After this weekend, I understand why I traded our Xbox for an iPad. My husband recently acquired a game controller for an Xbox one and it was a bad idea. Why? My plans to get more things on my writing list were deterred by a game on our tv and a new controller. It was like it sucked me into the screen with the character and my eyes were instantly glued to every level. I became an ultra focused spotter to help my husband reach the next world.
My tendency to obsess over getting to the next level took over and we stayed up past midnight. I turned into this militaristic commander who shouted orders at my husband when he turned the wrong direction. It was a constant, “No! You’re other left”. He asked me if I played in team games and I didn’t lie. I told him no because I’m too bossy. Yes, I turned into a back seat video gamer all weekend and I couldn’t make him stop playing. In fact, I encouraged him to keep playing.
Somehow, I managed to review over 150 pages of edits and posted social media for my other authors but I don’t know I accomplished anything else. Gaming is not a good thing for me and I would turn into one of those who would never the leave the basement unless it was to get the food or Amazon I ordered. I would live in my PJs and game obsessively. I might not even sleep until I reached the next level.
This week, all I can hope for is a return to my normal routine because the red-penned to-do items on my calendar are staring out at me like blinding headlights. Maybe I need to tell him to hide the game controller. Well, at least one good thing came out of this. I realized I like these games because their based on a hero story and they have a clear end point. The story telling I gaming just takes on a different form.
I started to think about how I would design my other world and thought about the reason for the quest. I asked what the characters would look like. As the hero entered different worlds I asked what I would change. When I think about the weekend from this perspective, I guess all wasn’t lost.
In fact, this gives us our first prompt for the week. If you had to build a new world, what would it look like? What kind of quest would there be? Asking these questions, I need to remember my own advice of keep an open mind because comics and gaming use story telling. Both of them have writers who come up with different elements of a story.
The next thing I need to remember, is that my job is helping other writers get published right now. I need to return to my to-do list and explore later.
My posts are Monday through Friday.
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Writer's Block Inc 