Lately, I've been struggling to give a fairy's fart when it comes to RPG writing. I write in dribs and drabs, a hundred words here and a hundred words there, but nothing prolific. I start off raring to go but then I just lose interest.

I think there a number of factors conspiring against me:

1. I work with words at the day-job, and the day-job has grown increasingly demanding.
2. My regular gaming group took a lengthy hiatus from role-playing. We are getting older and the interest in gaming is waning. Thankfully, two new players joined the fold a month ago and we have been gaming regularly ever since.
3. In my old age, I have grown cynical - in the business world it's called realism. I put a lot of time and effort into role-playing projects. I have never written games for money or glory, just for self-satisfaction. More and more, I find myself asking the dreaded question, "Why am I doing this? Why do I spend hours labouring away on games that no one will play?" How do I get that feeling of self-satisfaction back.
4. The mechanics bog me down. While I enjoy writing setting material, I realize the setting material has to be hung on a mechanic, and mechanics are like science and math rolled into one. Unfortunately, both those subjects bore me.
5. Envy. Yes, I admit it! I am jealous of all of those game designers out there who seem to love what they are doing. I wonder what there secret is.

So, what is the secret? A lot of great designers post on this forum. What's your advice? How do you guys get the spark back?

I'm asking these questions because I am working on some great projects and I really want to soldier on and complete them. More importantly, I want to be excited while I do so.

Thanks in advance for any input.

I hear you.

I think it comes down to writing what you enjoy - that is it's own motivation. If you find yourself writing stuff for other people (ie: you play SF and you're writing a Mills & Boon game), i find that the enthusiasm wanes pretty quickly.

Like all writing, discipline is needed though. I find it useful to write at the same time each day. It gets you into a routine and is a bonus if you are writing stuff you are enjoying. It;s very easy to get out of that routine though - once you do, fight to get it back. Make sure folks know your routine so that that time is always your time.

Milestones (no, not those 4e ones!). Break the work down into manageable chunks. Once you complete one, it's a sense of achievement and the project doesn't seem so daunting.

Prepare ahead. Work to a framework and make your 'milestones' from that. Organised design funnels into the discipline needed to carry on, disorganised design can leave you scratching your head as to what to do next - possibly leading to inactivity.

Gee - i've made it sound like work haven't i?

If you're writing something you are enjoying, it doesn't have to be though.

Quote from: JohnnyWannabe;223776Lately, I've been struggling to give a fairy's fart when it comes to RPG writing. I write in dribs and drabs, a hundred words here and a hundred words there, but nothing prolific. I start off raring to go but then I just lose interest.

I think there a number of factors conspiring against me:

1. I work with words at the day-job, and the day-job has grown increasingly demanding.
2. My regular gaming group took a lengthy hiatus from role-playing. We are getting older and the interest in gaming is waning. Thankfully, two new players joined the fold a month ago and we have been gaming regularly ever since.
3. In my old age, I have grown cynical - in the business world it's called realism. I put a lot of time and effort into role-playing projects. I have never written games for money or glory, just for self-satisfaction. More and more, I find myself asking the dreaded question, "Why am I doing this? Why do I spend hours labouring away on games that no one will play?" How do I get that feeling of self-satisfaction back.
4. The mechanics bog me down. While I enjoy writing setting material, I realize the setting material has to be hung on a mechanic, and mechanics are like science and math rolled into one. Unfortunately, both those subjects bore me.
5. Envy. Yes, I admit it! I am jealous of all of those game designers out there who seem to love what they are doing. I wonder what there secret is.

So, what is the secret? A lot of great designers post on this forum. What's your advice? How do you guys get the spark back?

I'm asking these questions because I am working on some great projects and I really want to soldier on and complete them. More importantly, I want to be excited while I do so.

Thanks in advance for any input.

I think you touched on both the cause and the solution.  The cause is: you're getting old.   The solution is:  soldier on.

