I am writing a homebrew campaign, currently on hold due to life being busy. And I have hit the brick wall of "Writer's Block". Some days I have too many ideas and others I have sweet stuff all. The characters are on the hunt for a mad Dryad called Radiana. She will eventually have a homebrew monster file. When I create it. Any help?
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I will always consider ideas for my campaigns. Only the ones I like get the investigation check.
Write all your ideas, fragments, pieces thoughts. As you revisit them, you can build upon them as layers or discard things that don't work with decisions you made. I find parking an idea can allow it to grow, too.
Already touched on in the previous post, but if you're stuck, try to write/type up SOMETHING. Even if it's incomplete or you don't like what you came up with, it gives you something to improve on, and can make it more manageable. It's awkward, and you have to force yourself to do it, but it gets the creative juices flowing.
In general, writing is an iterative process. I have 3 places I keep notes for my homebrew for whenever I get an idea, and I don't expect the idea to be perfect or fully fleshed out right away. Creativity strikes when you least expect it, and doesn't always happen in a logical order. Just make sure you record those great ideas when you do have them.
If you need something to help get the creative juices flowing, generators could also help. Even if it's "Location generators," "Encounter generators," or "Dungeon Layout Generators", it could give you a seed to work off of.
Another format I like is the "Five room dungeon," which is flexible enough to be used as a template to get you through the session you are struggling with.
And the final trick I have up my sleeve is taking story threads that you enjoyed in the past (be it from movies, shows, books, other campaigns, etc) and incorporating them into your own campaign, especially when you put a spin on them to suit your needs.
Hope all of these answers help you overcome the block! It's no fun, especially when there is a session coming up!
If possible have a notebook or journal next to you at all (within reason [in the shower would not be practica]) times. As DMs, it is assumed we are always thinking about our homebrew campaigns or the next upcoming session. As people have already mentioned write/type down your thoughts no matter how trivial they may be; this way you have not lost any of your "ideas" as you revisit them later on and eliminate or build on to what you wrote down. What is most important is don't force yourself to sit down and write because that is where Writer's Block will rear its ugly head and you'll just spiral into frustration.
+1 for writing anything, however unrelated or obscure. I find that my writers block comes from 2 key things:
1: not being able to work out the middle of a story - I know how I want the game to go (EG players fight a giant squid from a boat) and I know the twists I want to adD (giant squid is the former captain of the boat polymorphed by a fey and is seeking help to be polymorphed back) but then I find myself stumped on "why would the party be on the boat" and "how can the story be wrapped up nicely to give the players an exciting climactic finish".
2: Having too many ideas, IE scatterbrain. Everything comes out of my mind, in a buckshot-spread of half-formed ideas. These stop me from focusing on anything for more than 5 minutes, but if I can get them written down, they are great for coming back to for solutions to 1:!
If you're burnt out on your current campaign plan, then instead think about monsters or encounters which aren't part of the campain. I have one lined up involving a pair of inns which came from a random drawing I did and grew into a heartbreaking tale of family unrest which the player can try to fix. Stuff grows from unlikely seeds, so just write, doodle or think about anything you like - creativity, alas, can rarely be forced!
Write all your ideas, fragments, pieces thoughts. As you revisit them, you can build upon them as layers or discard things that don't work with decisions you made. I find parking an idea can allow it to grow, too.
+1 to this.
I advise doing something like a brainstorming step. Just write down as many ideas, good or bad, as possible. Then when it comes time to actually write, you can build upon them, discard them, or use them as is. Or if you're just doing something and all of a sudden have an idea for the campaign, write it down on you're brainstorming list (if possible. Otherwise do it when you can). Then later you can come back to it, build upon it and use it.
Then other than that, I advise coming back to the original idea of the campaign. What did you want the campaign to be like? What was the idea you had in you head? If that doesn't work, IDK about you but for me there's often not a lot I can do... My best advise then would be to start writing something else if possible (like maybe stuff later in the campaign or the statblock for the druid or whatever) and then see if ideas come to mind. If you can't put it on hold (ie. you have a session in 24 hours and need to write something for it) then just write something even if it's not great. Whether it's just cliche or a section from a rewritten adventure, have SOMETHING at least.
I use microsoft onenote for tracking my campaign, creating pages per quest, some sidequests that are things I'd like to do and can insert at any point in the overall adventure, and then have a page dedicated to ideas. The ideas page just contains simple one liners, sometimes as basic as "The party wake up and find their gold stolen", and as and when I have inspiration or see a monster in a book I like the look of, I add it to the note and it starts to flesh itself out.
Keep a note of page numbers of lore, monsters, deitys etc you find interesting as you are scanning through source books, at some point you might just think of a way to incorporate a quest around it.
With Onenote you can sync between mobile, pc and everything else, so its great to write things when out on the go. I've been in the middle of a supermarket and had an idea before, then whipped out the phone and made a quick note.
Also, listen to your players, they are constantly coming up with their own theories and ideas during gameplay, write them down! Dropping in objects that have no meaning behind, but listening to what the players think it could be is a great way to steal their ideas without asking them.
