Creative Process: Why Axiom?

Ever played D&D?  The single most compelling thing about it is that when you create a game, you can tailor make an entire world full of characters and plot lines without sitting down and writing an encyclopaedia for all that exists in that world.  In a way it shrouds the game world in mystery and as your character progresses through it, new places, people, and plots are revealed.  It's an uncovering of sorts, even to the creator of the game world.  Writing fiction in this manner promotes improvisation and milks a writer for all the quick wit and creative problem solving one is worth.   When I first started collaborative writing, I thought an entire wiki full of information was required to start evolving a game space for others to play in.  That I would build the world for the players and they would have to adhere to all my particular fancies.  

Now I've taken an approach that initially felt backwards, but one I've grown to love and be energized by.  As a founder I set up a very basic skeleton of the game world.  Here in Axiom we have 3 major solar systems, each filled with differing races, and a handful of historical events to lay the groundwork.  Because the overarching plots are broad enough, there are enough gaps that can be filled through players' writing.  There's the key - story driven development.  As players write their characters into the world, the world unfolds through their perspective and they take on an active role in the creation of the environments they play in.  It adds an enthralling element to writing collaboratively in ways that are still being revealed to me - much like the writing itself.  

Yes there are at times plot holes, inconsistencies, mistakes, technicalities, legalities, linguini, fettucini, bikini…

BUT… there's an edit button.  And I use it.  A lot.   See writing on a forum is a constant work in progress.  It's really never done, so I just accept this fact and even find joy in how my stories transform as a result of the change characters and details go through.  There are no regrets, just edits.

Story Driven Development intends to fill a game wiki up with facts that are derived from the player's perspective of the world.  If someone writes about the desert winds on Roshoq, then a quote that links back to that thread can be placed in the wiki.   This creates a looping effect between the wiki and stories that imbeds creativity from players into the world itself.  This encourages players to make storytelling a priority rather than being bogged down by writing wiki articles for the actual stories one wants to write.  I like the idea of staff creating worlds for the players, and I see an opportunity for them to do so while still having a full writing experience with their own characters.

Sci Fi isn't for everyone, I can respect that.  What I speak of here in terms of creative process however goes beyond the content of writing.  It's a permaculture-esque approach to writing with others because it makes those who play the game part of it's creation.  The loop effect I described builds a writing community that is based on trust as well, for the reason that when you bring others into the decision making process of what goes in the world, you must trust they share your vision.  

If they don't, one must know how to turn differences into useable dynamics.  In theory this all sounds nice but the proof is always in the plot lines.  If my stories generate emotion in the reader, if I'm moved by what I've created, and if I am in a community of writers whom I love and trust to co create with, then I am successful.  Will my wiki be comprehensive?  Perhaps someday.  Will I moderate the top sci fi writing game site on the internet?  Don't care.

I just want to write, because in the end that's what it's all about.