded with during this Summer Camp.


By Frogdrake

Comments

Sahl Al-Pasha reminded me of my love for villains who are villainous not because of some greater evil who they serve or are powered by, but because they simply are not very nice people. A great article about a man whose brutality eventually led to his downfall.

By WantedHero

Comments

This in-universe correspondence of the determined explorer that is Glimmerwick manages to tell much in relatively short form. The writing on display here is superb, and contributes so much to the overall feel of this snippet of their world.

By R.R. LoreCastle

Comments

This character, The Cartographer, resonated with me due to the fact that her presence lingers after the passing of her physical form. The article is also written well and formatted nicely.

A material or natural resource that comes from a dangerous location

There were some inspired articles written in response to this prompt, and choosing only three to showcase was a challenge.


By EmilyArmstrong

Comments

These ominous stones caught my attention from the first snippet of narration in the article which, by the way, is GORGEOUS. All in all, a well written, beautiful article that evokes a feeling of sincere dread towards its subject matter, at least in me.

By TheDumbOwl

Comments

What can be said about Anything? Is this comment also encompassed by it? This whole article? ...Am I? I need time to think.

By GoddessZenith

Comments

Another material that encapsulates reality in a very broad way. What can I say? I like stuff like this, sue me. As for the article, it's well written and informative, giving a real sense of awe towards this crystalline potential.

Closing words

There you have it, my little wrap-up of Summer Camp 2023. I sincerely hope you enjoyed the event as much as I did and got as much out of it. I wish you luck (though I'm sure you don't need it, you capable champ, you!) in your endeavors and plentiful mental mallets to bash down writer's blocks with.
Peace!

by Midjourney

Importance of reading

I've always maintained that reading the works of others is paramount, not only for inspiration but as a tool to reflect upon your own works and to improve via learning from your reading.

Mind you, in my humble opinion, this sort of juxtaposition should never be engaged in in an adversarial or overtly competitive fashion as writing is not you vs "the others", it's creating. And creation that comes about from jealousy or feelings of inferiority can be soiled by spite or lack of confidence in your craft.

I always try to remember that anything that someone can do better than me did not simply fall out of the sky for them, either.

Goals and moving forward

I went into Summer Camp with no knowledge of how much I could pour into it, so my initial goal was just to get a badge, no matter which one. I surprised even myself when I managed to write a total of 34 articles, which nets me the Diamond badge. Either I have underestimated myself, or I needed an event like this to kick myself in the butt and get to writing, because I never thought I'd have accomplished this.

For the future, I plan to keep on building up Nascindor, article by article. There are still a lot of facets of the world that I want to explore and flesh out. It has been a real pick-me-up to see people following my world, leaving likes and commenting, especially after a hard day's work, so I extend a heartfelt thank you to the community in this regard. You guys really make WA what it is!