The project was a success... and a failure. Half the writers were teens and half were adults. Half the writers met every deadline. Half did not. Half had cohesive writing plans (such as the approach I teach online at http://www.blueforgeproductions.com/forgeit.htm) and half did not. Half followed my revisions as editor perfectly and quickly, and half did not.
And it wasn't all the teenagers who missed the mark. It was *some* of the adults and *some* of the teens who found this trial by fire -- being thrown into the real world of writing and publishing -- simply too much to manage.
Does that mean that I closed the creative door and started doing everything myself again? Absolutely not. Does that mean the choose-your-own-adventure book will never be published? No way! Look for it in April.
What this project did, was remind me that life is made of victories and losses. Both of these results are learning experiences. Some might argue we learn more when we "lose" but I think we learn more when we take the time to reflect on either outcome. Instead of just celebrating or despairing, if we stop and think about what brought us to that point, we will learn vital information about how we function in the world. We need to stop and ask ourselves: How did we handle ourselves? Were we professional and respectful? Did we value the time of others? Did we encourage and guide and set a good example? Useless to ask is, Who is to blame? Where did others fall short? Because, ultimately, the victories and losses in our lives are our own.
I've recently opened that creative door again and invited young heroes to write the story text that goes with the Ghost Sniffers Adventure Decks. The two heroes who took on the project -- Maxwell and Faith -- spent three hours researching the genre. What is "flavor text" and why is it important to a good game? How long is it? How can snippets of text form a cohesive story that players will enjoy and be inspired by? Then they took the calender and charted out how many cards (there are more than 300 of them) they needed to complete each day in order to meet the deadline -- in addition to managing school, chores, exercise and family responsibilities like grocery shopping and visiting Grandma Snakes.
Will this project be a success, a failure or both? Will it make a difference that both Maxwell and Faith have completed the writing course I posted above? Will it make a difference that they are my children and they have grown up watching my work ethic, absence of procrastination and refusal to believe in that thing called "writer's block"? I'm curious to find out.
But whatever the outcome of this project or any others in the future, I know I'll continue to invite new writers into the world of Ghost Sniffers. Is it because I'm lonely as the only writer? No. Is it because I strive on the stress of whether or not someone will succeed or fail? Nope. It's because the Ghost Sniffers world is wide and wonderful and has barely been explored. No single writer could ever fully do justice to the alternate world that is Ghost Sniffers and I adore the knowledge that other writers are exploring that world with me.
As a matter of fact... If you want a challenge like none other and you're a young hero living with medical condition or disability that influences your life and gives you courage, consider contacting me. There are lots of projects on the horizon. Just make sure to talk with your parents first and serious look at your schedule. This is the big time, heroes, the real thing. And I welcome every one of you!
Jennifer DiMarco
Ghost Sniffers
Writer/Director/Creator
