WorldEmber 2025

I'm what many would consider a very amateur writer, though a creative writing pedigree does flow through my veins. Supposedly, and with some legitimate documentation given the time elapsed, I'm related to William Shakespeare on my moms side, and she herself is a writing demon; although she doesn't practice creative writing like worldbuilding. I've used WorldAnvil on-and-off for years, really enjoying the creative and though-provoking prompts on the articles that has led to some really wild and fun creations from my mind. This year, I want to commit to something and hold myself accountable to actually build a setting, not just a world, that I don't delete after a few weeks. One that I use for my solo TTRPG I've been wanting to play. One that I can develop and flesh out to as minute as I feel like I want. Thus, I am going to challenge myself to commit to an entire month of writing this setting, investing time and energy into something I know I want but I so often give up on or get bored with.

WorldEmber 2025 Pledge

For my very first WorldEmber challenge, I pledge to write at least 10,000 words for my galactic-spanning setting, with specific emphasis on the planet Mn'Sotari, where I plan to start my BRP story.

WorldEmber 2025 Bingo

Plan the Worldbuilding Playlist - DONE

This is the easiest one for me. Music is love. Music is life. Some form of music is always playing, and is often my single greatest source of inspiration for a great many things. I have created a Youtube Music playlist filled with hundreds of videos and songs of ambient and instrumental tracks often well over 1 hour long each, from a wide range of genres and archetypes, since my setting is a mix of science-fiction and fantasy. Grimdark, Occult, Fantasy, Cyberpunk, Ambient soundscapes like radio chatter or space travel to forest animals and wind.

Edit: I've condensed both the sci-fi- and fantasy-oriented playlists into one giant playlist consisting of over 1,000 tracks, each one being at least 1 hour long. All of them are instrumental and ambient, so they're perfect for popping a special gummy and getting lost in the atmospheres while I work.

Review or Collect the World Inspirations - DONE

This is where the real work begins. I absolutely have a "from the hip" list of inspirations that I've loved for some time or have fallen in love with recently; but I could do with spending some time listing out my biggest inspirations and, more importantly, detail and describe why they inspire me. What facets about them do I find the most attractive? Which ones could fit inside my setting with the proper lore and mechanic tweaking? What are some aspects I could make unique and put my own creative spin on?

It's no secret that I'm heavily influenced by Star Wars, which I've recently really gotten invested in as a 33-year old adult. I can't believe I've never been into that universe until just now when it has everything I love: Mechs, droids, starships, swords, magic. Where has this been all of my life?!

Another, less obvious, homage goes to the light-novel series Grimgar: Of Fantasy and Ash by Ao Jyumonji. I've been an anime fan for years; and as many fans can attest, the isekai genre has really gotten saturated and stale. There are a few absolute treasures, found in series like Konosuba and, my personal favorite narrative of all time, Re:Zero. Then came Grimgar and hoooooly shit did I get hooked. No power fantasy there. The world is brutal, and every victory is hard-earned and paid for by blood. Grimgar has always fascinated me as a "what if there was an actual RPG that played like this?" complete with the brutality and insane grind players must engage in to become powerful.

Tidy Up the Writing Space

It's no secret to my girlfriend and those who visit my house that I'm a messy boy. The universal law of entropy is proven with me time and time again.

Finish All Articles Started Before December

This one is interesting. When is an article truly finished? Introspection is needed.

Re-read the Core Articles

This is a great primer task that will rekindle my desire to build the setting I want. Look at all the (to me, at least) cool and unique concepts I've designed and listed. How can I improve them? How can I expand them? What threads do they spin where I could explore?