But anyway, what I do is read a lot of really great literature and inspire myself with learning about the "meaning of stories" ... and I have created a game that I think is in some aspects truly innovative.   I'm not just pumping out a game to 'pump-out-a-game' but rather I'm trying to finish up publishing my game because I think it has some artistic and creative merit and might provide other people with something they enjoy.  So I work toward that.   But yes, sometimes I feel like I'm slogging uphill through a peanut butter bog.   Soldier on... and complete.   If it works out and people like what you've done then that's the reward.   But yes, it's often times long tedious hours of hard work.  Soldier On.

Quote from: JohnnyWannabe;223776Lately, I've been struggling to give a fairy's fart when it comes to RPG writing. I write in dribs and drabs, a hundred words here and a hundred words there, but nothing prolific. I start off raring to go but then I just lose interest.

I think there a number of factors conspiring against me:

1. I work with words at the day-job, and the day-job has grown increasingly demanding.
2. My regular gaming group took a lengthy hiatus from role-playing. We are getting older and the interest in gaming is waning. Thankfully, two new players joined the fold a month ago and we have been gaming regularly ever since.
3. In my old age, I have grown cynical - in the business world it's called realism. I put a lot of time and effort into role-playing projects. I have never written games for money or glory, just for self-satisfaction. More and more, I find myself asking the dreaded question, "Why am I doing this? Why do I spend hours labouring away on games that no one will play?" How do I get that feeling of self-satisfaction back.
4. The mechanics bog me down. While I enjoy writing setting material, I realize the setting material has to be hung on a mechanic, and mechanics are like science and math rolled into one. Unfortunately, both those subjects bore me.
5. Envy. Yes, I admit it! I am jealous of all of those game designers out there who seem to love what they are doing. I wonder what there secret is.

So, what is the secret? A lot of great designers post on this forum. What's your advice? How do you guys get the spark back?

I'm asking these questions because I am working on some great projects and I really want to soldier on and complete them. More importantly, I want to be excited while I do so.

Thanks in advance for any input.

Hi Rich!

1. Well, I'm a tech writer full time, so I work with words too. this doesn't seem to be a problem with me, but it may be my enthusiasm in other areas makes up for a lack here. My job is strictly limited, though. I don't publish a newspaper like you. I can put down the job at 4:30 and go home without guilt or problems.

2. This is vitally important! You need to play or run games to keep the focus and excitement level up! I'm VERY glad your group has gotten re-energized!

3. How about you don't kill your best game, hack up the body, and stuff it down a drain?

Seriously, I don't know. Feedback from people who play your games is important, I know that! Otherwise, I have never lost the enthusiasm that way.

4. Use other people's mechanics. Seriously. There are dozens of free systems out there. You could use JAGS2. You could use my system. Modding a solid, already proven system is always easier than making up a new one and proving it out. You are always best with setting and atmosphere, so chuck the system work! You're not naturally inclined that way anyway.

5. I can't help you there. It's just the way I am, and I have no clue why. I never lose the spark, so I never have to get it back.

-clash

Thanks for the input, guys. There is some great advice there.

OneHorseTown: "I find it useful to write at the same time each day. It gets you into a routine and is a bonus if you are writing stuff you are enjoying."

Yes, I know it. Many very successful writers agree with you. Unfortunately, the business I am in is a fluid business, so setting aside a specific time each day is next to impossible. But perhaps I can set aside several different time slots each day and work in one of them when they are open.

VBWyrde: "But anyway, what I do is read a lot of really great literature and inspire myself with learning about the "meaning of stories"

Yes, this is a big one for me. Good reading habits lead to good writing habits. I used to read for hours at a time. Now, I squeeze a few pages in when I'm on the toilet. I need to set aside time for reading, like I need to set aside time for writing.

Clash: "2. This is vitally important! You need to play or run games to keep the focus and excitement level up! I'm VERY glad your group has gotten re-energized!"

Yes, playing the games inspires me to write more for the games.

