Hey everyone.
A few of you are probably wondering why, seeing as I have "returned" to the CBG, I'm hardly ever around of late. Part of that is my hours: I keep really bad ones, and I'm usually logged in here around 2-5 am CST (sleep is for the week). However, I've been dealing with a new problem lately, and I decided to seek help from the community. Namely: how do you motivate yourself?
It's not that I'm suffering from a lack of ideas. My mind is a full of them as ever. However, the task of transfering these ideas from my head to the computer screen or to paper has become nearly impossible of late. Does anyone else have this problem? How do you get around it?
As always, thanks for reading, and I look forward to your thoughts.
my personal advice is to simply write the ideas down. don't worry about any sense of orderliness, just get the thoughts on the page/screen. once you have the ideas all down, then you can go through them and sort things out- what you like, what you dont like, what ideas go together, etc.- and come up with whatever you come up with.
I have a whole folder of files related to my world, D&D, and various campaign things on my laptop, and I take my laptop with me most everywhere I go, so if I am struck with inspiration at any odd moment, I can whip out my laptop, open a file and jot it down. then it's there for me to fiddle with later if I don't have time at the moment to develop it.
My best bet is to get myself really bored and have nothing but a word doc and a lot of free time. ;)
Sometimes I have the problem.
Sometimes it's best to take a break and do something else. If you don't feel like working on a hobby, then you shouldn't be obligated. On the other hand, sometimes you get in a rut and you just need to pick something and start writing.
If it helps, break up your projects. Sketch out history until you get bored, then maybe do a little religion, then some mechanics (if you do that).
The same thing can happen to me. I take a break from writing for a while, or like Phoenix Knight said, change up what you're writing about.I often don't bother to write prose for some things - just writing down my ideas as notes can be helpful. You can always come back to them later and expand on them.
Sometimes a break really does help. Other times, though, it's time to pull teeth; this is especially true after said break has lasted for a while and you're still stumped.
Recently, I've gotten into the pattern of getting a small idea, and just not really running with it. However, as of late, I've been trying to force myself to develop some of those ideas, seen as I've been here for a while and don't really have a setting that compares with anyone else's.
Point in case: Even though I had a week to do it, in one night, of course the very last last night before it was due, I pulled out a really good piece of flash fiction for my Composition class that everyone who read said was really good. I spent more time stumped for ideas than actually writing, and when I started I really didn't even know where I was going with it.
I always get lots of work done on old projects whenever I start new projects with hard deadlines. As those deadlines approach, I get more and more work done on my old projects as I seek out ways to procrastinate working on the new ones.
The problem I generally have is getting it from paper to the computer. For motivation I got several of my usual DnD players involved with the design on a basic level for input and I found that their questions about the world got me going pretty well as well as my upcoming first playtest this upcoming Saturday.
I always try to carry some form of mostly-blank notepad and pencil (or pen, if you prefer) spefically for ideas and inspirations. This in and of itself isn't necessarily helpful as far as motivation goes, but going through said notebook can sometimes inspire action.
Of course, there are times when one justs gets "stuck". When you don't even want to look at anything RPG-related. During those times, I find myself drawn to videogames, fantasy books, or movies. They can last from as short as a few days (though I wouldn't really call that getting stuck so much as just taking a break) to as long as several months, maybe even years. I had a 3-month long period in which I didn't play RPGs, didn't look at any of my D&D books, didn't visit any RPG sites, or even talk about RPGs. I'm not sure what brought it on, nor am I really sure what made it go away, sometimes you just have no motivation, and you have to wait for that random moment when you're inspired to return.
Of course, if I were trying to become re-motivated, I might try reading fantasy books (not LotR, but much lighter ones), watching the Sci-Fi channel (always a good source for inspiration, even if it does need to be translated into fantasy from sci-fi), or play some videogames (not Final Fantasy if I can help it).
In case all you need is a little encouragement, I am still looking foward to seeing what you've got for Aelithia. I was fond of some of your fantasy settings before (like Pirates), and I think there is something to be said from letting something new grow out of old treasures.
I'm sure I'm not the only one hoping to see you become a regular around here again.
Another random thought, perhaps reading some others work will help inspire you again. There's the guild here, plus lots of great fantasy novels out there.
My recommendation, if you have a free day and money:
Put some favorite rulebooks in your back pack along with pencils and paper, go to your favorite fast food place (my choice is usually Zoups or Panera Bread), buy a meal and a coffee or just a coffee. Drink coffee. Get refill. Repeat. Feel brain unfog and creative juices flow. Write down ideas.