RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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Just wanted to rant. I got hit by a burst of creativity and banged out 8 feats in about 6 hours, from the aether.
Hope to have them PDFed and up on Google Docs tonight, but I really need critiqued. <Gauntlet voice> Hermit needs Editor, badly </Gauntlet Voice>
Anyway. I hate it that my creativity comes in fits and starts. Anyone know how to tie the muse to the chair and get her to work full time?
Dotting. Cuz I need ideas too.
Just wanted to rant. I got hit by a burst of creativity and banged out 8 feats in about 6 hours, from the aether.
Hope to have them PDFed and up on Google Docs tonight, but I really need critiqued. <Gauntlet voice> Hermit needs Editor, badly </Gauntlet Voice>
Anyway. I hate it that my creativity comes in fits and starts. Anyone know how to tie the muse to the chair and get her to work full time?
I read a comic where a guy chained one up naked in the basement, but I don't recommend doing it with real people.
That said, damned if I know. The professional writers I've seen answer similar questions pretty much all said you just keep going and throw out the crap later. I suppose that's true, but it doesn't help when the brain goes blank and there's nothing there to write.
Personally I'm always inspired to work on whatever I'm not obligated to be working at any given moment. In other words, if I have the local group coming over that evening for the game will I be inspired to prep for the session? HELL NO! I'll be inspired to work on some world-building or improvements to my character sheet database.
The trick I've found is that it helps to always have a few projects on your back-burner and work in a cyclical fashion. For instance, some months I'll be in a really analytical mindset so I'll work on my wiki, or spreadsheets or other technical concerns. At other times, when I'm in more creative moods, I'll have a bout of world-building progress, etc.
Another thing is to know your own focus and energy levels. When I am forced to be in trouble-shooting mode for too long, it dries up all of my creative juices. When stuff like that happens, I know that I should just stick to more technical projects. However, knowing that this happens, it means that I try to tailor my tools so they are not apt to throw me into trouble-shooting mode.
The most important thing though is when the muse strikes, run with her for as long as you are able. She will come back again (even if she can seems a bit capricious in how she fills up her appointment book.) :)