This is one for the few but faithful-

For those of you still composing stories for the Business Districts, Streets, and the few Back Alley threads that manage to see the light of day: what keeps you writing? We all know that, at least for the moment, the RP scene isn't what it used to be. That can make it difficult at times for the writers to have a lot of material to springboard from. A lack of other writers to work with, or people losing the momentum to write and stopping all together can hinder or outright kill the flow. Yet, some of us persist. 

Why? I want to know what your motivation is. I know mine, and of course I will share; but for you other wordsmiths and world-weavers, please share what brings you back to keep creating your stories.

This is a really interesting topic, Amira. I'm not sure I should be considered a wordsmith but I've written a thing or two in my time. I find the enthusiasm waxes and wanes over time, but you make an excellent point about a lack of people/ideas to bounce off. It seems that text based RPG games in general are suffering and a lot of people come here to crime and shoot and that's it. I think this has always been the case but the somewhat reduced user base makes it more apparent. The admins have made a fine effort with VIP rewards etc - maybe I need to do more as a CL to encourage people? The game feels somewhat more insular in nature these days. Not knocking it, merely an observation.

I think a collective of like minded people would have some effect in reviving the streets and BDs. Perhaps something like a channel on lounge for people who are interested in writing more? Some folks will lack experience and be nervous, some are old hands but jaded. A place to have free flowing ideas might be beneficial but it is just one man's opinion.

I personally keep writing (albeit sporadically) because I enjoy the creative outlet and it's a great way to interact with other people in a different medium.

Thanks so much for that thoughtful reply, Furio!

One thing that I've noticed over the last several years is that it's become increasingly more difficult, if not impossible, for CLs and Godfathers to put any real time into writing/roleplay anymore. Which is a crying shame, because I know for a fact that we've got some serious talent wrapped up in those roles. I've had the distinct pleasure of writing with many. 

Let me take a second to say, in this kind of public space, how much I, as a long (long long) time role player here, greatly appreciate the admin for their move to incentive RPing. I well remember a time when that was not the case, but there were a pack of us that still pumped out stories like it was our job. I do think that the incentives have made a difference. 

I can't pretend to know enough about the mechanics of the game to understand the ebb and flow of the user base as a whole, but I do know that there will always be the same in the number of writers. I'll freely admit that there have been times in this run that I've been ready to hang it up all together because I flat out had no one to write with, and I was tired of playing with myself. (My three npc characters, you dirty bastards.) Plenty of times in this 400-some odd days, I've wondered what I/we could do to strike a spark for more of the character-driven RP. To your point, Furio, I think it would go a long way if more CLs could be involved themselves; but I'm well aware of the pressures they are under already.

So that leaves it to those of us already doing it to re-light the flames. But the desire to has to be there abs that's what I'm curious about. Are the writers still here interested in getting a more collaborative effort started, or have we settled into a more isolationist environment where everyone just kind of does their own thing and we're fine with that?

Personally, I would be thrilled to see an MR Writers discord channel, and would love to hear some more input on that as well.

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To answer the question directly: the unpredictable interactions with other players.

What makes participation in the streets fun is interaction with other people, and creating some kind of narrative with them (note that I specifically avoid the term "story" here). Be it through writing something in first person, and then seeing how other players will insert their characters in and roleplay their part, no single party truly knowing where a thread will go or end up. Be it through writing something and having people react to it inside and outside of the original thread, either by influencing behaviour outside of the streets alltogether or writing their own threads in response.

Success of a thread, in my eyes, is measured purely by engagement. If nobody engages with a thread, it's not worth a lot. If there's a thread people engage with and talk about or respond to, that is when you know you've put something valuable forward.

For this reason I have never understood why people who single-handedly write really long stories; press "submit" on a thread; fuck off; and then get no engagement whatsoever, are always hailed as the great writers and the backbone of The Streets. What is the point of it? Communication is a two way street, talking to a wall and getting no response must be dull. When most people recall fun/memorable threads or time-periods in the streets, do they name these types of threads? No, usually it's a thread that saw many people engage with it, or some kind of larger arc involving several participants/factions/threads/etc stretching over a longer period of time.

MR is a unique game, in that it's a game which builds its own little conceited history etched into the minds of its players. The characters/threads/events/arcs that people remember are the ones which were successful. The stuff that everyone forgets in a day or two simply is not.

As the late Godfather Dangerclose once put it:

the dancing clown fiesta that are the Streets

I love the dancing clown fiesta. The dancing clown fiesta is unpredictable, you never know what can happen. A single dancing clown is not a fiesta, something can only be a true dancing clown fiesta with the participation of many.

I suppose I will get around to answering my own question now; for which I have several answers. 

First and foremost, I keep writing because writing is what I do. The allure of being able to create characters and interact with other's characters within the context of this fictional Mafia world was exactly what convinced me to come here.

