There’s this saying, “We all make our own reality.” On the surface, most of us might readily agree. But then, after a few sips of coffee, gazing over the rim into the smiling eyes of a thinking companion, I find myself scrunching up my face. “You know, actually...” and I’m away on a roll.
If you’re reading this blog you probably already know who I am. I’m a delightfully small-time game designer whose game world kinda, well, caught on. Now a single trading card game (that has only appeared to a lucky few as Beta Decks and doesn’t launch as National Decks until 2009) is probably better known for the most excellent fiction based in the world.
Mardi Gras 3000 is taking off but not “over-night sensation” garbage. I met a grrl when I was still a teen-ager. She was a writer. She got burned by a corporate press. She bought her own publishing house. Years later, I met her again at a convention. I pitched a game to her. She pushed me to, “Make It So!” I did. She published it. Right about that time, she was talking to some other grrls at a bookstore (kinda how she met me way back). She met Launa. Launa was a teen. Launa knew php. Launa liked to build forums... and she was also the author of half a dozen books.
Launa interns for my friend. She builds a forum for MG3K. She posts on other forums about MG3K. Writers start to come to the forum... and they start to build a world.
Now time tests everyone. The online world can seem less important and less real than the offline world. But time shows who sees the Vision of this little ole idea. Some writers drift away. Some try and can’t make it work. Then others start to come in. Word spreads. And then the words start to arrive. After that, it’s the snowball effect. Little excerpts and ideas lead to the 800 word “Introducing the Tribe” and the 8,000 word “Immortal Dreaming.” Then 1,500 word “Immortal Waking: Eris” and 1,800 word “Immortal Waking: Chiron.” And, of course, 56,000 word “Harper,” a full novel of riveting words.
Brianne, Launa, Pahmela, Eric, Luz, Jean and Sha, are joined by Erik, and then artists Anthony and Abbie. Cris, our dedicated, very hands-on, weekly phone calls and lots of encouragement editor joins the ranks as a writer as well. The world grows and grows.
Erik posts on the forum: “I’m glad to have found this wikiworld.”
And it hits me. That’s what we have. When all the writers tell me (and they tell me this a lot, and I love them for it): “Thank you for inviting us into your world!” I feel that something is a little off. And that’s what it is. This isn’t *my* world. I’m just an editor. And not even the Senior Editor LOL This is *our* world. This a world we’re creating together. We’re creating our own realities. We’re writing a world that we can all play in.
Heck, dear reader, this is YOUR world. Come join us.
http://www.mardigras3000.com/phpBB2/index.php
E.J.
