Summer Camp 2024 Prep and Pledge
Week One
For WA Summer Camp 2023, I pledged to complete 32 prompts to get a Diamond badge, and I was able to do that. This year, I am not so sure I will be able to complete so many. As I've mentioned elsewhere on WA, I've been working on creating some mapmaking software. It's been going reasonably well. My software has similarities to Wonderdraft, from which I've drawn a lot of inspiration, especially in how easy it is to make nice-looking maps. I don't want to lose too much momentum on that, so I may not devote as much time to writing for Derkomai. That said, I have some stories percolating that I hope I will be able to work on as Summer Camp articles. We'll how the prompts align with the things I've been thinking about and working on. This week's homework is to think about what kind of changes fit into Derkomai's themes, genre, and so on. That's interesting to think about, since Derkomai is technologically static, due to the strictures on Human's via the Praxis Cogendi and Praxis Illicitus. My initial thoughts are that I will focus on personal change - how individuals change and grow as they work through and overcome interpersonal conflicts, relationship problems, and obstacles to personal goals and missions. There are several characters and stories that I think lend themselves to this: Cao Qigong, Crown Prince Yixing-Jiumin Jinhai, Rileni Elriess Shuruziat, and several others. Some of the conflicts and problems that those characters have encountered in earlier stories lead into conflicts between countries, so I may be able to explore those as well. Well, that's enough for this week. Next week, I will fill out and post the pledge document.
Week Two
Well, I perhaps have overcommitted myself, but I decided to go for a Diamond badge again this year. We will see how it goes. I've been making pretty good progress on my mapmaking software, so I thought that I could devote some time to writing some articles for Summer Camp. I haven't written a lot for Derkomai since WorldEmber, so perhaps this is a good time to take a little bit of a break from the software.
As you can probably tell, I don't feel super confident about being able to write so much, but I'm not going to stress about it. In the past, I tried to write substantial articles for every prompt, and some came to a few thousand words (though most didn't, of course). This year, some articles may end up as stubs more-or-less, and I'll have to finish them later. C'est la vie.
Update: This week's theme is refuges. That theme fits in well with some of the characters and stories I've been thinking about, so I'm looking forward to writing about that. Rileni Elriess Shuruziat took refuge in the Elvirim city of Ostnúmenoron and then in Daskar after she joined Directorate Seven. Cao Qigong took refuge in Xosuyel Vold Monastery after leaving Chessdo following the conflict between his friend, Crown Prince Yixing-Jiumin Jinhai, and his mother, Queen Jenmei Na'Omi.
Refuges are places of safety and places where conflicts can be resolved. Cities of refuge were established by some cultures, in ancient Israel, in Hawaii, and perhaps other places I'm not aware of, where those accused of crimes, especially murder, could flee and a fair judgment sought. I think it would be interesting to place one or more cities of refuge on Derkomai. Perhaps the followers of Baiyamuta would establish cities of refuge, where essentially an entire city or town is a Sanctuary of Baiyamuta. There's lots of interesting possibilities for characters, stories, locations, and exposition. Bounty hunters infiltrating cities of refuge to capture fugitives? Crooked "lawyers" preying on innocent people falsely accused of major crimes? Gangs promising protection? Paladins seeking justice? Magi performing divinations to separate truth from lies - for an exorbitant fee? The mind boggles at the opportunities to write some cool stuff!
