When to End a Scene and Start Anew

A common problem for new players joining our creative writing role-playing game at Escaping Reality is knowing when to leave a scene.

Some rush through scenes and flit about from scene to scene rather than savoring the moment for all it can offer. Others drag out a scene waiting for a storyteller to provide direction or intervention and give the official word that the scene has run its course.

Like the changing of chords in a song, a scene has a certain rhythm. You can feel when the scene is flowing well between characters. Writing is easy and the scene unfolds easily on its own.

But there comes a point when the scene slows down. There’s really nothing more to say.

So why push it? It’s okay to close out a scene when the small talk begins and coming up with something to say seems forced. Let the curtains close and the lights fade.

Jumping Time

Time jumps happen between scenes. This period occurs when either the storytellers or some players in a closing scene might decide to end the scene and move on.

Just as with a movie, the scene fades to black. The new scene opens and everything begins anew.

Beginning a new scene after ending one does not mean players need to summarize each and every detail of what happened in those hours in between “then” and “now. Unless a mundane detail might be important later on, it’s safe to skip over brushing teeth or grabbing a late night snack.

Ah, but wait. If your character was brushing his teeth and he noticed he had fangs, or if your character was mugged by dubious strangers at the 24-hour drive-through window, then it’s an event worth noting. Play it out. Write it down.

The same time jump happens in novels between chapters. Each new chapter begins fresh. The introduction may sum up a few important past details, but not all, and nor does the transition require detailing every time.

The next time you start a new scene, think about what’s important and what’s not. If you feel something needs to be written (because if it isn’t written, it can’t be used later), then do so.

If not, leave it out and move on.

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Each Scene is a Story

To get the most out of scenes on a play-by-post game board, build anticipation like you would in a short story.

If you look closely at some of the best scenes in our creative writing game at Escaping Reality, you’ll see that these scenes follow the same formula any full novel would.

Each scene is a story within itself. There is an introduction, the rising action, the climax, and the let-down that follows as the action slows before wrapping up the scene.

Heighten the anticipation. You do want people to wonder what’s coming next. You don’t want them to get bored whipping through reading through a grocery list of details or thoughts.

Also, give other players and characters in the scene and a reason to keep going. Toss them a hook. Internal thoughts are fine, dialogue is great and so are actions. If you do too many of one and neglect the rest or rattle off a resume shotgun style, you eliminate the chance for other players to respond to anything.

You leave players with nothing to work with and nowhere to go.

There is no time. There is no prescript pace. There is only here and now, and the stories of the lives of the characters we build.

Let them live. Let them breathe and love and fear and move and talk and warm to each other or shy away and run. Let the story be your guide. Don’t guide the story.

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Pacing Yourself In the Game

One of the biggest adjustments tabletop gamers have to deal with when switching to a creative writing play-by-post game is coping with the pace of the game.

During tabletop, or even a LARP game for that matter, players usually have only one night a week to meet. They typically cram in as much game as they can into a few hours.

A whole day or even several days of game play takes place in one real-life night. The next week, the players return to jump time and play some more.

Downtime, the period when characters are not actively involved in the main plot, is usually glossed over with quick summaries of what a particular character may or may not have done while his player was off having a real life. The period could span days or weeks.

Time Warp

A play-by-post rpg game is very different. The focus is usually on the writing and the story. It’s about character development and digging into those juicy little details to find out what makes your character – and the character of other players - tick.

This takes a considerable amount of time. Unlike a tabletop game where you might not have the opportunity for extended one-on-one conversations with other characters, you do frequently have these opportunities in play-by-post role-playing games.

In a creative writing game, you have all the time you want to formulate an in-depth answer and response. When you’re role-playing in this manner, it can easily take two months of real life time passing to have your characters live two days in game.

Put Down The Map

The game is all about living in the moment. For the most part, creative writing rpgs have loose plot. The plot evolves from what actions the characters make.

