Summer Camp 2024 Pledge
It's Summer Camp season, and I'm excited to get back into worldbuilding. This will be my third Summer Camp, and this time, I'll be working on my brand-new sapling of a world, the Kingdom of Keider. I can't wait to start writing down and expanding the ideas bouncing around in my head.
The Goal: This year, there's absolutely no way for me to predict, how much time I will have for Summer Camp. As a result, I won't make any promises on how many articles I'll write. I'm hoping to get as many articles written as I possibly can. I have reached diamond in the past two Summer Camps, so it would be great to continue that streak, I just dont know if I'll be able to.
Week 1
Change: Change is something that affects everyone and everything all the time. There's big, dramatic change, there's tiny, seemingly irrelevant change, and there's everything in between. Sometimes, a bunch of small changes can lead to bigger and bigger changes, like a ripple that turns into a tidal wave. This new world and the story within explores just that, how a small shift in one person's perception of the world can eventually topple an entire established system.
Mastering the Chaos: Since I'm working on a completely new world, there isn't much to categorize yet, ergo: the system of categories in place is still very rudimentary, because I'm not entirely sure what categories I'll need and what to call them. Being the pantser I am, I guess I'll have to make them up as I go.
The Meta: I'm currently working on a Meta for the Kingdom of Keider, I just don't know very much about the world aside from a few key characters, some important places and a few relevant organizations as well as a very rough story outline for what I'll write eventually. Still, what I know will (hopefully) be added to the Meta before July.
Week 2
Refuge: A place, a person, a song. Refuge comes in many different shapes, as do the things a person might want to take refuge from. And, depending on what the reason might be, one and the same person might take refuge in a different way. When the world is just being too much, a loved one or some music may be enough, but if the world is changing and one isn't safe in it any more, a person is in need of a place to go where their would-be assailants can't reach them.
Buddies: Summer Camp is a crazy time, and having friends to help to get through it is probably very helpful to some. Me, not so much. I work the best when I have no one but myself to answer to, and my worldbuilding is my time to be alone with myself and the craziness that is my brain. I'll ask my friends for feedback if I feel that I need some help, but for the most part, I prefer to go it alone.
Looks: The Kingdom of Keider is a brand-new world, and while I'll do my best to keep my articles neat and readable, I will not (yet) pay too much mind to making them pretty. Unless I have a great idea during the remainder of June, I'll stick with the default for now and mostly focus on the content. After all, I can still work on the design at a later point.
Week 3
Belief is a strong motivation for people. No matter what a person believes in, god(s), science, themselves, Something with a capital S, it can cause a person to do a lot of things, for good or ill. A change in someone's beliefs can trigger an entire string of events that can change the world. Someone who believes that they're doing the right thing can do a lot of good, or they can cause a whole lot of damage, especially if they can make others believe in them or in what they believe in.
Inspiration: Early this year, I began to note down typos and misspellings on a piece of paper just for fun. That list included some things that sounded suspiciously like names. Two of them stood out to me and I began to wonder what kind of story these two could be part of, and after a sleepless night or two of letting my brain run rampant with these ideas, a sapling of a world was created.
Art: As I said before, I will mostly focus on content this Summer Camp. If I find the time to do so, I will add images later. For now, the words will have to do, because it just consumes too much of my energy and time to try to visualize things and add images to my world. I may, however, create a map, I am after all a cartographer's daughter, and having an idea of what's where is a very useful thing.
Week 4
Decay: Everything that exists is subjected to decay, literal or metaphorical, and sometimes both. Living creatures age, decay and die, buildings crumble, societies fall apart. Even the earth itself decays, both by forces of nature and by the hands of humans. But decay can also pave the way for new things. The concept of decay and what it can bring with it, for good or ill, will be an important consideration for the Kingdom of Keider and the stories set within.
Space for writing: As long as I have my laptop and some good music, I don't really care where I am when writing. Most likely, I'll write the majority of my articles for Summer Camp in the library. The main reason is that the library has a closing time, which will prevent me from pulling accidental all-nighters, which has happened to me more than once, and I've hated the aftermath every single time. Also, people are less likely to bother me while writing in the library, which is always helpful.
