So, I've been gone a while. Like months away from anything creative. Life has been super busy and it doesn't look like slowing down anytime soon. But damn it I am fed up of not doing anything fun and imaginative so I am back!! Hiya
I think this year for WorldEmber I feel like I am going to aim for a lot less than I usually do. Going for the 10k word count and spread across 10 articles. Now because I have been out of it for a while I have completely forgotten what I have in the world of Violem therefore there is no real area of focus. Instead I think I am going to use Worldember as a way to get into the articles that have never quite fitted into any other challenge, topic or just felt like a stand alone thing. Which leads nicely into prep bingo 1...
Make a list of articles you want to write
Now I have two thought processes for this, the first is listing the article templates and seeing what ideas fir into each one. That is something I have done in the past which is great but I'm not sure its the right way to do things this time. The other process is going through my real life notebook and picking out ideas which pique my interest. At the moment I have already spotted a one shot I never finished, a flash fiction which could be fun to write and characters from a previous one shot I want to highlight. So going through old work I am positive I will come across 10 ideas to turn into articles.
*Update, I now have at least 10 articles with a nice visual aid to help with the layout and the subheadings for each section.
Plan your writing schedule
Now because I have a real life and a big boy job, I don't always have the same time of day to commit to writing. I do however have common blocks of time that I could do some writing if the day allows for it. So rather than giving myself a devoted set time everyday, I am giving myself an option of 2 blocks of time. Early in the morning or on an evening after work, each giving me about an hour to write. Then the weekends I can sit down for a couple of hours and really focus. Its not an exact schedule but it certainly helps with my chaotic lifestyle.
Do some research about the topics you'll write about
Okay, the articles I plan to write are quite varied, so I think doing a little research on each one is the best idea. I have all the topics written down and for the next week or so I think I am going to dedicate my free time to research and making notes. And these research topics are varied, from learning random spider facts to learning key aspects of different writing styles.
On a slight tangent, I have been going back on old articles and reading them I think have been quite... boring? It sounds like a text book which I understand is the point of a wiki article. But my favourite articles and stories I have written are in different writing styles. Like playscripts or radio adverts or sarcastic narratives. So with this Worldember I really want to try different ways to get information across that is not just info dumping and vomiting exposition at my readers.
Plan your worldbuilding playlist
Now, in terms of music, I listen to different things depending on mood. With my playlists going from Frank Sinatra to Five Finger Death Punch, to say my music taste is varied would be very accurate. A playlist specifically for worldbuilding though? I think I would get bored too easily, so I've made three instead.
The first is my soundtracks playlist. All the music from games, films and TV shows that I enjoy. Mostly instrumental but there is the occasional actual song sprinkled in. The second is my country rock and blues. I don't know why, but that sort of music just gets me feeling something. Sometimes its a sense of 'hell yeah' other times a little more reflective. Either way I'll give that a go when writing for Worldember. Finally I have my 'A bloody good house party' playlist. Cheesy 90s and 00s music that I would hear at a school disco. It gets me pumped, excited and generally feeling good. Might be a little distracting but it definitely helps me stay motivated for anything I do.
What kind of people can you find in your worldbuilding area?
I'm not sure if this prompt is meaning people in the worldbuilding community or like the people in my world. So I will quickly go over both I guess.
In terms of like real life, actual human beings (presumably, please don't be A.I.) I am following a couple people on world anvil who I think consistently make interesting articles that are appealing visually and written in a way that I feel excited to learn about their world. I'm not great at it, but I do keep browsing articles they have written in the hopes of getting some inspiration or ideas on how to improve my own articles. Everyone in the community keep writing so I can read more, please and thank you.
Now, for the people of my world. The articles I plan to write spreads a broad range of species and places. Sentient monsters from other realms who could be seen as misunderstood. Ancient and powerful magic users and the relics they left behind as well as one off monsters and bosses for a one shot (yes I am planning a one shot, very exciting I know). But I want to try and focus on characters more and dive deep into how they think, why they believe the things they do and make Violem as a whole feel more real by working on smaller details. Something I struggle with, so now is a chance to practice that even more.
And just like that, prep is complete. Well the bingo is anyway. I am still actually planning articles and layouts and what not. But yeah, very excited to be back, hope everyone has fun and see you all in December :)
Welcome back :) Best of luck with WE and have fun!