As for the writer's block, the most helpful thing for me by a huge margin is to get something flowing in my head that relates to the topic first. Instead of trying to figure out how the Dryad hunt begins, or the steps that will take place or story arc, etc. I go for more general inspiration. The first step for me is to first read up (outside of D&D where applicable) about the subject (e.g. start with Wikipedia on Dryads in Greek mythology, etc.) You might come across some bit of information that lights a fire, or maybe something that's outside of D&D lore that gives you a different perspective.
Being a visual person however, the biggest trick for me is Google image search. I just look for images that grab me without thinking about it too much. Then I start searching things that are close to the subject to see what else I can find (wood nymph, forest spirit, fantasy forest, forest magic, etc.) Any image that grabs me I just free associate or brainstorm ideas based on how the image makes me feel, even if it doesn't seem like an idea that will tie in to game mechanics, plot, etc. Just working on creating emotions or mood from these images is really helpful to me.
I am also making a homebrew campaign. I started a few weeks ago and already got stuck on a part. I was trying to find a way to trasition the characters from one place to another. I kept getting hung up on it so I decided to jump ahead and design the place they are going to and managed to tie the two together once I had more information about the destination. So whenever you get stuck, try to work on parts connected to what you're stuck on, and tie them together when it's a little more fleshed out.
OneNote is great, it's features are comparable if not superior to what WorldAnvil offers without the aesthetic look WorldAnvil brings to its user. I want to say there's a comparable (and free) Google product, but it's name escapes me and I don't see it in the usual Google app listings.
Also, sometimes the feature is built in, but it's not hard to adapt your phone into a voice notekeeper. If a D&D thought comes to mind say it, and then like during your game prep time, transcribe your notes and work from there.
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
When you get stuck, steal ideas from others. I've done a one shot that was essentially the plot to Casablanca. I am the only person I know under 40 who has seen it, so no one at my table had any idea.
Reason being, I'm having much the same problem of a terrible case of writer's block. In truth, I know some of it is because of life circumstances that I'm currently dealing with (all work related stuff which is making me be away from home for a little while) but the rest is trying to figure out how to weave the details together.
I have an idea of what the "direction of travel" looks like, but being able to identify the "roads" has been hard. The environment is well known to the players, so keeping it interesting has been a little challenging.
What do y'all think...keep trying to write down notes and see where it goes OR grab something pre-made and weave it into the story somehow...
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I am writing a homebrew campaign, currently on hold due to life being busy. And I have hit the brick wall of "Writer's Block". Some days I have too many ideas and others I have sweet stuff all. The characters are on the hunt for a mad Dryad called Radiana. She will eventually have a homebrew monster file. When I create it. Any help?
I will always consider ideas for my campaigns. Only the ones I like get the investigation check.
Write all your ideas, fragments, pieces thoughts. As you revisit them, you can build upon them as layers or discard things that don't work with decisions you made. I find parking an idea can allow it to grow, too.
Already touched on in the previous post, but if you're stuck, try to write/type up SOMETHING. Even if it's incomplete or you don't like what you came up with, it gives you something to improve on, and can make it more manageable. It's awkward, and you have to force yourself to do it, but it gets the creative juices flowing.
In general, writing is an iterative process. I have 3 places I keep notes for my homebrew for whenever I get an idea, and I don't expect the idea to be perfect or fully fleshed out right away. Creativity strikes when you least expect it, and doesn't always happen in a logical order. Just make sure you record those great ideas when you do have them.
If you need something to help get the creative juices flowing, generators could also help. Even if it's "Location generators," "Encounter generators," or "Dungeon Layout Generators", it could give you a seed to work off of.
Another format I like is the "Five room dungeon," which is flexible enough to be used as a template to get you through the session you are struggling with.
And the final trick I have up my sleeve is taking story threads that you enjoyed in the past (be it from movies, shows, books, other campaigns, etc) and incorporating them into your own campaign, especially when you put a spin on them to suit your needs.
Hope all of these answers help you overcome the block! It's no fun, especially when there is a session coming up!
If possible have a notebook or journal next to you at all (within reason [in the shower would not be practica]) times. As DMs, it is assumed we are always thinking about our homebrew campaigns or the next upcoming session. As people have already mentioned write/type down your thoughts no matter how trivial they may be; this way you have not lost any of your "ideas" as you revisit them later on and eliminate or build on to what you wrote down. What is most important is don't force yourself to sit down and write because that is where Writer's Block will rear its ugly head and you'll just spiral into frustration.
+1 for writing anything, however unrelated or obscure. I find that my writers block comes from 2 key things:
1: not being able to work out the middle of a story - I know how I want the game to go (EG players fight a giant squid from a boat) and I know the twists I want to adD (giant squid is the former captain of the boat polymorphed by a fey and is seeking help to be polymorphed back) but then I find myself stumped on "why would the party be on the boat" and "how can the story be wrapped up nicely to give the players an exciting climactic finish".
