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I have an idea for a visual novel, how do I actually get myself to make it? I'd love to hear how people find motivation to complete projects. I'm afraid of starting and never finishing.

I don't need to find motivation, instead I need to find time. Maybe we can make a trade >.^

Find team members who will keep constantly nagging you to get out of bed and finish the project. Joke aside, when you're in a team environment, it's not just you now but a whole team to see the project through. Most important thing, though, is to step one foot into the door, or one step up the ladder. Once the base has been established, you can keep at it until you reach the goal.

Extra: You can plan the journey ahead during pre-production, create a blueprint (GDD) and production schedule for the visual novel, talk to the team, it will make journey ahead easier than improvises whole way through without clear destination.

I think I'll make a really detailed blueprint for it first. Is there a specific tool to help you do that or should I just type on like a google doc or something?

Okay I started to write out the characters and the basic set up but I still think I won't finish it

The answer to this is, it depends on how personally dedicated you are as an artist. It's the difference between "eh, I might try it out for fun" and "I *want* to make this game and I won't stop trying until I do". Outlining a game is still in the first phase. Some people never get past the first phase, but the ones who enter the second one can truly be called artists. Either way, it's something only you can decide and no one can truly "give" you the motivation.

Sometimes I come up with game ideas I "want to have made" and others that I "want to make." There is a big difference. The games I "want to make" will eventually get completed because the act of working on them is really enjoyable (rather than the satisfaction of just finishing it).

I also follow a lot of different artists on social media. Looking at their beautiful art inspires me.

Do a little bit of game development work every day. Write checklists that have small, manageable objectives (instead of writing "finish the game," write, "finish the protagonist's sprite by Monday," etc.). I use the productivity app Habitica to track my goals and completed tasks (it's satisfying and motivating to see how much I've done so far).

Also, taking a step back and taking a break between projects (meaning: You take a break right after finishing project A, before you start project B) may help:

"One reason that people have artist’s block is that they do not respect the law of dormancy in nature. Trees don’t produce fruit all year long, constantly. They have a point where they go dormant. And when you are in a dormant period creatively, if you can arrange your life to do the technical tasks that don’t take creativity, you are essentially preparing for the spring when it will all blossom again."
- Marshall Vandruff

Mostly I hate to start something then not finish it. I remind myself that if I don't get the game finished, then I've wasted hundreds of hours so far. That's pretty motivating!

But also, if I find myself struggling to work on something, I ask why. Maybe it's a bad idea. Maybe my heart isn't in it. Maybe I don't want to do whatever it is.

For instance, I HATE lifting weights so I...don't. (I get my workouts through hiking, aerial silks, dance, etc.) If you regularly find yourself struggling to work on a game, maybe it's not for you.

This is going to sound morbid a bit. I adopted the mindset that my life is ending soon, at one day at a time. So it gives me the sense of urgency to get things done. You would be surprised how much you would get done in one day with that mentality in place.

Wow, this is going to be a late reply. But I think it's an interesting question and I like seeing how other people stay motivated, too!
For me I think a lot of it has to do with how I think about the project. The projects I've managed to finish are the ones where I was able to change how I defined the project to myself. Rather than thinking "I want to make this game" or "I will make this game", I try to change the wording to "I am making this game." Because you are, right? That' what you've decided to do. And when you think of it as something that is happening at the moment, it's a lot easier to get yourself up to the task of working on it. Qualifying it with "want" and "will" removes you from the project mentally and does you a disservice as a creator

When I lose motivation, I think about the people that are looking forward to seeing my projects, especially my friends. Their motivations really help pull me out of my worst blocks.

I'm very late, but with projects (VNs, writing, etc) I tend to talk to about it with people who aren't involved with the process. Especially when I feel motivation going away. People are genuinely interested when they hear you're doing something creative and unfamiliar to them (as VNs are for most of my friends). This really helps me stay motivated because they'll ask questions that I might not have answers for yet, but it will make me think about my project in a new way, which always makes me want to get back into it. And sometimes these friends will hold you accountable for finishing this because they want to see it. It's not as strict as project deadlines can be, but it makes you want to finish it to show it around. A few years late, but I hope you've found an answer ^.^

Griff wrote: ↑Wed Nov 01, 2017 5:41 pm I have an idea for a visual novel, how do I actually get myself to make it? I'd love to hear how people find motivation to complete projects. I'm afraid of starting and never finishing.

I think it's not about motivation. It's about discipline.

Motivation is important... but sometimes it really is about discipline. You can't hold on to motivation and expect that to carry you all the way though a project that is really hard. I'm saying this as someone that has done just that for years.... Needless to say I was jumping from project to project and never finished anything. I see now that that's a sure way to feel dissatisfied. Motivation only lasts so long, then it often comes back after a while if you push though the hard times, but it will never finish the project all the way.

The other thing that helps, is the idea of "finished, not perfect." In other words, do a good job, but don't try to make everything perfect... because that will just drain any motivation you do have and make it impossible to continue. Getting things done is more important then making things perfect. After all, a game that is perfect but unfinished... isn't as fun as one that isn't as amazing, but finished.

Pick a subject matter you care about. Don't just set out to make whatever. That works for small one-off projects; with a visual novel, you're usually in for the long haul. So make sure you really, really want to see it finished.

Edit: Elta is also right. The difference between motivation and discipline is like the difference between lust and love: the former can feed a summer romance, but only the latter can keep you next to your partner for a lifetime.

(And yes, avoid perfectionism too; it's a trap!)