“We Stand in the Middle” is a phrase used by the Cherokee Native American people. It refers to their belief that everything is interconnected and interdependent, and that humanity’s job is to achieve and maintain balance between body, mind, and spirit. This balance applies to individuals, their relationships to one another, their communities, and all living things, including the planet. 

In January of 2024 I launched a new project based on this Cherokee phrase, calling it the "We Stand in the Middle Story Quest." The project combines a novel (being serialized on Substack) and an immersive, interactive build in the 3D virtual world of Second Life (SL). In SL, fans of the story can not only enter the story but get to know the characters by interacting with their world as well. The beauty of this 3D experience is that the story is non-linear. Visitors can enter, explore, interact with elements of the story in any order and at any time. This allows them to recreate their own, individualized version of the narrative. Guided audio tours, dreamscapes, interactive components - such as journals, phone messages, talking animals and trees, along with writing prompts - are strategically placed throughout the build to offer clues and encourage further exploration. Please scroll down past the horse to take a tour of the Quest and hear me talk about the process of creating it.