Week Three
Assignment 1
This week's theme is belief. Wow, does that ever encompass a whole lot of territory! Derkomai has a somewhat well laid-out panoply of gods, demigods, deities, immortal beings, et al, starting with Eia’au, the creator-god of the Elvirim and the Safirim deities of the Nop Derk Safir, the Balim, the Shibaorim and Shisharrim, the Daemorim, and the varied Okkurim beings, and others. The Safirim deities each have followers, from The Order of Apopshe to the Shrine of Yamanochi that work to advance belief in the cause of that deity. Who follows - believes in - each of the deities and why? Along with the various immortals, I think the myth of The Fall from the Stars could be explored in more depth. The Elvirim, at least some of them (like the Heru Númenost), know the truth of it. Have they told anyone else? Why or why not? What other myths and stories are common on Derkomai? How did they arise? Assignment 2
As I've been writing about Derkomai for some years now, I have a large collection of quotes, pictures, location and person names, and ideas for organizations, people, locations, etc. that I've collected in a OneNote notebook that I use to organize just about everything that I do. There's too much to share here. Assignment 3
One thing I'm excited about is the opportunity to use the map making software I've been working on to create a map for Derkomai. It certainly isn't nearly 100% complete (maybe 60-70%), but I think it's capable enough now that I can use it to create a decent-looking map for some part of Derkomai. That should be fun! Assignment 4
I think the inspiration and motivation for Derkomai hasn't changed. I've spent a lot of time working on my map making software for several months now, so I haven't written a lot, but I'm looking forward to the Summer Camp prompts to give me some ideas to write about. I may have bitten off more than I can chew by committing to getting a Diamond badge, but I think can get it done.
Week Four
Assignment 1
Decay. An interesting theme, one that I haven't thought about much. Certainly, entropy is real. The laws of physics dictate that everything will decay, unless energy is expended to prevent it. In what forms does decay manifest in the physical, natural world? Disease. Erosion. Weathering. Decomposition. Stress fractures in materials. Probably many others. How does decay manifest in societies and relationships? Are there analogous processes of decay to those in the physical world? I think so. People have theorized about moral decay as a cause of the downfall of empires. Neglect of friendships can cause them to decay. Stress can cause relationships and even entire countries to fracture and decompose. What prevents decay in the physical world and in the social world? There's much to write in answering that question! Assignment 2
My writing space is pretty well prepared. Not too long ago, I got a standing desk, so I can stand and work as I need to. I think it will be important for me to make use of that. I have spent way too many hours sitting at my desk, designing, coding and writing, over a pretty long career. That has taken a toll on my health, but I'm trying to take some steps to improve that. I joined a gym a couple of months ago, and my wife and I have been going to work out regularly; though, I still need to get more exercise. Anyway, my desk space is organized, and I use my OneNote notebook to organize my writing (and pretty much everything else I do), so I feel pretty good about being ready to go on that front. Assignment 3
Last year, I spent a lot of time revamping the Derkomai homepage. I know it isn't as creative as the homepage for many other worlds, but I don't have an ideas on how to improve it right now. I'm not as artistic as many of the other worldbuilders and writers here in WA, so it might be the best I can do - at least for now. Since I want to maintain my momentum on the map making software I'm working on, I don't think I'll have the time nor inclination to do much, if any, work on the Derkomai homepage until after Summer Camp, or later. Assignment 4
I could probably spend some time on my author profile. I've really done very little on it. I'll need to think about how I want to approach it. At this point, it's a profile mostly about my basically fake company, "Zero Sum Games." Zero Sum Games is really just me. At one time, I had an actual registered business called Brookmonte Software, with a few "doing business as" names, including "Zero Sum Games" for gaming and worldbuilding stuff, "Five Trees Design" for woodworking and making, and "Brookmonte Media" for writing. It all lives under a fictitious parent company called "The Brookmonte Group." I've created a fair amount of stuff using these "companies" as alter egos. Much of it hasn't been shared publicly, either because it isn't complete or I'm not satisfied with it enough to publish/release it (with the exception of woodworking projects - I've made and given away a fair number of things I've made in my shop). When I get the map making software ready for an initial release, it will be released under the Zero Sum Games and Brookmonte Software company names. At that point, I may re-register the business and d/b/a names and open a Kofi account (or something like that) to take donations to support it. I'm not sure I want to deal with the tax issues that will create, though, since I don't actually need the money. If I do open an account for donations, I'll send anything I get to charities I already support. Anyway, that's enough about that. Six days until Summer Camp officially launches. Let the writing begin!
