Obsession

First, allow me to say congrats to the Wordcrafter for getting Winter out as an ebook. Those of you who paid attention during the conference are familiar with the book and the author, Keven Newsome. Keven is also the push behind The New Author's Fellowship blog. To see more about Winter and how to purchase it, you can go there (it's on my blog list).

Second, I attended the Winter Choir concert for my lamb. It was beautiful, and she sang well and paid attention far better than I did. Has anyone else had the experience of going to an event to see one person only to find out they are scheduled to perform at the very end? I swear I cannot think of a single time either niece has performed at the beginning of something. Oh well.
On with the post.

I looked at my FB wall yesterday and noticed something the rest of you figured out two days ago.

I may be a little obsessed with Farmville.

Whoa! I just heard the shouts of "ya think?"

Allow me to explain a few things.

Second First, I am playing Farmville less than I play Spider Solitaire. This is sad, but true. I have stopped playing Spider Solitaire entirely since I've started Farmville. I consider it one of those "make a choice" things. If I'm going to farm-play, I am not going to card-play. When I am off the farm, I now find more productive things to do.

Second Second, as I wrote yesterday, this is normally my outside gardening time of the year. My friends and family will attest to this. Thanks to the snow, rain, sleet, and continuous cloud cover and lack of wind for the past three months, Outside is too wet to play in. So I am playing in Farmville. I haven't changed anything except location. And this way, I still answer the phone.

My Dear Friend tells me I am rationalizing my addiction and I should consider attending a FVA group (Farmville Anonymous. Hello, my name is Robynn, and I'm a farmaholic). She may be right.
But my obsession is already fading. I am spending more time away from the farm. I am planting crops with longer maturation times so I don't have to check them every two hours (I may check anyway, but I don't have to). I am settling into the game, as I knew I would. I intend to play this for the long haul, like Dr. Mario. As long as there is Internet, I will farm.

This is a useful object lesson for characters, too. An obsession can be a wonderful tool for the writer.

In Star of Justice, Caissa is obsessed with finding answers to her questions, and it nearly kills her. On the other hand, make the obsession interesting or you will lose readers. If I don't curb my farm enthusiasm quickly, the only people who will hang with me will be Farmville neighbors.

I'm totally okay with that.

Farm on!