2022 Reading Challenge

Embracing the Reading Challenge

This is my first summer camp at World Anvil, and I've had precious little time to read other people's articles. As such, this challenge was a treat. I chose 3 prompts that intrigued me, ones that felt fairly central to the stories that were being built through the ways the prompts worked together. I chose a combination of articles by people that I know are experts with the platform and a few completely at random because the article title caught my eye.   Note: I also read all of the entries to the prompt that I sponsored, but I didn't want to use those for this challenge specifically. The wide variety of articles and approaches to that prompt also taught me a ton about using the platform.  

A great leader of their people

Boblin the Goblin

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/kohtalo-drunkenpanda951/a/boblin-the-goblin-person Heard about this one on a stream and couldn't wait to read it. I liked that the answer to the prompt is a complete mini-story, but it is littered with teaser bits to other articles that make me want to keep reading and explore the world further. I like both the humor and the seriousness of the article. It has a nice balance in tone.  

Freanx Rafbass

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/witch-world-laurabones/a/freanx-rafbass-person I saw Laura writing on a stream and then she interviewed me. I couldn't wait to get into her world, because there was a lyric nature to her writing that appeals to me. This one seems all about delightful alliteration with Trolls protecting the Treacle mine the goblins are using to make Toffee. This is playful and creative with hints of the underlying story conflicts.  

Louis De Serazette

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/lyra/a/louis-de-serazette-person-1 I specifically wanted to read a couple of articles from Lyra, because if anyone knows how to use the platform, it'll be Dimitris! The article is illustrated with a photo of the character, and there is a family tree attached. It feels very put together. The biography of this character gives me just enough to want to know more about how he is ruling his kingdom. I'm intrigued by his relationship with the princess. I'm curious if this is a marriage of convenience or a love match.  

Expanse

Moorlands

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/witch-world-laurabones/a/moorlands-location Back to Laura's world, I'm delighted by the peat dragons. She paints a beautiful space here that feels alive. Her writing is seasoned with little laugh-out-loud moments, little turns of phrase like the trees living here in rebellion. I especially love the way she intertwined a quote with a 2 column section to make the point that there's only heather and peat in this area as usable resources, while the description of the area makes it clear it is vibrant and beautiful.  

Glacial Sea

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/lyra/a/glacial-sea-location-1 Dimitris said that he didn't have a lot of time to put these together, so I was curious what a quick article could look like. I love the way this links to a lot of other articles, but still tells enough about the place to be fascinating. There are lots of hints that dangers lurk in the depths, but those areas are filled with TBD notes. From this, I am learning that it is okay to leave these areas to be developed later, as I'm caught up in the world and want to read more. The trick for me will be to find time to come back and explore!  

Glittering Wastes

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/unamera-janet/a/glittering-wastes-location Since I was looking at Dimitris's world, I wanted to peek at Janet's, too. I loved that this one was very plain. Much of the article consisted of place holders for links to other prompts. But at the top, was one stunning quote written in beautiful language. That one quote caught my imagination and made me want to read anything I could about this fascinating place.  

A building associated with governance or change

Thinking Box

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/mew-world-milladamen/a/thinking-box-landmark I'd heard "The Perfect Leaf" read on stream and referenced a couple of times. I adore cats, so this world had to find its way into my to be read pile. There's a cuteness to this world that delights me. The language is playful (Science Depawtment), but there's actual story going on. The writer of the article is a character and addresses the reader directly in character on occasion. I loved that. It completely drew me in.  

The Home of Renton Dinsmore

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/kyrn-erikbloodaxe/a/the-home-of-renton-dinsmore-landmark This caught my eye as I was scanning the list of entries. It was a fresh take on the prompt. A relatively basic article, it still sets the stage for a much deeper story. The space is well defined so that it can be used in stories. There's just enough of a tease here that I'm curious what these folks will get up to.  

Tower of the Elements

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/dungar-raven-gladstone/a/tower-of-the-elements-landmark There's a lot going on in this article, mostly just references casually dropped in that are fascinating. While I enjoyed the article itself, I enjoyed following the links to other areas and exploring the space and its history. I don't feel like I have a complete grasp of what is going on, but I'm intrigued and want to keep reading.  

What I've Learned

1. A basic article with a good story can be just as fascinating as an elaborately formatted one. It isn't all about the beauty, although that definitely helps.
2. It is okay to put in a place holder and come back to it later. It seems that part of the joy of reading these stories is to see them grow and develop.
3. Language matters. The lyrical language of Laura's Moorland, the playfulness of Mew World, and the beauty of the one quote on Janet's article showed me that language can be as powerful as those images that I find so striking.
4. Links - link to everything. Leave teasers and breadcrumbs to draw readers deeper into the world.
5. Perfection is overrated. Many of these had typos or minor issues, but these didn't affect the experience of exploring the world and reading the writing. It is okay that a connection isn't well documented at this point. That just adds to the mystery.
6. Twists are fun. I love when the writers twisted the prompt into directions I didn't see coming - like the apartment being the building associated with governance or change.

Reading these articles has encouraged me to explore and have fun with my worlds.   And it has proven that I will never have enough time to read all of the amazing stories I want to read!!!