It’s sort of a cross between an illustrated storybook and Disneyworld without the crowds, noise, and vendors.  It’s a story you can literally immerse yourself in.  And it’s something you’ll find only in a virtual world like Second Life.

I love discovering ways in which writers use the 3D elements of Second Life to create work unlike anything in first life, and that’s what artist/writer Bryn Oh has done with her beautiful and haunting immersive story “The Rabbicorn.”

“Quite some time ago I thought up a character called the Rabbicorn.” Bryn writes on her blog.  “Part rabbit part unicorn. I built up this whole story in my mind about where she came from and how. I sketched it out wrote down the story and then I promptly put it on the shelf.”

One reason she put it on the shelf is that she didn’t have enough prims (SL building blocks) to spare at her own SL gallery, Immersiva.  But she took it off the shelf when IMB offered the use of one of their sims.

And so this Toronto, Canada,-based oil painter in first life created the amazing artwork and story-in-a-poem to build this remarkable 3D storybook.

When you go to “The Rabbicorn,” you’ll land in an eerie, static-filled environment with ambient sounds and some haunting melodies that further bring the story to life.  From there, you are teleported in sequence to each of the story’s 10 scenes, where you’ll find a old book pages containing the words of the story.

The story tells about the escape from a mechanistic environment and the loss and rediscovery of love.

I was moved by the depth of feeling contained in those words and 3D scenes, and I lingered long in each scene, contemplating the themes it raised about the human condition.  The first time I went through this immersive story, I had a hard time leaving – so I went through it again.  Each time I revisit it, I discover more details I hadn’t noticed before.

An installation like “The Rabbicorn” requires a highly skilled artist, as well as a writer and Second Life builder.  Bryn Oh is all three – an incredibly talented woman.  There’s no way I could pull off what she did.  And yet this 3D story experience she’s created has opened my mind to other unique ways writers can bring their work to life in a virtual world.  Stayed tuned to this blog for more about those ideas.

The Rabbicorn exhibit just opened July 10, with an unspecified ending date. To teleport directly to The Rabbicorn on the IBM 3 sim, click this link: http://slurl.com/secondlife/IBM%203/56/50/23

Fellow SL explorers, I’d love to hear what you’ve found in Second Life that brings an added dimension to creative writing.  If you know such places, please add a comment and include the SLURL if you can.

* Or another short poem

I do not consider myself a poet.  Oh, I’ve written poetry – some of it’s even been published or won (minor) awards.  But I can go for years without writing a single line.

Nevertheless, I studied a lot of poetry in college, and thought I at least knew the primary forms.  So when I started getting notices in Second Life for workshops on poetry styles with names like “renga” and “etheree,” I was stumped – and had to find out what was going on.

I knew there was a large community of poets in Second Life – many of them published and acclaimed in the physical world, as well as the virtual one.  Just about every day of the week, there’s at least one open mic poetry reading.  (Check out the SL Events for Writers Calendar if you think I’m exaggerating!)  And readings by featured poets occur with great regularity in SL.

But what I’ve recently discovered is a poetry “subculture” in SL that glories in learning about, writing, listening to, and publishing the very shortest forms of poetry ever invented.

And once again, the unique features of Second Life make this subculture far more accessible than it is in first life.  I mean, when’s the last time you wrote a tetractys poem and could share it with others who would appreciate the discipline involved in writing a poem of only 20 syllables that must be broken into five lines of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 10 syllables, respectively?  I know it’s been a few lifetimes since I’ve done that in first life!!

But in Second Life, you can learn a different short form every week at a workshop organized by Sunnie Beaumont, from the fabulous INKsters writing community in SL.  Bored with the tetractys?  How about a nonet or septet or Clerihew?  Or one of the countless forms of Japanese short poetry, of which haiku is probably the best known?

Sunnie is the SL avatar name of poet Mary-Jane Grandinetti, who is also the editor of the online poetry journal The Fib Review. She offers workshops on how to write these short forms at 7 p.m. Second Life Time (same as Pacific time) every Tuesday at the INKsters Rose Garden Classroom (a lovely outdoor setting with a terrific view of the water, where it’s hard not to get inspired).

The workshops are taught by Sunnie and other poets, including DanteOsaka Deschanel, another short-form aficionado who offers haiku workshops almost every Friday at 7 p.m. SLT at Shin Tao Haiku Retreat, his gorgeous oriental-style retreat in Second Life.

Dante, who is first-life poet Mark Arvid White, also hosts live open mic poetry readings, poetry contests, and other events for writers and poetry lovers at Shin Tao.

I just recently discovered Shin Tao Haiku Retreat and was astonished at all it has to offer.  I didn’t want to leave!  Besides the workshops, here’s a few things you can find there:

• An oasis of peace and beauty, with Japanese-style buildings and gardens to wander around in or to meditate to the birdsong and the ringing of chimes.
• The Library of Haiku, which is a virtual garden of illustrated poetry.  You can wander the buildings and grounds for hours reading all the short poems, which are beautifully printed on graphic backgrounds.  Some of the poems are from the masters (e.g., Basho), but many are by SL residents who’ve submitted their poetry to the many contests Shin Tao sponsors.
• The origins of haiku and other Japanese poetry forms, as well as fascinating historical details about the early masters and instructions on how to write the poetry.

You can check out the Shin Tao Retreat’s blog to discover lots more about this incredible place.

Back at INKsters, Sunnie Beaumont displays lots of information about the short poetry workshops and The Fib Review, which publishes a newer, fascinating form called the Fibonacci poem.  As you might expect, it’s based on the sequence discovered by the mathematician of the same name, and uses that sequence to determine the number of syllables in each of the six lines of the poem.

