Internet Reading in Second Life
So, I did it. After having seen it on Second Life and CSI and some G4 show, I decided to give it a try. I signed up for a Second Life account in January. It took me a while to stop asking questions and feeling like an idiot newbie, but I didn't feel too concerned about that. We're all idiot newbies at something or other. Right?
It didn't take me long to find the writers group and make some friends I was comfortable talking about writing with. I could name them, but since most of them use exclusively internet handles (like nitewanderer), they probably would mean much to you, but the Milk Wood Writers Meet -- a group of writers who get together on a regular basis and park in a certain locale to talk and write. Milk Wood, which I assume was named after Dylan Thomas's "Under Milk Wood," is a place with beautiful graphics containing a market, a place for writers to write, read and socialize. Those folks, along with my RL writing pals have helped me meet my writing goals of the last two months. On March 31st, I finished the rough of my novel, and this past week, I finished a screenplay. And, in the words of Jason Hawes, on to the next.
I'm currently working on a new screenplay and revising the novel. Hope to bark both at the Stoker Weekend.
In Second Life, this month, I was asked to do a reading and a podcast inteview. The interview is tomorrow, so I'll talk about that next time, but several folks have asked me out the reading went. So here is a short summary.
It happened on Thursday at seven p.m. In second life, which runs on Pacific time, despite the fact that it is world wide, it was five. The reading started half an hour late. Here's why.
I have rarely had a problem logging on in the past, so I allowed myself five minutes. The problem is that SL involves both visuals and voice -- think of an Xbox Live game. So getting the visuals to run is a piece of cake. Since most SL servers are at least four years old, most computers will hook right up.
Except of course when the servers are wonky.
Second Life itself is six years old this month. Voice, however, has only been a part of it for two years. I got my first pair voice headphones this past Tuesday, and was all ready to go, and it took a full two minutes to log in. When I got there, voice did not work. So I relogged. And again. And again, and again.
When I finally materialized, being able to see the avatars that represented other people and hear their voices, I was a full half-hour late. But I jokingly waded in and talked a little bit about how the stories came about and read two of my favorites. The first, which some of you might have heard me read, was called "What You Carry With You." It's a dark fantasy which requires me to do two different accents. After that, I read, "Hold My Beer and Watch This," which I wrote with J.P. Edwards. That one requires me to do three different accents and about ten different voices.
When I finished, several people gave me compliments. It surprised me that most readers don't treat their readings as the theatre they must be in order to carry interest. Voices, accents, all are important to keep people's attention.
Overall, I had a lot of fun, and so did those eight or ten people attending, so that's all that counts. Would I do it again? That question is moot; I am doing it again next month. And probably the month after that. It's wonderful not to have to drive around everywhere but stay home in your PJs swilling Coke and do your reading.
I highly recommend it -- it's an inexpensive way to get your name out there. And SL does allow a way for you to attach your real author name to your avatar.
Talk to you soon.
It didn't take me long to find the writers group and make some friends I was comfortable talking about writing with. I could name them, but since most of them use exclusively internet handles (like nitewanderer), they probably would mean much to you, but the Milk Wood Writers Meet -- a group of writers who get together on a regular basis and park in a certain locale to talk and write. Milk Wood, which I assume was named after Dylan Thomas's "Under Milk Wood," is a place with beautiful graphics containing a market, a place for writers to write, read and socialize. Those folks, along with my RL writing pals have helped me meet my writing goals of the last two months. On March 31st, I finished the rough of my novel, and this past week, I finished a screenplay. And, in the words of Jason Hawes, on to the next.
I'm currently working on a new screenplay and revising the novel. Hope to bark both at the Stoker Weekend.
In Second Life, this month, I was asked to do a reading and a podcast inteview. The interview is tomorrow, so I'll talk about that next time, but several folks have asked me out the reading went. So here is a short summary.
It happened on Thursday at seven p.m. In second life, which runs on Pacific time, despite the fact that it is world wide, it was five. The reading started half an hour late. Here's why.
I have rarely had a problem logging on in the past, so I allowed myself five minutes. The problem is that SL involves both visuals and voice -- think of an Xbox Live game. So getting the visuals to run is a piece of cake. Since most SL servers are at least four years old, most computers will hook right up.
Except of course when the servers are wonky.
Second Life itself is six years old this month. Voice, however, has only been a part of it for two years. I got my first pair voice headphones this past Tuesday, and was all ready to go, and it took a full two minutes to log in. When I got there, voice did not work. So I relogged. And again. And again, and again.
When I finally materialized, being able to see the avatars that represented other people and hear their voices, I was a full half-hour late. But I jokingly waded in and talked a little bit about how the stories came about and read two of my favorites. The first, which some of you might have heard me read, was called "What You Carry With You." It's a dark fantasy which requires me to do two different accents. After that, I read, "Hold My Beer and Watch This," which I wrote with J.P. Edwards. That one requires me to do three different accents and about ten different voices.
When I finished, several people gave me compliments. It surprised me that most readers don't treat their readings as the theatre they must be in order to carry interest. Voices, accents, all are important to keep people's attention.
Overall, I had a lot of fun, and so did those eight or ten people attending, so that's all that counts. Would I do it again? That question is moot; I am doing it again next month. And probably the month after that. It's wonderful not to have to drive around everywhere but stay home in your PJs swilling Coke and do your reading.
I highly recommend it -- it's an inexpensive way to get your name out there. And SL does allow a way for you to attach your real author name to your avatar.
Talk to you soon.