Welcome to Gaia! ::

Writer's introduction
The original intention of this collaborative was to start off with a simple concept that left some room for artistic freedom, and then to see what we could come up with. I mean for this to be something which can help us get to know each other's writing styles, and possibly something which might be fun if we work hard enough to finish it. Thus is the problem with the type of collaborative I wish to make.

You see, I do not want too much dependence on each other's actions, nor do I want this to be like an RP where the story never ceases and when there is an ending it is only in terms of a victor or a loser. But at the same time, I want to weave a tapestry of fate with the rest of you. We must work together, and at the same time appart. I want for there to be alternative motives kept hidden until the individual writer reveals them. Like a mix, must this be created, between the lone story and the collective one, where each author communicates, but only when needed; where each author listens to other writers intently, waiting to see if they have added anything to the world that they can use.

I do not know what to call this thing. The rules may change, and I may design something to help move the story along. But for now I think I can call it a collective story. A collaborative would mean that we work together, and we will, but for this world I am not allowing you to help me string together all of the plot - I am selfishly keeping some plot for my own purposes, and you may keep some too if you like - which eliminates the title of collaborative, or so I think, because at some points we may not be working together at all. The word "collective" suites this much better, for each of us is gathering stories from one world to lead up to one point, a plot made of sub plots if you will.

In 4th grade I read Loyd Alexander's The Black Cauldren. I thought once that it was what made me so in love with stories, but before that I used to dream about the worlds in books I could hardly read by C.S. Lewis and about dragons and magic, and before that I used to dream about the stories my mother read me. Likewise, I would very much like to say that collaboratives are where I really started writing, and use that as justification for being so ardent about begining one, but that would be denying the credit to one half baked idea for a book I had in 4th grade, probably recycled into paper again long ago, written down in a black marble note book, and then another book that I stopped writing in ninth grade so that I could explore my love of science. Even when I stopped writing to explore my love of science though, I still dreamt of the story. Whenever I learned something new I would only smile when I thought I could use it in some fantastic tale in the stars or on our world. I've always loved stories, my mother read them to me, my father told them to me, and eventually I began to make them up myself. Collaborative stories were something that did indeed get me to pick up writing again in the eleventh grade, but I'm certain I would have continued writing again eventually, even without the tempting notion that I could do it with others.

Nevertheless, I have always wanted to finish a collaborative, and though I will still be here in college, I will not have much time for writing, not as much as I have now, anyways. Thus I push this story onwards with the greatest sense of urgency, as I have always done with all my past collaboratives, and as I have always done whenever I thought of a story that could be written.


Thank you for your time.