Writing Productivity

I recently watched the below talk about game development, keeping productive over a long period, and steady progress. I found it interesting, particularly the emphasis on being disciplined about taking breaks. I can find that when I’m in the zone, I do lose track of time and am not necessarily doing my best work even if it feels like it’s going well!

The video is focused on full-time game development, which isn’t the situation most of us are in, but it’s pretty applicable to part-time creative work too. Folks here may find it useful!

What techniques, if any, do you use to keep momentum for an ongoing project?

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This is my current project. I’ll probably look into betaing the first couple of chapters at some point before it’s done, but not now. As for staying on track, I don’t know, chain myself to a desk? Honestly, I’m just terrible at it.

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I like the look of that - the daily goal adjustment would be really useful for a first draft or something like NaNoWriMo. Also the graph looks like you’re on track, that’s awesome!

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This year I’ve been leaving the house a couple of times every week to write. I’ll go to the library or a cafe, somewhere with a different setting where I can focus with less distractions (especially no wi-fi), but also have to finish at a specific time (i.e. before the cafe closes). This way there’s some urgency, but also I’m not staying up late to work, when I’d be more likely to make mistakes.

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raise hand…I’m not a game developer , I just write . And no , havent had a chance to try my hand at choice of games kinda of writing . But I will in the futur , hopefully .

That said , I think it depand on the person . There are some peoples I met , who can write right away without planning or anything . And there are some who need to plan ahead , and go slowly .

I wrote a whole serie of 3 ‘book’ sorta , and I think my biggest flaw is I like to rush and end the story . But I gave myself some limit , and it worked like a charm . Like write just this much then stop . It took month to do (though I never get to see the outside world!) , but it was satisfying in the end . And when it was done…I wished it wasn’t done at all and I missed my character lol .

I think those who seem to be able to write no stop , they are admirable . Although , I fear sometimes if they won’t catch a burnout .

And those who write and leave a trail of unfinished stuff…just need the right nudge , inspiration . Nothing is set in stone , an unfinished story doesn’t have any ‘Best before’ on it . It can be re-written anytime in the futur and added to it .

P.S: in the zone…lol thats so Sims 2 !