Reading and writing are both creative forms of escapism. I don't see watching movies or games as creative in the same way as reading. The images and world are already there for you in those, but in reading even you have a world described to you but it is your mind that renders the images and casts the characters. The world was built for you, some assembly required.

Then there is writing. You build a world from scratch and populate it. Or in some cases, mark off your own corner of an existing world to decorate and modify.

Now in writing my novel I've discovered that the main character doesn't always care what I want or where I think the story should go. She has her own ideas and I can follow along the best I can or she'll just leave. I've tried to redirect the story to the way I want it to flow and had it just stop. She goes on strike if I do this. As soon as I delete my version and put what she wants down it all starts to come again.

So as the "creator" of worlds, do we owe anything to the inhabitants of those worlds? What are our responsibilities to these beings?

Sometime I wonder if I create these worlds or just find them. If I am doing it wrong will they just pack up and find someone else to tell their tale?