It's a perennial problem because it reveals too much of an 'attempt' to grasp something palpably valuable and not enough of an actual truth to refine, iterate, and push forward.

The problem I encountered now writing my story is that it is cluttered and filled with good 'isolated' ideas that do not have parity with one another. What I mean more specifically is that I envisioned dramatic moments in the plot without realizing they would need much more contextualization to work harmonically within the context of the game.

So now I'm streamlining, excising, and recreating- all whilst keeping my other ideas on the backburner (for other stories, or maybe I'll find a way to rechannel those impulses into the current project). I just post here because I figure it's a helpful tidbit- let enthusiasm power you up but don't let it command the flow of a narrative!

it is cluttered and filled with good 'isolated' ideas that do not have parity with one another. What I mean more specifically is that I envisioned dramatic moments in the plot without realizing they would need much more contextualization to work harmonically within the context of the game.

Are you the one who wrote Uncharted 3? Sorry, that was cruel.

Disclaimer: never played it. But when we asked for a NEW UNCHARTED we didn't mean "unchart the plot too!"

Honestly, what the first post here describes seems like a normal rough draft to me. Refining enthusiasm into a smooth entertainment experience is what revision is for.

Fair enough- but inverting the levels of importance in a project (enthusiasm pushes me into a bottom->top perspective) is a recipe for allowing the project to become disjointed and maudlin/meaningless. Nonetheless, constant iteration and refinement... We will see where this project ends up going.

enthusiasm pushes me into a bottom->top perspective

I'm sort of the opposite way. I get enthusiastic once I've come up with a couple ideas, and then use up my momentum making an outline and working my way down from there. Eventually it gets boring to even write because I already know exactly how it'll turn out.

Hmm. What I meant was more that even 'big themes' become bottom --> top. They lose their contextualizing power and become told rather than woven into the plot.

But I also understand where you're coming from. At first, my big idea was to have a deeply philosophical game narrative, then I ran into characterization and all other such related issues, and at this point I'm trying to ground myself. But I'm having reservations regarding the entirety of the project now (it's not compelling enough I think), so we'll see what happens.

For me, I tend to have the problem that I don't generate details at all without enthusiasm. Due to this general shortage of details, I'm happy to have details that aren't quite right because they're much better than no details, as far as a foundation from which to progress, or raw material to refine.

For me, I tend to have the problem that I don't generate details at all without enthusiasm. Due to this general shortage of details, I'm happy to have details that aren't quite right because they're much better than no details, as far as a foundation from which to progress, or raw material to refine.

I suspect the hidden ingredient is 'time' then. Perhaps I'll let enthusiasm carry me away, and then allow time to re-represent those items in new light. I'll try it.