For WA Summer Camp 2023, I pledged to complete 32 prompts to get a Diamond badge, and I was able to do that. This year, I am not so sure I will be able to complete so many. As I've mentioned elsewhere on WA, I've been working on creating some mapmaking software. It's been going reasonably well. My software has similarities to Wonderdraft, from which I've drawn a lot of inspiration, especially in how easy it is to make nice-looking maps. I don't want to lose too much momentum on that, so I may not devote as much time to writing for Derkomai. That said, I have some stories percolating that I hope I will be able to work on as Summer Camp articles. We'll how the prompts align with the things I've been thinking about and working on. This week's homework is to think about what kind of changes fit into Derkomai's themes, genre, and so on. That's interesting to think about, since Derkomai is technologically static, due to the strictures on Human's via the Praxis Cogendi and Praxis Illicitus. My initial thoughts are that I will focus on personal change - how individuals change and grow as they work through and overcome interpersonal conflicts, relationship problems, and obstacles to personal goals and missions. There are several characters and stories that I think lend themselves to this: Cao Qigong, Crown Prince Yixing-Jiumin Jinhai, Rileni Elriess Shuruziat, and several others. Some of the conflicts and problems that those characters have encountered in earlier stories lead into conflicts between countries, so I may be able to explore those as well. Well, that's enough for this week. Next week, I will fill out and post the pledge document.
Week Two
Well, I perhaps have overcommitted myself, but I decided to go for a Diamond badge again this year. We will see how it goes. I've been making pretty good progress on my mapmaking software, so I thought that I could devote some time to writing some articles for Summer Camp. I haven't written a lot for Derkomai since WorldEmber, so perhaps this is a good time to take a little bit of a break from the software.
As you can probably tell, I don't feel super confident about being able to write so much, but I'm not going to stress about it. In the past, I tried to write substantial articles for every prompt, and some came to a few thousand words (though most didn't, of course). This year, some articles may end up as stubs more-or-less, and I'll have to finish them later. C'est la vie.
Update: This week's theme is refuges. That theme fits in well with some of the characters and stories I've been thinking about, so I'm looking forward to writing about that. Rileni Elriess Shuruziat took refuge in the Elvirim city of Ostnúmenoron and then in Daskar after she joined Directorate Seven. Cao Qigong took refuge in Xosuyel Vold Monastery after leaving Chessdo following the conflict between his friend, Crown Prince Yixing-Jiumin Jinhai, and his mother, Queen Jenmei Na'Omi.
Refuges are places of safety and places where conflicts can be resolved. Cities of refuge were established by some cultures, in ancient Israel, in Hawaii, and perhaps other places I'm not aware of, where those accused of crimes, especially murder, could flee and a fair judgment sought. I think it would be interesting to place one or more cities of refuge on Derkomai. Perhaps the followers of Baiyamuta would establish cities of refuge, where essentially an entire city or town is a Sanctuary of Baiyamuta. There's lots of interesting possibilities for characters, stories, locations, and exposition. Bounty hunters infiltrating cities of refuge to capture fugitives? Crooked "lawyers" preying on innocent people falsely accused of major crimes? Gangs promising protection? Paladins seeking justice? Magi performing divinations to separate truth from lies - for an exorbitant fee? The mind boggles at the opportunities to write some cool stuff!
