Summer Camp 2023 Reading Challenge

And now it's time for my retrospective on Summer Camp 2023. The annual Summer Camp is my favorite World Anvil event and this year is no different. Despite this being my 4th (!) Summer Camp, I still learned a lot about world building and writing this year. As I worked on articles, I felt like the process of how to deliver and structure information really unlocked for me. I feel like I leveled up this year, but not sure if that's going to show up in my writing until I see if it applies to my old work.

Like the years before it, I've really enjoyed seeing new and excellent work take place in worlds I've visited before. I'm especially happy to see new articles for Qurillion's Megacorpolis. Worlds I'm continuing to enjoy include E. Christopher Clark's Literary Universe, Annie Stein's Solaris, and of course the dark giant Stormbril's magnificent Cathedris.

Last Half of 2023 Worldbuilding Goals

I started this year and got all the way through summer without any real goals for the World of Wizard's Peak. I've been enjoying building content for my ongoing campaigns and writing articles to stay just in front of the speeding train of my two (sometimes three or four) D&D campaigns.

Now that Summer Camp is done, I've started going through my "cornerstone content" and I'm rewriting and restructuring it. I've realized that some of my articles are literally 20+ years old from a previous version of wizardspeak.com! Some of my articles are from when I first started on World Anvil and my ideas have matured since then. There are also "bullet point placeholder" articles for a lot of important areas that need real articles for them.

Lastly, I'm going to work on putting together a setting book for my world that I could possible sell on the various places that RPG books sell. I have enough worldbuilding to make something, I just need to make statblocks for various game systems. I already do this for 5E for my ongoing games, it just doesn't make it to WA usually.

So in the interest of making it concrete and putting some online accountability out there. Wish me luck!

  1. Re-write old/outdated content
  2. Turn "bullet point" articles into real articles
  3. Make a sellable RPG product
Summer Camp 2023 Hub
Generic article | Jun 29, 2024

My Hub for Summer Camp 2023!

My Judging Shortlist

SC 2023 Cuisine Shortlist
Generic article | Sep 17, 2023

My shortlist and honorable mentions for the Summer Camp 2023 Cuisine Prompt

Article Sharing and Commentary

This year I'm taking a slightly different direction on the Reading Challenge. I'm a regular on the Summer Camp channel in World Anvil's Discord channel. I asked for people to send me articles to read a week or so ago and I received a lot of wonderful responses from people I know and from relative newcomers. I'm going to highlight their articles here.

Nonogawa River Valley Float Festival and Race

by shyredfox
"A popular summer tradition that involves art and creativity"

A really fun article based on a real life Japanese tradition that shyredfox has imported into her fantasy version of Japan. Lots of attention to detail, images, and fun iconography from one of my favorite worldbuilders.

Nonogawa River Valley Float Festival and Race
Tradition / Ritual | Sep 12, 2024

Event of the year in the Nonogawa River Valley - beautiful floats and a grueling race!

Kyr's Hand

by Nimsy
"An organization for which recruiting or proselytizing is important"

This article focuses on a cult in a science fiction world that worships an all consuming extra-terrestrial slime. They seek to become one with it. I'd be happy to let them join their master, but they seem hell-bent on bringing everyone else in with them!

Kyr's Hand
Organization | Nov 19, 2023

Join the great mold today! It's never too late to be a part of the great cosmic soup!

The End of Humanity? Legion Pushes Bizarre Limits

by Stormbril
An important public announcement that one person addressed to many

I'd been saving Stormbril's Summer Camp articles as a reward for when I finished my SC judging. He sent me this one and of course it's great! I love the newspaper style and voice here. I was most amazed by the revelation that there are "Good Guys" in Cathedris!

"THE END OF HUMANITY? LEGION PUSHES BIZAARE LIMITS"
Document | Mar 14, 2024

HUMANITY TESTED IN BLASPHEMOUS LEGION EXPERIMENTS UNDER DIRECTION OF SECRET "HUMAN AUGMENTATION PROGRAM"

The Loreweavers

by MelissaPlaysRPGs

A job that takes its practitioners to remote or faraway places

A nice little article about the most important job there is: storyteller! Here Melissa brings in threads from other articles that gives a nice overall view of her world.

The Loreweavers
Profession | Dec 19, 2023

folotopi

by Kbignell

A species known for its mischievous personality

A fun article about a mischievous and super sweet species. They look like enormous hairless camels that can fit 3 to 4 people in their folds of skin. Everyone should have a folotopi of their own!

folotopi
Species | Jul 31, 2023

How the Wire Rat Got its Name

by Those2Nerds

A children's tale or song based on a real event

A sweet story for young folks about accepting who you really are. Rin is a new-to-me worldbuilder and I look forward to seeing what they build in the future.

How the Wire Rat Got its Name
Myth | Jun 8, 2024

A children's story told in Nisora's largest city about a rodent.

Dreamers

by DreamCartographer

A historical culture whose influence is still felt today

This article introduces a lot of concepts for another "new to me" sci-fi world. It has a cyberpunk feeling and I'm not sure if the Dreamers are flesh and blood people or sentient AIs.

Dreamers
Ethnicity | Aug 1, 2023

The Dalremian Power Cycle

by TinkerTech

A ceremony that represents a transition or transfer

The article opens with a beautiful bit of prose that describes a city's lights going out, then the streets traced with blue as each block comes on one by one. Set in another unfamiliar world where the people are trying to rediscover lost technologies.

