And We're Off

Let me start off by thanking you.  This is my first tentative step into blogging, so that's a good place to start.  Out of all the blogs out there, you took a minute to look at this one.  There have to be literally dozens of blogs available to look at on the internet, so I appreciate it. 

That said, let's take a look at what got us to this point.  I've been a gamer for almost as long as I can remember - so long that it's ceased to be a hobby and become a part of who I am.  There have been times when I thought I was done with it, but it always turned out that I wasn't.  Now I know myself a bit better, and I realize that it's my creative outlet - something I need in order to be happy.  At this point in my gaming 'career' I have a bit of writing credit under my belt, and those experiences (along with the actual tabletop experience) have helped me come to understand what it is that I enjoy most about gaming.  I did a paid writing gig a while back for a big name company, and that helped me to figure out that I don't enjoy that sort of work.  At least, not done that way.  For me, I think it will always be a hobby.  I've also been part of the design team for a couple of very large convention RPG events, and those were without exception a blast to be part of. 

Now I realize that what I like, what I really love, about my hobby is collaborative storytelling.  Sitting down with a bunch of friends, putting together a set of story elements, and seeing how those play into one another.  A big part of that is building a setting - I think when it's done right, it can be the most collaborative (and therefore for me, the most rewarding) part of a roleplaying game.  In this blog I'll explore that creative process as I develop, hopefully with the help of a couple of readers, one or more game settings.  I'll endeavor to make them as "system neutral" as possible, though I may throw in a few insights as to how I'm approaching things mechanically in one system or another from time to time. 

So, if you're still reading this, let's get to it.