Action shifts on a daily basis. A storyteller running a particular scene might have a general direction in mind, but the characters or other storytellers could have an event happen that sidetracks plot in a completely different direction.

It’s all one big improvisation session, with everyone playing off what the other characters do.

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Never Write Alone

Plenty of writers enjoy their fiction. They write for fun. They write for themselves. Collaborative writing? Sure, they’ve heard of some authors who pair up, like David and Leigh Eddings or Anne Rice and her husband.

But the majority of writers never collaborate – and that’s a shame.

At Bob Younce’s blog, the Writer’s Journey, he recently discussed writing for fun. Keep in mind that Bob (and we) write for a living. Words are our lives, day in, day out. We’re paid to write, we write for free, we work in writing and we write on the side.

We write for fun, too, Harry and I. We wrote a novel together. It was a great experience. But even greater than that experience are the moments we collaborate in a group environment.

It’s exciting. You never know what’s coming. It’s fun! You’re amongst friends. It’s helpful, because you get instant feedback. It’s educational, because you can watch others and learn from the way they write a brilliant description or some captivating dialogue.

Whipping out 6,000 words in a day becomes absolutely nothing. The love for writing buoys each person as they frantically type as fast as they can. Then they sit and wait anxiously for the next player to write.

It’s a frenzy sometimes. No one can post fast enough. No one can wait. Everyone’s excited and sharing in the story. That – right there, that sharing – is what makes collaboration one of the best experiences you’ll ever have.

Integrating with Other Writers

Shy? Have trouble with groups? Collaborative writing is perfect. You don’t need to be yourself. You don’t have to talk to anyone. You can happily write from the perspective of someone that isn’t you – someone bolder, more confident and outgoing. Anonymity can allow writers to come out of their shell to create fantastic stories.

Difficulties integrating into a tight-knit group? You’re only hurting yourself by assuming you wouldn’t be welcomed. Most gamers are extremely excited to welcome new writers into the group – hey, the more the merrier, right?

What about feeling not good enough? It’s easy to look at other people’s work and immediately think, “They’re better than I am.” But if you asked these writers if you could see their earlier work, you’d be stunned. And they’d be the ones who feel shy.

You see, collaborative writing improves skills quickly, easily and in an amazing environment. Within just a few short weeks, many writers go from barely passing fair to rocking scenes left, right and center.

It’s incredible what you can learn when you’re having fun.

So go ahead. Write for pleasure, but do it with someone else. A love for words, for fantasy or for fiction is something too good to keep to yourself. Take a deep breath, ask someone to write with you and start enjoying your passion at its maximum potential.

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The Art of Storytelling: What Makes A Good Storyteller?

Before books, radio, television or movies, storytelling was the chosen medium for communication.

Our ancestors gathered around the open fire or hearth in the darkest depths of their dwellings and used stories to pass on their culture to the next generation. The stories would help explain abstract concepts like religion or the ways of nature, or the stories would tell the tribe or the village the latest news from faraway lands.

At its root, storytelling is about sharing experiences. We use storytelling every day. When we come home from work, we have plenty of anecdotes from the office to share with family members. When we talk with friends down at the local bar or over a restaurant dinner, we trade experiences in the form of stories.

Storytelling is an art form, though. Everyone can do it; few can do it well.

Today’s stories come in many different forms. Most stories are written down in books or presented in movies. It’s mostly a one-person experience. But over the last several years, the art of storytelling is experiencing a revival through role-playing games.

Storytelling and Role-Playing Games

One of the elements I enjoy most about the World of Darkness gaming system is the freedom it offers. Storytellers can take a set of rules and source material and then weave that into a fantastic game for players.

A good storyteller uses everything available at his or her disposal. In a tabletop or live-action role-playing game, props are key to a good game. There is mood music, handouts and other aspects of the sessions that make a story come to life with items the players can see and feel.

In a play-by-post creative roleplaying game like Escaping Reality, your written words have to paint a vivid picture able to interest players, draw them in and keep them coming back for more.
“Show, don’t tell” is more applicable to creative writing gaming than in any other situation.

