WE25 Prep

1. Pledge

i. Area of Focus

I will be using WorldEmber to lay the groundwork for the United Kingdoms of Merridane.

ii. Writing Goal

The aim is to reach the 10k, and go any further I can!

iii. Pledge Document

2. Bingo! (Homework)

i. Playlist

I have spent time sat making playlists for the key characters I wish to write about this WorldEmber. There are a fair few of them, and each is constantly growing - so I won't be linking them here. I will, for the sake of homework!, talk a little about the thoughts behind them.

For example, Alice's playlist spans from the more light-hearted Alice in Wonderland inspired songs we typically see - all the way to darker pieces demonstrating the harsh realities of mental illness and addiction. Margraine's details her cruelty and martial prowess from multiple perspectives, enabling me to envision the character through not only her eyes, but the eyes of her people.

Each of the Queens' playlists all feature a token classical piece (or instrumental soundtrack) to represent their relationship with one of the key monsters. Margraine has Swan Lake for the jubjub bird, Elaina has Bandersnatch from Time Burton's Alice in Wonderland for obvious reasons, and Lottarie has Dracarys from Game of Thrones for the Jabberwock.

I am also working on a key writing playlist for the region

ii. Article List

Main Characters

Other Characters

iii. Schedule

The plan is to work for at least an hour every day after work. Due to my shift patterning, this will vary with my only guaranteed time coming after 7pm.

Weekends will be less focused, 'fun-time' to engage with my world as it forms - such as creating and developing character playlists, plotting family trees based on work completed throughout the week etc. And, of course, to get anything into articles as it occurs!

iiii. What kind of people inhabit Merridane?

"We're all mad here."

Inspired by the Adventures of Alice in Wonderland, The United Kingdoms of Merridane bring a Carrollian twist to the culture and political climate of Elizabethan Britain. With each of the three rulers inspired by international historical figures (Marie Antoinette, Margaret of Anjou and Vlad III), the people of Merridane live in flights of fancy to pacify themselves to their land's uncertainty. In the eyes of foreign nations, not even the most docile inhabitant is close to "sane".

iv. Research

03/11/2025: Teasing out the Courts

• Read through all Wikis for key royal characters in Carroll's work

04/11/2025: The Big Three Creatures

• Read through in detail "Jabberwocky" and "The Hunting of the Snark"
• Plotted through the basics of the Three Nations, their progenitors, and their relationships with the Jabberwock, Bandersnatch and Jubjub Bird

06/11/2025: Fantasies and Families

• Did a deep dive into opiate use in Victorian England - essential for the characters of Alice and her "Caterpillar"
• Began creating the longstanding family trees ruling the United Kingdoms

3. Bonus Prep

Moodboards