3. "How about you don't kill your best game, hack up the body, and stuff it down a drain?"

Don't worry, TS will be back (in its original form) with a better layout.

With respect to the mechanics, I'm happy with Go410. It's hanging that mechanic (or any mechanic) onto the other stuff that is sometimes a chore.

Quote from: JohnnyWannabe;2237953. "How about you don't kill your best game, hack up the body, and stuff it down a drain?"

Don't worry, TS will be back (in its original form) with a better layout.

With respect to the mechanics, I'm happy with Go410. It's hanging that mechanic (or any mechanic) onto the other stuff that is sometimes a chore.

Yay! Shebang! was great, but TS was Awesome! I am VERY happy!

Go410 is fine as a system. I was just trying to think of ways for you to to skip that part - the adjusting stuff - of the work.

-clash

Quote from: flyingmice;223804Yay! Shebang! was great, but TS was Awesome! I am VERY happy!

I'm going back in time, releasing new editions of stuff that should have been done right he first time - from Boomtown (a complete overall), to Creep Chronicle (a solid edit), to Sponge Monkeys (a solid edit, new layout, and one mechanical tweak  - it is finished and just waiting to be uploaded) and finally back to TS (the start of this wild ride).

What works for me:

Write short but complete manuscripts.  If you can only write a hundred words without losing interest, then finish what you want to say before you run out.

Maybe it'll work for you.


Cheers,
Roger

Quote from: JohnnyWannabe;223815I'm going back in time, releasing new editions of stuff that should have been done right he first time - from Boomtown (a complete overall), to Creep Chronicle (a solid edit), to Sponge Monkeys (a solid edit, new layout, and one mechanical tweak  - it is finished and just waiting to be uploaded) and finally back to TS (the start of this wild ride).

Wait, Boomtown need an overhaul? Didn't you do this with the sunday edition?

Otherwise, I am very pleased! Creep Chronicle is inspired, but a solid edit would be good for it.

-clash

I get inspired when ever I'm faced with free time.

Doesn't happen too often anymore for me, so when I get some free time I'm very motivated.

Of course I've been writing more fiction lately than working on my game and that tends to go faster for me beacuse I don't have to think about rules an such.

Quote from: JohnnyWannabe;223776Lately, I've been struggling to give a fairy's fart when it comes to RPG writing. I write in dribs and drabs, a hundred words here and a hundred words there, but nothing prolific. I start off raring to go but then I just lose interest.

I think there a number of factors conspiring against me:

1. I work with words at the day-job, and the day-job has grown increasingly demanding.
2. My regular gaming group took a lengthy hiatus from role-playing. We are getting older and the interest in gaming is waning. Thankfully, two new players joined the fold a month ago and we have been gaming regularly ever since.
3. In my old age, I have grown cynical - in the business world it's called realism. I put a lot of time and effort into role-playing projects. I have never written games for money or glory, just for self-satisfaction. More and more, I find myself asking the dreaded question, "Why am I doing this? Why do I spend hours labouring away on games that no one will play?" How do I get that feeling of self-satisfaction back.
4. The mechanics bog me down. While I enjoy writing setting material, I realize the setting material has to be hung on a mechanic, and mechanics are like science and math rolled into one. Unfortunately, both those subjects bore me.
5. Envy. Yes, I admit it! I am jealous of all of those game designers out there who seem to love what they are doing. I wonder what there secret is.

So, what is the secret? A lot of great designers post on this forum. What's your advice? How do you guys get the spark back?

I'm asking these questions because I am working on some great projects and I really want to soldier on and complete them. More importantly, I want to be excited while I do so.

Thanks in advance for any input.

1.  Can't do anything about your job although leaving free periods for writing/reading/recharging is a good idea.

2.  Fresh blood is good.  Are any of your players interesting in helping you write or are they strictly players?  Could collaboration with someone help here?  I would also look at what people do when they have writer's block.

