I've had good luck with NaNo the two or three times I really committed to it. Even last year was good. I didn't hit 50K, and ultimately I've decided the graveyard that project (just not feeling the characters or the giant plot holes), but I wrote something that wasn't in any way related to whining about my life, which was awesome all by itself. ;)
I don't know if I feel any better about this year's potential project (another "creature in the woods" idea), but I do enjoy the whole process of it. Would probably like it more if I did the social aspect. That's always the first thing to go out the window when I get stressed out, though, and then I feel guilty.
I did see the Storium post...in fact, I looked up Storium for myself last night. It looks very intriguing, although I admit, I'm not sure if I ready for something like that right now. I could see it being one of those "you get what you put into it" sorts of things, and I'm pretty low energy at the moment. Just barely scraping up enough oomph. I'm going to keep thinking about it, though. I'm getting such a kick out of the table top game (and it's just getting off the ground, really), and I'd love some good old fashioned Internet interaction right about now, too...that might be enough to get me going!
Yeah, you might find Storium rejuvenating, but I understand that feeling of being at capacity.
I've found it very inspiring. I already have half a dozen ideas for games I'd like to run there. One has a dreamscape setting, where several people realize they're sharing the same lucid dream (or so it seems?) and are trying to sort out how, why, and whether they're going to wake. In another, the players will be staff in an manor house who have been instructed by their employer to basically gaslight his new wife, but when she arrives and they try to manipulate her, the tables turn. One is going to be hook-up city between summer employees at an amusement park (the plot is still kind of loose for that)... seriously, I could go on and on.
Of course I like the interactions with the other players there, but I seem to be using it to explore genres I don't tend to write (maybe with the exception of the gaslighting one). I'd no idea I'd enjoy a romance type of game, so much, for example, but of the games I'm participating in, that's my favorite one!
That's so funny...but totally doesn't surprise me. Have you started running games already, or do you have to wait for it to completely go live before that functionality is available?
You can access the decks and create your own games as soon as you join.
I've started writing some games, but haven't launched anything yet. I nearly did this past weekend, but then decided to wait a bit and study some of the completed stories. Lots of games stall out, it seems. Stories meander, players get bored and quit, narrators don't give enough direction, etc. I thought I'd picked a forgiving scenario because it'd be so character driven (the smoochie-face amusement part one), but even so, there is an expectation of story. I need to come up with a good arc and some other goals for the characters. One of the other narrators said, "No plot survives first contact with the players," but still, I figure I should have something in place. :)
I don't know if I feel any better about this year's potential project (another "creature in the woods" idea), but I do enjoy the whole process of it. Would probably like it more if I did the social aspect. That's always the first thing to go out the window when I get stressed out, though, and then I feel guilty.
I did see the Storium post...in fact, I looked up Storium for myself last night. It looks very intriguing, although I admit, I'm not sure if I ready for something like that right now. I could see it being one of those "you get what you put into it" sorts of things, and I'm pretty low energy at the moment. Just barely scraping up enough oomph. I'm going to keep thinking about it, though. I'm getting such a kick out of the table top game (and it's just getting off the ground, really), and I'd love some good old fashioned Internet interaction right about now, too...that might be enough to get me going!
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I've found it very inspiring. I already have half a dozen ideas for games I'd like to run there. One has a dreamscape setting, where several people realize they're sharing the same lucid dream (or so it seems?) and are trying to sort out how, why, and whether they're going to wake. In another, the players will be staff in an manor house who have been instructed by their employer to basically gaslight his new wife, but when she arrives and they try to manipulate her, the tables turn. One is going to be hook-up city between summer employees at an amusement park (the plot is still kind of loose for that)... seriously, I could go on and on.
Of course I like the interactions with the other players there, but I seem to be using it to explore genres I don't tend to write (maybe with the exception of the gaslighting one). I'd no idea I'd enjoy a romance type of game, so much, for example, but of the games I'm participating in, that's my favorite one!
Reply
Reply
I've started writing some games, but haven't launched anything yet. I nearly did this past weekend, but then decided to wait a bit and study some of the completed stories. Lots of games stall out, it seems. Stories meander, players get bored and quit, narrators don't give enough direction, etc. I thought I'd picked a forgiving scenario because it'd be so character driven (the smoochie-face amusement part one), but even so, there is an expectation of story. I need to come up with a good arc and some other goals for the characters. One of the other narrators said, "No plot survives first contact with the players," but still, I figure I should have something in place. :)
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