Lazybones said:
I think the best advice, if you really want to right (and you are good at it), is to force yourself to write just a little bit each day (not even my advice--comes from Steven King's On Writing and about a dozen other writers' manuals I've read). I know you're really busy with RL, but I find that even taking 15 minutes each day to write, even when you know that what you're going to write is just going to be hash and never printed/posted/published, is really important.
Lazy (if I may call you Lazy
), I've heard this same advice, from the same source no less. I think it is great advice if you are serious about writing as a hobby or as a means of making a living.
The trick is that I have no aspirations of making my living as a writer. I have that vague notion that there might be a novel lurking inside me somewhere, but I'm under no real illusions that my novel would be groundbreaking or bestselling. That being the case, my writing is essentially relegated to "hobby" status.
I've discovered that since having a child (and the commensurate drop in my available free time) that I've become much more of a hedonist with regard to my hobbies. I'm now much less inclined to engage in the tougher or more grueling aspects of my hobby, simply for the fact that it falls under the hobby.
Reading is a hobby of mine. It used to be that I would pick up a book I thought was interesting and start reading. If it became boring or wasn't like I thought it would be, I'd press on and keep reading anyway because it felt like finishing the book was part of the hobby of reading. Nowadays, if a book gets boring, I'll just quit in mid-sentence and say, "There are funner ways of spending my limited free time."
That's sort of how I feel about writing. I enjoy writing when it is enjoyable. When it isn't, I try and find something else to do that is enjoyable.
That's why I was very non-commital about the NWN module. I'm still feeling out whether this is going to be a compelling outlet for my creativity or whether I'll quickly realize that, while the idea of adventure design is near and dear to my heart, the more "programming" aspects of the NWN toolset are tedious and I'd rather spend my time in other ways.
I'm not particularly proud of this attitude. It frankly seems a bit immature. But when it comes to creative hobbies that are intended for the consumption by others (like Story Hours or NWN modules), I feel like if you aren't enjoying the creative process that it will probably show through in the quality of your work.
None of which contradicts your point about how if you always put in the 15 minutes that you'll occasionally get 3 good hours when you weren't expecting it. I think you are wise to pursue that course. You have real talent as a writer and I really hope your work pays off soon. I am a published author and there is nothing quite like holding a book in your hand with your name on it.
Good luck and thanks for the encouragement.
