SC 2025 | Reading Challenge
Another year, another reading challenge. What wonders will we find?
What??? It's over already?????
Let's Get to Reading!
First Off: Celebrating with Afterparty Reads!
With the push of the big red button of Summer Camp closure, it marked the beginning of reading season, and boy did we read! The community shared a number of fine reads with me and each other during my afterparty stream, and goodness did my voice feel tired after all of the excitement. Thank you so much for sharing your articles!
Feral Camper Badge by Strixxline
Reflections for the Seventh Time
It's still pretty wild to think this was year seven for me on this wild, feral adventure that is Summer Camp! Okay, Camp Feral didn't exist ALL of those years, but I like to think it's a lot like one of the prompts we got during this year's event, the one about a condition unknown in the old days, or however it went... we were feral back then; we just didn't have a name for it yet.
Anyway, we're getting a little off topic. This Summer Camp was great! I got a lot of amazing work done, some articles I'm extra proud of, more polished than previous years, and I did a LOT of streaming! I got to spend so much time with the community, and that was an absolute joy.
That said, we are more than halfway through the year now. I shudder to think of it, but it's a good time to think about how we want to make the rest of it a success!
My Goals for the Rest of 2025
I want to step back into the storyteller's seat.
I've been neglecting my worlds' storylines for the past few months, and I'd love to change that! I think my next priority will be to get back into the swing of writing prose, and hopefully continuing both Fleeting Harvest and The Path to Adventure in the next few weeks!
I've been neglecting my worlds' storylines for the past few months, and I'd love to change that! I think my next priority will be to get back into the swing of writing prose, and hopefully continuing both Fleeting Harvest and The Path to Adventure in the next few weeks!
Let's take it easy, shall we?
Gonna be honest here, y'all... I definitely did that thing we all say not to do during Summer Camp: I burned out a little. In my defense! Corporate life sort of just does that to you naturally, but we can't deny I went extra hard this year. Some naps are in order. Delicious tea. Sweet little treats. I got my Iron Gorge stream count this year, and once is enough for me to be satisfied! ;P
Gonna be honest here, y'all... I definitely did that thing we all say not to do during Summer Camp: I burned out a little. In my defense! Corporate life sort of just does that to you naturally, but we can't deny I went extra hard this year. Some naps are in order. Delicious tea. Sweet little treats. I got my Iron Gorge stream count this year, and once is enough for me to be satisfied! ;P
Let's organize a little bit!
This month made me pretty aware that I have lots of behind-the-scenes organization to do! I don't think I'm ready to take on Malkora's inevitable CSS overhaul any time soon, but I do need to work on updating my Owlworks devlog and world roadmaps so I can stay just a little bit more on task! While I recover from my silly little adventure through exhaustion, I think some housekeeping is the perfect way to recharge for more writing and creating!
This month made me pretty aware that I have lots of behind-the-scenes organization to do! I don't think I'm ready to take on Malkora's inevitable CSS overhaul any time soon, but I do need to work on updating my Owlworks devlog and world roadmaps so I can stay just a little bit more on task! While I recover from my silly little adventure through exhaustion, I think some housekeeping is the perfect way to recharge for more writing and creating!
My SummerCamp Hub
I tracked my completion with some shiny progress bars! Check those out in my SC hub article, and you can see how many prompts were dedicated to Malkora or Ayun Sovos!Favorite Entry
This was definitely my most polished article of the event! It's a pillar article for Ayun Sovos, so I'm very happy to see this come out of Summer Camp!My Pledge
It's fun to look back and see what plans I made, what ideas I came up with, and how much actually showed during the actual event. Here's my pledge article!Oh, hey, yeah, what do you MEAN WorldEmber is coming... in three months?
Reading Challenge: Sponsor Style
What an honor it is to behold so many incredible works!I keep signing myself up for the impossible task of picking a single favorite article from a sea of incredible worldbuilding. It's like I never learn. This year, I had a grand total of 123 articles in my judging pool — it's no number to scoff at! This year, I decided to publish an article outlining my approach to judging during community events like these. Give it a read if you'd like insight into my process for judging article submissions as a sponsor!
My Own Phenomenon
I'm not too fond of my own article for this prompt, but that's largely due to the concept being unrefined and hastily explored and described. It has a lot of potential! It just needs a hefty amount of work, too. My own article is, of course, excluded from the judging pool, so I'm okay with it being under-developed.Our Winner: Kwyn Marie!
This article takes a phenomenon common to our own world, the simple tan one acquires from the sun above, and weaves it into another realm with lore, faith, and significance of its own. I thought it was fabulous! I left this read feeling like I got to personally peek into the window of this world and get to know its people and the things they value.
Judge's Shortlist
Behold! Have 12 of the articles that I really enjoyed! It's a mix of fabulous presentation, cool artwork, witty writing, and simply excellent ideas! I loved all of the topics you folks brought to the table.
Flooding of the Mehr
by Rin Garnett
Scorc Lycanthropy
by Zombieburner
If These Owls Could Talk
by E. Christopher Clark
Spontaneous Phantomization
by Ephraïm Boateng
Selenelion Eclipse
by Chris L
Astroauric Singe
by J. Variable X/0
Seasons on Torikarn
by Rumengol
Ward Delirium
by anc789sims
The Light of Greenbelt's Star
by Bob O'Brien
by Strixxline
You had some stiff competition amongst those on that shortlist my goodness. I'm so curious who our winner is going to be, can't wait to find out! Seven years that's wild, what a number, what a crazy concept time is, never will it truly make sense. BURNOUT BAD!!!! RAWR, but I also understand. Between the aforementioned corporate life nonsense and just *gestures broadly to well the world writ large* we all might be operating at less capacity than we thought anyway. Regardless, as always you were an amazing Camp Feral counsellor as always Line, every year you seem to find new ways to be the counsellor we both want and need, its wonderful. Take rests, find tea and tasty treats and exhale. Now that the judging is done, you did it, you did it all. Amazing, what a summer it's been!