Breaks: An Important Phase

Hello World!

Yes, I once again believe I have pulled out of my insidious addiction to Kingdoms of Camelot on Facebook and may consider myself a writer. I do hope I am correct this time. The promising part is that I am writing again, with the help of a new reader. (Thank you Terra, dear!) I crave the creative urge again, and occasionally my muse floats in and flies with me.

I am excited that Terra and I have worked through the first third of The Game together. I re-read and revise chapters I wrote back before addiction set in. She reads about two chapters a week answering questions on plot, characters, and her expectations of what is coming. Very satisfying feedback. (As Chris in my book would exclaim, "S-weet.")

And the bizarre thing? I cannot feel sorry about the "lost" writing time. I have learned an enormous amount about online gaming, made deep friendships, developed new skills (diplomacy, for example), and grown more than I ever expected. KoC was "just a game," but the people have been worth it all. And the time away has allowed me to see with fresh eyes, catching flaws I might have missed had the writing ontinued unbroken these months.

The upshot? I fully expect to finish The Game by year's end. I have more people interested in my novel than previously. The research into gaming and its community was a fabulous success. And I confronted long held but unexamined cultural assumptions and flushed them down the sewer -- a repeated theme in The Game. 

Once again, I experienced the process and the relationships as more important than the plan. Had I actually let that slip my mind? Nah. It is a foundational truth of my life.