When I get stuck, I usually find that play loosens the mind and sparks new ideas. Given that creativity cannot be forced, the approach that seems to most commonly unsticks my process is to roll dice, throw out descriptions, and see what emerges from the game.

Perhaps that’s why I most commonly begin with a system-led approach, such as creating a character or running a small combat. Once I have some situation in motion the circumstances generate further context and raise questions that I can work to answer.

In this case, the system acts as a tool to spark imagination. Rolling up a character or two can suggest reasons to focus on these particular people. Where are they from, why are they here, and what do they want? If we run a fight, who are their enemies and why?

If nothing else, play also opens up the activity of the game. Instead of thinking about what might be we instead invoke something that actually is. The play unfolds and we can seek to add to it in an improvisational manner. Riffing off one things leads to something more.

If in doubt, when things get stuck, one solution is to start the play with something. However basic and tenuous, it often leads to something else that’s a little more interesting. Over time, the play accumulates context and meaning. New ideas spark.

Game on!