Where you get... motivation?

[megatuga]

(Oy, what a weird way to get a first impression uh?)
Okay, first of all I am kinda afraid that this thread will either be nonsense or it was placed in the wrong section, etc... because I cannot define in words what exactly I want to ask. So I hope to not bore you as I will bring you to my level of though in order for you to better understand my problem:

I never had any ambitions, as a child I was (and I still am to a certain extent) a bit reserved about myself and social interaction. I never had any dreams because I am a very realistic (perhaps you consider that pessimistic) kind of person. That changed one day when I started watching anime... especially one that really reached to me (I was about 13 or so). Naming it seems unnecessary because it is rather obscure, so I will explain the concept: basically you had your personal AI program which you could bring with you and connect to the internet where a futuristic world resides and where you can have battles with your friends. The Bad guys (of course) want to get rid of this wonderful cybernetic world and it's up for the hero to stop it.

Despite being so lame... I really gave my passion away once I started watching this. Not because of the silly jokes, characters and other things... but because of the futuristic setting of a cyberworld. That was something that I never imagined (and at that time I barely knew what internet was). I mean... I was fine with other out-of-this-world settings but this one... well, let's just say that I lost a lot of buses to school because I wanted to watch it before going.
---

All of this for what? Well. As curiosity got the best of me (and I learned what the internet is exactly) I searched about more of this... and beyond. I started writing, drawing and picturing other stories with amazing worlds like that one. That became my inspiration, my muse. I just couldn't stop dreaming about sharing my views of there fantastic worlds to other people.

But then I started wanting more. I wanted something more engaging, more exciting that would surpass the common. And that was when all fell apart.

This desire consumed my thoughts and kept going. Eventually the wish of doing something great overcame the actual... doing of it. Put in other words, I stopped doing anything and just kept my imagination going.

I am sounding like a drama queen now... don't worry it's about to end.

Anyway, my problem is this: my list of "to do" is filled with lists and the lists have lists in them. But I never get any motivation to actually 'start' the real deal. I just keep making more projects and having more ideas but it never becomes real, it is all in my head.

How do you get motivation to do your own projects? What tells you "I've submitted myself to do this and I will!". Or is it that I am not "wanting" to do all my own projects out of lazy, fear or simply I am not convinced of myself?

I am sorry about all of that. If this topic feels unnecessary, please to tell me. I thought that creators of Visual Novels would understand my situation better because this is more of a psychological issue rather than a technical one.

I like Visual Novels because they are a story. I play other games sure, but a common pattern in the games I play is that there is always a good story behind them, even if the gameplay is horrible.

Anyway. I am willing to the good hearts of boys and girls here to give me some aid. Maybe words won't mean much, but if you cared enough to reply to my call, then it's already something.

...
I seriously hope that I am not getting an horrible first impression.

[Taleweaver]

How do you get motivation to do your own projects? What tells you "I've submitted myself to do this and I will!". Or is it that I am not "wanting" to do all my own projects out of lazy, fear or simply I am not convinced of myself?

To me, it's that I've already managed to complete a few projects, and that I know the joy and pride that actually getting something done bring you. (Or it may just be me. Who knows.)

Failure anxiety may be one the reasons why you're not getting things completed, though that may not be the reason. Maybe you're just one of those people who needs a kick in the butt from time to time. If so, try to join a team that has already managed to finish things. Offer your skills to people who are good at producing stuff and make it clear to them that you WANT them to harass you. If you find people willing to do that, maybe it'll help.

If that isn't your cup of tea, start with something small. And I mean REALLY small. Write a short story; 5,000 words or so, something you can do in a few hours. Make a KN out of that story. Find some Creative Commons art and music and illustrate your story. And then - and this is the most important step - consider it complete and release it to get feedback on it. You WILL get feedback, and most of it WILL be positive. And you will feel what it's like to get something done.

