Stories over the waning campfire

My Journey

I am very excited to have participated in the SC 25 challenge, because it gave me the opportunity to write down all the ideas I had for my world, develop them further and weave them into a coherent structure, a framework to help me build stories and adventures. The prompts were really well-thought and provided inspiration for new stuff or the starting point to base a concept around.

All in all, the end of summer finds Dolvareth richer and myself eager to write more. So eager, in fact, that I don't know where to start. Well, maybe some reading will urge my cogs spinning a bit faster.

Reading your work

Well guys, I 'm a total rookie. I tried to read as many articles as possible for the reading challenge of SC 25. This task soon proved nigh on impossible. So I changed my goal to the following: read all the articles that hadn't been liked or otherwise appreciated yet, to offer some love to the part of the community that may not have the same reach as others. This in fact was a decision I made because of the love some community members gave my articles, even though there are many more talented people with amazing work on the platform. The likes and comments I got made me feel so good that I just wanted to give some of that back.

Of course I didn't get to read all of those either. I gave it my best, dedicating a lot of my time to it as I am a slow reader. I selected some of the prompts that I participated in and gave priority to the articles with the least views and likes.
I did eventually read some of the more prominent work per prompt, and i really loved those articles. I won't be featuring them though, as most of them have already made it to the shortlists of the judges and the rest are sure to be featured there too. I want to showcase some of the hidden gems (or diamonds in the rough, depending on how you look at them) I found and use the platform I’ve been given to promote work that I believe really deserves to be seen more.

With that in mind, these are the articles I picked by prompt

An organization seen as the next superpower

MASK is truly a formidable organization, not because of its intricate structure or connections to the world. In fact, the article does not mention those at all. Instead, it highlights what they do possess: a technology that can make magic available to literally anyone willing to pay for it. One can only imagine the impact this could have in a world where, until now, only a select few were able to wield this kind of power. Between that and MASK being described as a "corporate organization," my calamity-meter's needle is off the charts.

A visionary that changed the course of history

Quirky character, that Ishen. He might have taken a more literal approach to the whole “changing the course of history” idea.

A ritual related to agriculture

The Maidens' Blessing ritual caught my attention not so much for its originality, but because of how seamlessly it is integrated into the world it belongs to. The article itself is well structured and includes many linked references, while also going a step further by presenting different interpretations of the tradition’s origins.

A myth about a legendary food or drink

Is there something more legendary than cooking and eating a god's limb? Xasan seems to be one of the most benevolent gods in fantasy.

I liked this article, even though I feel it could benefit from some links.

A substance known for its unique smell

I won’t say no to some strong ale, or to a creative use of a prompt. I do have one issue, though: three tablespoons is considered a serving? What am I supposed to drink for the other 59 minutes while everyone else nurses their drafts?

A profession related to spirituality or philosophy

I’ve always believed that science fiction is the best genre for exploring difficult philosophical and moral questions, such as the nature of conscience, what defines it, and who has the authority to judge it. The article captures this notion perfectly in its closing line: “an Institute Examiner must accept the moral hazard attendant with the possible necessity of making the decision to terminate an intelligence which might or might not be hostile to humanoid interests.”

A foundational document for a country, religion, or other organization

Many people (myself included) stopped at the first comma of the prompt and ended up writing about some country’s constitutional document. This one, though, is about religion. And what a caustic way to introduce a religious document! I even had to look up the word invective. Also, this Wesmond bloke is awesome. I wanted to include the article about him as well (under the visionary prompt), but decided against featuring two pieces from the same author. Still, it’s a great read, and I recommend giving it a look.

The trip back

Where do we go from here? Well, my intention is to fill in the gaps in the Dorian Chronology, not by expanding it, but by fleshing out The Trade War, The Invasion of Doriande and other events that happened before. I also need to write about key people in the Kingdom's past and present. Other areas I want to focus on are the mysterious neighbor and its current relationship with Doriande, the hidden city of mages and the tribes that live north of Waygate and on the islands south of the Dorian peninsula.

I also have already mentioned that I am working on an anthology of short stories. At the time this article is being typed, I 've managed to write two of them. My plan is to make it to about a dozen, about forty thousand words in length.