Summer Camp - 2023 Reading Challenge
Rule Breaker
I am going to be sharing 9 articles for the same prompt: A myth or truth about the meaning of your universe. Here's why:- Best Prompt For World Introductions - I love how creation myths, in particular, can give a reader a fantastic macro view of a world (or at least the viewpoint of SOME inhabitants of that world).
- Most Challenging Prompt - As a bonus prompt, there was very little time given to write these articles. Sharing a meaningful perspective of your world in a way that resonates with the readers can be a daunting task.
- Less Love Given - With neither judging nor prizes, some folks might feel a little underwhelmed. I also worry that the bonus prompt articles might be read or shared less often during The Reading Challenge. I really wanted to highlight how great these articles are and give them additional exposure.
The article author chose to use this prompt to share details about his real-life adventures and struggles with ADHD. It's great to hear that he's seeing improvements in many areas of both his real life and his fantasy one! These types of articles are hard to share, so I wanted to make sure I posted this one first during The Reading Challenge.
"The Last Bit" hit home for me. As someone who was diagnosed with ADHD late in life, the idea of someone not thinking about people or things unless he can see them regularly makes sense. In a similar way, I don't pay attention to my own physical well-being. I often don't notice that I'm overheated, dehydrated, nauseated, dizzy or having other problems until someone else asks me how I am feeling. Different, but kinda the same. I feel that we can all gain some empathy and perspective when we share mental health awareness.
The article author gives us a spiritual myth about the creation of life on their world. We find out how a lonely world was given this gift by The Great Spirit. We're also treated to a small hint about what the Vellikkian people believe happens to their spirits upon death.
This was a great introduction to the world of Vellikka. The story is whimsical and does create a sense of wonder. Makes you want to read more, right?
The article author hits us with a cosmic moral quandary. How much is your own longevity worth in comparison to the stability of the universe? Two vying religions with drastically different opinions about the matter give us a glimpse into a world where people have to ask themselves, "How far will I go to cheat death? Or will I embrace it when it arrives? What will I do with the time I have?"
I love this article! It hits me right smack-dab in the middle of my existential crisis. It's got everything: a spider goddess, necromancers, and a sense of dread.
The author builds an emotional creation myth and sets the stage for their world beautifully. The conversation between The Ida, an imperfect creator and Ezeki, the Ofanin of Consciousness, who is dissatisfied at how things turned out was an example of great dialog writing. The fate of the other Ofanin hurt everyone.
It's difficult to write a conversation between a god and someone they created. The author managed to weave the conversation into the creation myth very well!
The author poses some interesting questions. If we think that the entire cosmos is infinite, and there are other worlds almost exactly like our own, what obligations do we have to the people in those other worlds? I love that after she contemplated it for a long time, Shiv decided to encourage the people in her world to live up as an example to the other worlds out there.
The last two paragraphs had me rolling. I love fourth-wall-breaking humor, in the right doses!
We're given a list of 5 tenets taught to young children. This gives us, the reader, a great foundation to understand how magic is viewed by society at large. There are some warnings in there, including the dangers of using magic for destructive purposes.
This is presented in such a fun and easy-to-read layout. The concise writing makes it easy for the reader to understand all of the tenets together.
The author sets us up in a dreamscape. The Kitsunejin work to create the best of all worlds and become their brightest selves. We're introduced to The Nightmare World, whose inhabitants fight against the creation of The Brightest World.
This sets the stage for the struggles between The Nightmare's ascendency and the good-natured Kitsunejin. Lots of conflict for future stories!
The author uses a narrator to establish a mythos about the fact that their reality is based on The Code. Free will leads to both good and bad choices. This leads to both cruelty and wondrous beauty. The narrator offers to connect us with the truth.
As a long-time computer programmer, I love to see virtual worlds based on code and the introspective quandaries created for the people within that reality.
The author invites us to a world where every star is the home of a different god. The faith of the cult helps the stars to burn bright. The brighter the star, the more powerful the god. Opinions on the meaning of Falling Stars vary, of course.
What an exciting concept! This sets us up to explore a world with many different gods with a great variety among them.
Oh wow! Thanks for the kind words about my article and for putting it first. Writing it down helped me and I'm glad that it's helping people.
Learn about the World of Wizard's Peak and check out my award winning article about the Ghost Boy of Kirinal!
Thanks for sharing your Summer Camp journey! I've enjoyed reading about The World of Wizard's Peak. Looking forward to more updates about your world-building in the future.