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Post by goodmush on Aug 31, 2015 0:58:23 GMT
So there I was knee deep in character sheets, dice, maps & minis. Enjoying every minute of it when all of a sudden... it stopped, all of it. No ideas, and a new dark hole in my mind where all of my now fleeting adventuring ideas got pulled to, never to excape.
That was two months ago, now as i try to come out of a self empossed break and get back to writing adventures the black hole in my head seems to take everything I can think of, including my self confidence as a master of games. It maybe due to a long drought of not playing in games recently or running them for that matter. So I thought I would pose the question to the collective for debate and possibly a cure for the worst case of writers block I've had in some the time.
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Post by dmmadmaxi on Aug 31, 2015 1:21:46 GMT
my cure are outside sources of stimulation. This can be reading, epic rpg music/intense music found on the interwebz, even just kicking back and gaming with my buddies can sometimes stir up some ideas. I know when this happens to me I immediately hit those outside stimulants and hope for the best.
BEST OF LUCK GOODMUSH!
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Post by lasersniper on Aug 31, 2015 4:29:02 GMT
So since I was a kid I always had a special world I imagined about. Somewhere I could control everything and weave stories and adventures to their completion. Whenever I have a writing block I go back to that world and just start up where I had left off before. Something familiar that I KNOW, something that doesn't take any real effort to expound on. Forget about rules, cliche's, and logic, I just mess around in my own mind with events and stories that just seem fun. I would try and do something similar, forget about any pressure from players or friends, and just screw around like you were playing a video game. That is what I do.
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Samuel Wise
Demigod
Ready to Help...
Posts: 989
Favorite D&D Class: Warlock
Favorite D&D Race: Mousefolk
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Post by Samuel Wise on Aug 31, 2015 5:06:26 GMT
I've noticed that the best way that I cure blocks is to be moving. I enjoy running and I get a lot a good ideas when doing that. In the same way I usually will act out adventures (quietly to myself of course). I think it really depends on how your brain is wired (notice it is usually a combination of all of these. Nobody is one in particular).
A more visual person would get motivated from Movies, pictures, and seeing things. A more kinesthetic person (me) gets motivated from moving around (not always sports, I'm not a sporty person) and acting things out. Some people get motivated audibly. With things such as music or audiobooks. If you like to Analyze something, then analyze the way an older culture worked or the way a story is actually built. If you are a logical person (this is referring to something different, then the normal word for 'logic') then you would be motivated by studying the game's system and mechanics. Or how to improve those. Even someone who is more sociable might get motivated by being with other people, sharing ideas. Some people are quieter. They get motivated from being with themselves and in a quite place alone (writing and such).
Just some general ideas to get started (and general archetypes). Of course, you could always throw some things up on DMnastics. Throwing ideas out on these forums really help as well!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2015 8:56:10 GMT
You will help yourself a great deal if you can identify the cause of your writer's block before you seek solutions. What was going on in your life around the time it set in? What was your emotional state then? Have conditions changed much since? These aren't questions you need to answer here, but might point you toward the cause.
Depression is a major source of writer's block. If you feel like other areas of your life are suffering as well, see a therapist if you can afford to, and consider anti-depressants.
Sometimes its just stress without depression. Try to reduce sources of stress, and writing may come easier.
Sometimes there's other subconscious detritus between yourself and your intended audience, whether they are people you know or the anonymous public. In either case, your subconscious mind is nigh impossible to access on your own, but it may help to take a critical, open, and honest look at your relationship with them. Abandon the expectations you place upon your audience. Write only for yourself, but always with the intent to share with others.
There are many other causes and corresponding solutions. However, one of the most helpful, general pieces of advice I received is to just write something, anything. You aren't obligated to share it with anyone. I don't mean to contradict what I wrote at the end of the previous paragraph. The purpose of this kind of writing is to power through the block, even if the product is blunt-force lameness. It can be any length and style, on any topic you want. Trash it when you're done if you don't like it.
It's all well and good to seek inspiration in the creative works of others, but I've never found it reliable for overcoming my own stoppages. There's one thing I'm definitely not doing when I'm reading a book or watching a movie, and that's writing. Sometimes you just have to force yourself to do it, or let someone else force you. To that end, almarianknight made an excellent suggestion, and it's your new writing assignment for these forums: contribute to a DM-nastic of your choice. I suggest #20: Heroes for Hire. It recently reappeared on the front page, plus its one of my favorites.
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Post by friartook on Sept 1, 2015 16:12:14 GMT
There are many other causes and corresponding solutions. However, one of the most helpful, general pieces of advice I received is to just write something, anything. You aren't obligated to share it with anyone. I don't mean to contradict what I wrote at the end of the previous paragraph. The purpose of this kind of writing is to power through the block, even if the product is blunt-force lameness. It can be any length and style, on any topic you want. Trash it when you're done if you don't like it. This ^ And This below, Are both great advice IMO. For me, physical exercise is a great catalyst for creativity. When I am using exercise for this purpose I make sure not to listen to headphones or exercise with anyone else. It helps me to be alone with my thoughts. Another piece of advice I'd offer is to get yourself really engaged in something completely different than writing. I find that any time I am stuck on a problem, whether its a creative problem or a practical problem, taking a break and working on something completely unrelated often helps crack the dam. Good luck!
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Post by arnil on Sept 1, 2015 17:43:38 GMT
Try listening to the band "Chamber Band" their album "Deities " is great inspiration and I've turned one track "Asmodeus" into an awesome character concept and another track "Yeenoghu" into an adventure in going to be running my players through soon dungeonsandtulu.wordpress.com/ also the track "shapeshifter" is the inspiration for a character currently in my game. Another idea I've cribbed from writers is to just write the first 10 ideas that come to you no matter how stupid. Then step away for awhile maybe overnight and then pick one to develop into a good idea. "Hmmm vampire cows? Well maybe a local farmer got turned and now all is livestock is getting turned. " dungeonsandtulu.wordpress.com/
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