At Sunnie’s place, you can also find her recently published book of poetry, Chocolate Sauce.  Both Sunnie and DanteOsaka are widely published, award-winning poets, and their gifts to the poets and poetry-lovers in Second Life are a treasure.

Having wandered through the “garden” of poetry at Shin Tao and reading Sunnie’s information on the Fibonacci and other short poems, I can feel myself being drawn into another “spell” of writing poetry – short-form poetry, that is.  Now I just have to figure out which one: the Fib maybe?  Or one of the others I haven’t even mentioned – Senryu, Tanka, Lu-Shih, Lanturne, Pathya Vat, Five by Five, Haiga, Kyoka, Renhai?  I may need to try them all!

I asked a question of a few people who are mostly ignorant of the existence of Second Life:  What would you expect to see at an exposition on the future of virtual worlds on the Internet?

After they got past the guffaws or confusion or outright indignation (e.g., “Who do you think I am – some dumb gamer nerd?”), when I’d finally convinced them I was serious, they all gave me the same kind of answers, some printable, some not, but which in general relate to these descriptions:

• Million-core computers (okay, a slight exaggeration)
• Steely cold constructions – sort of advanced erector-set concoctions, all in shades of gray, of course, kind of like the old Jetsons cartoon series
• Advanced battle gear for alien-shaped warriors of the next-next-next-generation
• Robots performing precision-marching maneuvers on green slabs meant to represent parade grounds

What they did not come even close to mentioning were the very things that are so near and dear to my – and most likely your – heart:  words.  As in writing and reading.

Naturally, people who haven’t a clue what Second Life is about would have no idea about the fabulous resources in SL for writers and readers.  But even some who do know, including yours truly, were surprised – pleasantly so, of course – to discover that the big exhibition now under way in celebration of Second Life’s sixth birthday, includes several exhibits that promote writers and readers.

Why such a surprise?  Because the theme of the event is the future of virtual worlds, and Linden Lab (which runs SL) required exhibitors to apply and demonstrate that their exhibit reflected that theme.

Yes, many of the exhibits vaguely resemble the future-techie visions described by my little sampling population, and some are so futuristic it’s hard to make hide nor hair of them!  But Second Life is different from virtual games (which it’s often lumped with):  It’s full of creative souls – artists, musicians, videographers, and, of course, writers.  So it would be impossible to envision a future Second Life without them!

Between now and June 30, when the birthday party ends, take a teleport over to the SL6B exhibition and celebration in Second Life, and check out, in particular, these exhibits that promote creative writing in all its forms:

Fostering the Literary Arts

This exhibit was created by Toronto’s Guerilla Poetess — Skylar Smythe in Second Life.  (Skylar is also one of the moving forces behind the SL replica of the Hotel Chelsea, a New York hotel that’s been home to many writers.)  The “Fostering the Literary Arts” exhibit features:

• Information about the writing community in SL (including a poster about this blog – thank you very much, Skylar!)
• A biodome containing a beautiful woodland meadow, complete with deer
• Up in the sky, a gorgeous performance platform, where events are scheduled each day of the celebration:
  • June 24, UK Writers Showcase, 4-6 pm SLT
  • June 25, North American Writers Showcase, 7-9 pm SLT
  • June 26, Flash Fiction Workshop, 4-5 pm SLT
  • June 27, Writing for Second Life Theatre, 2-3 pm SLT
  • June 28, Second Life Blogging, 2-3 pm SLT
  • June 29, Haiku Showcase / Workshop, 3-4 pm SLT

SLURL to teleport directly to exhibit:  http://slurl.com/secondlife/SL6B%20Dimension/134/94/23

Reading’s Future

SL resident Diana Allandale, who is the author Diana Hunter in first life, designed and built this exhibit to demonstrate “that one can read great stories inworld just as easily as in RL.”  Diana generously reached out to writers across SL to invite them to contribute their writing and information to her exhibit, which includes:

• A futuristic reading room
• A sampling of Diana’s novels and short stories
• Free copies of short stories, Second Life books, and other works by writers in Second Life (including a story by and links to information about me – thanks, Diana!!):

SLURL to teleport directly to exhibit:  http://slurl.com/secondlife/SL6B%20Virtuocity/161/21/23

Written Word

One of the most popular centers for writers in SL, Written Word, also has an exhibit, which primarily consists of information about this very supportive organization for writers, as well as a funky “earthquake chair” that you simply have to experience to understand!

SLURL to teleport directly to exhibit:  http://slurl.com/secondlife/SL6B%20Nano/74/157/23

More than 300 exhibits that encompass virtually any human activity you can think of are featured at the SL6B extravaganza.  It’s a fascinating “virtual world within a virtual world” to explore – but you only have a few days to do so!  Better get moving . . . down the hall into the future:

The writing community in Second Life continues to amaze me!  At a literary gathering yesterday, I had the pleasure of being with a couple dozen writers who came together to listen to and applaud the winners of a flash fiction contest I helped organize and judge. 

The contest part of it was extremely hard for me – partly because all of the entries were very well written and partly because the process of judging creative writing is so subjective.  But my discomfort was drowned out by the rousing show of support everyone gave the “winning” writers, as well as all the writers.  As one writer said before he read his story to the group, “Second Life is an incredible place for writers to be!”

Indeed it is!  I’ve blogged about many of the individuals and organizations who help make SL such a great network for writers, but there are many, many more that are still on my idea list or that I haven’t discovered yet.   And so today I decided it was time to share one of my favorite places, Bookstacks.

