Character Creation Chapter Proceeding Nicely

I just finished the Skills section during my morning train ride to work (it is over an hour long commute, great writing time). I now just need to focus on the Quirks, Powers, and Gear sections of the chapter. If I can keep at this current pace I will definitely hit my goal of finishing Chapter 2 before the end of this week.

I’ve learned a great deal about what works and what doesn’t work in trying to write a game. The first is that you have to cut yourself some slack and not be a perfectionist. The second is that you shoudl have a detailed outline that focuses on just the essentials for your game. Get the barebones framework written for the game first, the cool stuff (settings, unique items, amazing spells, etc.) can all be added later or saved for another project like a supplement.

But the big lesson that I learned today is that less is more. I have tons of notes and materials from my attempt to design this game over the years, and yet I’m using a lot less than I expected to while writing the beta version. Granted, I might have to beef things up after getting feedback upon release of the beta version but that is fine. The goal is to finish the beta, and the beta is allowed to be flawed.

At this rate I might finish the beta well ahead of schedule. That would be great to do, but I’m not going to hold myself to any artificial deadlines. I’ll write everyday, and the beta will be finished when it is finished.

Did I mention that for the first time in a long time I am actually enjoying this project? Giving yourself permission to be less than perfect can work wonders in some ways.