I guess, I´m starting this topic only, to hear that other people face the same problem. I just have to many ideas flowing in my crazy mind, so even deciding on a possible game to make is a very hard decision.
Anybody who suffers from the same problem? Or perhaps even having tips how to prevent thinking in to many ways, to many different storylines or stories itself?
Even while reading in the forum several new ideas form in my mind instantly, based on what I read or what crazy stuff comes in my mind while thinking over things.
Since this community is so great and feeling, I´d like to hear your experiences related to this topic.
You are in a maze. For every door that opens, another one shuts. You realize that you are only able to maintain a certain number of open doors at one time. You are now able to find your way through the maze.
It happen to me too often for my liking too. I manage to narrow down my ideas because I constantly remind myself that I unlikely to finish at all, if I applies more and more ideas to my game, or if I keep starting new WiP.
I too tend to have too many ideas bubbling in my mind at once when it comes to fanfic writing, and because of my dyslexia it’s usually hard to translate it onto paper. With COG though its probably also the fact I haven’t learned the coding properly and so there’s that extra degree of intimidation for me. Ultimately it is learning to start and then keeping it up and sticking to one thing, hopefully keeping your optimism about it the whole time…
I tend to jot down any and all ideas I get, on the off chance that I will eventually get to work on them someday. Mostly, though, I tend to look through these ideas to see if I can add anything in them to my main project, from a stray NPC or mechanic to an overarching plotline.
Unfortunately, I also find that my motivation to do my main project is sapped by my motivation to do any side projects, so I have to keep focused on one if I want to get any work done. I do recommend not throwing ideas away completely, since they can often inspire other works.
I think of game ideas and write the plots and character histories in my head instead of sleeping. Then I’m really really tired. Then the next week, I start a new one in my head. I don’t understand what’s complicated about this methodology…
That is a very common problem for me as well haha. For me, I definitely have to pick and choose which idea I primarily want to work on, while shelving the others for later. For the most part I have a primary project that I work on most of the time, but keep these other ideas ready for when I’m beginning to feel burnt out or particularly stressed. Typically I won’t use the same medium either, otherwise I won’t want to return to my main focus. For example I’m currently working on my main project, which is a choice of game, however, when I get tired I’ll go do some drawings for another project I might like the idea of. At least, that’s what I tell myself I should be doing. In practice, I am a mess who doesn’t follow his own rules.
Write the important points of them all down, see which one you like the most/can elaborate the most on, and then see what you like about the others, and see what you can incorporate into your original idea
Working on any one of them makes it so much worse too. I started like my first WIP, a couple weeks ago, and by the end of the first day my original idea had turned into a trilogy. I had an idea for a spin-off, and prequel, and ideas for three entirely unrelated books popped into my head.
Thus is the way of writing. They are aptly named plot bunnies, because they sure do breed fast in my mind. I’ve rewritten the first three chapter of my WiP for almost 3 years. #thestruggleisreal
Every creative I know has always had more ideas than they know what to do with. More ideas than they could possibly develop, let alone bring to fruition, in a lifetime.
I have this problem too. This was part of the reason why I was so devoted to short fiction for so long. I had hoped that aiming for conciseness would allow me to “exorcise” the ideas from my brain and move on to the next one. Naturally, I learned instead that writing short fiction well is actually a big investment of time, energy and work, not to mention accumulated expertise.
Having been writing since I was twelve or so, and more seriously since I was fifteen… I eventually resigned myself to the fact that not every idea that seems great in the moment is destined to reach maturity.
How about creating backstory for your characters and your subplots? These backstories can propell your wip to the finish line if you harness them. You need thousands of ideas to make a game.