First, I’ll be honest and tell you why I chose Bookstacks as the subject of this particular post:  In addition to being a great resource for writers, they have invited me as a featured writer to read some of my original fiction at the Bookstacks Pub.  The reading is tonight (Thursday) at 5 p.m. Second Life Time (same as Pacific time).  It’s certainly an honor; they’ve had some very accomplished authors there in the past.  And I’d like to invite any of you who can make it to come – not just for my benefit, but to experience the support for books and writers that Bookstacks’ owners demonstrate every day!  The SLURL to teleport directly to Bookstacks is: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Awen/117/157/25.

I can almost guarantee that even if you’re bored to death with my reading, you’ll enjoy discovering Bookstacks and its Pub!

The thing about Bookstacks is that it’s the vision of two book lovers, Simeon Beresford and Kghia Gherardi.  And book lovers and writers are a match made in literary heaven. “It is a place for bookish people to meet other bookish people and get together and do bookish things,” they say on the Bookstacks blog.

I first met Kghia about six months ago, and when we discovered we both had a desire to bring together and cross-promote writing- and book-related events in Second Life (a la, a rising tide lifts all ships), we began to collaborate a lot.  (It also helps that we live in the same time zone.  While SL has eliminated geographical distance as an issue, it has yet to invent a way to collapse time zones.)  When I started the Second Life Events for Writers Google calendar, Kghia was a major supporter of it.

I didn’t meet Simeon, who started Bookstacks in 2007, until I was interviewed by him for their Off The Shelf Internet radio show.  The fact that he lives in Wales (where I spent one of the best half-years of my life) immediately endeared him to me – despite the difference in time zones!  His First Life country also explains the delightful Celtic/British influence you’ll see throughout Bookstacks – and especially in the Bookstacks Pub.

So why are these two people and their Second Life activities so great for writers?  You really need to go tour Bookstacks and all of Awen, the island where Bookstacks and other writers’ resources are located.  But here are a few of the ways they make writers welcome and supported in Second Life:

• The Literary Heavenly Match:  Bookstacks’ motto is “Where Book Lovers Meet on Second Life.”  And book lovers (many of whom are also writers) and writers have this delightful, symbiotic need for each other.  If, as a writer, you ever need to be reminded that readers are out there waiting for your work, just go to Bookstacks and breathe in that love of books that emanates from every corner – even the fishing spot, where the sea wall is covered with book recommendations.
• Cheerleaders for Authors:  Because they love to read, Simeon and Kghia also support writers in getting their work out to the SL community.  They host readings by featured authors and open-mic events for poets, as well as display in the Bookstacks Pub copies of books and information about and for writers, in both first and Second Life.
• Literary Performances:  The Bookstacks build in Second Life includes many indoor and outdoor performance areas, from the luscious Sky High Speakeasy to the ground level amphitheaters.

• Haven for Readers:  Bookstacks sponsors an unbelievable number of activities to promote reading, from book clubs for many genres, to reading and discussion of classic works (most recently Walt Whitman’s poetry), to literary games (e.g., book trivia contests and socials) and social events (like the upcoming Bootlegger’s Ball).
• Literary Radio Show Hosting: This winter, Kghia and Simeon launched the first Internet radio show to talk about the Second Life literary scene, Off The Shelf on Radio Riel.
• Support for Other Writers’ Groups:  On their lovely isle of Awen, Kghia and Simeon share some of their space with another great organization for writers, The Guild of UK Writers, which requires its own separate post! Another example:  Every week Kghia compiles the coming week’s writing- and book-related events in Second Life and sends it to everyone on the Bookstacks list!

And the icing on the cake:  Bookstacks is full of fun toys and games every visitor is allowed to play with – like these fun miniature cars that you can actually stuff yourself into and drive around the land:

May 2009 will go down in my personal history as one of the most miserable months ever — personally and professionally.  And it made me think about how wonderful first life could be if only it had a few more of Second Life’s features!

But before I launch into my wishlist of features I think the universe should program into the physical world ASAP, I need a few minutes to process (i.e., wallow in and whine about) the exhausting cyclone that was May in my life.

The Miserable Month of May . . .

First of all, Mercury was in retrograde most of May.  Which meant that communication of all kinds — from face-to-face chats to electronic conversations — was fraught with reversals, complications, misunderstandings, and broken equipment.  My computer malfunctioned numerous times, and it often took at least twice as long as usual to get my point across.  All that time spent trying to be understood cut into my writing time (not to mention causing an excess of angry words and confused looks).

Second, May began with a trip to visit the relatives I least enjoy spending time with, and ended with a trip to some I most enjoy — but because it happened to be for a funeral, it was neither expected nor pleasant.  On top of that, the funeral trip took me away from my daily writing schedule for at least a week.

In between were an unusually enormous number of graduations, birthday parties, and celebrations, as well as some exciting writing-related appearances and events — all of which were incredibly enjoyable, but also devastating to my writing plans.

On top of that, May was the month for some massive spring housecleaning (scheduled in part because of the above-mentioned activities) and a major flooring renovation in my  house — including in my office, which was therefore a chaotic mess all month!  And you know what they say about that — your outer world is a reflection of your inner world.  It’s hard to be creative when you’re drowning in both inner and outer chaos.