The Dalremian Power Cycle
Tradition / Ritual | Jun 12, 2024

A Workman's Breakfast

by MissIzette

A resource that provides fuel or power

Miss Izette packs a lot of world building into this article about breakfast. There's an opening quote and closing vignette that centers the article in a person and their point of view, and that's one of my favorite writing techniques. Well worth a read.

A Workman's Breakfast
Material | Feb 27, 2024

A lower-class breakfast in Pani Puri



Cover image: Summer Camp 2023 Generic Header by Chris L

Comments

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Aug 15, 2023 00:24 by Amy Winters-Voss

OMG! Thank you so much for reading and sharing about my float race article! <3 It's exciting to hear that you're reworking and solidifying some of the older parts of your world!

Author of the Liminal Chronicles urban fantasy series | Author Website
Aug 15, 2023 00:38 by Chris L

I enjoyed it so much! And I'm excited for my future projects too!


Take a look at my Institutions of Learning challenge article.

Learn about the World of Wizard's Peak and check out my award winning article about the Ghost Boy of Kirinal!

Aug 15, 2023 01:16 by Rachel Bentz

I'm glad you liked the Dalremian Power Cycle! I wish I could articulate my own goals for the coming year as well as you have here! I can't wait to see how you freshen up your world!

May the Creator ever guide your Footsteps
Aug 15, 2023 01:18 by Chris L

I enjoyed your article very much and I can't wait to see what I do too!


Take a look at my Institutions of Learning challenge article.

Learn about the World of Wizard's Peak and check out my award winning article about the Ghost Boy of Kirinal!

Aug 15, 2023 15:26 by Nimin N

Thanks so much for the read and feature!   Sounds like you have your work set out for you with your rewriting/restructuring project, and getting a settings book going. Hope you have a great time giving all the old content some love and a nice facelift. :)   I find it really satisfying to sift through old stuff they way you've done and realize how far one's come - I do that with my collection of traditional art sometimes. I've kept everything I've made since preschool in a big box so I can go back and look at my progress when I feel a bit glum - and sometimes I discover a piece that, you know, might be fun to make a new version of.

Aug 15, 2023 17:22 by Chris L

Thank you! I have old notebooks with ideas in them and I wish I had all of my old drawings! You're very lucky to still have yours.


Take a look at my Institutions of Learning challenge article.

Learn about the World of Wizard's Peak and check out my award winning article about the Ghost Boy of Kirinal!

Aug 17, 2023 12:46 by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

Good luck with reworking some of the core bits of your world. :) You picked some great articles to showcase here!

Emy x
Explore Etrea
Aug 17, 2023 14:03 by Chris L

Thank you!


Take a look at my Institutions of Learning challenge article.

Learn about the World of Wizard's Peak and check out my award winning article about the Ghost Boy of Kirinal!

Aug 17, 2023 19:32 by Elizabeth Trkova

Thank you for reading my article, Chris!

I write a world called Kalan full of made up in my brain cultures, fashion and idiot main characters. Check it out if you wish
Aug 17, 2023 19:47 by Chris L

You're welcome!


Take a look at my Institutions of Learning challenge article.

Learn about the World of Wizard's Peak and check out my award winning article about the Ghost Boy of Kirinal!

Aug 19, 2023 22:11 by Melissa

Thank you for looking over my Loreweavers profession article! I appreciate all of the World Builders here at World Anvil - we're each Story Tellers in our own way.

Aug 19, 2023 22:26 by Chris L

Thank you!


Take a look at my Institutions of Learning challenge article.

Learn about the World of Wizard's Peak and check out my award winning article about the Ghost Boy of Kirinal!

Aug 20, 2023 00:53 by E. Christopher Clark

Thanks for shouting me out in that intro. I love your goals for the rest of the year.

Enroll in Yesterland Academy today!
Aug 20, 2023 01:47 by Chris L

You're welcome and thanks! I'm especially glad to see your world getting a lot of love in reading challenge articles and shortlists this year! Well deserved and past due!


Take a look at my Institutions of Learning challenge article.

Learn about the World of Wizard's Peak and check out my award winning article about the Ghost Boy of Kirinal!

Aug 26, 2023 23:01 by Rin Garnett

Thank you for the feature and congrats on your wins! Impressive to have 20+ year-old articles, but yes they might perhaps need an update or two. Best of luck working through those, and on the book :)

Aug 26, 2023 23:11 by Chris L

Thank you! And congrats on your own big win!


Take a look at my Institutions of Learning challenge article.

Learn about the World of Wizard's Peak and check out my award winning article about the Ghost Boy of Kirinal!

Aug 28, 2023 02:04 by Stormbril

rewriting old content!! Such an admirable goal, but omg it's also so scary to think about doing too :O Good luck and I'm sure you'll do amazing on that, as well as the other goals you have set too!   And thank you for including me here! Glad to surprise with a few good guys here and there xD

Aug 28, 2023 12:03 by Chris L

You're welcome and thanks for reading this! I'm going through old content and there's a lot of half-formed ideas that have solidified. Also, some of my entries are from a time period a few hundred years before the time I'm writing in now.


Take a look at my Institutions of Learning challenge article.

Learn about the World of Wizard's Peak and check out my award winning article about the Ghost Boy of Kirinal!

Oct 4, 2023 11:34 by Marjorie Ariel

Good luck with putting out a book. I'll buy it! I like showing your world to people because I love how you've woven your heritage into it.

Oct 4, 2023 13:26 by Chris L

Thanks for the comment! It was unexpected and very sweet. Once I'm through my busy time at work I'll definitely think through the idea of putting out a book some how/way!


Take a look at my Institutions of Learning challenge article.

Learn about the World of Wizard's Peak and check out my award winning article about the Ghost Boy of Kirinal!

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