2: Having too many ideas, IE scatterbrain. Everything comes out of my mind, in a buckshot-spread of half-formed ideas. These stop me from focusing on anything for more than 5 minutes, but if I can get them written down, they are great for coming back to for solutions to 1:!
If you're burnt out on your current campaign plan, then instead think about monsters or encounters which aren't part of the campain. I have one lined up involving a pair of inns which came from a random drawing I did and grew into a heartbreaking tale of family unrest which the player can try to fix. Stuff grows from unlikely seeds, so just write, doodle or think about anything you like - creativity, alas, can rarely be forced!
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+1 to this.
I advise doing something like a brainstorming step. Just write down as many ideas, good or bad, as possible. Then when it comes time to actually write, you can build upon them, discard them, or use them as is. Or if you're just doing something and all of a sudden have an idea for the campaign, write it down on you're brainstorming list (if possible. Otherwise do it when you can). Then later you can come back to it, build upon it and use it.
Then other than that, I advise coming back to the original idea of the campaign. What did you want the campaign to be like? What was the idea you had in you head? If that doesn't work, IDK about you but for me there's often not a lot I can do... My best advise then would be to start writing something else if possible (like maybe stuff later in the campaign or the statblock for the druid or whatever) and then see if ideas come to mind. If you can't put it on hold (ie. you have a session in 24 hours and need to write something for it) then just write something even if it's not great. Whether it's just cliche or a section from a rewritten adventure, have SOMETHING at least.
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Ironically the country of my homebrew has three islands and they have just entered the middle island.
Any way thanks everyone for supporting a Junior DM.
I will always consider ideas for my campaigns. Only the ones I like get the investigation check.
I use microsoft onenote for tracking my campaign, creating pages per quest, some sidequests that are things I'd like to do and can insert at any point in the overall adventure, and then have a page dedicated to ideas. The ideas page just contains simple one liners, sometimes as basic as "The party wake up and find their gold stolen", and as and when I have inspiration or see a monster in a book I like the look of, I add it to the note and it starts to flesh itself out.
Keep a note of page numbers of lore, monsters, deitys etc you find interesting as you are scanning through source books, at some point you might just think of a way to incorporate a quest around it.
With Onenote you can sync between mobile, pc and everything else, so its great to write things when out on the go. I've been in the middle of a supermarket and had an idea before, then whipped out the phone and made a quick note.
Also, listen to your players, they are constantly coming up with their own theories and ideas during gameplay, write them down! Dropping in objects that have no meaning behind, but listening to what the players think it could be is a great way to steal their ideas without asking them.
Seconding OneNote, it's a lifesaver for me.
As for the writer's block, the most helpful thing for me by a huge margin is to get something flowing in my head that relates to the topic first. Instead of trying to figure out how the Dryad hunt begins, or the steps that will take place or story arc, etc. I go for more general inspiration. The first step for me is to first read up (outside of D&D where applicable) about the subject (e.g. start with Wikipedia on Dryads in Greek mythology, etc.) You might come across some bit of information that lights a fire, or maybe something that's outside of D&D lore that gives you a different perspective.
Being a visual person however, the biggest trick for me is Google image search. I just look for images that grab me without thinking about it too much. Then I start searching things that are close to the subject to see what else I can find (wood nymph, forest spirit, fantasy forest, forest magic, etc.) Any image that grabs me I just free associate or brainstorm ideas based on how the image makes me feel, even if it doesn't seem like an idea that will tie in to game mechanics, plot, etc. Just working on creating emotions or mood from these images is really helpful to me.
I am also making a homebrew campaign. I started a few weeks ago and already got stuck on a part. I was trying to find a way to trasition the characters from one place to another. I kept getting hung up on it so I decided to jump ahead and design the place they are going to and managed to tie the two together once I had more information about the destination. So whenever you get stuck, try to work on parts connected to what you're stuck on, and tie them together when it's a little more fleshed out.
Keep your friends close, and enemies closer.
OneNote is great, it's features are comparable if not superior to what WorldAnvil offers without the aesthetic look WorldAnvil brings to its user. I want to say there's a comparable (and free) Google product, but it's name escapes me and I don't see it in the usual Google app listings.
Also, sometimes the feature is built in, but it's not hard to adapt your phone into a voice notekeeper. If a D&D thought comes to mind say it, and then like during your game prep time, transcribe your notes and work from there.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
When you get stuck, steal ideas from others. I've done a one shot that was essentially the plot to Casablanca. I am the only person I know under 40 who has seen it, so no one at my table had any idea.
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Bumping this thread back up a bit...
Reason being, I'm having much the same problem of a terrible case of writer's block.
In truth, I know some of it is because of life circumstances that I'm currently dealing with (all work related stuff which is making me be away from home for a little while) but the rest is trying to figure out how to weave the details together.
I have an idea of what the "direction of travel" looks like, but being able to identify the "roads" has been hard. The environment is well known to the players, so keeping it interesting has been a little challenging.
What do y'all think...keep trying to write down notes and see where it goes OR grab something pre-made and weave it into the story somehow...