Finally, because of my insane efforts to clean as fast as I could and to get the floor redone (we switched from carpet to laminate wood, and did all the work ourselves), I contorted and stressed my body so much that I totally messed up my tailbone and connecting skeletal parts — to the point where I could barely walk without intense pain.  Naturally, my chiropractor, who performs magic in putting my skeleton back together, was on vacation, so I waited too long to get my bones straightened out — which, of course, made the injury worse and the recovery longer — and also delayed the completion of the re-flooring!  (And, do you have any idea how hard it is to locate your imaginative mind when all you can think of is how much it hurts to sit, walk, sleep — even breathe??)

. . . Confirms Need to Bring SL Features to First Life!

First life should have the option available in SL to zoom up to a secret writing place in the sky!

Well, enough of my venting — which is really just a load of wimpy whiny BS coming from someone who has it pretty darn good in life.  But May’s misery prompted me to generate a list of features offered in Second Life that, if they were also implemented in first life, would make my whole life so much better!

So, without further ado, here’s my list of “First Life Bugs That Can Be Fixed by Second Life Programs”:

• Set to “busy”: In Second Life, if I don’t want to be interrupted with calls, messages, visits, etc., I just click the menu option to “Set Busy,” and even if people try to contact me, they can’t get through — in fact, I don’t even know they’re trying — unless they’re within viewing distance.  I would love to be able to sit down for a lengthy writing session and just push a button to prevent all outside disruptions. How hard could it be to program that fix into first life, anyhow?

• Sky retreats: Even with a “set to busy” function, I’d still be visible to life-forms around me — particularly cats and dogs.  So I also request a bug fix that enables me to instantly teleport to a secret hideaway hundreds of feet up in the sky, where no two-legged, four-legged, or otherwise-legged critters can find me while I’m writing.  A very valuable bug fix that would be!

In my skybox retreat in SL with "Set Busy" turned on, I can write undisturbed as my avatar -- an almost nonexistent condition for my first life self, unfortunately.

• The “poof” (aka simulated crash): This feature would be useful when you’re stuck in a meeting or talking to Aunt Mable on the phone, or other situations where you need to get back to the writing desk but don’t know how to say so without hurting someone’s feelings or pissing people off.  In Second Life, there’s always the option to simply close the SL viewer; then, when you next see the other person(s), you excuse your sudden poof-like departure by saying you “crashed” (a common enough natural phenomenon in SL, so no one would know for sure).  Now, I’ve never used this particular feature, but I know many people who have, and it’s a great backup subroutine to have available!

• Zero maintenance living: If I had to prioritize my list, this one would be at the very top.  Second Life’s programming ensures nothing ever gets dirty; hence, there’s never a need to clean the house, wash the dishes, do the laundry, etc., etc.  The grass is always the perfect length and color, weeds don’t exist, snow falls but never has to be shoveled, etc., etc.  Computers and other essential tools never break down.  And pets never pee in the house.  Maintenance is definitely a very bad first life programming bug, so a patch based on Second Life’s approach is a no-brainer. This fix from SL would save not just time (to be better spent on writing), but also the terrible wear and tear on the body, which zaps all the creativity from the writing mind.

• Rezzable objects: What was the universe thinking when it programmed into first life things like gravity and heavy furniture, without also adding the ability to rez and de-rez objects??!! To move my office from the basement to the ground floor (which occurred after the re-flooring project), I had to push, lift, and wrangle a ton of crap, and then beg for muscles from elsewhere to move the really heavy stuff.  If the Second Life approach had been used instead, all I’d have had to do is click on each object to de-rez it from the basement, thus putting it in my inventory (which weighs nothing and takes up no space), walk up the stairs only once, and rez the items back out of my inventory to their precise location in my new office.  My body wouldn’t be nearly so whacked out now, and most of my friends might still be talking to me!

Remodeling takes no time in SL -- just a few clicks for a whole new floor. Why can't first life be programmed to do the same thing?

• Instant retexturizing: This bug fix would have been a life-saver this past month.  Instead of: pulling up old carpet and padding in the two big rooms we refloored, then painstakingly pulling out staples, crowbar-ing off the tacking boards and baseboards, vacuuming and washing the subfloor (a particularly bad job if you have pets), scraping and sanding the rough spots, rolling out and fitting the new padding; then measuring, cutting, fitting, re-measuring, re-cutting, and finally laying the planks of new flooring — which is just a brief summary of the steps required to switch from carpet to wood floors in first life — all I’d have needed to do is: click on the floor to be changed, select the new texture, click, and voila!  My floors are all newly redone.  (This would also work for painting walls, reupholstering furniture, re-siding, and similar home-improvement projects).

• Teleportation: Now this feature, if imported into first life, would fix innumerable bugs in all aspects of physical life.  But for me, it would free up an awesome amount of time driving and flying (on airplanes, that is) all over tarnation to attend family gigs, special events like graduations and birthdays, and even funerals.  Just think what life would be like if you could teleport in and out for a quick dinner with the inlaws, instead of having to spend a whole excruciating weekend with people you have only a fragile peace truce with!

There are many other Second Life features that, if applied to first life, would make physical-world living so much more pleasant. But this list comprises the most handicapping bugs the universe give top priority to fixing in first life’s programming to ensure I never have another month like May that so mucked up my writing (and playing) schedule!

OK, your turn!  If you’ve been in Second Life, what features do you think should be imported into first life to resolve its many programming defects?  If you’ve not explored SL, you probably still have plenty of ideas for ways to improve the physical world’s “programming”; I’d love to hear your suggestions.

One of the serendipitous things that’s happened to me in Second Life is the chance to get involved with a writers’ showcase at a virtual university, where I’ve gotten to know a lot of other writers and participated in many kinds of projects for creative writers.

