This past week I've done two podcasts concerning creativity. The first episode, titled Focus Your Creativity, and the second, Keep Lips Zipped When Creating. The process of creating is fraught with pitfalls and distractions. And we are often our own worst enemy. There is a joke about the only time writers clean their house is when they should be writing. The joke is not wrong.
A not so quick glimpse into a writing session of mine. I suffer from squirrel syndrome most days. I plop my ass in front of my computer, open my word document, lean into my keyboard to write. Oh wait. Let me go on Amazon music and hit my playlist to help block out distractions. Headphones. Where'd I put them? Okay, set. I'll check email first. Get that out of the way. Hmm, I wonder where my Amazon package is? I thought it'd be here by now. Somewhere still in Ohio. My MeWe has a couple notifications, real quick peek. Might as well check Facebook and Instagram...and Google+ while it's still around. That looks like a cool blog post. Hmm, I haven't seen that book. I'll check eBay, Amazon, and RPGNow to see who has the best price. I bet there's a coupon? If I buy this book and get another one I can get free shipping. Maybe I should get my 100th set of dice. Let me get on Hangouts and see if anyone has any suggestions. Whoops, I clicked YouTube. There is a new Avengers fan theory about Captain America's pants. I haven't seen that one. Two hours later I am watching pygmy goats jumping on and off some girl's back. Wife enters the office. "How's the writing going?" I reply, "I can't seem to get focused."
One of the tactics I used to do years ago was to write a scene with this guy I named Reggie who was a writer who would do nearly anything not to write. It was fun. Whisk loved my Reggie stories. It was a focusing tool. When we sit ass in chair our minds don't automatically kick into creative gear. Sometimes it needs some coaxing. For me, turning off work is a real problem. I need to transition from my work mode into my creative, adventuring writing mode. Here are some of the things I do to help me focus.
I always have to add this part, below are techniques that work for me. They won't work for everyone. There are no absolutes.
Reading Adventures
Just like fiction writing, I believe one of the best things you can do is read how others write their adventures. It gives you a glimpse into another writer's mind. Terrifying I know. Good and bad. It is worth reading good adventures as well as the bad ones. Good ones show you what works. Bad ones show you what doesn't work. When I am reading someone else's adventure it pumps me up to get writing.
Copying an Adventure You Love
If you're jammed and can't focus, grab a copy of your favorite adventure off the shelf. Pick a spot and start copying the adventure word for word. Eventually you'll stray from the written text and do your own thing. It's a primer exercise to get your creative mojo jump started.
Art
Art is always a great inspiration. Grab a couple of random pictures from the internet and weave an adventure that connects them. I use tarot cards. I have a collection of 20 some decks. I love the art work. I'll grab a random deck, deal out a few cards then write using the meanings and art as inspiration. I wrote a collection of adventures inspired by tarot cards.
Writing to a Specific Person
This is a technique I spoke about in my podcast. Write with a specific person in mind. Imagine your friend or one of your players sitting across the table and writing for him or her. This technique works great for me. It helps me get ideas because I tailor it for that person's taste.
In my second podcast I talk about when someone is in the writing process. I've done my share of writing over the past 40 years. It straddles the good, the bad, and the forgettable. There a few things writers need to do to protect their creativity.
Allow Shitty Writing
Nothing kills your creativity more than editing while writing. Unless you Kurt Vonnegut or Dean Koontz who won't budge from a page until its perfect, don't edit. Allow for misspellings. Allow for inconsistency. Allow for shitty writing. Sometimes you need to write through the shit to get to the good stuff. You will go back and clean it up after the 1st draft is done.
Zip You Lips
Talking about what your creating during the process depletes the energy. The universe hears you and consumes the idea. When you return to work, the idea you were excitement is gone. You've given it away. It's critical to wait until after you've completed your second draft before sharing it.
Throwing Away Work
Do not delete your work. Put it away. Get it out of sight. Forget about it. We are often our own worse critics. It's easy to delete the three pages that went no where. Keep it in a folder. What you were working on may never see the light of day, there may be ideas, parts, or even a name that you can use. Mechanics keep broken cars around to use them for salvage to repair running cars. Use that same method for your writing. You'll be surprised how often you'll go back to what you thought was shit and it wasn't that bad.
Don't Be Afraid
It's okay to fail. It's better to have written a shitty adventure than not to have written a great adventure. There is no right way to write. Begin in the middle and write backwards. Write long hand. Outline a Gilligan's Island episode and make it a kick ass adventure. Don't be afraid to give something a go. Don't give up. Fear is the mind killer. :)
Enough already. Go forth and create.