WorldEmber Prep 2024
As a well-defined and long tradition with a 4th year in the making orders, I once again prepare myself to dive deep into WorldEmber. The theme for this year is: "Make it more believable: myths and legends" and is an offshoot of NovelEmber ponderings. Now, I did not finish NovelEmber, but... it did not stop me from fleshing out 30+ plot-points, characters and supernatural schemes, all in the form of 2x2in postits. While in the end my good conscience prevented me from counting that as participating in NovelEmber, it did suggest a way out of the subsequent guilt-trip. It said: "Make it a month worth of preparations for more in-depth worldbulding"; and what more can I do than to oblige?
Week 1: Set a word goal and your area of focus
My schedule is becoming more demanding by the year, so I plan to make it relatively easy and stick to the 10k + 1 words. These won't be just any 10k + 1 words. Be prepared for a small dive into the mythical/legendary part of the world. The four deities of the seasons and there relation to the ancient land of Ašu in particular. There may be some conlanging involved, but we'll see how things will play out.
Week 2: Prepare Your World for New Readers
The landing page was given a short glance. Alas! Not much time for that to be polished right now, but... the introduction is there so my worries are lightened.
Week 3: On the Hunt for Inspiration
I've been re-drafting my short story, which during the course of November has turned into a story, then a novel, and now the first book of a tetralog... This is not totally unexpected. I just gave every character a meaning, even the deities, so they don't just answer to my bidding. And so, as they ceased to be the lifeless puppets, the story has become more nuanced and cramping it into the small box of 10-20 pages just wouldn't work anymore.
A good deal of inspiration came from the "Etymologicon" by Mark Forsyth, which gave me a million and one ideas on how to turn a single word or phrase into a story of its own.
Another good deal of inspiration were my studies of Scottish Gaelic on Duolingo, which marked 376 days of constant learning. Oh, this influenced my conlanging and the Savenian culture quite a bit.
Week 4: Harness the Power of Friendship :)
I've made some arrangements to clear my mornings on 8-10AM. Stocking up on comforting stuff is on its way - I made some candied pears with cardamon, candied pumpkin with spices, and dried plums. As for the community... May the force of mutual creative spirit of WA Discord Community be upon us all. :)
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