I’ve never seen anything in the physical world quite like either the TLE Educational Network — the sponsoring organization — or its Creative Showcase for Writers.  But then, that’s one of the delights of Second Life:  it offers all kinds of opportunities not possible in “real life.”

A front view of the TLE Creative Showcase for Writers, where the Speakeasy Party & Poetry Slam will be held Saturday, May 23, at 7 p.m. Pacific time

The TLE Creative Showcase for Writers started out as a little booth set up by Kitviel Silberberg when he first launched his free virtual university and educational space now called the TLE Educational Network.  Kitviel is himself a published author and wanted to create a place where writers could showcase their creative work for free.

This SL writers’ showcase is now a massive four-story building with a “writer’s retreat” on the main floor where you can just hangout on the comfy couches and chairs by the fireplace, or play games like the Second Life version of Scrabble, Monopoly, backgammon, checkers, and so on.  That “retreat” is also the place where I have the great pleasure of facilitating two weekly “Writers’ Symposiums.”  These are open events; anyone can attend.  And their purpose is to give creative writers in Second Life a time to read their work aloud to other writers and readers, and to get helpful feedback, if they want it.

A few of the displays at the Creative Showcase for Writers in SL, where authors can promote their work for free.

The top three floors of the showcase consist of displays of all kinds of writing done by real writers who hang out in the virtual world of SL.  You’ll see images of novels and nonfiction books that you’ll also find in a physical world bookstore, books that have been published only in Second Life, e-books, books of poetry and individual poems, links to short stories in literary magazines and online journals, graphic novels, and just about every genre — a true representation of the variety of creative works written by authors in SL.  It’s quite an amazing display!

Speakeasy Cocktail Party on May 23

But it’s not just your average cocktail party.  It celebrates the legacy of The Jazz Age and the speakeasy, which has become synonymous with creative writers.  And it just so happens that May 23 is the 75th anniversary of the final shootout between the cops and two of the legendary gangsters of the Roaring ’20s and early ’30s: Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow.

To celebrate the growth of the Creative Showcase for Writers, as well as to introduce it to more folks in-world, TLE is hosting a party there this weekend, starting at 7 p.m. Second Life Time (Pacific time) on Saturday, May 23.

Thus, the theme of the party:  “An Offer You Can’t Refuse.”  What’s the offer that cannot be refused?  For writers, the opportunity to promote their work for free at the Creative Showcase for Writers.  For everyone else, a speakeasy-Roaring ’20s-Jazz Age party with live music and dancing, virtual cocktails, a poetry slam between two excellent poets, and the chance to network with others in the Second Life literary scene.

Flash Fiction Contest Open through May 27

Plus!!  – if you’re a writer — the chance to win a little cash and publication in a SL anthology, thanks to the “An Offer You Can’t Refuse” Flash Fiction Contest.  (Don’t be alarmed — the deadline for entries isn’t until May 27.)  The theme of the contest is the same as the party, and all details about the contest can be found on the TLE blog here.

What’s the catch, you ask?  There is no catch!  That’s one of the great things about Second Life — and also the TLE Educational Network — so many exciting, free opportunities are available to anyone who comes into SL.

In the flapper outfit I plan to wear to Saturday's Speakeasy, I'm standing by the dropoff for entries in the flash fiction contest that ends at midnight (Pacific time), May 27, with three winners to get win cash prizes, and all entries to be published in an anthology in SL.

So, on Saturday, I’m going to dress up my avatar Alas Zerbino in her vintage flapper outfit and go have a blast at the “Speakeasy Cocktail Party & Poetry Slam” at the TLE Creative Showcase for Writers — one of my favorite haunts in Second Life.

Just The Facts

What:  Speakeasy Cocktail Party, Poetry Slam, Dance & Open House

When:  7 to 9 p.m. SLT (Pacific time) Saturday, May 23

Cost:  Absolutely free!

Where:  Creative Showcase for Writers at the TLE Educational Network in Second Life; here’s the  SLURL you can use to teleport there directly:  http://slurl.com/secondlife/Kimokeo%20Cove/86/42/22

I hope you can join me and Alas at the party on Saturday!

I’m trying very hard to develop at least a minimal amount of affection for the sound of my voice.  It’s tough, when I’ve hated hearing it for nearly half a century!  After all, I’m a writer!  You know — one of those people who can think as they type, but not as they talk. 

But thanks (I guess) to Second Life, I’m no longer hiding behind my written words alone. First, there was that scary thing called an “open mic.”

Only a few weeks after joining SL, I dragged myself onto a stage (hiding behind my avatar Alas Zerbino, of course!) and read some of my poetry and flash fiction stories aloud to an audience.  I actually did that several times!  Enough to learn the tricks of hiding most of the shakiness in my voice, anyway.

Then I was arm-twisted volunteered to facilitate a weekly open mic/feedback group for writers at The Learning Experience’s Creative Showcase for Writers.  What I overlooked was the fact that, for writers who couldn’t use voice in SL, I’d have to read their writing for them.  And it’s amazing how many people don’t use voice in SL!  (Thankfully for me, the writing is really good and fun to read.)

Eventually I reached the point where my real-life dog Elvis did not run and hide when I plugged my headset into my computer.  (Some say he’s neurotic, but I think he was making a credible point.)  I actually grew somewhat comfortable — as long as there were no echoes of my voice that I had to listen to.

But one thing I’ve learned — the universe does not like it when you’re comfortable!  And sure enough, the next challenge came very quickly: a live radio show.

Holy crapola!!! This is where my writing gets me?  Straight to yet another microphone?  Yup.