After I got here, however, my reason to stay became the writers I met and worked with. Over the 20 years I've been here (exactly 20 years this year, in fact), I have had the distinct pleasure of working with some of the best creative writers I've ever met. Even better, some of them became lifelong friends. Those people have periodically come and gone- and some have not come back; but every time I take a break and sometimes swear I'm not going to come back, it's the fun of creating with these people that eventually has me logging in and thinking of a new character.

Has it become a bit of an addiction? Yeah. More than a bit. I've tried to find other places to write collaboratively, but nothing feels like MR. I mean, fuck, I've been here a while; I'm pretty used to it and comfortable with it. I know people here, and I don't want to step out of my comfort zone. (I'm a nearly 43 year old cranky Xennial. I'm staying in my comfort zone, tyvm.) I have some of the most wonderful memories of characters- both mine and other people's- that inspire me to come back and do it again; to make more memories. 

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All that being said, I'd like address a few things from RatatoullieRat's comments.

Like you, I much prefer writing/role-playing when there are two or more characters in the mix. In fact, it wasn't until very recently that I would consider posting solo stories. That happened for me as a result of being stuck with no one to write with- as discussed before. Now, part of that might have been my fault in that there very well could have been other people to write with but I didn't attempt to find them. The reason for this is the same reason that I don't know a lot of people outside of my acquaintances- I'm just fuckin' shy and awkward. So I probably could have found other people to write with, but I went the way of creating three other characters for myself and started writing stories to fill the empty space until something else came along. Necessity being the mother of invention and all that...or anxiety being the mother of isolationism. Whatever. 

I hope to see MR get to a point where the Streets will be teeming with writing that is collaborative, spontaneous, and creative- hopefully without being contrived and contentious.

This is an interesting question, to which there will he many answers.

But let us briefly consider a another question: why do people NOT write?

Great question. For another thread.

Let's stay on topic here, shall we?

Amira, its on topic surely?  But happy to proceed on the supposition that it isn't 

Success of a thread, in my eyes, is measured purely by engagement. If nobody engages with a thread, it's not worth a lot. If there's a thread people engage with and talk about or respond to, that is when you know you've put something valuable forward.

For this reason I have never understood why people who single-handedly write really long stories; press "submit" on a thread; fuck off; and then get no engagement whatsoever, are always hailed as the great writers and the backbone of The Streets. What is the point of it? Communication is a two way street, talking to a wall and getting no response must be dull. When most people recall fun/memorable threads or time-periods in the streets, do they name these types of threads? No, usually it's a thread that saw many people engage with it, or some kind of larger arc involving several participants/factions/threads/etc stretching over a longer period of time.

RatatouilleRat

I agree with you that success for threads is measured by engagement. Engagement for me is not just replies as it is views and tips. I have never been quite good at getting others to reply to my street threads when I try to bring some perspective to the streets. I’m not sure if it’s my lack of clarity on a topic, if they feel we have been down these roads before, if there is a constant state of apathy in players always complaining that THIS current generation is the worse form of leadership, or if there is truly nothing to add to my own thoughts and people stand in agreement. 

I have never quite cared for disagreement. I would much rather have disagreeing folks than no response. No response is often an embarrassing feeling. Humiliating to me alone in the streets shouting like a mad man about loyalty or telling a story no one cares to read. It feels pathetic. I believe to respond to Ronnie, this is why many including myself have lost this fervor to write. We feel alone. Unseen. Unheard. Unengaged. 

There is a form of writing which I think is the crown jewel to the streets - role playing with multiple people. Despite some may think it’s odd and weird multiple people getting on a keyboard and pretending to shoot bad guys in a car chase, there is this escapism that allows us to see one another behind the screen and encounter each other as humans. As if we were children playing with our toys again. I think this is the best of the different forms of writing as we see multiple people take part in a sort of collective effort letting their imagination run wild. A chance to witness people dream once more. 

I myself love the debates. I kind of miss those. It seems all had been debated now and we all agree on the fundamentals of this life. Loyalty, ranking as a Mademan, respect, etc. I miss the shared views and thoughts on what one believed to be true and they would quickly share their opinion on why something must be the case. This was the purest form of the game to me, where the players decided how life was meant to be lived. Arguing truth out in the streets. Of course there were times where these arguments went too far, I myself behaved savagely to those who hurt those closest to me. The love of ideological conflict in our world seems to have ceased and I think because of this Ronnie, we have lost activity in the streets. 

I disagree with @Ratatouille on the idea of street stories. Some of these stories despite not having others to partake in them were quite great to read and for me great to write. A chance for me to let loose and be free. To create a back story of my characters and dive deeper into them. I value this form of writing as it enhances an understanding of a persons character and what he or she perceives to be of value to them. Their aspirations, goals, motivations. I think these singular stories allow those who are alone and wish to write the opportunity to express their thoughts, feelings, and desires in a uniquely meaningful manner. I know for myself, I always loved writing short stories but again, with low engagement, as I previously defined, I often felt quite idiotic for writing them.

To answer the question Amira put in the first place, what’s the motivation? For me it was always to express part of me I could not otherwise express. To allow creativity to break out where everything else can, at times, feel monotonous in life. This is why I wrote, this is what I love about others writing.