[_Shiro_]

Well, this is how did i get my motivation:

I once went into your problem =.=', i want to do something big, but when i look back at my skill, i got really depressed, so i start to wander the net, and i see many and many people who can do great and actually making something, i look up to them, wanna be like them, that's how i got a little of my motivation back.

And then it's just like Taleweaver mentioned above, join a group, or even make one yourself, give your self a goal, a realistic goal, and a deadline, that will make you feel like you can't slack off ( that works for me btw ).

Just do all of those things above, and when you actually complete your project, eventhough it's small, it will still bring you great happiness and motivation .

Goodluck.

[Googaboga]

I get where you're coming from. Coming up with ideas and characters is fun but actually picking one potential game to invest a lot of time and effort into is difficult. When people have many choices they can become paralyzed and choose nothing at all. Or they can spend huge amounts of time deciding only to be disappointed if what they pick isn't completely perfect. If the sheer amount of choices is a problem for you try make some requirements for what you want in your first game that narrows down the possibilities so only a few ideas are left. Make realistic restriction like there can be no more than x amount of characters in this game or x amount of words. And if all else fails you can always ask other people which idea of yours they'd rather see made into a game. Some people are more motivated when they choose for themselves but for some people it can be a relief to have the choice be made by others.

I started a VN because I want to make one. I get a lot of motivation to continue simply from stubborn pride. Many people start VNs but only of fraction of ideas are ever finished. That is not what I want to happen to my idea(s). Also I don't work alone. Even if I don't get anything done for a few days some other team member might. Seeing progress made is encouraging and makes me want to get back to work. Finally my last reason to commit to finishing is because I invested in this game. Not only time but I commissioned art and such. So I certainly don't want all that to go to waste XD.

Don't tell yourself that this first game needs to be amazing or that it is your one chance so you have to do something fantastic. After you make a game you can make another and strive to make it better than last time. It tends to get easier so save more difficult stuff for later. Or you can offer your services to an already established group. You may not be able to use many of your ideas but you'll gain experience and if the project is successful you'll have a game released. So if worse comes to worse and you are never able to bring yourself to independently start a VN you will still have those VNs you worked on with others to your name. That's something.

[redcat]

How to get a motivation to do your project?
1. Decide the goal; Find out WHY you wanted to do it in the first place - your "hidden motive", either money or something else - and write it on your room's wall for your daily reminder.
2. Plan how you'll do it - a project plan or design document - so detailed that you're sure it will work and you can imagine yourself holding a copy of your game a year or two from now (or maybe even sooner)
3. If you have tons of idea in your mind and couldn't decide WHICH one to do first, then pick the easiest one of them. Getting a partner or two might help as they can give you some opinions about your plan (but be careful in choosing your partners as they can bring their own can of worms).

[mugenjohncel]

I wanted to be immortal... at least in Digital format. I wanted to exist long after I'm gone... the very reason why I self insert myself in my games. Or at least leave something in this world before I go "POOF" (Disappears)... I would be more than happy if someone in the future would glance at my work and think that somewhere in the past... a certain person named UNCLE MUGEN existed... it doesn't really matter if they are aware that UNCLE MUGEN is my self insert or even go as far and think that UNCLE MUGEN is a fictional character... just a glance and a reminder that I was once here in this world is more than enough for me...

So the more I produce, the better the chances my work will still exist in the far future... And that is what motivates me to push further and harder...

"POOF" (Disappears)

[Boomsickle]

You're not the only one who's worried about failing or even about lacking in the motivation of working on something. Heck watching anime,playing mmorpgs were my entire life during high school but now i gotta mix it up with work/school games and projects it can be daunting and i cant say i spend everyday working on my project but completing it in pieces seems to be working fine. I do doubt my self from time to time but you just gotta realize that it isn't as hard as your making it out to be it just takes time. So instead of watching 8 episodes of anime watch 2 or even none. Now if only i could stop playing league of legends all together I'd probably finish this real quick.

