Jim Butcher and Ambermush

Jim Butcher (as well as C. E. Murphy) is my new hero.

A Game That Honed the Skills of Writers

I think to read this is fabulous. I realize that as writers, if we wish to be prolific, can't allow ourselves to be consumed by it or allow it to take time away from our writing. It sure makes me feel better that this is one of the ways (online text-based RPGs) which lead me to being interested in trying to make a go of this writing business, so maybe it wasn't time completely wasted.

The need for speed helped break down writerly inhibitions, Ms. Murphy recalled. “Because it was real-time, happening as fast as we could type, there was no going away for a week to worry and fuss over whether your story was good enough to stand up to another critique partner’s abilities. We did our absolute best in the spur of the moment, and I think that kind of fresh, fast response is incredibly helpful to many writers.”

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Jamesaritchie said:

Why not just write five thousand words of your own fiction each day? It takes no more time, and allows to to actually work on things that might sell.

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Won't argue with you on that. It's one of the reasons why my own involvement in that sort of thing has dropped off.

However, sometimes it's just fun to do. It's low pressure on the professional front and you get to kick up your heels with goofy stuff and still work on practicing word chops.

Then, there's more than just the writing. It's the social aspect and a good way to combine two things into one: creative writing and socialization.