Going with the flow — SC 2025 Pledge
Hello WorldAnvil! I'm still here, even if I barely posted anything (except a new world a few days ago). Beside work taking an increasingly big space in my life and Clair Obscur sucking my soul, I've been working on several projects for these past months, including two on WA that I hope I'll be able to show later this year. But today's not about them, but what is coming very soon, next month!
Unfortunately, July will be insanely busy for me. I will attend 2 conferences and a full week at a board games festival, with barely any time to write. I might have to cram everything in the last week, but I won't break my diamond streak just yet! And I want to confirm the other one, as my camp makes a comeback this year!
Wandering Worldsmith Camp
Wandering Worldsmiths travel and build a lot of worlds. They may look similar or very different, but they all share a common creator. Yet, this creator might favour one over the others for some time, or entirely. But the wanderer never settles in one place, and always goes back to its previous homes. To be recognized a Wandering Worldsmith, you have to answer the prompts in different worlds
The Wandering Worldsmith explores many worlds and build upon them at their own pace. This camp is an extra challenge on top of regular Summercamp, which comes itself in 3 tiers. Each of them are doable no matter which badge you aim for during Summercamp.
Click on the big badge for more information.
Adequate (Wandering) Worldsmith
The Adequate WW likes to stay in known waters. They are famous in their territory, and built solid foundations. To validate this badge, you need to submit at least 1 prompt in 4 different worlds. You can do so as you wish, even writing 29 prompts in one world and 3 in 3 others do the trick! My suggestion is to take on a new world for each prompt wave, but again, you do you!
Seasoned Wandering Worldsmith
The Seasoned WW has a vast array of worlds to chose from when planning their next worldbuilding article, yet they still know them by the heart. For this tier, you need to submit 4 articles in [your goal divided by 4] different worlds. To spare you the math:
It might look easier than the AWW tier for copper and silver badges, but remember that you have to write 4 articles in each world, so it's also stricter.
Wondrous Wandering Worldsmith
The Wondrous WW has seen it all. They travelled far and wide, to the deepest reaches of the known universe, and didn't even stop. To be awarded this badge and stand as a veteran wanderer, you will need to submit each one of your articles in different worlds. That means that if you're also going for diamond, you will write articles in 32 worlds (40 if you're a super completionist).
One more thing...
Following popular demand (Mochi asked, and he is very popular). It decided to add an additional WW badge. Introducing the Technically Wandering Worldsmith. They are those who, on paper, thread a single domain, but one so vast and diverse that it might as well be a myriad. To get this alternative badge, you need to write in only one world, but in areas and concepts each very different from each others. The most obvious example are planets in a space opera world, but dimensions of a multiverse work too.
There is not a TWW alternative for each tier, but only for the Wondrous WW. This means that to qualify, your world must contain at least 32 different areas or concepts, each of them getting an article. As always, you are the one giving yourselves the badge and thus the final judge to decide if your work qualifies or not.
Personal highlights from last Summercamp
Peacekeeper Drones
I didn't expect this CSS gimmick I had on a whim to have that much success! I'll of course be expanding Syteria so there will be more of this, but I hope I can come up with new wizardry that you'll like just as much!
My first commission
Very glad to have Mochi draw this Obega for me! I want to hire him and other talented artists from the community this year too, though I'm not sure if I'll have the time to.
I judged a category!
My first time as sponsor, I very much enjoyed going through all the entries. I'm not going to apply this year (it might already be too late anyway?) as I have too much on my plate right now, but that's an experience I want to renew in the future.
Going forward
Week 1 : Food for thoughts
I already like this theme! It feels like food is not usually treated with as much love as it deserves. Actually, my first real interaction with the community was for the Unofficial food challenge, back in 2021!
Assignment 1
Think about ways the theme of Nourishment affects your world. Do people generally have what they need? What happens when they don’t?
So, instead of answering directly the questions since I will be working on a different world with each prompt, here is a tierlist on how relevant the theme is to my various worlds:
Before you say anything, yes, I know this kind of theme can fit everywhere and we don't know yet the prompts so I may very well end up writing in a world in the "hardly" tier. Yet, it is here to give you (and I) an idea of which worlds are the most likely to be written each week, and maybe a glimpse into them.
Assignment 2
Download the pledge document and fill it out with your goal for Summer Camp!
Just like last year, not only am I aiming for the Diamond badge, but also to achieve the Wondrous Wandering Worldsmith challenge! Thus, I aim to write all 32 prompts, each in a different world!
Week 2: Back to my roots
Okay it's actually very funny that this theme occur when I finally decide to go back to my first and best world on WA: The Spheres of Oblogga. That's right, hold your breath we're going back in! I don't know if I will succeed during the Summercamp, but I'm determined to push through and write more fishies!
Assignment 1
Just like the first week, it's tierlist time!
