Last month, I finally achieved my monthly goals and I almost feel lost, not having a backlog of things to do. Ironic, isn’t it?
This month’s goals are all back-end orientated:
Project One goal: Process feedback and determine (finally) if it is ready to share in a WiP thread.
Project Two Goal: Make an outline and plot map for the next chapter/scene.
I know editing and correcting low level errors (like making sure everything is in the same tense) is not as fun as writing new material (at least for me)… but this is where I need to focus my actual writing for the month on.
I’m sure I will write something new sooner or later in the month… but this month is dedicated to accomplishing some of the non-writing activities we all need to accomplish in order to succeed.
This description sets off five red flags in one sentence. I’m always really wary of writing advice that’s aspirational rather than practical. There are a lot of parasites out there that bait you with dreams then suck you dry.
Dreams are nice, but you can’t cook pasta with a wish. You gotta put a pot on the stove.
Moving on to a totally different topic:
I did quite a lot of writing for a tabletop game I’m running, formatted it all nicely, maybe thinking I’d put it out there for other people to use. But in playing a session of it, I realized that my notes would only make sense for me. They’re just not laid out intuitively enough. I also thought about how much time it was taking to write it all out. The opportunity cost is pretty high. So, I’m not going to make it look professional and I’m just gonna wing the rest of the sessions!
I’ve got a bad habit of not writing things for myself. Too focused on what other people would think. Gotta recognise it when I’m doing it.
As with all advice, we need to parse from it what we can and can not use. I do suggest looking at the individual vids, because there is both practical and inspirational topics.
That is awesome. Looking at others who are experienced table-top game designers and developers, I am amazed at how much detailed and micro-level work it takes.
The most I have ever done with table-top games is help design characters and settings. Having an artist bring my designed character to life was a great feeling, but after seeing the work and dedication involved in getting these games into the market, I know I will most likely never make one. Unless it is a collaboration effort.
This is another good point to emphasize – when making notes and comments in your code, always keep in mind that people will see what you write.
One practice I am in the habit of is, when releasing something into the wild — like a WiP demo, I will go through and remove most of my comments and notes. Always keep in mind that whatever is written in a comment will be seen by others.
Had a rough time in September, still having it quite rough. Got a number of reference and research books for my stuff, now trying to save up money for to replace broken stuff.
But writing is going decently well, so… goals…
Goal one: Finish ch7 of my current project and get started on ch8.
Goal two: Start on the sequel proper.
My main goal is the same as ever - just write something and stop second guessing every single word. Recently I’ve been putting out hundreds of words in a month, rather than none - so a definite improvement. But I would like to move into the thousands category.
A specific goal is to move towards a WiP thread, and maybe even release it this month. I’m way off a demo and many edits and revisions away from a fully coherent story - but as a complete novice I can’t self reflect on my work sufficiently to figure out what is good or not. I need that input from others to save me from writing 100,000 words (I wish) that are total garbage.
In October I want to finish Chapter 6 of Royal Affairs, and get Chapter 2 of my new project done. I feel pretty confident on both - it’s just a case of taking advantage of the points where I’ve got the time and energy so I’ve got leeway for when unexpected things come up.
It was going to be to write something again, but I just did, so now it’s to edit last year’s Halloween game jam game (again) and write some new stuff for it. It’s almost the right season again.
I haven’t really been working on the Choice Script game that I’ve been planning to make for a while.
But, I have made progress on writing a movie script! (Currently 29 pages in Google Docs, 7700 words)
My goals are to have it done by at least the end of the year, and after that, I probably will get to work on making the Choice Script game that I wanted, and I should probably finish another thing I’ve been working on for a while, but never finished.
Plan for October…
a. Plan out my Star Wars game-book for writing at least Act 1 in November.
b. Try not to get distracted/go crazy due to bunged ears situation.
c. Profit.
