Through The Pages - Summercamp 2023 Reading Challenge

(still a WIP)

*Side note: although I submitted this article to the competition page early, I did not finish reading through, commmenting on, or writing about all the articles I've linked. However, I will still finish up doing just that within the next few days, because these articles are pretty cool and I still want to have the experience of talking about them, even if I was a little late to finish up the challenge. So enjoy!*

Kablam! Enter me. I'm here to tell you about these lovely articles that people wrote for summercamp, because I think they're worth sharing. Unfortunately, there are far more amazing articles than I'll ever be able to cover in one reading reflection, so go check out the competition page! And read these, they're really good.

A settlement at the limits of the "known" or "civilized" world"

Reòta: The Enigmatic Fabled City of Mechanical Marvels

By MysticSalad (honestly a super cool username)

If you can find it, why don't you stop by the ruins of a once-great city? Take a peek at its secrets? Just sign a waiver first. You were perfectly warned about the automatons. It is my professional opinion that the longer the name of a city, the greater the story it has to tell. And boy, did this city have a tale to tell. This super cool article features amazing prose, fascinating mysteries, blizzard landscapes, and a mechanical apocalypse. I loved the way it told just enough to the story to give you the basics and make you curious for more while still leaving a large mystery to the details of the city's history and how it affects its present condition.

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At The Serpent's Fang

By Noah_Oowada

Come, be a snack at the pleasant lakeside village of Serpent Fang. Just don't, you know, get eaten by the giant sea serpent. A very nice article about a village towards the edge of the land. I liked the details about the daily life of the village - how people's economic situations, attitude, and trading system was affected by living near a lake with a giant sea serpent inside.

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Edgecross

By Monzoobo

Answer the call to the north... This article was a joy to read. It covered so much detail and really displayed such in-depth worldbuilding, covering so many aspects of life in this town. It really conveyed a sense of vibrancy and adventure, adding in so many unique elements. But it was all formatted in a way that didn't make it drag along or seem tedious to read. Frankly, it was amazing.

"A character who prefers to lurk in the shadows"

Vaela Sunbreeze

By

The Ghost of Kyro Nero

By Nanotide

Oh, and there's the 'ghost'. I'd introduce you if it weren't for the fact we're being shot at. By the ghost. Not really a ghost, but lonely all the same. This article was very nicely done, embodying a sense of mystery and loneliness. It features a lone desert ranger who shoots first and asks questions later and guards a ghost tone, and it makes a really fascinating take on the prompt - not a character who walks a fine line with the law or orbits the fringe of society, but someone who's just...out there. Alone, in solitude, fiercely guarding something. It really makes you wonder what that person's life and experiences have been like, and what stories they have to tell. I think it reminds me of why so many people love to consume media featuring stories of the loners - learning about their lives and backstories, even if they're a little gruff and hostile. Sorry, I'm waxing philosophical. Hazard of the occupation ;)

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Blue Crow

By Michael Chandra

Please, I'd like you to meet the Blue Crow. Very elusive, he is. Or...she is. Actually, we don't really know. But that's the Crow for you. A charming article about a sneaky little fellow who leads a sort of scouting guild. I like these types of characters - their morality is fun to play with, and they're almost always competent and witty, which is always a bonus. All in all, the article was very nicely done.

"A job that takes its practitioners to remote or faraway places"

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Loreweavers

By MelissaPlaysRPGs

Have story, will travel. I've always loved the concept of storytellers. Whether it's for a professional job or in a casual conversation, storytelling is wonderful to me - and it's become even more impactful since I've read passages like "The Dog and the Dragon" or "The Girl Who Looked Up" in the cosmere. So therefore there is nothing to say about this article except that the Loreweavers have my highest respect, admiration, and envy, and I love the fact that sometimes little fire spirits follow them around.

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Spymaster

By1337spectra

Important, influential, and very, very, secretive. What would it be like to live the life of a Spymaster? One of the things I loved most about this article was the detail it went into. It described very well not only the tasks, origins, skills, missions, and daily life of a Spymaster, but the effect the job had on their pysche. As one can imagine, you get very burnt out. So, overall, a very fine article!
That's all! Hope your summercamp was great :D

Summercamp was a blast, ya'll. I may not have achieved my goal of diamond, but for the busy month I had, I'm happy with what I got. It was a ton of fun to really dive into the details of my world, and I had so many cool ideas. Aside from that, a bunch of other people wrote a ton of awesome articles, and I had so much fun reading and commenting on them. I'm still catching up with some of that, but I know that all of you guys did a wonderful job :) I hope you had as much fun as I did, and if not, the next summercamp will be yours!

My Goals:

Whoa, crazy that we're already over halfway though the year. But not so crazy when you think about it. If you ever feel like life is rushing too fast, that's because you're busy worrying about the future. Take a second to reflect on the past, and you'll realize that those days that 'flew' by were jam-packed with a bunch of stuff, whether good crazy or bad crazy or blissfully mundane. 
For me, maybe it's been a little too mundane. I'm still working on my book, which is my main goal for the week. Halfway through the second draft, I jumped back and started over with a third draft, and that really helped realign my focus. I had to cut some characters, but it helped to simplify the story threads and get a lot of the plot lines organized. So my main goal for the year is to finish up with that and start looking at ways to publish.
Aside from that, I want to complete two more Worldanvil challenges. They'll probably end up being Worldember and something else. Maybe Spooktober, if they decide to host that again. I had fun with it last year. 
Eh, whatever it is, I'm going to make sure not to get burnt out. As I write this, I've got one more day until school starts up again, and I'm going to do my best to establish a good school-writing/worldbuilding-life routine. Even if that means not getting as much finished, it's better than getting burnt out. If you're reading this, remember to take care of yourself. A few nights of productivity is not worth your mental health.