[Tempus]

Banning myself from doing anything that will distract me can help. Internet, anime, youtube, forums, (uh... well, basically everything on my computer), housework, playing an instrument, and on it goes. Then I'm only allowed to work on the project. Framing the situation in the negative helps me because it puts the focus on the things I'm not allowed to do, rather than a specific thing I have to do. Eventually I'll just get bored and only have the project left as an option.

A lot of the problem with motivation is habitual. It's not that some people are magically more motivated than others -- they just have a habit of creating things with regularity which makes motivation come easier. It's analogous to muscle memory; no one consciously thinks about walking because they do it so often. It's the same with any regular activity whether that be working on a project, exercising, YouTube addiction, etc. Your brain will easily fall into patterns it's familiar with.

Oh, and about those lists... they never work once they get huge. Learn to accept there's too much stuff on them To echo advice above, cut things down to size.

[megatuga]

Okay, I didn't expect this many replies. This will take a while to answer...

Failure anxiety may be one the reasons why you're not getting things completed, though that may not be the reason. Maybe you're just one of those people who needs a kick in the butt from time to time.

Well, I always had some sort on anxiety but rationally it seems quite stupid to be fearing failure uh... I say that but my words never match my actions. I always prefer when people push me, rather than doing things myself, maybe that is a possible reason.

I could offer myself in another project but the thing is that I ... just can't draw, I've tried composing but the musical programs are a bit complicated (especially if you are used to the typical Do-Re-Mi and nothing else). And everybody has a writer...

i want to do something big, but when i look back at my skill, i got really depressed, so i start to wander the net, and i see many and many people who can do great and actually making something, i look up to them, wanna be like them, that's how i got a little of my motivation back.

Haha, that's... actually kind of depressing to me. Looking at other's work makes me feel inferior at times (again, it is a mental thought, not rational) but I see where you are getting at

Make realistic restriction like there can be no more than x amount of characters in this game or x amount of words. And if all else fails you can always ask other people which idea of yours they'd rather see made into a game. Some people are more motivated when they choose for themselves but for some people it can be a relief to have the choice be made by others.

Sounds like a reasonable choice to make. I thought of asking opinion on others but probably I never did because I wondered if it would be anything enough for them to bother. I do get some positive feedback every now and then, so it's not bad.

I do doubt my self from time to time but you just gotta realize that it isn't as hard as your making it out to be it just takes time. So instead of watching 8 episodes of anime watch 2 or even none. Now if only i could stop playing league of legends all together I'd probably finish this real quick.

Banning myself from doing anything that will distract me can help. Internet, anime, youtube, forums, (uh... well, basically everything on my computer), housework, playing an instrument, and on it goes. Then I'm only allowed to work on the project. Framing the situation in the negative helps me because it puts the focus on the things I'm not allowed to do, rather than a specific thing I have to do. Eventually I'll just get bored and only have the project left as an option.

I seriously never thought of restricting myself before. You see, when I see I have free time and I am at my computer (generally if I have free time at home I AM in front of the computer), and I know I have to do this/that (for example I: am a blogger at an anime/manga blog and I have to do posts every now and then because I WANT TO), but sometimes I just feel bored that I don't get courage to start to write and I spend my time playing games, watching LP's, reading Light Novels, etc...
But sometimes I do get myself to write what I have to and I... just don't stop until I've reached the end... and it feels good. It is the act of starting that gets me nauseated, but once that I am onto it... it feels... nice.

Oh, and about those lists... they never work once they get huge. Learn to accept there's too much stuff on them To echo advice above, cut things down to size.

Yeaaaah... I suppose I should discard anything that is not necessarily good or something with less target audience (which I bet it's about 60% of the list, which targets very specific fans of this/that)

Yeah, I should really do that.