Two awesome people who go by the avatar names of Kghia Gherardi and Simeon Beresford in Second Life run the fabulous Bookstacks Island for readers and writers in Second Life.  They also host an every-other-week radio show called Off The Shelf, which covers the literary scene in Second Life.  I love the show — I always learn new things about the SL writing community and other writers.  If you haven’t tuned in yet, do check it out.  It airs live on Radio Riel, the Internet radio station that’s based in Second Life, and you can listen to past broadcasts here.

But when they asked me to be a guest on one of the shows, I was so overwhelmed by the offer, I forgot to tell them one small detail:  My voice SUCKS!! All I could think of to say was, “I’ve never been on radio before.”  Well, they were very kind and made me comfortable enough that I survived the show — despite the fact that I used my more expensive headset for talking, only to discover later that my cheaper headset has a much better mic.  So while I had a terrific time being on Off The Shelf, I’m almost reluctant to link to the archived show that includes my muffled speech.  I don’t think I would add the link, except for the fact that the other guest on that show, Persephone Phoenix, is not only an awesome poet, but a wonderful speaker.

(By the way, one of the fun things about Off The Shelf is that it’s taped in a studio in front of a live audience–see photo above–and anyone in Second Life is invited to be part of that audience.)

Well, I swore never to make that mistake again — and then promptly forgot about it when the awesome Joanna Penn of The Creative Penn blog, asked if she could interview me for her weekly podcast.  Joanna has written several nonfiction books and offers excellent advice to writers on writing, self-publishing, print-on-demand, Internet sales and marketing books.  I knew she wanted to talk about Second Life’s resources for writers — a topic that is near and dear to my heart — so I immediately said yes.  And only after the fact remembered my earlier vow.

This time, I used the cheaper, but better quality, headset (go figure).  And having learned a few things not to do from my previous experience, I think I managed to pull it off with a minimum of “nervous-wreck-shaky-voice” disorder and at least a lessening of the “um-ah-yeah” syndrome.  It also helped that Joanna is an extremely friendly, interesting person who makes you forget you’re talking to “the world” and more like you’re just having a phone conversation with a good friend.

So even though I still don’t like the way my voice sounds, I’m developing a bit more acceptance of it — especially when given the chance to talk about one of my favorite topics:  all that Second Life has to offer writers.

In the short space of time between those two audio interviews, I was also asked to give a live reading at the Bookworm Cafe on Da Vinci Isle in Second Life.  Da Vinci Isle’s mission is to showcase the creative talents of Second Life.  A few weeks ago, they started a weekly series at the literary-themed Bookworm Cafe where short story authors read their fiction.  I was honored and delighted to be asked to read at the first one, and despite my fear and trepidation, managed to read several short stories without collapsing from nervous anxiety (evidenced by the photo below in which I’m still sitting).

The next week, author Mark Worthen was the guest reader, and graced us with some beautifully read, spell-binding stories of his.  I encourage all fiction writers and other story-lovers to come listen to these published authors every Thursday evening at 5 p.m. SLT (Pacific time).

So, while I still don’t like the sound of my voice, at least I’m getting used to hearing it!  And the bottom line:  here’s yet one more way in which Second Life has made it possible for me to grow as a writer.

Key links and SLURLs:

• Interview with Joanna Penn on The Creative Penn blog (by the way, I really like how Joanna includes bulleted lists of what’s covered in each podcast!)
• Off The Shelf archived shows aired on Radio Riel
• SLURL to teleport directly to Bookstacks: http://offtheshelfsl.blogspot.com/
• Thursdays, 5 p.m. SLT, Fiction Writers Readings at the Bookworm Cafe; SLURL to teleport directly: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Da%20Vinci%20Isle/221/37/22

Is there anyone else out there who grimaces when they hear their own voice?  If you’re a writer, are you more comfortable with a keyboard than a mic?  If so, how have you gotten used to talking and reading to audiences?  Any tips or tricks to share?  Please add a comment to this post — I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences.

Second Life collapses time.  Case in point: my almost-lifelong effort to find or start a writers’ group for sharing and feedback.

For creative writers, the value of sharing their writing with other writers and getting feedback, support, and helpful critique is immeasurable.  Some writers even say it’s essential for getting published.  Whether that’s true or not, I know that for me, feedback from other writers is a critical part of improving my craft.

So, as I’ve whined about in previous posts, living in a rural area has made it a challenge to develop those connections with other writers. 

Story Mountain Center for Writers -- my home in Second Life

To illustrate just how challenging, here’s a brief outline of the last two decades of my physical-world efforts in that regard:

Years 1-10 (roughly): 

1. Took numerous classes at closest literary center, about an hour’s drive one-way.
2. Met other apprentice writers there, also looking for writers’ group.
3. At conclusion of class, formed writers’ group.
4. Hassled with logistics — when and where to meet with these busy people who lived as much as three hours’ drive-time apart.
5. Group meets for a few months.
6. Hassles of winter driving, getting babysitters, etc., etc., resulted in 100 percent attrition rate.
7. Went back to Step 1 and start over.

I never got past Step 7!

Years 11-20 (approximately):

1. Posted notices for fiction writers interested in creating a local group.
2. Got calls from poets, non-writers who’d like to “give writing a try,” and former classmates who’ve been “wondering what the hell you were up to these days.”
3. Gave up all efforts in this regard for several years.
4. Started over again with Step 1.

Never got past Step 4.

Results: 

• Two short-lived writers’ groups that required extensive time for handling logistics, and even more time to drive
• Roughly five drafts of my first (unpublished) novel
• A few new short stories written
• Several stories and some poetry published

Bestselling author Michele Gagnon talks with a bunch of us writers in Second Life

Okay, NOW compare that with a year in Second Life!

