Ok...OK...

Didn't like how the last comment sounded... I really *do* have more than one friend. I'm not as sad and lonely as that comment made me sound.

It's just that JennJenn is the only person I have listed under "Friends". That is mostly because she is the only friend I know who has a LJ account.

Thinking about that, I'm going to put these journals as public... mostly cuz then those friends of mine who are not on LJ can still read and comment on them.

If things get out of hand, then I'll change.

Heh... I'll probably do that anyway.

BreckenHaven

BreckenHaven is the fantasy world that Wil and I are working on. It started out as a kind of "fish out of water" story for Wil. He wanted to explore how the working relationships of a group of men would change if they were thrust into a totally new and alien world.

I like the idea of fantasy. Always have. And with the LotR movie, it has reminded me how much I love the fantasy setting. So many possibilities. And one of the few genres where you can explore the big issues (life, the universe and everything) and it actually adds to the story.

I love themes and you can do themes in fantasy.

Sacrifice (BreckenHaven)

I've always been fascinated with the theme of sacrifice. But not the "How much are you willing to sacrifice" angle, but rather the "how much do you let others sacrifice for you".

The biggest problem with such an exploration is that it seems, on the surface, as egotistical. But I feel that the accepting of sacrifice from others is as hard -- if not harder -- than the actually sacrificing.

I mean, ask anyone if they would chose to put themselves in danger or the one they love in danger and they would chose the danger themselves. There is a certain amount of contentment knowing that the ones you love are safe. And it is a torture to sit day after day and night after sleepless night waiting to hear if someone you love is alive or dead.

There is also the problem of living with the knowledge that someone was willing to die for you. The knowledge and the inherent responsibility. I mean, if they died for you that must mean that you have to be worthy of that sacrifice.

How do you come to terms with that?

Leadership

It seems to me that the whole idea of leadership needs to be addressed... And I want to go beyond the current fad of seeing leadership as being a good salesman. You know the idea that leadership is simple getting people to do what you want them to.

I want to focus on the cost of leading, the accepting of followers and the responsibility of allowing people to follow. The loyalty that develops in true leadership-- the loyalty that the followers have to the leader and the loyalty that the leader needs to have for the followers.

Having reread LotR I kept thinking about the Frodo/Sam relationship and how much it bothered me when I read it the first time. I mean, I didn't like Frodo at all -- the whole "master" thing drove me nuts. I'm still not really happy with it.

Part of it is the whole anti-establishment part of me, I suppose. The whole "I'm my own master, damn it", line of thinking. I'm not the type of person who allows others to make decisions for me. I'm not a follower. I'm not sure I would be able to do what someone else wanted me to do unless I felt that it was the best thing to to.

This, of course, gets me into trouble with the whole "master" idea.

Still there comes a point when you just have to trust in the person you're following. And you have to be loyal to their ideas even if they don't agree with yours. And you have to do it without losing yourself in the process.

Tricky, that.