Breaking through writers block

[ghostwolf]

Gyarrgh!

Ok, so I'm working on a Sci-fi themed Rpg. I've got my mechanics to the point I should be able to write up a quick-play document to get started on playtesting, but every time I sit down to put things on paper, my brain locks down.

I can't figure it out. I had no problems writing up this stuff for discussion on the forge, but when it comes down to putting the docs together I'm broken.

How do you guys deal with writers block?

-Ghostwolf

ps: Not sure if this was the right sub-forum to post this in...please feel free to relocate it if needed.  I'll be over here in the corner trying to restore the link between my creative center and my fingertips.

[Jack Aidley]

"Fire and Motion"

Just type: something, anything. It may not be good, hell, it may be awful. But at least it's something. You can go back and change it later, and make it be good. The important thing is that you're doing something, that can get you through to when you can really get going - then you can go back and sort it out later.

Other than that: read a book, have a glass of wine, talk to the cat. Do something different for a bit and it might just start flowing when you've loosened up.

[Ron Edwards]

Hiya,

I'm thinking that it might be good to post the aspects that you're really looking forward to see in play, for discussion. Maybe the questions you receive will help, because the answers can form the framework/outline of the rules-explanation.

Which would more-or-less move this thread to Indie Design, but let's see how that plays out.

Best,
Ron

P.S. I'm personally pretty unsympathetic to the writer's block issue, but past experience shows that moderating from that perspective raises cries of rage ... anyway, my only moderator comment here is "please let's not turn this thread into a celebration of being 'unable' to do the work." Which is a very, very common phenomenon in writers' groups and similar.

[ethan_greer]

My writer's block is worse than your writer's block.  Neener neener!

Kidding, of course.

Suggestion: If it's a quick play document you want to write, it might be a good exercise to write a fictional account of a group of people playing your game - what they say, what they do, what they roll when, what questions the players ask the GM, etc.  Whatever these fictional characters "do" may give you some direction for how you want to organize your quick play document.

[Brennan Taylor]

Actually, how I deal with it is to have four or five projects to work on simultaneously. When I get blocked on one, I switch to something else for an hour or two, and this usually clears the clog. A lot of times, I know what I am after but have trouble expressing it on paper. In these cases, just writing helps. You can go back in and slash later, but just get something down.

[Keith Senkowski]

This link might help.  It lists eight ways to get over writers block.

http://www.transaction.net/web/tutor/text/dissolve.html">Disolve Writers Block

Keith

[ghostwolf]

Thanks a lot, guys :)  I'll try putting all this good advice to use and see if I can crank out the doc I need.  

-Ghostwolf

[clehrich]

For this quite specific form of writer's block, I'd recommend that you get together with a pal who's going to be in the game, and try to explain the rules and basics.  Do it off the cuff, with maybe some notes but nothing more.  As you do this, take notes constantly on what your pal asks.  Note also what things you have trouble explaining, or that seem to cause confusion, or that you yourself get confused about as you explain them.  In the end, you'll have a long list of questions.  

Now, piecemeal, write up answers to those questions.

Now outline a quick-start document -- just outline it.

Now cut-and-paste those question/answer things into the outline.

You now have roughly 50% of the thing written, and will probably be able to revise and complete it from there.

When dealing with a smallish project, like a quick-start document, my experience is that an outside perspective will prompt successful writing.

[Callan S.]

This link might help.  It lists eight ways to get over writers block.

http://www.transaction.net/web/tutor/text/dissolve.html">Disolve Writers Block

Keith

Thank you! :)

[Comte]

I've observed that writters block for an RPG is slighly diffrent then the average kind.  For example when it comes time for me to sit down and write out hard mechanics I usualy immeadiatly get blocked up.  This could be attributed to a switch from right brained to left brained activity (or is it the other way around I don't remeber).  So when I am switching gears from background information to something like mechanics I will usualy fist stat out a charecter for another game, roll up some random encounters, or even make an amry list for warhammer.  This will usualy get me in the proper gear for writing mechanical thingus.

If you are blocked with the background...well thats all been covered already.