Week Three
Assignment 1
This week's theme is belief. Wow, does that ever encompass a whole lot of territory! Derkomai has a somewhat well laid-out panoply of gods, demigods, deities, immortal beings, et al, starting with Eia’au, the creator-god of the Elvirim and the Safirim deities of the Nop Derk Safir, the Balim, the Shibaorim and Shisharrim, the Daemorim, and the varied Okkurim beings, and others. The Safirim deities each have followers, from The Order of Apopshe to the Shrine of Yamanochi that work to advance belief in the cause of that deity. Who follows - believes in - each of the deities and why? Along with the various immortals, I think the myth of The Fall from the Stars could be explored in more depth. The Elvirim, at least some of them (like the Heru Númenost), know the truth of it. Have they told anyone else? Why or why not? What other myths and stories are common on Derkomai? How did they arise? Assignment 2
As I've been writing about Derkomai for some years now, I have a large collection of quotes, pictures, location and person names, and ideas for organizations, people, locations, etc. that I've collected in a OneNote notebook that I use to organize just about everything that I do. There's too much to share here. Assignment 3
One thing I'm excited about is the opportunity to use the map making software I've been working on to create a map for Derkomai. It certainly isn't nearly 100% complete (maybe 60-70%), but I think it's capable enough now that I can use it to create a decent-looking map for some part of Derkomai. That should be fun! Assignment 4
I think the inspiration and motivation for Derkomai hasn't changed. I've spent a lot of time working on my map making software for several months now, so I haven't written a lot, but I'm looking forward to the Summer Camp prompts to give me some ideas to write about. I may have bitten off more than I can chew by committing to getting a Diamond badge, but I think can get it done.
Week Four
Assignment 1
Decay. An interesting theme, one that I haven't thought about much. Certainly, entropy is real. The laws of physics dictate that everything will decay, unless energy is expended to prevent it. In what forms does decay manifest in the physical, natural world? Disease. Erosion. Weathering. Decomposition. Stress fractures in materials. Probably many others. How does decay manifest in societies and relationships? Are there analogous processes of decay to those in the physical world? I think so. People have theorized about moral decay as a cause of the downfall of empires. Neglect of friendships can cause them to decay. Stress can cause relationships and even entire countries to fracture and decompose. What prevents decay in the physical world and in the social world? There's much to write in answering that question! Assignment 2
My writing space is pretty well prepared. Not too long ago, I got a standing desk, so I can stand and work as I need to. I think it will be important for me to make use of that. I have spent way too many hours sitting at my desk, designing, coding and writing, over a pretty long career. That has taken a toll on my health, but I'm trying to take some steps to improve that. I joined a gym a couple of months ago, and my wife and I have been going to work out regularly; though, I still need to get more exercise. Anyway, my desk space is organized, and I use my OneNote notebook to organize my writing (and pretty much everything else I do), so I feel pretty good about being ready to go on that front. Assignment 3
Last year, I spent a lot of time revamping the Derkomai homepage. I know it isn't as creative as the homepage for many other worlds, but I don't have an ideas on how to improve it right now. I'm not as artistic as many of the other worldbuilders and writers here in WA, so it might be the best I can do - at least for now. Since I want to maintain my momentum on the map making software I'm working on, I don't think I'll have the time nor inclination to do much, if any, work on the Derkomai homepage until after Summer Camp, or later. Assignment 4
I could probably spend some time on my author profile. I've really done very little on it. I'll need to think about how I want to approach it. At this point, it's a profile mostly about my basically fake company, "Zero Sum Games." Zero Sum Games is really just me. At one time, I had an actual registered business called Brookmonte Software, with a few "doing business as" names, including "Zero Sum Games" for gaming and worldbuilding stuff, "Five Trees Design" for woodworking and making, and "Brookmonte Media" for writing. It all lives under a fictitious parent company called "The Brookmonte Group." I've created a fair amount of stuff using these "companies" as alter egos. Much of it hasn't been shared publicly, either because it isn't complete or I'm not satisfied with it enough to publish/release it (with the exception of woodworking projects - I've made and given away a fair number of things I've made in my shop). When I get the map making software ready for an initial release, it will be released under the Zero Sum Games and Brookmonte Software company names. At that point, I may re-register the business and d/b/a names and open a Kofi account (or something like that) to take donations to support it. I'm not sure I want to deal with the tax issues that will create, though, since I don't actually need the money. If I do open an account for donations, I'll send anything I get to charities I already support. Anyway, that's enough about that. Six days until Summer Camp officially launches. Let the writing begin!
Good luck with Diamond! I look forward to reading what you put together during Summer Camp.
Thank you! Good luck to you as well. I'm looking forward to getting started and reading what you and all the other great writers on WA create.