Sharing a World...

[ellenmillion]

Torn World has been "live" for a little over a month now, and it's been a fairly productive month! Let's see how we're doing:

We've put up 8 stories, 2 poems, 7 pieces of artwork, approved 16 characters (many of whose character sheets read like 'stories ready to happen!'), and a whole lot of new setting articles.

There are 16 published contributors (and more in the works), about 60 registered members, about half of them registered as contributors, we've got 4 supporters (and a little more than $100 in spending credits floating around).

In January, about 2000 unique visitors viewed the site, downloading more than 75,000 pages.

Trading in karma has been brisk and encouraging.

A few dozen public comments have been logged (private comments may be sent with karma, they don't count).

I think there have been more than 2000 forum messages logged in that time - we've been finalizing a lot of sticky details like population figures, temporal physics behavior, climate and climate change, and lots and lots dealing with flora and fauna, as well as brainstorming several upcoming storyplots.

Several webpage and code improvements and fixes were made throughout the month, including a sortable character page, article submissions, automated some of the karma stuff...

*whew!*

It's not all sun and roses, though.

In fact, it's an emotional rollercoaster on top of bone-grindingly HARD WORK.

Some of the discussions get contentious and combative, and juggling continuity for a bevy of isolated cultures and an exponentially increasing cast of characters and a disparate (and frequently self-described 'not people-person') group of contributors... it's challenging me something fierce. We've had nothing I'd describe as a flamewar*, yet, but I keep a few buckets close at hand, and try to check in very regularly to make sure it doesn't. There've been decided sparks and headbutting, but for the most part, they do (eventually) generate valuable results. Conflict isn't all bad, but it's exhausting and can be overwhelming and discouraging, even when the end bit is an overall positive step. Gentler members can get seriously trampled in the back-and-forth, or sometimes ignored in the YES, NO, NOW, BUT! of the conversation, which is something I'm struggling to keep to a minimum.

The other difficulty I'm facing is that this is my baby, dammit, and there's strangers in my house tracking muddy prints all over the carpet and rearranging the furniture and how dare they move that painting and since when was there a bowling alley in the garage?

I'm finding it particularly challenging to decide when to make a decision and how to balance 'my absolute vision,' versus 'good idea, but doesn't really fit,' versus 'that's the stupidest idea I've ever heard, how can I stop this now?' (Fortunately, none of the latter. Just things along the spectrum towards that.)

There are little, stupid things I want to cling to, because it's the way I pictured it in my head, and HUGE world-changing things that I'm scared to agree to, not because it's counter to what I was thinking, but because I hadn't really thought about it before, but if I agree to it now, what's it going to do down the road?

It's terrifying when the conversation starts to die down and I realize there's all these virtual people staring at me, expecting me to make a decision, hung up on the fact that I haven't. Sometimes I don't really care about the absolute answer, or I care a lot, but it's not really something I can justify caring about, and most of all I don't want to look like an idiot, or paint myself into some corner that later we come back to and say 'geez, if we'd done this another way, we'd have all these other, better options now...' or 'you know, the way you've written things, the space-time continuum would collapse into silly-putty and Star Trek geeks and physics majors everywhere will make fun of you forever**.'

So mostly, I just stab in the dark, pretend I know what I'm doing, wave a magic wand around and decree it so, eventually.

It's worked pretty well, so far, but it's stressful. I do not ever, ever, recommend sharing your world unless you have elephant-thick skin, a lot of extra time and you are mentally flexible like Gumby and willing to go out and research things like population statistics and climate zones. It helps to have an awesome, talented crew, which I really, really do.

And when it works?

O.M.G.

There are times when a storyline synchs up perfectly, or a contributor submits something wonderful that we can turn around and approve the same day, or a random idea generates a fabulous new creature.

It's like freaking catnip for the brain.

Alas, I haven't gotten much actual art or writing done this month, which I hope to start remedying today, along with taxes and a print service order. Other things to do include hanging up my mirror, and putting down the shoe rebellion occurring in my studio.

Now? Lunch, an episode of Farscape, and some more logs on the fire (the real one, not a virtual one!).



*I survived Elfwood AND Epilogue - I know flamewar!
**Unobtanium??? REALLY?

Comments

[hawkwolf.livejournal.com]

Wow. Can I just say thank you? I'm sure it's been evil watching all of us poke and prod at what was originally your world, but I don't think anything's sparked this much creativity and honest-to-god worldbuilding thought in me in ages.

And as for the forum? I think conversations get snippy only because we're all so excited about this, and all have these great, huge ideas, some of which contradict. And it's hard to back down on an idea, especially on the internet. But we (or at least I) do try to keep an open mind.

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

You're welcome! It's been... not evil, exactly, but very nail-biting! And sometimes the ideas that contradict are both so good, it's really, really hard to pick one!

