Ask any author what the hardest part is about wordsmithing, and you’ll get a slew of different answers.
Writer’s block…
Critical reviews…
Stiff wrists…
Motivation…
All things that flow off your Overlord & Saviour’s back.
But even the hardiest and most handsome of villains have weaknesses.
Mine?
Isolation.
Despite being a hard-line introvert who’d much rather live on a sunny hill overlooking the masses from afar, even I must come up for sunlight and social interaction once in a while or else risk becoming a dismal, moody, and insufferable sod.
I can usually tell when I’ve languished in my cave for too long because it typically manifests itself in one of two ways:
- I put on a few pounds of McLovin’ around my waistline.
- Lady Laura tells me my fluffy red robe is in urgent need of a wash.
That said, while it can be fun to chew off people’s ears about how awful the UK weather is, there is only so much vitamin D I will grant my body.
It’s why I choose to dish out a musing every day here at the Legion.
I love engaging with my most ardent fans and reading replies — even ones by wannabe trolls.
It satisfies this need for social interaction somewhat.
It also scratches another itch…
The need for community.
Writing can be a lonely gig, so having a place to virtually hang out every day has been something of a saving grace for my unhinged mind.
Such is the power of community.
I suspect more people (from all walks of life) will thirst for this in the coming years as robot housemaids, self-driving cars, and AI become more entrenched in our lives.
Hell, it’s already beginning.
Look at churches.
Droves of people — particularly youngens — are taking an interest in Christianity and showing up to Sunday mass.
Sure, they might hunger for a closer relationship with our maker, but I’d wager many of these lost souls also yearn for community and belonging.
Luckily, here at Watson HQ, we solve both.
The Legion is our church.
And while, yes, belonging can be found in this digital squalor of ours, it can also be unearthed in The Divided Region.
You’ll find characters who aren’t perfect, but feel real…
A world that’s wild and unforgiving, yet still possesses beauty…
Quests that pose questions for ourselves, like, “Would I help those who betrayed me, or would I let them burn?”
There’s a reason why, 71 years after The Lord of the Rings was first published, there are still social media pages and online/offline forums springing up every year.
Middle-earth isn’t just a fantasy world…
It’s a church for tens of thousands of people — young and old — around the world.
A place for those who are on the same page (pun intended).
For those that “get it.”
All things I’ve strived to foster in this series:
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