It seems like it was a long time ago that I posted a farewell of sorts to this blog. It turns out it was a farewell to all kinds of things - reading books, playing video games, personal hygiene... Okay, not really that last one. The point is that the MS Paint Adventures Forum Adventure I just concluded was so fulfilling personally that I spent almost all of my free time on it, and much more thinking about it.
I'd say this merits some examination.
It isn't too hard to figure out why I enjoyed it so much - the system of gratification. I've known for a long time that I lack the discipline to, say, write a novel. I can barely draft a first chapter without endlessly scrutinizing it, endlessly judging myself and the whole idea so much that I quit the project in shame.
The exact opposite was true with the forum adventure. I'd post a panel or two before work or sleep, and the thought that my story was sort of writing itself while I was away left me elated - practically giddy. While I would maintain a sort of general theme and direction in my head, the day-to-day activity of the narrative was as fresh and surprising to me as it was to the readers.
It made me realize I want to write serials in the future, despite my occasional screeds against the format.
The issue I face now is deciding where to go next. I've started a minor project on the forum, but it's no full-fledged adventure. I spend only an hour or so a week on it, as opposed to the three hours a day I estimate I averaged on Guide. It's tempting to start another, but I'd rather take what I've learned to another arena. I want to use it as a platform to grow as a writer, and maybe even take this collective narrative business somewhere new as well.
There is something there. Some decidedly fresh storytelling format at the nexus of comics, the internet, role-playing games. The open-source narrative.
For now, though, I intend to focus on polishing these skills. Stay tuned for a webcomic collaboration that I hope will have some of that reader-influence magic in it.
