The Bethesda Method (A Writing Post)
I’ve been writing and publishing for nearly twenty years. I have almost nothing to show for it.
If you’re familiar with Far Cry 3, the story’s villain, Vaas, is famous for saying; “Do you know the definition of insanity?”
If you don’t know, it’s doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result. Which is literally insane, when you think about it. Why would you expect something different if nothing about your approach changes?
I love to write, and I believe in my writing, but I am terrified of ending a story and the idea of publishing frightens me because I don’t have a clear process yet. (This is me ending the cycle of insanity, by publicly admitting what scares me about this endeavor).
I also used to have this horrible habit; I would get about two thirds of the way through a story before I started blasting it online. I would talk about it everywhere, I would design covers, I even set up pre-orders — all before even finishing and editing the story. Then, I would reach the stupidly self-imposed deadline, panic, quit talking about it and let the whole thing vanish into the ether.
I’ve done this as long as I’ve been this business.
Do you know the definition of insanity?
If you’re not familiar with Bethesda, they’re responsible for little known titles such as Skyrim and Fallout. They’re very rarely in the news. They never talk about what they’re working on. They simply release titles that revolutionize gaming. And they do so in silence.
I thought; this is cool as hell and I want to do it.
So I talk about writing, occasionally. But I never discuss the specifics of what I’m working on. I will talk about completing some things and possibly releasing them next year, but I won’t go into details. I don’t even design covers anymore until the second draft is finished.
I shut up and write.
I will talk about what I’m writing when I have something to talk about. When I’m ready to publish and show the world. I’m not expecting to have the kind of success Bethesda does, not right away, anyway. But it’s very difficult to argue with their methods.
So this is the method I’ve adopted as my business model. I no longer run off at the mouth with nothing to show for it. I don’t build empty hype. I just write, and when I have the stories ready, and the publishing pipeline set up, then I’ll talk about it.
But not before.
Thanks for reading.
Avery K. Tingle, The Gamer Author, is a survivor of child and domestic violence. After a lifetime of monstrous behavior, he is pursuing a Journalism degree from the College of Southern Nevada and the University of Las Vegas. He currently lives in Las Vegas with his wife, Cari, and their two cats, Sydney and Cora.
Originally published at https://medium.com on October 7, 2024.
