Follow along with my WorldEmber progress!

I promised you a look over my shoulder this month as I bring a vague and disjointed collection of ideas together into a cohesive piece of world-building. These resources will help you keep track of my progress through this month-long marathon challenge:

• Haly’s Official WE Progress Report — each participant gets a page that automatically collects their author information and all WE-eligible articles across all worlds into a single, shareable package.
• Haly’s WorldEmber on Argentii Index — an on-the-fly journal page and handy sidebar displaying only new Argentii WE-eligible articles.

Sometimes, it’s Easy. Sometimes.

Expecting creativity to be easy is foolish, but that doesn’t mean that it never is. It’s important to recognize those times (hint: there’s no such thing as ‘too easy’) and harness these infrequent bursts of creative super-energy!

Anyone who dabbles in any creative endeavor eventually realizes that it is a brutal process that taxes not only the mind, but the heart and he spirit as well. And, in some cases, even the physical body. The reason for this is because creativity is a muscle. It has to be stretched and worked in order to grow, and often that stretching and working can be uncomfortable.

Just like when you first start a new exercise program!

The good news is, just like that same exercise program, if you stick with it you will eventually reach a place where it’s easier than it was when you started. Your muscles are more familiar with what you’re doing, and you get more comfortable with the whole process.

Enjoy the Moment…

When you recognize yourself in one of these easy places, try not to ruin it by second-guessing yourself. Just let the creativity run rampant. I have noticed that when these flow states come on me, the quality of the work I produce is generally better and needs less editing.

Does that mean it’s perfect? No, not at all! It simply means that being undistracted allows me to get into the rhythm of the scene and spell it out in a way that makes sense. Much more like a revised draft than a raw first draft.

…It Won’t Last

Unfortunately, these easy times won’t last. And, if we’re being honest with our creative spirits, they shouldn’t last. Going back to the exercise metaphor, what does it mean when your workout is getting easier? Yes, it means you’re getting stronger, but it also means that it’s time to bump up the weight, to change up the routine.

Or, in the case of creativity, it’s time to push ourselves in new directions!

For example, in my own WorldEmber workout, I’ve come to the place where it’s gotten easy. I’m almost done with the topics for which I felt I had the most immediate need. I’ve only got a couple of relevant stubs left to develop, and then…what?

Challenge Yourself

When the easy flow state ends, it can feel like you’ve gone into a slump. One way to get yourself out of that feeling is with a new challenge! You don’t have to wait for one to come along, you can make them up yourself. Whether just for you, or one you share with the community, a challenge is an excellent way to take the next step in building a strong and healthy creative muscle.

For myself, I’m going to spend a few days going through the list of templates on WorldAnvil and making sure that I’ve made at least one article on each. Why? Because as I said the other day, world-building is more than just the places and people!

Do you find fun ways of challenging yourself? If so, what are some of your favorite ways of pushing yourself to grow?

Wrapping the Day

As I write this, I am sitting at 18,664 new words of world-building toward my 50,000-word goal.