Tips to Be a Good Storyteller

You need a strong sense of timing and rhythm, like a musician, to sense when changes occur. You need a quick mind to catch the little clues a player might leave. These have the potential to turn into a longer chronicle and more enjoyment. At the same time, you leave clues of your own for others to collect, like a trail of breadcrumbs.

One of the most difficult elements of creative rpgs is leaving these hints behind without beating the player or the reader over the head with them. You may desperately want to show readers to notice this or that, but you can only drop in subtle hints here and there to create an effective story. You have to learn how to set the right mood and keep everyone on track.

Realize that it’s okay if the story get off track. There’s nothing wrong with sacrificing your plot, your ideas or your plans if something better presents itself spontaneously. Just roll with it and see where the story goes.

Storytelling is an intricate dance of give and take. Once you learn a little about the steps and understand where to place your feet, you’ll be dancing your story in no time.

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When Storytellers Collide

Many seasoned gamers have played both sides of the screen, having been either player or master of the game. Sometimes it can be difficult to switch from one role to another. If you began as an ST, it might be difficult for you to bite your tongue and let someone else run the game. As a player, you might feel a little intimidated the first time you try to run your own game.

Playing With the Big Boys

Some of the most enjoyable scenes and games I’ve been in are ones where I’m playing with a group of fellow STs. The energy that comes from a bunch of storytellers working together is amazing. Everyone knows exactly what’s expected and how to work a scene to its maximum potential.

It was a weekend, a lazy Sunday with no one else around, and both James and I had our desks clear of work with some free time on our hands. We hadn’t had a screw-off day in a while, and it was easy to slip back into a few hours of what we love most: creative writing RPG.

We wrote a kick-ass scene together on Escaping Reality.

The Posting Marathon

The scene began to roll, with James and me rattling off “tags” one after another at an amazing pace. A few thousand words in a couple of hours? No problem. We were in the zone.

Jamie’s characters kept throwing mine these amazing curves. He and I have been gaming partners for a few years, and while we still manage to out-guess the other from time to time, there’s always the element of surprise.

Someone asked if we planned scenes in advance. How much do we share or discuss for any given scene in game when we play together? They were surprised at the flow and the seamless reading of the scene.

The answer is that we share some information, but not all. Most of our scenes are created on the fly. We have a general direction, such as John being pissed off at Jake, but that’s it. We begin everything with a one-line premise. We let our characters run loose.

Keep a Few Secrets

As an ST, you know how to throw a wrench into your gamers’ plans - and they do the same thing to you whether they realize it or not. When you get two STs going at it head to head, it makes for some fantastic and interesting playing.

James is very good at the short-term quick hits. He’s pulled some off-the-cuff stunts that have totally blown me away. My scheming takes a longer to play out. I might remember something from a scene written several days ago and file it away in my mind, only to bring it out in game when no one’s expecting it.

After all, no one expects the Spanish Inquisition.

How Can You Use This As A Player?

So what does all this have to do with your playing? There are tons of tips in this post that you can learn simply by watching your storyteller. Keep your eyes open and look at what the STs do. Is there something they mention repeatedly? How is their character behaving? What clues are they dropping?

Use everything you can. You may not be able to use it right away, but make a note of something you feel would be good to bring back into the game later on. File it away. Pick your moments for the best impact.

Go ahead; take your STs by surprise. They’ll love you for it.

Spanish Inquisition Clip

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Hunter: The Vigil - White Wolf’s Summer System Blockbuster

Every year, White Wolf releases a major gaming system at GenCon, the be-all-and-end-all of gaming conventions in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The first year I attented GenCon, the big release was Vampire: The Requiem. The second year, the released system was Werewolf: The Forsaken. They remain my favorite systems today.

In the following three years, White Wolf released Changeling, Mage and Promethean.

I wondered what White Wolf would release at this year’s GenCon. I had hoped for a re-release of Demon: The Fallen, but alas, no such luck.