[sibylle]

I've not been able to be as active as I planned to be, what with work and exams due and abstracts and bla bla bla, but I have really enjoyed reading the discussions in the forum and the stories and everything. It's a fascinating process, watching this world evolve. I don't think I quite understand yet what makes everyone tick, but it's fascinating to learn more as it comes up. And I think opening up a world that you've had in your mind for so long is a very very curageous step indeed!!

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

I'm still figuring out what makes ME tick - every so often, I'll have to step back and evaluate my own irrational reaction to things!

It's been a tremendous leap of faith!

[a-r-williams.livejournal.com]

I think creating a shared world and inviting people into it, is much like writing a screenplay or a play for theatre. You have a lot of different people and personalities that have to come together to make it work.

The writer has to deal with the director visualizing his script correctly and relaying it to the actors, the actors have to understand the characters and what motivates them, the guy splicing the film together has to know how to improve the story by what they take out or put in or shift around.

If it works well, the writer of the script may see something that can either equal their dreams or exceed them. If it goes badly...

Focus on the good things. Maybe relax a little bit. I always got extra energy when participating in shared worlds by bouncing ideas around with other writers. Just try and focus on the good and allow the surprises of many ideas coming together to bring you joy.

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

That's very good advice - and there is a LOT of good to concentrate on!

[renatus.livejournal.com]

Heh. Um. Star Trek geeks are the last people who have room to pick on bad science in other fandoms. Star Trek's bad science isn't even meta jokes.

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

*laughs!* It's true!

[renatus.livejournal.com]

It occurs to me that they might be able to get away with picking on Star Wars, but... XD

[kelkyag]

The other difficulty I'm facing is that this is my baby, dammit, and there's strangers in my house tracking muddy prints all over the carpet and rearranging the furniture and how dare they move that painting and since when was there a bowling alley in the garage?

This, I have no idea how you deal with, with the wide open invitation to participate. I've worked on team projects, but one where anyone can drop by to admire the art and then pickup a paintbrush, or a sledgehammer? Eeep! Impressed and terrified doesn't even begin to cover it.

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

It's terrifying if I stop to think about it too long... but at least I have the other parts of EMG to remind me that this usually works out better than trying to make a go of it alone!

[melissad.livejournal.com]

I think you're doing a wonderful job, and the project as a whole has me excited. Its one of the few sites I check daily. Aaaaand, tomorrow I will be a certified mediator and flame quencher. Just sayin' if help is ever needed. lol

I think though that people aren't used to someone saying, "I'm sorry, but that doesn't fit this world. Go back to the drawing board." People naturally want their ideas accepted without changes and if they're new to the world building experience this will be jarring. "What? I can't create whatever the hell I want?"

Personally, I think there are enough people on site that will support whatever choices you make for the world. I mean, it is stated that you have the final say. Everyone will have to roll with it and if they don't like it, tough. Though I think most people will be perfectly happy with any decision you make. I know I will be. I respect and am thankful for the work you've put into this and as a result you can pain the sky brown for all I care. You deserve to!

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

There's definitely a learning curve, and overall, I think we're doing great. A few potholes in the road won't slow me down!

How do you get certified as a mediator and flame quencher??

Hmm, brown sky, you say? I think I'll stick with blue. :P

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

You may not have been doing much creative stuff, but you've been doing an awesome amount of coding!!! And no one could enjoy the creative stuff without that!!!

Maybe you should eventually have a section to list links to non-Torn-World stories that developed out of an idea planned for Torn World, but that didn't fit. That might be some consolation for people, to know their ideas are honored and enjoyed by Torn World readers and contributors even when they can't be part of Torn World proper. Things obviously Torn World in nature could be in the non-canon pages, of course, but I bet sooner or later somebody writes something in their own setting that was inspired by Torn World, and gets it published elsewhere.

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

It's hard to count coding because it doesn't add to my wordcount or move plotlines along, but you're right - it's still very valuable!

Hmm! That's a good idea!

[vestaka.livejournal.com]

So.. .can I keep drawing furry unicorns? I still want to draw one better then the last one but I haven't read enough of the torn world stuff to contribute beyond wanting to draw furry unicorns...

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

Can you? Oh my GOSH, yes! Please, please do! :) :)

Jenny Heidewald

[(Anonymous)]

There have been flame wars?!?! Wow, that means people are really invested in Torn World. Though they are nail biting it is a good sign I think, better a little bit of fighting than dead forums...? Maybe?
I think once you get things more hammered out it would be like Thieves World, where all sorts of writers write about different characters in the world. I am sure you have read some of those books, it is very interesting. Or like Dragonlance short stories.

Just think of it this way: You are the editor to pull them all together to make it all work. It is a tough job, but I know you can do it. :) As for me I think I'll just draw pretty pictures and stay out of the flame wars!

BTW, I saw your first snow unicorn, gosh was it that long ago? Time goes by so fast at times.

Re: Jenny Heidewald

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

Oh no, there haven't been any flamewars, I promise! There've just been a few cases that are more stressful than I like. All have been resolved peacefully by the end. :)

It will help to get further in, too!