3.  Another connection to your gaming group?  Do all of you meet to play one game or are they playing your creations?  If the latter, then you are getting somewhere.  Your expectations can play a role here.  I am satisfied with getting the money I put into my projects back.  I try to take a positive outlook and assume anyone who bought has either played your game or at least somehow made the game they are playing better.  No one can cram positive thinking down your throat but I feel there are others in your shoes.  

4.  I try to have more than one project going at the same time, rpg related or not.  That way, if you are bored with writing on game A, you can go to game B or write short story C.

5.  Keep writing even if it is just a fews words a day.  Better to have dribbles than to dry out from not going to the well.

Quote from: JohnnyWannabe;223776Lately, I've been struggling to give a fairy's fart when it comes to RPG writing. I write in dribs and drabs, a hundred words here and a hundred words there, but nothing prolific. I start off raring to go but then I just lose interest.

Well, in my case, there's no silver bullet. I try to write every day, and some days half a page is all I get.

But you keep banging on the wall long enough and eventually you break through into a patch of clear ground. Those days I can get 10+ pages. Those days help me keep my yearly average to 3-4 pages a day.

The one tip I would give you though, is to do something that gets your blood pumping, either physically or creatively: take a walk, go sit under a tree, read a book in the genre you're thinking about working under that excites you, etc.

Then sit down RIGHT after finishing your fun activity and try to write.

Don't do the same thing all the time either. The idea is to get the brain firing.

Quote4. The mechanics bog me down. While I enjoy writing setting material, I realize the setting material has to be hung on a mechanic, and mechanics are like science and math rolled into one. Unfortunately, both those subjects bore me.

You can skip this step by finding a game you really like, that fits what you want to do, and thus requires little tweaking.

When we converted Legends of Excalibur to True20, we used almost no crunch. The system fit the setting perfectly.

Quote5. Envy. Yes, I admit it! I am jealous of all of those game designers out there who seem to love what they are doing. I wonder what there secret is.

The secret is that there is no secret. Some days writing games sucks. Some days it's a frustrating job. You just keep going till you hit one of those awesome periods.

Chuck

Quote from: flyingmice;223959Wait, Boomtown need an overhaul? Didn't you do this with the sunday edition?

Otherwise, I am very pleased! Creep Chronicle is inspired, but a solid edit would be good for it.

-clash

Clash, get with the times old man. Boomtown is finished and so is the Creep Chronicle and Sponge Monkeys. The new files are up, and in some cases they are months old. Sheesh! ;p

Quote from: ancientgamer;2239882.  Fresh blood is good.  Are any of your players interesting in helping you write or are they strictly players?  Could collaboration with someone help here?  I would also look at what people do when they have writer's block.

Funny you should mention that. One of the new players works for me and has shown interest in helping me with a current project.

Quote from: ancientgamer;2239884.  I try to have more than one project going at the same time, rpg related or not.  That way, if you are bored with writing on game A, you can go to game B or write short story C.

I'm the same way. I have to be with work. Currently, I have six or seven RPG projects on the go. I admit, some of them have been on the back burner for a long time.

Quote from: ancientgamer;2239885.  Keep writing even if it is just a fews words a day.  Better to have dribbles than to dry out from not going to the well.

Always, always.

Thanks.

Quote from: RPGObjects_chuck;224024The one tip I would give you though, is to do something that gets your blood pumping, either physically or creatively: take a walk, go sit under a tree, read a book in the genre you're thinking about working under that excites you, etc.

I always read snatches of something inspiring. In the case of Boomtown, I revisited Arthur Gelb's "City Room" time and again. I never tried physical exercise as a stimulant, but I should

 

Quote from: RPGObjects_chuck;224024The secret is that there is no secret. Some days writing games sucks. Some days it's a frustrating job. You just keep going till you hit one of those awesome periods.

I hear you loud and clear. My head is getting sore, but sometimes I think I am making cracks in the wall.