In the meantime I am following your general suggestions and specially taleweaver's. In fact, his reply inspired me to write something that looks a good Kinetic Novel. I started planning and it looks good in my eyes, so I hope you will enjoy. Of course, I have to find how am I going to do the rest (art, music) But I will first write, then make a recruitment thread, so I won't be asking for help before I have anything done.
Hopefully Ren'Py will go easy on me and I won't get lost in coding and other complicated matters that might occur.

Regardless, you guys were very nice. I really wasn't expecting this much commotion. I think I will like this forum, and I hope you will like my upcoming KN!

(For me the thread can be closed, but I bet other people might want to look at it and ask for help in a more specific way regarding this, it's the admin/moderator's call.)

[TrickWithAKnife]

Motivation has never really been an issue. I've wished for a game like I'm making for years, so the finished product is appealing to me. I enjoy the process, and if I do grow tired of something, I just switch to a different task. Often when I come back, the original problems make more sense.

The problem I do have, however is time and concentration. Sometimes despite being motivated, I'm simply too tired to be able to do anything constructive. It sucks, but that's life.

I think if you want to stay motivated, you need to work on a project that is close to your heart. Something that brings you pleasure to work on. A project that when you want to relax after a hard day at work or school, the method of choice is working on your VN.

If you enjoy something, then motivation generally isn't an issue.

EDIT: And working solo. When I tried gathering a team, it was just an exercise in futility. Generally most people's motivation doesn't seem to extend much further than sending a PM saying "I would love to be a part of your project! I can help with [insert skill that you will never see an example of here]."

[Greeny]

My motivation is directly proportional to the other people working on my projects... Artists, editors, etc...
Every day I stare at the top of the board where is says "0 new messages" and I slam my head into the keyboard and get nothing done.

[dorne]

Recently I went by with my mother to buy some jewelry for my cousin's birthday. Why it had to be jewelry I do not know. Going around, I had never really gone to a jewelry store in a while. All I saw was a bunch of trinkets that were made of expensive gold and diamonds, zircon and other precious stones. Some where ranging from 50$ Canadian to all the way to 3000$ for a full necklace studded in gold and diamonds. For me, I could not understand why anyone would want to buy this, it serves no essential purpose to have them. But when I look at other people, some of them go around with dazed eyes, their hearts filled with desire on things that were so beautifully crafted. Some desire for themselves, others to give to their beloved or important friends. And this all started with someone finding these stones, removing impurities, and crafting and studding them to make a polished product on display at some store. So much work was put into the whole process that value was added to get it there.

It is a craft. Will you be able to make something that you yourself put on a jewel display for all to see and desire?

[Yomuchan]

True, sometimes I experience those few moments of despair.
"Will my game do okay? Will I get death threats? Will I manage to finish this? Am I in over my head?"

But you know what I do? I listen to this guy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZ53aHQVfdQ

A few inspiring A/MVs later, there goes my unmotivated state, FLUSH, right down the toilet!

[nankaimo]

When i first started drawing I did it because I loved it, I drew and colored all the time because it was so much fun for me.
I did hear people say that it was impossible to get a job in art and it doesn't pay very well because everyone is doing it, and it did discourage me
but one day I kind of realized that I didn't care if it payed well or not, it was a passion that has forever been mine and because of that I had to peruse it.

My true motivation came from an artist called Id-Boomer, but now is Boomerr.deviantart.com when I saw her art for the first time she immediately became my idol and ever since she has been my main motivation for improving. My goal is "To be as good of an artist as Boomer"

Because of the motivation that arose because of the challenge of getting into the bushiness and being as good as boomer I improved radically.
I now am able to say that I have been accepted into one of the best public collage animation/illustration programs in my country that out of every 1000 people that applies only around 50 are let in.
So motivation is key, no one is born good at anything, it takes practice, practice and more practice and with enough refinement anything is possible
C:
//end of mushy speech lol

[Lesleigh63]

This is going to sound a little weird, but picture your game finished. You've posted it and people are playing it and leaving you comments on how great it was. This kind of thinking helps to get you motivated and keep going.