Summer Camp 2024
Overview
Thoughts
Last year was my first Summer Camp participation. I had relatively modest goals (Copper), but still was not able to achieve that, partly because of life but also because I didn't have a good process set up. This year, I'm going to revise my process and see how it goes.
Preparation/Homework
Week 1: Organization
This week's theme is change.
Assignment 1: Consider the Theme
What kind of changes would fit in with your world's themes, genre, and other foundational points?
Ruartei is a science fiction "world" focused on an interstellar civilization (composed of thousands of worlds) in a section of galactic space. The types of applicable changes are technological, political, cultural, and so on.
Assignment 3: Organize Your World
Get your categories and tags organized! Consider using a special tag (e.g., sc24) for summer camp articles so they are more easily found afterwords for revision, categorization, etc.
I've got the basic categories already setup. I'll add additional ones as needed. See Website Structure for the list and arrangement.
Assignment 4: Update Your Meta
Take a look at your meta, primer, and any other high-level document and update it according to the current state of your world.
I've updated the Foundation section of the meta — removing the author only part (that's now on a separate private world site) — and written new information on 2 of the prompts in the Scene section.
Assignment 2: Set Your Goal
Decide how many prompts you'll go for during Summer Camp. Then, download the pledge document and fill it accordingly!
I'm not sure how busy I'll be in July so I've chosen to pledge Cooper. That's 2 prompts per week, which I should be able to do.
World Anvil Summer Camp 2024 Pledge by World Anvil Fillable PDF
Week 2: Support and Infrastructure
This week's theme is refuge.
Assignment 1: Consider the Theme
Consider what kinds of refuge would fit in with your world's themes, genre, and other foundational points.
Ruartei has a number of refuge worlds, safe havens, hidden enclaves — and a number of refugees. It will depend on the specific prompts as to which parts of Ruartei fit in with the refuge them.
Assignment 2: Choose Your Support Network
Find a community—whether that’s our Discord server, Facebook Group, your RPG or friend group, or something else.
My support network will consist of the World Anvil Disccord server, in particular the Articles Anonymous chapter and the Summer Camp channel and possibly some of the various WA world builders Discord servers.
Assignment 3: Improve Your Styling
Find ways to improve styling and layout in your world!
Right now, I am using a separate private world to experiment with new layouts and styling. I don't have time now to put it on my main world (from which I will be submitting my Summer Camp articles. Maybe by World Ember.
Assignment 4: Revise Your CSS
If you’re a CSS wizard, maybe take the time now to give it a polish!
I'm actively developing a new theme on my separate private world. This also involves changing my custom article templates. Once again, there's not enough time to implement it on my main world so I'll just wait until after Summer Camp, but continue to work on the them on the private world until Summer Camp begins.
Week 3: Inspiration
This week's theme is belief.
Assignment 1: Consider the Theme
Consider what kind of beliefs would fit in with your world's themes, genre, and other foundational points.
Beliefs. Beliefs. Beliefs. As befits a starfaring civilization, Ruartei has many different beliefs and belief systems — ranging from their religions (ranging from mystics to organized political powerhouses), their philosophies (for every conceivable philosophy, there's probably some group, planet, or star system that follows it), their folklore (local and interstellar), and even their science (scholars still argue about dimensional theory and scientists argue about how warp paths and warp bubbles actually work).
Assignment 2: Find Your Inspirations
Create a bank of inspirations! Quotes, music, description of experiences and shower thoughts, etc.
I don't really have these sorts of inspirations. I've been building my world in my mind, physical notes, and digital files for so long — decades — that I've pretty much lost track of those sorts of things. However, the beginning of my world was inspired (but is very different from) Star Trek (the original series) and Andre Norton (her science fantasy books, not her Witch World books).
Assignment 3: Think About Your Images and a Map
Find art and pictures that inspire you, and grab a map if you don't have one (and need one).
I plan to use Midjourney to create cover images for the articles. But I will also look for stock images for which I have valid licensing (and will, of course, credit the artist and stock image site). I doubt that I will have time to make any maps, but I plan to start exploring software to create starmaps (before and after Summer Camp).
Assignment 4: Review Your Inspirations
Check your inspirations again. Are they still relevant? Can you find any that better represent the current state of your project?
I don't have a list of inspirations (as noted in Assignment 2), but there are numerous inspiring world sites on World Anvil. Too many to list, but...
Here are some of the science fiction worlds (mostly focused on stellar systems) that I follow.
- 2d20-A Galaxy Far Far Away
- Astra Planeta
- Astraesto
- Celestial Grove
- Ethnis
- Humans are Space Orcs
- Interstellar Echoes
- Luridity
- Nebula Burning
- P'Ache
- Pearl Directive
- Solaris
- Special Agent
- Stellar Journey
- Stormfarers
- Tales of the void
- Tequila Starrise
- The Delta Space
- The Mirror Plane
- The Outer Systems
- The Rosepetal
- The Sealed Kingdoms
- THF Universe
- Vazdimet
- Wow That's a Lot of Stars
- Yonderverse
Week 4: Writing Environment & World Site
This week's theme is decay.
Assignment 1: Consider the Theme
Consider what kind of decay would fit in with your world's themes, genre, and other foundational points.
Ah yes, decay. Lots of things to write about in regard to that. Empires, worlds, religious orders, species... Pretty much anything. I'll wait and see what the prompts suggest.
Assignment 2: Optimize Your Environment
Think about strategies to optimize your writing space and time!
I already have some general strategies for my writing — both space and time. But I'm always looking to improve them.