Home: As the reader's introduction to a world, the homepage is quite important. Since the Kingdom of Keider is a brand new world, its homepage isn't particularly extensive at this point, but that will hopefully change throughout or shortly after Summer Camp, once I have time to figure out timelines, maps and other things like that. I would work on that now, there just isn't a lot to work with yet.
Thoughts after Summer Camp
Achievements: Between university exams and choir camp, this July was a busy time that left me with less time to write than I would have liked. Furthermore, my inspiration has been somewhat lacking this year so far, though it is much better now. That being said, I haven't set my expectations too high, probably a good choice. My goal was to participate and to get a badge, which I did. I managed to write ten new articles in a brand new world that I knew next to nothing about, and I am proud of that. Also, who could possibly be mad about getting not one but two shiny new badges, right?
What the future may hold: I plan to use the upcoming challenges, WorldEmber in particular, to get back into worldbuilding (again) and to expand both my worlds. I am also currently working on the however-manyeth iteration of the main story set in my older world, Leanor. By now, it is in a very good place, I'm just fine-tuning some plot points and trying to figure out a decent ending. I know what sort of ending I'm going for, but finding the right ending is proving to be harder than I thought it would be.
So: I may not have won the Diamond badge this year, but I am proud of achieving Copper. These challenges are fun no matter the outcome, and I am happy that I got to participate. Congratulations to everyone who has won something, whether it is an award, a badge or simply a bunch of new articles in their world. I wish you all the best of luck with whatever it is you need luck for, and I look forward to the upcoming events and challenges here on World Anvil.
The Goal: This year, there's absolutely no way for me to predict, how much time I will have for Summer Camp. As a result, I won't make any promises on how many articles I'll write. I'm hoping to get as many articles written as I possibly can. I have reached diamond in the past two Summer Camps, so it would be great to continue that streak, I just dont know if I'll be able to.
Week 1
Change: Change is something that affects everyone and everything all the time. There's big, dramatic change, there's tiny, seemingly irrelevant change, and there's everything in between. Sometimes, a bunch of small changes can lead to bigger and bigger changes, like a ripple that turns into a tidal wave. This new world and the story within explores just that, how a small shift in one person's perception of the world can eventually topple an entire established system.
Mastering the Chaos: Since I'm working on a completely new world, there isn't much to categorize yet, ergo: the system of categories in place is still very rudimentary, because I'm not entirely sure what categories I'll need and what to call them. Being the pantser I am, I guess I'll have to make them up as I go.
The Meta: I'm currently working on a Meta for the Kingdom of Keider, I just don't know very much about the world aside from a few key characters, some important places and a few relevant organizations as well as a very rough story outline for what I'll write eventually. Still, what I know will (hopefully) be added to the Meta before July.
Week 2
Refuge: A place, a person, a song. Refuge comes in many different shapes, as do the things a person might want to take refuge from. And, depending on what the reason might be, one and the same person might take refuge in a different way. When the world is just being too much, a loved one or some music may be enough, but if the world is changing and one isn't safe in it any more, a person is in need of a place to go where their would-be assailants can't reach them.
Buddies: Summer Camp is a crazy time, and having friends to help to get through it is probably very helpful to some. Me, not so much. I work the best when I have no one but myself to answer to, and my worldbuilding is my time to be alone with myself and the craziness that is my brain. I'll ask my friends for feedback if I feel that I need some help, but for the most part, I prefer to go it alone.
Looks: The Kingdom of Keider is a brand-new world, and while I'll do my best to keep my articles neat and readable, I will not (yet) pay too much mind to making them pretty. Unless I have a great idea during the remainder of June, I'll stick with the default for now and mostly focus on the content. After all, I can still work on the design at a later point.
Week 3
Belief is a strong motivation for people. No matter what a person believes in, god(s), science, themselves, Something with a capital S, it can cause a person to do a lot of things, for good or ill. A change in someone's beliefs can trigger an entire string of events that can change the world. Someone who believes that they're doing the right thing can do a lot of good, or they can cause a whole lot of damage, especially if they can make others believe in them or in what they believe in.
Inspiration: Early this year, I began to note down typos and misspellings on a piece of paper just for fun. That list included some things that sounded suspiciously like names. Two of them stood out to me and I began to wonder what kind of story these two could be part of, and after a sleepless night or two of letting my brain run rampant with these ideas, a sapling of a world was created.
