👋🏻
My latest essay was not the one I envisioned writing or publishing next. I was in full swing on what you might think of as "mythical" Memento/TLOUPII essay and found out Abby and I were expecting a new baby. That turned into a miscarriage, right around when I was eager to distract myself from the essay and life. Marathon also came out and we all know how that went for me.
In that season of excitement and a new kiddo though, I got this idea about legacy and what we leave behind for our kids. I was writing things down like,
For those that come after. Sharing knowledge. Legacy.
Baby announcement style.
Tunic's "choice" of fight or share knowledge
Clair Obscur - We. Continue. For those that come after.
Uncharted 4 kinda has it with its ending
TLOUPII has Potato. Could be a good clip
I was very into the idea of manuals, journals, and legacy. I mean, it's the kind of stuff you think about when the next generation enters the picture.
The miscarriages made me kinda give up on the essay format though. I haven't felt this creatively low in a long time. But, that didn't stop my brain from seeing, hearing, and reading quotes that encouraged me. Eventually, I knew this legacy essay was turning into the one that was published.
But I also knew myself and the lack of motivation I was experiencing. I wrote about this, in a way, in Memory Card 76 – The Persona Gap:
"Tasks and goals do need to be accomplished, but I have realized my goals/tasks are too full. Same with this essay. The goal is "finish The Thing™." When I could be more broad with something like "work on a creative project." Maybe these looser and looser framings will just help me kick the can down the road. At some point, there does need to be forcing functions in place to make The Thing™. It's a tough balance to find and strike. Maybe next week will be better."
The projects were too big and too tall a mountain to climb. So I enlisted the help of one friend to be my accountability partner. Each week, I checked in with him and shared my progress, talked out loud ideas, flow, etc. I made tasks smaller. From the likes of "finish draft 1" to "write one new section." I gave myself a deadline of the end of June too. This process is the reason this essay came out at all.
Never underestimate the power of accountability. Combine that with a deadline and you ought to actually make make make.
I still think about the Memento and TLOUPII essay. I wonder if I can brave the timeline again. I do know what my next essay is about though. A combination of another striking moment in Journey and save files on my copy of A Link to the Past named "GRAMPS" and "FARTR." Real poetic stuff.
Until next time...
Memory Card Newsletter
This letter is one block from the newsletter Memory Card by Max Roberts. Thoughts? Send me an email at [email protected].
Max is the writer and producer behind Max Frequency, a place where he cultivates and curates curiosity—both for himself and for others—by delighting in the details and growing greatness from small beginnings.
He's written a rich history and dive on the making of Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part II, celebrated the 15th anniversary of Super Smash Bros. Brawl with the voice behind its hype, and examined how Zelda "stole" Fortnite's best mechanic.
Memory Card is a real-ish time, raw, drip feed newsletter of his creative process for telling these stories. It’s how The Thing™ gets made. You can sign up below. (Look down)
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Wanna see The Thing™? Check it out on YouTube. Read it on The Blog.