The Hypermodern Muse - Marc Laidlaw

[Sloth]

Not sure if its really something to put in The Lounge rather than some of the more Half-Life styled sub-forums;

A month or so later, when the offer from Valve comes through, she’s {his muse} singing a different song.

She says, You can’t fire me, I quit.

I say, Who said anything about firing you? I’m going there to tell stories. I still need you. I’m not leaving you behind. I’m bringing you with me. Please don’t go.

She doesn’t answer. She stalks off in a sulk and leaves me hanging.

I’ve seen this behavior before and it doesn’t do any good to chase her. But I have to admit I’m scared witless. It’s the scariest thing I’ve ever done.

Am I really going to have to drag my muse kicking and screaming?

Does it work like that?

When I go home, it seems as if my muse and my wife have been having the same discussion. Fortunately, I can reason with my wife.

A very interesting read detailing Marc's journey to get to Valve, written by him in a very interesting fashion. Its a bit old but not something I've ever come across before.

The Hypermodern Muse

Edit: Also:

It may sound a little strange to talk about the muse in the context of this highly organized, technical enterprise that is a computer game. But once upon a time, writing was high tech…the province of engineers and accountants and farmers. The storytellers probably started wondering right away how to divert this new tech to their own ends, and I’m sure the accountants slapped them down and said, no, this is for bean counting. It has nothing to do with the oral tradition. It’s even possible the muses of those storytellers were highly skeptical that anything worthwhile could be captured in chicken scratches on dried mud tablets. But in the end, we don’t go back to read the Sumerian farm receipts. We go back for Gilgamesh, who invented the Hero’s Journey the way Al Gore invented the internet.

 

[15357]

So.... should Marc Laidlaw be admitted to a psychiatric ward? I mean to say, when you experience hallucinations.... you need some medical help.



No, I'm not serious. Interesting read. I laughed a bit.

I would like to go into the game industry like him, but... oh I guess I lack the talent.

 

[Remus]

So.... should Marc Laidlaw be admitted to a psychiatric ward? I mean to say, when you experience hallucinations.... you need some medical help.

I have better questions. Is the hallucination hot, and should the wife be jealous of a figment of his overactive imagination?

 

[15357]

I have better questions. Is the hallucination hot, and should the wife be jealous of a figment of his overactive imagination?

That too, and in which case I would be asking how to get those halluciantions.

 

[ríomhaire]

I think I read that two years ago

 

[Barnz]

I think I read that two years ago

Same. It's still an interesting read.

 

[Adabiviak]

Makes me want to play Link.

 

[Krynn72]

This part really struck me as something i had never thought about.

Deeper themes will naturally emerge in the process of making your game. If they’re not hidden in the rock, then no amount of chiseling will reveal them. If they are present, they will emerge as the inevitable result of the personalities and agendas, the hopes and fears and experience of all the people working on the game.

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

This part really struck me as something i had never thought about.

In other words "we make it up as we go"

 

[Krynn72]

Which makes sense. Writing isnt something you can really plan out, because once you're done with your plan, you've actually just written your whole plot.