Worldember 2025
This December, I’m returning to the world of Evera.
My goal is to finally wrap up the regions of Nehalenor and continue exploring the western lands of Ganu. This time of the year, I’m aiming for balance: sharing my time between family, work, and writing—without too many compromises.
If I happen to exceed my goals, that’ll be a wonderful surprise! But after this year’s Summer Camp, I realized that setting more realistic expectations might be the best way to bring out my full potential—without the stress.
By September, burnout had caught up with me, and I had to redefine what balance means for me. I still want to keep moving forward and growing, but I’m learning to rest when I need to. (Easier said than done.)
Still, I’ve been so ready for Worldember! I always work better when there’s a clear goal ahead—and I can’t wait to rediscover the wild landscapes and countless stories that await across the continent of Utea.
What's next?
Special and interesting places and people in:
- Timberland
- Riverside Plains
- Pine Woods
- Bor&Borg (deserts of Ganu)
- Jungle Dura
- Jungle Ghak
I usually start my projects by making a mini-Meta and fixing up the CSS, but this time I really want to focus on the writing itself. There’s no chance I’ll finish all my countless WIPs—but making a list of the regions I’d like to work on (see above, not a complete one by any means) will definitely help me stay on track.
In the spirit of rest, I’ve been reading a lot lately. Unfortunately, I read way too fast—the Iron Flame book barely lasts me a day—so I’ve found myself returning to the library again. I’m trying to look at my reading from a different perspective now, which is something new for me. I pay attention not only to the writing, but also to the editing. I’ve learned so much from it… Now all I need is a complete first draft.
Well—we’re not quite there yet.
So, my chosen preparation includes:
- a playlist,
- a list of themes,
- a list of time blocks,
- some research,
- and a deep dive into the Narmiron elves, the Segai, and the Bugit tribes and culture.
I also plan to generate illustrations for each region—to strengthen the image I hold in my mind and bring Evera’s landscapes a little closer to life.
UPDATE
As the end-of-year chaos takes over our home, I’ve still managed to devote some time to creative work.
Traditional time-blocking doesn’t work well for me (life usually forces parallel tasks on me). Even so, I revisited the method and managed to secure 10 hours each week dedicated solely to WorldEmber.
I put together a short instrumental playlist for my work sessions. Because of my workload, I could only think in one- or two-hour blocks.
I started generating images — mostly character portraits for now. I reread everything I (and we) have written about Nehalenor and the Narmiron Elves so far. It turns out I’m continuing the thread I started during last year’s WorldEmber challenge, when I outlined six special locations in the Golden Glade. (I also dusted off my notes on the Bugit and Segai Beastmen and took another look at the Ganu region.)
Using Shadowdark’s simple 1-in-6 rule for determining special sites, I walked through the regional map grid and identified where each point of interest would go, along with its danger level. Then, by cross-referencing the geography, ecology, and culture of each area, the small notes and working titles came together naturally (like Deadly Giant Spider Pit). This means I’m entering December with structure instead of an empty page. Given how many ideas I’ve already listed just for the Vale, I doubt I’ll get to expanding Ganu in detail this year — so I’m setting that part aside for now.
And somehow, despite everything, our winter deep-cleaning is officially done. It was a massive task, but it’s finished — and I’m truly happy with it.
Between managing family life and preparing for the holiday season, I’ll keep working on the mysteries surrounding Narmiraen, continue creating illustrations, and look forward to December.
Cat/Macska Bugit
Fox/Róka Bugit
Hare/Nyúl Bugit
Hedgehog/Sün Bugit
Lizard/Gyík Bugit
Sotat/Hermelin Bugit
Best of luck with your goals! Have fun :)
Thank You :)