I want to create a story-based mappack. The current status about my mapping is that I have 10 fully playable maps finished, without any story elements. Now I find myself often dismotivated to map. Everytime I open HAmmer it's like "there's so much to be done", that I won't work anything but instead close Hammer again. Maybe someone might play these first ten maps or something. Help me get my motivation back.

(does this rather belong in the offtopic-section?)

Try to make something other people haven't done that's not too hard. For example, I made a map with non-toxic water for people to swim in. Maybe if you post your current work in the WIP section, maybe feedback will get you back on track. Just throwing ideas to see if they stick. (Dang, another Cave Johnson moment)

I took a break from mapping for a few weeks and I'm newly invigorated.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by how much there is to do, you could try just working on one thing at a time. "Today, I will put in lights." That's how I work sometimes.

BrainstoneX, one reason I stopped mapping for Garry's mod is because the maps need to be perfect because you are a very long time on them. To create perfect maps, you need to work looong at them.
Portal 2 gives you one good point: Just create one test room and release it or play it with friends. Don't create one for your mappack, just create a random one, without any connection to another project and play it. For me the point helps, that Portal don't need such big maps to make.

Literally go on a physical walk and just think. This also gives you more ideas, or find a solution to something you previously couldn't figure out. I do this all the time and it works incredibly well. After all, most people get good ideas sitting on the toilet or having a shower.

Do what Marise said and do one thing at a time, this will split the work up and will seem more manageable. For example: Today you might work on map1 and finish the room that is half complete, if you didn't complete it, work on it again later.

Do not expect yourself to finish all what you believe you wanted to do. After all this is a hobby and not a job! Have the attitude: I believe I can finish this today but it is not overly important if I don't.

Prioritise! Think what is important to do at this current point in time and focus on it. If you need to finish the actual puzzles on a certain map, do it! (Work with the last 2 points as well)

Constantly show your work to friends as they can give you ideas and/or keep making it better. They can also tell you what they like and what they don't so you can have an overall better map.

MasterLagger wrote:
Try to make something other people haven't done that's not too hard. For example, I made a map with non-toxic water for people to swim in.

I recall Blue Portals having a fair bit of that actually. :P

BrainstoneX, out of curiosity, what is it exactly you feel prevents you from working on your project(s)? Is it a sense of being overwhelmed by it alone, or do you feel like "there must be other things I ought to be doing now", or do you simply lack the inspiration to create anything new?
I can relate to possibly all of the above (for various projects/responsibilities), but my thoughts are somewhat foggy on determining what the problem really is.

Well, I created these 10 maps in a row, but did rather create new ones than detailing the last ones when the puzzles in them finished, as I had so many ideas and inspirations. And after the summer holidays I had the task to detail 5 broken testchambers in a row, and I got less and less ethusiasted.

I think I will submit my maps to the WIP section. I didn't want that before, as I kind of wanted these maps to be submitted in one big blow, but that was not just unrealistic, many bugs would also have appeared.