I have goals! I also have a month of minimal work so I should be able to reach them. As per usual, I will likely forget all about this article very shortly after starting Summer Camp, but it's still a good starting place.
Goals
My Creative Goal: To expand my superhero world, to uncover the lead antagonists for my burgeoning Star Trek Adventures campaign, to discover further details for my science fantasy world Thaiterra, and to find the monstrous doomsday elements for my heroine Meylany Bellgar to defeat.
(Okay, I put way too much work fitting those into the prompt hints.)
For real, I want to start putting my superhero book details on World Anvil and if any of the prompts fit I will absolutely use what I've already got going. Same for my STA campaign, with the added element that I really do need to figure out some kind of underlying thread. Most of the prompts, however, are probably going to go to either my more serious world Thaiterra, or else my sillier Overlord world, both of which could use a little more fleshing out in specific areas.
My Motivation: I want to write the superhero book! Which means I need to know where it's going, and more about some of the technology and characters. I also want my Star Trek campaign to get through a full season of twenty or so sessions and come to a complete and satisfying end eventually, which means I need to know the underlying story bits to seed, and the characters and planets and tech I'll want to use. And Thaiterra and the Overlord world are both sandboxes I love playing in and I want to write books in these worlds. Especially Thaiterra. It's such a cool place to work in, and I need to figure out more of the cultures and politics surrounding my core area so I can have that playing in the background.
My Challenge Goal: Diamond or die! But it really is a realistic goal, since I'm not any busier this year than last year and I did it last year just fine. Also I love prompts. They really keep me going. Baseline, I can realistically complete all 31 prompts.
For a bit of a stretch goal, I'll try completing double prompts. Since I'm working with four different things, I should be able to apply each prompt to more than one. (Of course, I'm also going to try doing a 30k Camp NaNoWriMo writing goal separate from this so I might back down just so I don't stress myself out.)
A Plan For The Prompts
Ha! Turns out all that effort I put to fitting my worlds to the prompt hints in the above section accomplished something. Doesn't buy me much here, but still.
Expanse: There's so much space to fill in Thaiterra, so I'll probably make use of this category extensively for them, hopefully focusing on the Weinadi culture (particularly the Dheizei who live on a massive expanse of a plain). Same for the Overlord world, expanding on the country Chemnos so I have a better sense of a setting for an upcoming book. Since I'm filling out the entirety of the details, I'm hopeful I'll find some prompts to go with the superhero story elements I've already got, so it'll be less work.
Leadership: Hopefully at least one of these will be a character prompt that I can use to give good depth to a major antagonist for the STA campaign, but I will at least use one for minor antagonists. Other than characters, I really need to take a serious look at the leadership of the Weinadi cultures in Thaiterra (the humans have a whole structure in place and the Garruw have the bones of one). Maybe some development for the superhero story as well.
Discovery: Again, probably most useful for Thaiterra with all its space to fill, with the more technological elements going to the superhero story. Considering "seek out new life and new civilizations" is kind of a Star Trek catchphrase, I'm sure I'll find prompts for the campaign as well.
Monstrous: The Overlord world will need threats for that story, since I still need to come up with the details of a menacing cult and also a dangerous doomsday. This also would look to be a good place to expand on things for that STA campaign antagonist and their plans. And the superhero story features quite a few cliche villains so it'll be good to flesh them out and make them more fun than just a caricature.
Mini Meta
Thaiterra:
Pinterest board activate! This is where I have all the visuals for this world. Most of it isn't quite right, but overall I think it gives a good picture of the look I want to bring to mind. Just a little more unearthly, a little more spectacular in terms of the storms. I intend to use the Weinadi Artistry tab a lot since I plan on working with that culture and that whole tab is meant to give me ideas.
Thematically, I really want to focus on the Weinadi because I have the bare bones of three distinct cultures based roughly around the ideas of interdependent city states, nomads based heavily in tradition, and a subservient culture fairly new to the area. I want them to feel like pieces of a species that has many other cultures spread across the planet, and that this is just a snapshot of this particular area. I want to come away having a better understanding of how they interact with each other specifically and differentiate from each other, and not just the other two dominant species.
Overlord:
I'm focusing visually on this page, for inspiration. A lot of ideas for costuming and hairstyles, the details of which won't make it on the page but will help me visualize better. A lot of theatrical kinds of scenes, and music and theater. I'll make an effort to listen to music while I'm working on these articles (all different kinds) because it's so important to the story.
Thematically, the focus is on story elements. A bit silly, a lot overly dramatic. I want to keep it light and nonsensical, while keeping things logically consistent with the elements I've already built. This world has a lot of components and I've been working on it for a long time, so I want to make sure I'm keeping the right feel. There have been other doomsday events, there will be more events soon, and this is all business as usual right until it isn't.
Superhero:
Using this Pinterest board for visual reference. Adding to the board is going to be a month-long thing, picking out the references I might need for each article that ends up being written. I'm also going to use all the superhero movie soundtracks I can find to listen to.
In terms of what I want to accomplish, I don't think I'll do a lot of brainstorming as much as finding prompts that will fit with existing ideas that I have for this world since I haven't put anything on World Anvil yet at all. Hopefully I'll end up with a handful of character articles, a few lairs and hideouts and sites for epic battles, and some technological impossibilities. Might also go into some of the critters that my supervillain creates, and some of the "science" behind the world.
Star Trek Adventures campaign: No real saved inspiration, although I am working my way through a few of the series right now. Soundtracks are good. Also Memory Alpha has given me a few ideas when I let myself wander from article to article.
The end goal is to have a villain and a "main plot" for the campaign. Something for my PCs to focus on, to have running in the background, and to give it coherency. I need to come away from this with at least one thing that relates to that central idea. Otherwise, having a few ideas and such to pull from for secondary plots would be nice as well.
Planning For Success
When? Either after lunch, or after dinner, depending on my schedule that day. Ideally it works out that I look at the day's chosen prompt after lunch, think about it as I do other things, and then knock out a whole article in the evening. I think making time to brainstorm early in the day is going to be key to getting it done.
Who? I don't know. I've tried getting more involved on Discord but I'm not very good at keeping up the habit. Didn't know there was a Facebook group, somehow, so I might try getting involved there. Otherwise, I'll probably just bounce ideas off my friends and family.
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