Summer Camp 2024 Reading Challenge

Oniran    Meta    2024      Summer Camp 2024 Reading Challenge

Oh boy oh boy time for me to reflect on my accomplishments and experiences and also glaze up some other writers!!!

— Me

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Reflection

I'm not gonna lie to ya, I don't think I could've asked for a smoother experience for my first Summer Camp. I absolutely nailed it. Locked the fuck in, even. I started this shit like "I'm going for Copper" and then I got Copper. It literally doesn't get more straightforward than that. At first I was worried that I wouldn't be able to keep up the pace but the further I got into the challenge the better I got in writing outside my comfort zone. And the best part is that I don't even feel like I sacrificed quality for speed, I absolutely LOVE what I wrote during this challenge. My personal favorite is Beast Type Care.

Now, while I probably had the perfect chance at going for Silver completely stress-free, I knew that in my mind if I committed to Silver and then failed then it would overshadow me getting the Copper badge. Overall I think I made the right call there, and at the very least I know for next year that I can totally aim just a little higher.

As far as I know I won't be arrested and thrown in the back of an unmarked van if I end up using the ideas I had for the prompts I didn't do, so that's also totally on the table here. There were a few that I knew were too big and important for a challenge like this so it's probably for the best that I didn't use them yet.

So what are my current plans now that the Summer Camp Arc has ended? Lol idk.

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The Sauce Awards

This is the second time I've ever done something like this so I might as well copy and paste the intro from the first one come out swinging without so much as a drop of subtlety or decorum. I'm about to glaze up 10 articles from creators who absolutely COOKED this Summer Camp. The articles linked here are absolute bangers, peak fiction if you will, the shit that made me go "DAMN, this right here is The Sauce."

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Hanhula

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Okay so first off, what the fuck. Second off, man, what a cool and wacky article am I right, fellas? This is such a delightfully unhinged read and I have no idea how you even develop an idea like this from "a species with protective anatomy". Hanhula absolutely cooked with this one! That being said, I'd totally win. I would simply dodge roll into the piercing root attack, avoiding it entirely with the rolling animation's i-frames, and then use my sugar encrusted hammer to execute a frame perfect Big Bang combo directly into the enamel. GG Easy No Diff.

Tyrdal

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I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, this one goes HARD. Those who know me know that I'm obsessed with celestial lore in fantasy, and you're telling me these people witnessed a double moon eclipse with an aurora that literally reshuffled all the stars and constellations into new celestial bodies? Hello??? Can't relate to the people that were, like, scared and panicking over seeing a cataclysm on a cosmic-level cause personally I would've been like "YOOOOOO THAT'S SICK WOOO YEAH BABY"

Mochi

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Lemme just say that I aspire to be as creative and productive as Mochi when it comes to writing lore for species, and I love this take on "hybrid species intentionally bred". Even just the name "Wire Dancer" evokes such a strong image that I think pairs nicely with their parasitic nature. Also the implication that they really do be dancing down there in the trenches. That being said, just send me down there in a comically large and impractical Diving Suit with a can of (Brand Name) Energy Drink and I'll get all the data you need. (Also can I get an article on the Armored Whales pretty please)

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Catoblepon

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Not gonna lie to ya, I'm a big Ruined-City guy, HUGE Ruined-City guy, even. Love me a good Ruined-City and this one is about as pure as you can get. The reason I love ruins is the relationship they have to memories. Eventually there will be a point where no one remembers what they once were, where they become relics, but even when that happens they never lose the ability to inspire new stories. That's why the renaming of this city, and the opposing desire to keep the original memory alive, stands out to me. Real good stuff going on here!

TJ Trewin

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Oh my god this story is SO wholesome, I'm talking some real "currently squealing and rolling around on my bed while kicking my feet in the air" type Fluff right here. It reads like a genuine folk tale, short sweet and to the point, with a hint of magical quirkiness to it, and a bonus connection to a magic item that may or may not exist. I LOVE it. And I swear when I find that thief I'm gonna cartoonishly roll up my sleeves while saying "Why I Oughta" and give 'em the ol' one-two, really show 'em what for, I will.

Strixxline

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Shoutout to "Worldbuilding with Food Lore", gotta be one of my favorite genders. I've never actually had a pumpkin pie before, or ANY pie for that matter, but this is about as a good an advertisement as any to try it lemme tell ya. I can't wait to be casually strolling down a path after a particularly taxing adventure only to be met with a wispy trail of steam that morphs into a beckoning finger that seductively traces my jawline to turn my head in its direction before traveling up my nose and making me levitate dreamily towards a cooling Pumpkin Pie on the windowsill of the nearest Aseni household in Brightfield.

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Endrise

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Gotta love some good ol' fashioned comedic lore. ESPECIALLY when you imply that someone experienced gratuitous amounts of bodily harm over something extremely inconsequential for the explicit purpose of serving as a punchline, I LOVE that shit. The vibes here just seem super fun and I would highly recommend. Now, to be honest, I was gonna fill this with a bunch of kraken puns but the list I found after looking it up had some of the worst puns I've ever seen. They were AWFUL. Not in a good "punny" way either, most of them were reaching farther than the fucking kraken I was trying to make jokes about. Ironically I'm inclined to find the person who made the list and [redacted].

Frod0_Baggins

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This is another article where the theme of memories puts me in a stranglehold, and I LOVE when it's used for a tradition surrounding adventurers. There's something about an adventurer having a small keepsake to remind them of the comforts of home given to them by the people they love most that just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. And don't even get me started on if that adventurer ever loses it or dies. There's just SO much storytelling potential in such a simple item and tradition. Personally I would put googly eyes on mine.

Callyxtus

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Okay so I was gonna start this by saying "I can fix her" but her redemption arc already happened and also I know damn well the only one getting changed would be me towards the dark side cause I would do literally anything she told me to I'm not gonna lie. The vibes in this article are immaculate, just a pure mythological reading experience with a bunch of gods and goddesses and the downright irresponsible amounts of drama between them. I also really like the implication that gods in this world can change their domains as part of their stories and development. I'd definitely be a Cleric under Mana.

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Myth-X

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Gotta say, I absolutely LOVE when lore is centered around a mundane everyday object becoming either a cultural symbol or a significant genre of magic item or even both at the same time. 'Cause, like, if it fits then why WOULDN'T you try and put magic in it??? I also love the connections to different cultures, primordial beings, and how it's evolved over time into the present day. And lemme tell ya, everyone thinks they're tough shit 'til they see me drink the MTN Dew Baja Blast from the comically large urn strapped on my back to grant myself a bonus 3d8 Radiation damage to each of my 75 consecutive attacks as a result of the caffeinated beverage also granting upon me multiple stacks of Haste.

Copper Sauce

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Silver Sauce

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Gold Sauce