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?
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.
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!
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.
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 .