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A Writer’s Experience: Ongoing Worlds 4

 

If you’ve followed me thus far – thank you. If this is your first foray into my own first foray into the world of “collaborative fiction” then WELCOME. In previous posts I’ve written on a site I found and greatly enjoy – Ongoing Worlds. The site allows members to join or create stories that are told through posts. This has been a great and mind-opening experience. On a new topic, from the same source, I’d like to speak to the idea of involvement.

 

I’ve developed a few stories that faltered, I lost interest in, or no one else seemed to either. Fine. It sucks but sometimes you have to accept that. Early on in my postings I joined a story based on a popular anime tale – Black Butler. In classic form I thought I was just looking for something new…

 

This at first seemed to be that. My initial character concept was accepted and we posted a few times back and forth. I was enjoying not having to lead but liked following along for the ride. But then – stalemate. Days turned to weeks and no one was posting. My emails to the other members went unreturned. Finally, all I got was a “Sorry – I’m busy” and then nothing. Cue the tears…

 

Forcing my whiny child-self away, I chose the higher ground – I took my ball and went home. Or in Ongoing World-ese, I disowned my character and moved on. This allows you to rid that tale as part of your profile. Not a bad thing since it has no impact on your account. What really bummed me out was that I offered to either write for the other characters to keep the tale going. While admittedly I don’t know much about the anime version, this is free-form and fun so why not keep it rolling? This happened to me another time as well in Western Trails. I had high hopes for that one, but then it was just GONE.

 

That is one downside to getting involved. A moderator can leave a game, without warning, and all your posts are gone. All the details on your characters are gone. So, if you are that passionate about what you are writing, save it off somewhere else.

More on the member experience later…

 

For my first post on joining Ongoing Worlds – GO HERE

For the array of topics I’ve already found to write on/about – GO HERE

For the third installment, and my first exercise in patience – GO HERE

For the next chapter, a detour to a fun new story I started – GO HERE