Month 1:

• Discovered and participated in a supportive writers’ open-mic event held once a week.

Months 2-3:

• Won contests with new fiction writing from prompts.
• Read my work aloud to audiences of other writers.
• Opened Story Mountain Center for Writers, a retreat and learning place for writers in Second Life.

Months 4-8:

• Wrote first draft of a new short story with some potential, because of an excellent fiction writing class taught by co-owner of Story Mountain.
• Got great feedback from class members and instructor.
• At Story Mountain, facilitated writers’ meetings with published authors coming into Second Life.

Month 9:

• Attended a Writers’ Symposium, started by published author Rae Lori, at The Learning Experience, a new virtual education center in SL.
• Wrote complete first draft of a new novel with the help of National Novel Writing Month and the NaNoWriMo writers Second Life group.

Months 10-11:

• Temporarily began facilitating the TLE Writers’ Symposium when Rae had to quit to focus on meeting her publishers’ deadlines.
• Met weekly with other writers attending the TLE group, to share writing in progress and give feedback.

Month 12:

• Continued facilitating TLE Writers’ Symposium (and, frankly, loving it!).
• Added second weekly Writers’ Symposium to accommodate writers in other time zones.

Results:

• Second (and much better) novel drafted and now in revision
• Twice-weekly sharing/support meetings with other writers from all over the world — and no driving and related hassles!
• Keeping to a near-daily writing schedule
• Thousands of new words of fiction written!!

From roughly 20 years to 1 year — that’s a lot of time collapsed, thanks to virtual world writers’ resources.

I’m not saying I accomplished the writing milestones I’ve hit in the past year just because of Second Life — not without all my years of writing practice on top of that.  But I do think many opportunities for improving one’s craft  are available in Second Life for a nano-fraction of the time, effort, and money they cost in the physical world.

And currently, one of my favorite opportunities is the chance to meet and share work with other writers at the TLE Writers’ Symposiums.

One of the open writers' sharing/feedback groups I facilitate at The Learning Experience in Second Life

If you’re interested in attending, please come check it out!  These are open meetings, so there’s usually new people each time, as well as a group of more-or-less regular participants.  Because the meetings are open, the feedback is less in-depth than it can be in a closed group, but even just the learning you get from reading aloud is more than worth it — and the support of other writers is great.  (Besides, you need to practice up for all those readings you’ll be doing on your book tours, right??)

Details for attending a TLE Writers’ Symposium:

When:  Mondays, 6-7:30 p.m. SLT (that’s Pacific time) and Thursdays, 8-9:30 a.m. SLT

Where:  The lovely Creative Showcase for Writers at TLE; SLURL to teleport there:  http://slurl.com/secondlife/Kimokeo%20Cove/103/38/22

To get notices:  TLE uses a non-Second Life notification system that doesn’t take any of the 25 SL group slots; to get these notices, join the “Authors & Books” group — either at TLE Web page for groups or in Second Life.

We’re a friendly, informal, supportive group — always open to more writers!

In addition to the TLE open-mic/support group, I’m planning to start in the near future a series of closed writers’ groups at Story Mountain.  These groups will be available via sign-up, and because they will consist of the same people week after week, will allow for more in-depth, ongoing and consistent feedback (allowing for some turnover, of course!).  There will be groups for different writing genres and levels, as well — for example, poets will meet with other poets and novelists with other novelists.  Watch for more details coming up.

If you’re in Second Life, have you also discovered how it condenses time?  What have your experiences been?  I’d love to hear about them, so please add your comments to this post and share with us all!

For the first time in my life, I’m proud to call myself an evangelist. 

Wait!  Before you click that X-to-close button (especially those of you who know me personally), I’m NOT talking about religion in any shape or form!  No, what I’ve become downright evangelical about is Second Life . And especially this virtual world  as a resource for writers of all kinds.

No, I don’t go around knocking on strangers’ doors and handling out pamphlets, or giving dramatic speeches in tents.  In fact, I try hard not to push my opinions on other people.  Nevertheless, I call myself an evangelist because Second Life has so enhanced my life that I want others to have the chance to get some of the same benefits.

With other writers at one of the two weekly Writers’ Symposiums I facilitate — Mondays at 6 p.m. SLT and Thursdays at 8 a.m. SLT at The Learning Experience in Second Life

There’s a big problem with being a virtual world evangelist, though:  Trying to share its features and benefits with someone who doesn’t have a clue what you’re talking about — which is a lot of the world.

On of my favorite bloggers about Second Life (and often life in general), Bettina Tizzy, wrote a post recently that sums it up perfectly: “How can we explain what you are missing?“

As Bettina writes in this post on her great blog, Not Possible in Real Life:

“It’s a dilemma akin to sharing a new color or flavor, because the immersive qualities of the 3D experience cannot be conveyed in words or even via film, given its flatness.”

It’s not that I don’t understand the blank look people get when I talk about facilitating writers’ groups in Second Life, or working for a virtual university.  I still remember how my brain kind of twisted and turned in great turmoil during my early days in Second Life — and I’d even had some near-3D experience playing The Sims game.  I remember trying to put words to my experiences and failing totally.  I remember feeling like I was falling down Alice’s rabbit hole when I tried to move my avatar around a three-dimensional space that “lived” on a two-dimensional computer screen.  I remember walking around the house, shaking my head, and saying over and over, “I just can’t wrap my brain around it.”

