There’s a myth out there. A ghost of an idea that was never alive. Picture it in your head – the lone writer at their writing machine, picking out quiet words of genius. Do you have the picture? For me, it’s Bogie at his typewriter from “In a Lonely Place”. Hey, I’m a Bogart fan.
Okay, now it’s time to load our shotgun with rocksalt and blow this ghost of an idea away, because it is garbage. No writer works in a vacuum. Even novel writers. First off, down that way lies dangerous madness. Don’t believe me? Go have an audience with the King and read or watch “The Shining”.
Secondly, even writers have editors. Screenwriters have directors. Directors have editors, actors, producers. You’re going to have to learn that you are not a wizard in a tower, hoarding all of your brilliant ideas to be granted to the ignorant populace below. Sometimes you have to stand your ground. Sometimes you need to admit that the executive had a better idea than you did.
When you roleplay, you’re part of a party. There’s a gamemaster sitting behind the screen. If you want to do this right, you’re going to have to learn to respect that everyone else is part of the experience. This goes double true if you want to go behind the screen, and if you want to write, I cannot encourage enough to do this. Behind the screen grants you awesome power, but as several different Uncle Bens have taught us, that comes alongside awesome responsibility. Creativity, writing, storytelling? These are not the places to work through your control issues. Take that shit to your therapist’s office.
Remember Your Dice 