Whelp, I’m gonna do what I said I’d do this month, at the end of last month. My goal for October is to finish writing Harper/Carter’s scene and start on Sarah/Samuel’s scene.
But an added bonus will be to come up with a solid idea for another series that I can let float around in my head for a long while.
Finish chapter 5, I’m so close to the end of the chapter, I have an idea of a scene to use too! I just got to write it.
Start chapter 6! Self explanatory. I have ideas for this one.
Work on chapter 3. Both the climax and the beginning/middle part. Right now the climax of the chapter feels like an over glorified description. I don’t want that. Speaking of descriptions…
Extinction’s description from chapter 1 needs to be redone.
I hear you. I have a whole list of notes I left myself in the code about errors that need correcting and special edge cases that need extra testing. This month, I have to subject both my games to close testing and editing. It’s not as fun or as gratifying as adding to the word count, and not as creatively fulfilling as playing with words and sentences, but it’s work that needs doing if I want my game to be the best it can be.
I am getting ready to release chapter 2 of Fairmont and I only need one good work week before it’s ready to be seen by other people’s eyes. I also have goals for my other projects, but this is the one I’m most firm about holding myself to.
So I’ve been writing a choicescript game for the past month-ish (i’ve had the idea for a while but only recently started actually writing it) and my current goals are basically just:
Finish chapter 2 (and hopefully start chapter 3, if boring life things go smoothly)
Start planning scenes for at least two of the romance routes
Additional: organize the scenes in chapter 1 and the stat screen. It’s not as big of a deal as the other goals, but it’s messy enough to bother me at this point.
Hopefully life goes smoothly enough that I can at least do one of these, but it’s hard to tell at this point… well, I’ll just have to try. I’m kinda new here and honestly I don’t know what I’m doing, I hope you guys don’t mind me just hopping on here. Good luck, everyone
Serious question:
How can someone find a passion lost?
When I started my thesis I had ideas, plans, a schedule and passion for the topic… and then it started a descending spiral down to “Why should I even care?”
I try not to be fool enough to speak into situations I don’t fully understand in blind attempts to help. But no one’s ever called me the smartest of fellows. So, here’s my best shot:
I don’t think anyone can answer for anyone but themselves. But, were it me, I’d ask if I was asking the right question. Might, “Should I find a lost passion?” be a better question? Some of my exes are better left exes. Or, “Was a passion lost ever really a passion?” I think of “passion” from its root word which means something we suffer involuntarily. We can’t help it. I’ve seen people who like reading, who think they might like writing, learn that they don’t. Or learn that they’re not good at it. Or that they don’t want to put in the time (20 years?) to get good at it. All of these revelations can involve painful processes.
I write daily and am miserable for much of it. Only, I’m more miserable if I don’t. I face constant rejection and criticism, exposing myself (I’m terribly introverted) for very little money. I’ve invested thousands upon thousands of dollars and countless hours honing a craft on a downward trend. If I could do something else, I really would. Ten years ago, I met with a very famous and commercially successful writer at a conference (they only met with me bc of a writing program we both attended). They told me, if I can do anything else at all, to do that instead. I tried listening. For years. I couldn’t stay away. Publishing is a shadow of the industry it once was. With internet and social media, the world is flooded with voices. As an art form, it takes too long to create and too long for the consumer to consume. Paintings or songs can be made so much faster and be taken in very quickly. Alas, writing has become how I process the world and how I express myself. Anyway, that very well could be BAD advice for you. That’s just me.
It could be that you’re depressed about other things happening or not happening in your life, and you’ve hung your hopes on this thing which may be a real hope or a placeholder–I’ve done this before. I don’t have enough information. But, if writing doesn’t make you happy, and happy is what you want to be, it may blessedly not be your art form. I know it’s not that serious for everyone; it is for me. Sorry if that’s a downer. If it’s bad advice, don’t take it. Hope you find what you’re looking for.
Happy Birthday to October babies.