One of those hard-to-explain and impossible-in-real-life experiences: riding in a “space capsule” through light and music, at an SL installation by renowned musician/composer Dizzy Banjo

In fact, it reminds me a little of the first time I saw, at a computer expo, a demonstration of this thing called a “web browser” that brought pages of text and graphics to your computer from somewhere “out there” on this thing called “the Internet.”  I remember the “wow” feeling, followed by that mental vertigo that often accompanies trying to understand the incomprehensible.

So I DO understand the shock of a first encounter with SL.  But that doesn’t mean I don’t want you — my friends, fellow writers, and the entire world of readers and writers — to back away from it. I want you to give it a chance — several chances, if necessary.  it’s why I wrote my series Learning About Second Life.  It’s why I call myself an evangelist.

And it’s why I want to share a couple more links with you:

• First, an award-winning short video that may lift your heart and will definitely give you a sense of what will someday be possible in a virtual world:  World Builder by Bruce Branit.
• Second, a super post, RESET! by another of my favorite SL bloggers, ArminasX Saiman, who writes the Second Effects blog.  In this post, ArminasX talks about how his stress and weariness from weeks of dealing with work and people issues were starting to overwhelm him, when he allowed himself an experience that brought laughter, silliness, and release, that, in effect, let him push the “reset” button on his life.

Something I’d never do in “real life”: wear a replica of Arethra Franklin’s inaugural hat and dance to great music sung by my good friend and popular singers Leigh Michele (Leighlee Trafalgar in SL, on stage)

The “RESET!” post made me smile and laugh as I remembered some of the funny things I’ve done that gave the same stress-relieving sense of wonder and joy — things that you can only experience in a virtual world, but make your whole world so much better.

It also let me realize once again how impossible it is to explain to someone the fun of doing a tango in a larger-than-life-size champagne glass filled with bubbly (read ArminasX’s post if you want to understand) — AND how awesomely joyful it is when that person just lets go and hops into Second Life to do his/her own champagne-glass dance (or riding a whale bareback or surfing for the first time ever or doing an impromptu Irish jig with your best friends while holding sparklers in both hands).

A “RESET!” experience I’ll never forget: riding on the back of a whale with my friend Ziggy as the whale went above and below the surface

Quite simply, there’s more to writing than what’s in the physical world, and there’s more to Second Life than writing resources!  I invite you to dance in that champagne glass for yourself!  And I warmly invite you to add comments sharing your own experiences that make Second Life, or other virtual worlds, such a great part of your life!

Every writer I know has a bag of tricks they use to motivate themselves to just sit their butt down and write on those days when it simply feels too hard — an excuse often couched in the disguise of the moment:  “I think I may be coming down with something,” or “it’s too hot/cold to write today,” or “I gotta do my laundry just in case the apocalypse arrives tonight,” or whatever excuse pops up!

“A writer is a person for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.”
— Thomas Mann

Well, I’ve found an awesome trick to add to my bag — thanks to Second Life!

My oldest and dearest friend in Second Life is also a writer.  We’ve collaborated on many writing-related projects in SL, including the building of Story Mountain Center for Writers.  But our most recent plan is the best yet — for me, personally — because it’s added a great motivation to write every day.

Here’s how it works:

1. My SL writing partner, Clarissa Tolsen, and I make “writing appointments” in Second Life.  Nearly every day, we log into SL at a given time (usually during her young son’s nap time) and meet at Story Mountain.
2. We chat for a few minutes, and then we plant our avatars’ butts down at their virtual desks (as in the photo above), and our humans in front of our physical-world computers, and we write — currently each of us is working on a novel.
3. I keep my SL viewer open on my computer screen, and maneuver my camera so I can see my avatar at all times.  I turn up the sound so that I, like my my avatar Alas Zerbino, can listen to the surf on the beach behind Story Mountain.  Then I open my word-processor on top of the SL viewer, but size it to cover only about half of the screen.  And I write.
4. For an hour or more, we sit at our neighboring desks in the virtual world — and at our thousands-of-miles-apart offices in the physical world — and work away. 
5. At some point (usually when it’s getting close to the end of nap time!), we leave our Second Life desks, move to a couch, and share what we’ve just written, offering each other feedback and support.
6. Finally, we set the time for the next writing appointment.

Granted, a big part of what makes this work so well is the accountability that comes with making a commitment to a writing buddy.  Another major factor is having a regular daily writing time.  These are both excellent practices, and when I’ve used them in the past, they’ve helped me a lot.

But I’ve had writing buddies and writing appointments before, and yet I’ve never worked so productively — and with such ease — as I am now.  It’s almost magical at times!

Why?  My guess is it has something to do with how our brains can’t distinguish between “real” and “virtual” visual input.  Visualizations, whether only in our minds or on a computer screen as well, are as real to the brain as the physical event or process, researchers are discovering. 

I certainly don’t know the science behind this (though I can recommend an excellent book that sheds some light on the brain’s functioning: My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey).  It may be that my brain is sending “look how productive she is” signals to my nerves, which then just keep my physical world fingers moving on my keyboard!  Or perhaps it’s just guilt — watching my very productive avatar writing away in Second Life shames me into trying to keep up with her on this side of the monitor.

I do know that having a beautiful office with a view like I have at Story Mountain (see photo above) sure doesn’t hurt!

No matter what’s behind it — science, psychology, even magic! — I don’t care.  Because it works!  And I’ve had one of the best daily writing streaks in a long time as a result!

Have you had similar experiences in Second Life?  Are there ways SL helps you in your writing practice?  Share them in the comments, if you would — we’d all like to hear about them!