Currently, I've reduced other commitments (and not just for Summer Camp), so I can write and world build much more. And I have a number of different writing environments. In the past, this has been so that I can write more often and in various locations (mostly in my house).
But now, with my beginning arithritis (and bone spurs — ouch) in my knees, I have to make sure that I stretch out my legs. No more sitting for a couple of hours at a desk or table. (Thank goodness for my recliner where I can still type on my laptop without bending my knees.) I'm still getting used to changing positions more frequently.
Assignment 3: Review Your Homepage
Review your world homepage to hook potential readers!
I've not yet revised my home page to be a proper landing page. I'm working on it, but it's not going to happen before Summer Camp.
My goal is to have it done by the end of the year. (I'm also working on a new theme.)
Assignment 4: Update Your Intro & Author Page
Take a look at your author profile and pillar articles on your world and polish them!
I also do not have a world introduction article yet. That's going to have to wait until later in the year (or early next year).
I'm not really sure what to put on my profile page. Or what I even want to put on my profile page.
I'll have to look and see if there are any blog articles on that. And look at others to see what they've done.
Progress
I decided to start a new world, Mirielle for this.
Change
Prompt 1: (Geography)
A tumultuous region prone to natural disasters
A tumultuous region prone to natural disasters
Prompt 2: (Natural Law)
An environmental or other large-scale natural disaster
An environmental or other large-scale natural disaster
Prompt 3: (Person)
A character who goes through a great change or metamorphosis
Submitted
A character who goes through a great change or metamorphosis
Submitted
Prompt 4: (Condition)
A sickness that caused societal upheaval
A sickness that caused societal upheaval
Prompt 5: (Document)
A document that changed the course of history
A document that changed the course of history
Prompt 6: (Ethnicity)
A displaced people in your world
Submitted
A displaced people in your world
Submitted
Prompt 7: (Military Conflict)
A conflict that involved a changing environment
A conflict that involved a changing environment
Prompt 8: (Vehicle)
A vehicle that, when introduced, caused social upheaval
Airships
A vehicle that, when introduced, caused social upheaval
Airships
Refuge
Prompt 11: (Settlement)
A settlement considered a refuge
A settlement considered a refuge
Prompt 12: (Technology)
A technology used for defense or protection
A technology used for defense or protection
Prompt 13: (Geography)
A naturally sheltered place
Submitted
A naturally sheltered place
Submitted
Prompt 14: (Building)
A building considered a refuge against the world
A building considered a refuge against the world
Prompt 15: (Military Formation)
Prompt 16: (Item)
A personal item that keeps you safe
A personal item that keeps you safe
Prompt 17: (Tradition)
A tradition that gives comfort
A tradition that gives comfort
Prompt 18: (Species)
A species with protective anatomy
Submitted
A species with protective anatomy
Submitted
Belief
Prompt 21: (Organization)
A faction of an organization built around belief
A faction of an organization built around belief
Prompt 22: (Myth)
A myth, urban legend, or conspiracy theory believed by many to be true
A myth, urban legend, or conspiracy theory believed by many to be true
Prompt 23: (Character)
An evil spirit or divine antagonist
An evil spirit or divine antagonist
Prompt 24: (Document)
A document of spurious or controversial attribution
A document of spurious or controversial attribution
Prompt 25: (Item)
A relic or symbol of belief
A relic or symbol of belief
Prompt 26: (Language)
Slang or a language associated with a religion or belief
Slang or a language associated with a religion or belief
Prompt 27: (Title)
A leader or high-ranking person in an organization
A leader or high-ranking person in an organization
Prompt 28: (Tradition)
The practices and ceremonies of worship
The practices and ceremonies of worship
Decay
Prompt 31: (Myth)
A myth or prophecy about the end of the world
A myth or prophecy about the end of the world
Prompt 32: (Material)
A material that is resistant to decay
Submitted
A material that is resistant to decay
Submitted
Prompt 33: (Profession)
A profession that is considered dirty
A profession that is considered dirty
Prompt 34: (Organization)
An organization fighting corruption
An organization fighting corruption
Prompt 35: (Tradition)
A tradition that represents moral decay
A tradition that represents moral decay
Prompt 36: (Species)
An animal or plant that feeds on decay
Submitted
An animal or plant that feeds on decay
Submitted
Prompt 37: (Condition)
A degenerative disease
A degenerative disease
Prompt 38: (Technology)
A piece of tech that prevents decay
A piece of tech that prevents decay
Wildcards
Prompt 9: (Myth)
A myth about food
A myth about food
Prompt 10: (Building)
A building associated with joy and fun
A building associated with joy and fun
Prompt 19: (Ethnicity)
A sub-culture considered larger-than-life by some
A sub-culture considered larger-than-life by some
Prompt 20: (Organization)
A charity or other organization focused on doing good
A charity or other organization focused on doing good
Prompt 29: (Settlement)
A settlement that's known as a party town or pleasure city
A settlement that's known as a party town or pleasure city
Prompt 30: (Species)
A hybrid species intentionally bred
A hybrid species intentionally bred
Prompt 39: (Character)
A storyteller, author, or bard
Submitted
A storyteller, author, or bard
Submitted
Prompt 40: (Geography)
A geographical region that is expanding
Submitted
A geographical region that is expanding
Submitted
Extra
Prompt 41: (Item)
A food often eaten by travelers
A food often eaten by travelers
Prompt 42: (Building)
A building that was meant to be temporary
A building that was meant to be temporary
Copyright 2025 Joella Kay
All images used with permission.
All images used with permission.
Cover image:
Summer Camp 2024
by
Tulonsae using MidjourneyAI
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