Oh, what the hell! Let the journal begin.

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 20:04:52 GMT

For some time, I have considered blogging about my work and experiences in Second Life. Today seems to be the day I start.

In first life, I'm Kat Klaybourne - a motivational speaker, personal growth consultant, writer, rancher, sometimes podcaster, and owner of a small webhosting company... among other things. You would think that would keep me busy, right?

It does, but I have found/made the time for a Second Life, as well. In Second Life, I am Kat Alderson. I took a look at the virtual world of Second Life in September 2007 and was immediately intrigued. What I found during my first two weeks in the "metaverse" was some wonderfully talented and inventive people, a thriving economy and a way for me and a friend of mine to promote our first life work and interests.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. The platform needed a lot of work, and there were plenty of obstacles to overcome. It was hard to stay logged in, you couldn't teleport from one region to another without having your virtual shoes and virtual hair end up dangling from your virtual crotch. And even coming in with considerable experience on the web, the learning curve was very large.

But eighteen months later, I am still in Second Life. The platform has improved greatly, and each week seems to bring new wonders. I've overcome the learning curve, and am teaching content creation to new and old residents alike.

With my friend and business partner, Michael A.Stackpole ( http://stormwolf.com) , I own a region and change, and lead a group of Second Life residents that is almost four hundred members strong. Our region, Beraudes, is on the Second Life mainland. It is home to Third Life Books - Mike's Second Life bookstore and office; Alderson & Charron - my virtual interiors store; FarPoint Media in Second Life; the Fantasty & Science Fiction Writers' Workshop; and a whole host of virtual businesses - including art galleries, a jewelry store, mens and womens fashion houses and a couple of cool hangouts.

We host events on a regular basis: classes for writers, Michael A. Stackpole's office hours, building classes, live streams of the Slice of Sci Fi and Babylon Podcasts, readings, treasure hunts, guest speakers from first life and Second Life, and more.

The setting is virtual. The events, the people, and the stories are real. Stay tuned!

Writer's Block: Dream Job

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 19:24:43 GMT

My dream job? Oh, that is easy! Ruler of the world. I thrive on stress.