<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Project: Shadow: When Giants Walked]]></title><description><![CDATA[When Giants Walked is a cozy gothic fantasy that celebrates the beautifully strange, where compassionate giants rescue the lost and misunderstood, welcoming them into communities of healing, creativity, and anarchistic freedom.]]></description><link>https://www.projectshadow.com/s/when-giants-walked</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!DQu6!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4df980b5-738a-41f7-9e22-0c817984cac5_256x256.png</url><title>Project: Shadow: When Giants Walked</title><link>https://www.projectshadow.com/s/when-giants-walked</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Sat, 11 Apr 2026 03:29:06 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.projectshadow.com/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[Charlie Dorsett. CC BY-NC-SA ]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[projectshadow@substack.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[projectshadow@substack.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[Charlie Dorsett (they/she)]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[Charlie Dorsett (they/she)]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[projectshadow@substack.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[projectshadow@substack.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[Charlie Dorsett (they/she)]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[Building When Giants Walked]]></title><description><![CDATA[A Sanctuary for the Beautifully Strange]]></description><link>https://www.projectshadow.com/p/building-when-giants-walked</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.projectshadow.com/p/building-when-giants-walked</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Charlie Dorsett (they/she)]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 19 Mar 2025 15:05:38 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CBBw!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbd924e7b-e5f4-44e8-98a5-8729b828f73f_1280x720.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<h1>Why I Need This World</h1><p>I'm exhausted. For too long, I've been struggling against autistic burnout&#8212;feeling drained and disconnected, my creativity stifled by the relentless pressure to produce content that fits neatly into commercial boxes. Writing became something manufactured, shaped by reviews and expectations rather than genuine self-expression. It turned my passion into a wearying chore, leaving me disconnected from the very stories I wanted to tell.</p><p>But storytelling should be an act of joy, not a production line. I need a refuge, a space where creativity can breathe without the weight of commercial expectations or critical judgments. Perfection isn't the goal here; authenticity is.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CBBw!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbd924e7b-e5f4-44e8-98a5-8729b828f73f_1280x720.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CBBw!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbd924e7b-e5f4-44e8-98a5-8729b828f73f_1280x720.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CBBw!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbd924e7b-e5f4-44e8-98a5-8729b828f73f_1280x720.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CBBw!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbd924e7b-e5f4-44e8-98a5-8729b828f73f_1280x720.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CBBw!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbd924e7b-e5f4-44e8-98a5-8729b828f73f_1280x720.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CBBw!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbd924e7b-e5f4-44e8-98a5-8729b828f73f_1280x720.png" width="1280" height="720" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/bd924e7b-e5f4-44e8-98a5-8729b828f73f_1280x720.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:720,&quot;width&quot;:1280,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1687613,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.projectshadow.com/i/158958899?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbd924e7b-e5f4-44e8-98a5-8729b828f73f_1280x720.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CBBw!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbd924e7b-e5f4-44e8-98a5-8729b828f73f_1280x720.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CBBw!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbd924e7b-e5f4-44e8-98a5-8729b828f73f_1280x720.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CBBw!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbd924e7b-e5f4-44e8-98a5-8729b828f73f_1280x720.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CBBw!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbd924e7b-e5f4-44e8-98a5-8729b828f73f_1280x720.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>When Giants Walked is my personal creative playground, inspired by the magical realism that first sparked my imagination years ago. It blends the enchanting nostalgia of Miyazaki films, the heartwarming magic of Practical Magic, the playful mysteries of Charmed, the whimsy of Saturday morning cartoons, and the liberating wonder of magic realism. It&#8217;s a world where I can indulge freely in my special interests and reconnect with the joy of creation.</p><h1>What I Hope to Find</h1><p>I'm looking for feeling again&#8212;for delight, whimsy, and curiosity. Writing has become so serious, so work-like, that I've nearly forgotten how it felt to lose myself in imagination purely for its own sake. When Giants Walked is my chance to reclaim that joy.</p><p>Here, stories won't be confined by tropes or traditional expectations. Instead, they will be rich in love, community, and the quiet magic found in ordinary, overlooked moments. No epic battles or tired clich&#233;s&#8212;just characters who are wanderers, outcasts, passionate eccentrics, all searching for their place and purpose. It&#8217;s a deeply personal reflection space, where healing, love, and community are central themes.</p><p>I envision this setting as distinctly gothic, celebrating the beauty found in decay, shadows, and forgotten corners&#8212;not in gloom, but with the whimsical, macabre warmth of The Addams Family, wrapped in the comforting nostalgia of Saturday morning cartoons crafted thoughtfully for adults. Here, melancholy isn't tragic but poetic, and darkness holds a quiet, hopeful beauty.</p><h1>The Heart of the World</h1><p>At the heart of When Giants Walked are towering giants inspired by Kathy Mar's poignant music&#8212;compassionate beings who rescue the lost, broken, and misunderstood. They gather these souls into welcoming communities where voluntary associations, consensus decision-making, and authentic democratic processes reign. It's a queer, anarchistic space where authority must constantly justify itself, kings are villains, and chosen family thrives freely.</p><p>This is a world crafted with a queer, metamodern sensibility&#8212;part Addams Family macabre warmth, part whimsical Saturday Morning nostalgia, but unmistakably grown-up. Here, gothic charm meets cozy intimacy, inviting readers to pause, breathe, and rediscover the magic in melancholy and the beauty hidden within life's shadows.</p><p>When Giants Walked is more than just storytelling&#8212;it&#8217;s my safe haven, a sanctuary for everyone who feels beautifully strange.</p><h1>To whom it may concern</h1><p>Don&#8217;t worry if you are excited for any of my other projects. They are still in the pipeline. The game is in play testing. The novel is in edits. This is a project to fuel me and all my other work, I just thought I would share it with you all.</p><p>What are y&#8217;all working on?</p>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>