I’m not actually referring to how fast geeks get stuff done, that varies geek to geek, although a lot of us are pretty damn focused when we really get going on a project. I speak from the experience of building a 20″ x 20″ stained glass window in 36 hours. I, um, have a tendency to not eat, sleep or anything else when I really get going. Usually, usually, the Geek Husband What Rules can rein me in and get me to eat, although I get twitchy and keep looking longingly toward whatever it is I’m currently fixated on. And he can usually get me to sleep, even if I’m on a writing streak, granted with a lot of whining on my part about how I just need a few more minutes to get these last five pages out of my head.
Granted, there are those times when I just wait for him to fall asleep and sneak out of bed and go back to writing, and then wind up downing three triple espressos in rapid succession the next morning, not that I’m speaking from experience or anything…
But I’ve noticed that a large number of geeks, particularly girl geeks, have a tendency to have a LOT of projects going simultaneously. I say this because this morning, while sitting down making a list of the projects I need to finish, I had an inspiration for yet another project. It went something like this:
“Ok, so I need to wrap up the research on the Roaring 20s game, and do the ashcan, and, hey, I wonder if I could make a kid friendly version.* Yeah, I bet I could, and that would be an awesome teaching tool, because kids could research the era and what life was like for kids then, so they could role-play better, and there’d be extra credit for costumes and stuff, and I bet I could do a whole SERIES of these games. And they’d come with lesson plans and…”
Yeah. So instead of getting actually writing down my list of what needs doing:
1. Ashcan for Roaring 20s
2. Casanova re-write
3. Romance novel first draft – need to finish
4. Paranomal romance novel first draft – need to finish
I spent this morning before work madly scribbling out a char-gen system in my journal, and trying to figure out if I can add race to this without coming across as a jerk. And if I can, how realistic should the limitations on characters of certain races be, and will that scare teachers?
On the other hand, I’m reasonably sure I have the rudiments of a working mechanics system in mind, and that shouldn’t be that hard. It’ll probably be a simplified version of the adult Roaring 20s mechanics.
Writer’s block is rarely my problem.
New project ADD, that’s my problem.
So, how about you guys? Do you have the same fickle brain syndrome? Or do you pick a project and stay with it to the bitter end? Is your brain always whirring away, or do you have to kickstart it? Does this change with stress levels, that time of the month, the seasons? Do the guys do it, too? Or is it a symptom of the multi-tasking women are acculturated to in this society?
What do you think?
*If anyone under the age of consent is going to play this it NEEDS a kid-friendly version. One of the big settings is Weimar Berlin and the sex/nightclub district. Hell, I’ll have to omit most of the references for that setting if kids play. I can still come up with stuff, but… yeah…
Geek Girls Rule!!! 
Much like how I read several books at a time (which is really funny since I’m not a particularly fast reader but there you are), I also have multiple projects going on at once – which ideas for 40 more floating in my brain. I should probably spend some time to write them down so I might get some peace – except I’m worried about the same thing happening that just happened to you…
Sometimes those projects aren’t voluntary – court, homeschooling, test prepping, appealing disability ruling, kids moving out, house rearranging & cleaning, trying to find new roomate, etc etc.
All that falls under the “It never rains, but it pours” law that rules my existence. It doesn’t seem to matter though, when I’m not too sick to think, I always end up with multiple things that I’m trying to do. I had always thought it was because of those times I get too ill to function. Like, I better do all this NOW while I can. Perhaps I’d be like that no matter what? Interesting theory!
Writing a “child-appropriate” Roaring 20s game sounds like something of a challenge: no prostitution, no fornication, no gay bars (not because of the gay but because of the promiscuity), no cocaine, probably no people getting blinded or killed by bad bootleg liquor, no St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, no drive-by shootings…?
Guess it depends on how strict you are going to be. Probably still wouldn’t be considered acceptable to people like Peggy Charen or Phyllis Schlafly.