WorldEmber 2024 Homework
Okay, yes, I am doing this very last minute... buuuuuuuut the shiny badge is calling, and we like the serotonin boost that the shiny badge gives. Plus its sort of good to have a plan. I can acknowledge this, even if I personally will very likely be throwing out said plan based on what words decide to actually jump out of the jumble of ideas.
On to the actual homework, in the quest for a shiny badge and hopefully getting a chuckle out of a couple of people who read this. It is always nice to know that my jokes and references are appreciated.
So sure, we are going for Diamond 10,000 words on stuff and things. That is actually what my pledge document says, which you will be able to see once I am not filling time at work on a holiday weekend and back on my home computer. There will be a pledge document here... I'm gonna say by December 3rd, because I enjoy other shiny things too much to turn down overtime when no work is scheduled because of holidays.
Speaking of, I made Thanksgiving Dinner again for my co-workers. I now have a 2 year sample size saying I am pretty good at this cooking turkey thing. That feels good. It was really good turkey. If you ask nice I might reveal some of the recipe, although similar to Gandalf I shall keep some of my secrets.
For those keeping track, I already answered the second part of what my focus area will be and I'm also fairly happy with where my meta is. So now we can move on to week 2
My homepage and world design in general needs a lot of work. I know this, I will likely get to it eventually. Some of it is a motivation thing... most of it, well, basically all of it if we are being honest. I do need to get back to learning CSS, or look into maybe hiring someone who already knows about it. It really comes down to free time. I need to be better at managing it.
One of the things I am hoping to work on this WE is a world primer. Codify things, organize them a bit more. shudder
Look, its not that I dislike things being organized, its the process. I don't like organizing things. so unless the brain goblins insist on it (bookcases) I generally dont do it. I'm an adult and I can make decisions like that even if I know that in the long run they will cost me more time. In the shorter term it lets me do things like experiment with making ramen broth, or other fun cooking things. Or play video games to steal ideas from. also read. The "unread books pile" continues to grow.
You folks here are my community. Well, here and the discord. Our community is great. Line and the Council of Chris's are cool people (yes, i'm still using that, it just sounds cool. No I'm not technically a member, and don't know everyone who technically is, that is just a fun way to refer to kitoypoy and ECCbooks that I came up with... in the past at some point). Janet and Dimi are also awesome. 10/10 would recommend meeting them. Play a game if you can, it is always entertaining to watch Janet accidently almost kill Dimi's character with the first roll of combat. So yea, keep being awesome. I will be on discord sporadically throughout the month, that mostly at times that many people are asleep. Except Han and Thei, who are great moderators in addition to continuously making really cool stuff in their worlds.
Week 3 Actually, quite by accident I am currently reading the newest Jay Kristoff book that is about a world taken over by vampires. Go me. I also have several other ideas based on recent media consumption percolating up in the old chaos cloud. Some may fall down and grace an article or two. We will have to see what December brings. I may be negotiating an internal transfer to a different location within my job, which will take away time but has already given me ideas for consequences of less than competent leadership and the frustrations that people below them have when there is disparity between "what is written" and "what was meant." But you don't need to hear me vent.
Mood, especially for writing is usually determined for me by what music I am listening too. I have several playlists. They range from Green Day to Diggy Diggy Hole to the Majora's Mask Clocktown Theme on 10 hour repeat. There is folk music, and filk music, rock, classical, soundtracks galore (okay, not really galore, its a lot of LotR soundtrack stuff, especially the Rohan themes and then mostly classical video game soundtracks.) Which, having now scrolled down is a separate thing from moodboard, so we will see what we can come up with for an actual moodboard. I do have some references that I use for things like the Winter Court, and a smaller set for things related to dwarves. There is actually a fairly large image gallery I have been meaning to sort that would have been a really good project for the month if I hadn't been working so much. Not that it will get fully sorted by WE. But some sorting shouldn't take away from writing too much.
As for schedule, it will be mostly Sunday Monday and Tuesday nights, depending on if I am visiting family/friends. So I guess look for me on discord or to post updates then. There may be some outside of that if work is slow, but with other people rushing to finish projects before the rest of the holidays December is looking like it will be a busy month at work. Monday night US Central time is going to be the preferred writing time.
As for fresh air. I did that, see above mentioned turkey cooking. Yes, the smoker was outside. Plus, there was all the outside walking I have been doing at work. But realistically, we will be waiting patiently for more snow before spending too much time outside. I'm sure its a psychological thing, but cold weather seems colder if there isn't snow on the ground. Plus winter is the best season. There is less pollen, and snow is awesome. More people need to appreciate cold weather. It is a wonderful excuse to break out the fancy WA mug and drink some hot chocolate... or rum :)
So, now that we have managed to knock this out in... a little over an hour all things told, I will see you all "next month" and I'm sure I will read at least any materials you decide to come up with. After all, per tradition, I shall once again be judging. And you are, all of you, guilty... guilty of being awesomely creative people who make wonderful things. ( I know I said I was going to try to give some judging criteria this time around, sadly, I cannot save time in a bottle, and some things had to give, but make a cool material and talk about its implications, uses, trade disputes, etc and maybe throw in a picture or two.)
(I'm hoping to get a chance to fancy this up during WE, but the ADD has been strong lately, and life has also been unusually busy, so if I dont... I'm sorry for the wall of text, at least there are paragraphs. Small victories)
Have fun going for diamond!