RPG a Day 18: Write

I’ve home-brewed my own lightweight systems, written and co-written scenarios and adventures and sourcebooks, and blogged and commented and FaceBooked and tweeted a lot of words.

But… why? Why do I like doing this? Why do I do it given the tiny amount of money I get for it, the massive effort, and the number of competitors in the field of writing stuff for people to read?

I get a huge amount of satisfaction from creation and storytelling. Writing is part of that. I don’t do it just for the accolades, although the applause is nice. The initial creative drive is all about me, and the writing is just a formalisation of what I think. If I present it to the outside world, it is not a massive amount of effort, compared to the thinking I’ve already done behind the scenes. My favourite scenarios to write up are the ones where I’ve playtested well and I just have to put words around instructions to GMs.

I like doing it because if I wasn’t creating things, I’d go mad1Not an exaggeration. I’ve been there before. It’s not pretty.. I do it because I have to do SOMETHING, and for this kind of creation, writing is the side effect of invention. People’s interest means I continue to write down what I’m doing, but the acts of creation are non-negotiable.

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    Not an exaggeration. I’ve been there before. It’s not pretty.

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Thats really insightful and interesting. Thank you for sharing, i like that idea and understanding that the creative urge isnt about money or competition as such but that it provides fun, an outlet and a sense of stability. I think a lot of rpg contributors whether at a published level or a private one, find those to be the benifits of their creation. Its good to know. Keep on doing, keep on writing keep on creating. Thank you 😀

Yeah, there are benefits to the creation, although getting paid enough to continue is important as well. Never let yourself be paid in satisfaction alone, unless you’re explicitly volunteering.

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