Assignment 2
Go to your world’s homepage and imagine you’re a new reader discovering the setting for the first time. What should you change to make the experience more engaging?
Lmao good luck nerd. Seriously though, my worlds' organization is a mess. Some homepages are cleaner than others, but overall I think they are not very engaging. However, I also feel it would be a lot of work which is more than I can chew right now. I'd rather write more and worry about it later. Until inspiration strikes, I guess.
Assignment 3
Find your earliest worldbuilding project. What mistakes did you make that you want to avoid? What good ideas from those early days can you integrate into your current project? Remember to take a moment to be proud of how far you've come!
Okay I lied. The Spheres are not my first world, it was actually the A.I.D.E., which is the french version of the I.D.E.A.. The name works better in french. Now, the main mistake was probably to write it in french. While there is a lot of french speaker here, writing in any language other than english is no good to get people to read your stuff. But as messy and under the radar as it was, I must say that it was much less stress to just put barely written idea out there without thinking of my dear readers. Would I trade the small following I have now for that carefree way of writing though? Hell no! You're not a lot reading my ramblings or articles, but I wouldn't dare let you down.
Week 3: I have no wordplay with metamorphosis
It makes sense to have this theme right after the root one. A lot of my work is about change, and how crippling its absence is. Worlds like The Five skies or The Greatest Game dreadfully stagnate and choke on themselves because they are bound to be unchanging. Pushed to the extreme, so is Immortals
Assignment 1
I don't have to spell it out for you... tierlist time! You'll notice that this time a lot more worlds are in the top. I also assumed the prompts will be about actual change and not stagnation.
Assignment 2
Choose a new genre, style, or author, and take a look at their art! Write what you learned from them and what inspired you.
Funny story, just yesterday night I was at a south american music concert, and while it's not at all my kind of music I figured I might give it a try. What a blast! The guitarist and songstress were both excellent! A refreshing listening that sparked a lot of interest into these cultures and their art! As for new authors, I recently picked up Le Grand Jeu by Benjamin Lupu, a steampunk adventure happening in 1885's Turkey, another area I don't know a lot of.
Assignment 3
Read a couple of articles from the community, give them a like (and why not a sticker!), and write about what inspired you.
Okay let me hijack this assignment real quick to tell you about my latest favourite world out there: Crux Umbra. A gritty post-apocalyptic (arguably, it is within the apocalypse) world where humanity had to evolve to survive the onslaught of monsters and threats beyond comprehension that befell their reality. The writing is top-notch, the ambiance, CSS and illustrations are cherry on top!
I have this thing sometimes when I explore some worlds and they are exactly what I would have loved to write in the same genre. And this happened with Crux Umbra, which has exactly the vibes I want for Risenhall. The two worlds are vastly different of course, but when we talk about vibes, I'd be the happiest man if I could nail what Imagica did!
So if you haven't explored it yet and you enjoy a good doomsday stroll, go and explore Crux Umbra! You might even find familiar faces scattered across some articles.
Week 4: Write like there's no Tomorrow
This theme is really great to follow up on last week's for me. While most of my worlds have a very strong theme about change and metamorphosis, some of them don't have a tomorrow at all. I went to watch Life of Chuck last week and it made me question something that resonates with part of my work: What do you do when you know your world is going to end?
I don't have the answer, neither do my characters, but I hope the prompts will give me the opportunity to explore not only the expectation of a future, but also the perspective of its absence. I feel like there's a lot to say about it.
Assignment 1
But before these deep interrogation, the long-awaited tierlist!
Assignment 2
Make sure everything’s ready—from your writing space to your writing schedule—before Summer Camp begins!
So, as I said at the beginning, this will be my most chaotic July yet. A ton of stuff to do and not much to write, so much so that I don't dare planning ahead just yet. Too much can happen and shake any attempt at organisation that trying will just put unnecessary pressure on me. I know that I will at least have the last week for me, and I'll cram all the prompts there if I have to.
If you're like me and your schedule is expected to be thin, just remember: Cool kids don't do burnouts. Seriously, stay safe and don't overwork yourself over internet badges.
Assignment 3
Who or what will help you achieve your goal? What will your sharing strategy be during Summer Camp?
I don't plan to share a lot of my work this year, maybe if I happen to do something cool. The people I know I can always rely on if motivation draws thin or inspiration slammed the door are my good friends from the Storyteller's Circle:
Myth Cross, Mochi, Catoblepon, Tynen The Mighty, Demongrey, Jon, Callyxtus, TJ Trewin, Tyrdal, Razhea, Ephraïm Boateng, Blue Fairy 74, Imagica and recently Nulcheck!
And with this concludes my preparation for this yearly adventure. I see you have much to do yourself, preparing for the summer's pleasures! I will not hold you back, I know we will cross path again soon. Careful on your way out, the door frame is low.
I'm excited to see what you'll write this year!
Thank you Demon! Likewise!