Creative Control

Will is taking a class this semester where he has to "design" a video game. He has to come up with a concept, story, title, decide if it's going to be FPS (first person shooter, like Halo or Call of Duty), RPG, MMO (massive multi-player online, like World of Warcraft), etc. Since Will is an awesome husband and knows I get excited about coming up with stories and worlds, he asked me to help him out.
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Oh yeah, I was happy. I've been looking forward to helping him conceptualize a video game since he decided to study video game design, and I think we both always knew we'd work together when it got to this point.
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What I didn't realize was that I'd have such a problem giving up one of my stories (and this is one of the ones that I've had brewing for a long, long time). Not that I'm giving it up, per se, but kind of letting Will see it and giving him licence to *gulp* take it in a different direction.
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It just never occurred to me that he might try and actually do it.
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We were sitting on the couch, talking. Or I was talking, telling him about what I had planned for this story and why I thought it might make an interesting video game, when suddenly he looked at me and said, "Yeah! Or we could do it like this! For a second, all I could do was stare, mouth slightly agape. Finally I said, "No. I don't think that would work," and continued on with my own thoughts.
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But what I really wanted to do was jump up and down, Rumpelstiltskin-esque, and shout, "MY BABY! MINE! MINE! MY IDEA!"
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That's when I found out... I am a control freak.

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Some of you are probably saying, "Ha ha ha! You didn't know? I knew a LONG time ago! Denial much?" Ok family and close friends, you may know, but in general I think I have a reputation as a pretty laid back person. In general.

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So after just ignoring all of his ideas that weren't compatible with "my vision" for about 45 minutes, I realized something. 1) This is a school assignment, so it's not like it really matters. 2) This is his school assignment, and he knows way more about video games and their appeal than I do, so I should probably listen to him. And 3) the odds that this idea will ever make it to actual video game are about zero, and the odds of me maintaining control if it does are less than that. So calm down, Caitlyn.

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So I stopped arguing with him and started listening. The man had some good ideas.

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In the end, we (and thank you Will for letting me deluding myself into thinking I have a say) decided the game would have single-player story-driven campaign and an awesome online multi-player. I get to have my story, and he gets to have his customization and leveling up and and all that. Most video games these days seem to have this kind of system; even Halo and Call of Duty have a campaign on top of their uber-popular online multi-player modes.

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I ended up having an awesome time planning this imaginary game with Will, and I'm glad it's my husband (who is stuck with me anyway) who helped me discover and tame the control-freak within. I feel better now about my ability to share creative power with other people in the future.

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I have decided, however, that I could never co-author a book. My co-author would probably turn up missing at a critical time, like the House where House gave Wilson drugged grape soda then stole his pants while he was unconscious so he couldn't leave the hotel room. I'd probably pull something like that.