Art: As I said before, I will mostly focus on content this Summer Camp. If I find the time to do so, I will add images later. For now, the words will have to do, because it just consumes too much of my energy and time to try to visualize things and add images to my world. I may, however, create a map, I am after all a cartographer's daughter, and having an idea of what's where is a very useful thing.
Week 4
Decay: Everything that exists is subjected to decay, literal or metaphorical, and sometimes both. Living creatures age, decay and die, buildings crumble, societies fall apart. Even the earth itself decays, both by forces of nature and by the hands of humans. But decay can also pave the way for new things. The concept of decay and what it can bring with it, for good or ill, will be an important consideration for the Kingdom of Keider and the stories set within.
Space for writing: As long as I have my laptop and some good music, I don't really care where I am when writing. Most likely, I'll write the majority of my articles for Summer Camp in the library. The main reason is that the library has a closing time, which will prevent me from pulling accidental all-nighters, which has happened to me more than once, and I've hated the aftermath every single time. Also, people are less likely to bother me while writing in the library, which is always helpful.
Home: As the reader's introduction to a world, the homepage is quite important. Since the Kingdom of Keider is a brand new world, its homepage isn't particularly extensive at this point, but that will hopefully change throughout or shortly after Summer Camp, once I have time to figure out timelines, maps and other things like that. I would work on that now, there just isn't a lot to work with yet.
Thoughts after Summer Camp
Achievements: Between university exams and choir camp, this July was a busy time that left me with less time to write than I would have liked. Furthermore, my inspiration has been somewhat lacking this year so far, though it is much better now. That being said, I haven't set my expectations too high, probably a good choice. My goal was to participate and to get a badge, which I did. I managed to write ten new articles in a brand new world that I knew next to nothing about, and I am proud of that. Also, who could possibly be mad about getting not one but two shiny new badges, right?
What the future may hold: I plan to use the upcoming challenges, WorldEmber in particular, to get back into worldbuilding (again) and to expand both my worlds. I am also currently working on the however-manyeth iteration of the main story set in my older world, Leanor. By now, it is in a very good place, I'm just fine-tuning some plot points and trying to figure out a decent ending. I know what sort of ending I'm going for, but finding the right ending is proving to be harder than I thought it would be.
So: I may not have won the Diamond badge this year, but I am proud of achieving Copper. These challenges are fun no matter the outcome, and I am happy that I got to participate. Congratulations to everyone who has won something, whether it is an award, a badge or simply a bunch of new articles in their world. I wish you all the best of luck with whatever it is you need luck for, and I look forward to the upcoming events and challenges here on World Anvil.
Somewhere in your world setting, describe...
...a tumultuous region prone to natural disasters
...an environmental or other large-scale natural disaster
...a character who goes through a great change or metamorphosis
...a sickness that caused societal upheaval
...a document that changed the course of history
...a displaced people in your world
...a conflict that involved a changing environment
...a vehicle that, when introduced, caused social upheaval
...a myth about food
...a building associated with joy and fun
...a settlement considered a refuge
...a technology used for defense or protection
...a naturally sheltered place
...a building considered a refuge against the world
...a unit dedicated to guarding someone or something
...a personal item that keeps you safe
...a tradition that gives comfort
...a species with protective anatomy
...a sub-culture considered larger-than-life by some
...a charity or other organization focused around doing good
...a faction of an organization built around belief
...a myth, urban legend or conspiracy theory believed by many to be true
...an evil spirit or divine antagonist
...a document of spurious or controversial attribution
...a relic or symbol of belief
...a slang or language associated with a religion or belief
...a leader or high-ranking person in an organization
...the practices and ceremonies of worship
...a settlement that is known as a party town or pleasure city
...a hybrid species intentionally bred
...a myth or prophecy about the end of the world
...a material that is resistant to decay
...a profession that is considered dirty
...an organization fighting corruption
...a tradition that represents moral decay
...an animal or plant that feeds on decay
...a degenerative disease
...a piece of tech that prevents decay
...a storyteller, author or bard in your world
...a geographical region that expands
...a food often eaten by travelers
...a building that was meant to be temporary
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