Stories. A wondrous place to visit, retreat to. Something to dissect and see the mechanisms of, and still be amazed at the look behind the curtain. Something to craft myself, or in collaboration with others.
I have loved stories for as long as I can remember. I taught myself how to read at 6, and have read voraciously ever since. I was a regular and recognized by the librarians, reading Asterix, Lucky Luke, Goosebumps, Michael Ende, Tolkien.
I even had a quota set by my parents at times. No more than 10 books a week! I mostly managed this.
This also extends to other media. I quite enjoy a good, complex TV show. Babylon 5 is the prime example of this. Many episodes and seasons to get to know characters is excellent - when done well. And even the flubs are often interesting. No, there wasn’t much of a plan in the new Battlestar Galactica; and the final season (we got, anyway) of Westworld was… rather all over the place. But interesting, nonetheless.
And even “bad” stories can be fun. Is the Arrowverse on CW the pinnacle of television? Absolutely not! Was it quite enjoyable while unwinding? Certainly!
Being well, no, plentifully, read (I am more for a good yarn than many “classics” turn out to be) also makes it fun to catch easter eggs and references. Old Man’s War has humans turning into nigh-immortal space orks, and I didn’t even notice the first time around, despite the green skin and murdering.
Interactive storytelling (videogames) has also been enjoyed on occasion. I am too impatient, or find it harder to settle maybe, with a game the past many years. Still remember my “whoa” after finishing Max Payne.
I am also an active participant in the creation of stories. I discovered old short stories from my childhood last year, for example. That was something I actually had forgotten I had done.
In my adult years, I’ve had elaborate worldbuilding documents for my RPG settings, and quite detailed backstories for my characters. Why does my cleric only have 12 CHA? Well, you see, he was a soldier, and a good one, but got called to the faith despite his lack of… natural magnetism.
I enjoy collaborative storytelling in general, and get to play much too little RPGs these days.
Active storytelling, or at least reframing of narratives, has also been a central part of my career. I shall let past me talk about that, on the other blog.