So I don't want to sound like someone who thinks game design is an easy thing anyone can jump into. My dad's a software engineer, and I know that end alone is bloody hard, and that there's more to game design, and it is not an easy thing.

My main creative skill is writing. I write fiction, often with heavy influences from games I've played or that I grew up with, and I've even been published a few times. But something I seem to put a lot of energy into is just mentally trying to design games. Not just like, going "Oh, it'd be cool if", but like, creating documents of mechanics, ideas, plots, concepts and all that sort of stuff.

Now, I am no coder. I've tried to learn several times, and it has never ended well. So it just occasionally bums me out that I have these ideas that I'm not going to be able to turn into anything myself, and despite knowing it's pointless, I seem to devote a lot of time to it, and I'm not overly sure why, seeing as it seems like an exercise in futility. I just like to imagine myself working with a team of people on a project making a game, even though I know I wouldn't actually have much that's practical to add to it (although I'd love to get hired as a writer for a games company, I do think that'd be great).

So, do you guys think that, without really any programming or art ability I'd be able to make a project? Or is it just one of those pipe dreams I'd entertain once in a while but not really be able to offer anything to a team?

Sorry if this seems a tad rambly, weird and/or whiny, I'm rather sleep deprived.

Tools like Unity, Unreal, Game Maker, RPG Maker, and so on all allow you to create games with no or very minimal programming ability. You may want to check them out.

I'd love to get hired as a writer for a games company, I do think that'd be great).

That's possible too. http://www.sloperama.com/advice/lesson32.htm
Also, you might want to check out the Writing forum here on gamedev.

So, do you guys think that, without really any programming or art ability I'd be able to make a project?

You can make a project, but what happens in that project depends on your abilities.

Tools like Unity, Unreal, Game Maker, RPG Maker, and so on all allow you to create games with no or very minimal programming ability. You may want to check them out.

Take this with a grain of salt. These technologies provide a baseline set of functionality. You can get exactly that functionality and NO MORE THAN THAT with no programming ability. Anything that they do not explicitly provide for you, you have to make yourself.

Don't forget that there is a whole spectrum of board and table-top game designs that you can experiment with. You don't need programming skills for this, just a little bit of willingness to do some arts & craft to make the prototype.