Instead it looks like the big to-do will be about Hunter: The Vigil.

Roots in The Reckoning

Like many other WoD releases, Hunter: The Vigil has roots in the old World of Darkness gaming system. The original Hunter system even bore much the same name… Hunter: The Reckoning.

I never got into Hunters. The only time I picked up a Hunter book was for White Wolf’s medieval version of the World of Darkness system called The Dark Ages. It was more fun to play a supernatural than hunt them.

This time, I may have to get my hands on this book when it comes out (and this year, gaming books are tax deductible for me!).

The Story So Far

The World of Darkness is all about…well, darkness. Their old system relied on the ever-present threat of the Apocalypse, but the new system hits closer to home. This game is all about the real things that scare you.

The theme of Hunter: The Vigil is what White Wolf calls “the light in the darkness”. The Hunters are those defending humanity against threats from the supernatural realms.

The theme is also about general humanity and that there is far more strength in numbers than one individual standing alone against impending darkness. These new Hunters know the meaning of teamwork. They might just put a few Forsaken packs to shame.

Hunter: The Vigil is also about characters learning to open their eyes to some frightening truths about the world they live in.

Let’s face it; being a human in World of Darkness means getting the shit end of the stick. Humans are food, breeding stock, unlimited sources of emotional energy, and offer other resources for most supernaturals.

A Hunter has witnessed these things firsthand and decided to take a stand.

Yes, yes… Buffy was a Hunter.

Whether Hunter: The Vigil will be any good or not, I can’t tell. As always, there’s a lot of hype and high expectations from the fans on the White Wolf forum boards. There are those who defend the old system to the death and others, like myself, who keep an open mind and approach the new system as just that - a new system.

Knowing me, I won’t be disappointed. The old werewolf system, Werewolf: The Apocalypse, was the only system I knew inside and out, and the new version is much better than the old one.

At any rate, I’ll know for sure whether Hunter is worth it on August 14th, when White Wolf makes its release

Stay tuned.

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What Constitutes a Good Role Playing Game?

In the comment section of our Starting With Your Questions Post, Ben Overmyer asked, “What constitutes a good role-playing game?” It’s a very good question indeed.

The answer is that the definition of a good role-playing game varies from person to person. Everyone looks for something different in role-playing.

Personally, I prefer a game that gives me plenty of creative freedom. Too many rules and too much number-crunching are enough to make me crumple up my stat sheet and walk away.

When I was overseas in Wales, my friends were into the GURPS gaming system. GURPS stands for Generic Universal Role Playing System. Steve Jackson created this system and designed it to fit any genre - everything from fantasy, to war games, to sci-fi and some fan fiction like Discworld.

GURPS involved many stats and charts. The game experience was a little tedious for a guy like me who just likes to come up with a character and wing it.

But that’s just me and my preferences. What makes a good role-playing game for other people?

Strategy

Some people thrive on strategy. They enjoy trying to determine how to achieve goals through plotted actions or moves. Their preference is to outwit and outlast, or at the very least, outsmart an enemy, if not the game master.

World of Darkness’s Vampire: The Requiem and its predecessor Vampire: The Masquerade were chock full of political strategy. Many D&D campaigns include plenty of strategy as well. Get into an epic battle and believe me, you’re going to have to start thinking like a general!

Combat

I’ve gamed with many players who live for the fight and nothing but the fight. They don’t care about developing a character’s personality or improving the storyline. They just want to hack and slash. Nothing is better than a Saturday night spent up to their hips in virtual gore.

Combat does have its place. When used well, combat adds spice to a chronicle or campaign. It keeps the players on their toes. I believe that if overused, combat just becomes tedious.

The Dungeon Crawl

Ah, fortune and glory! Some games are all about the accumulation of experience points and treasure. Some people love collecting more than they enjoy the story, and they slog through 10 x 10 rooms full of mud and dragons to gather the goodies.

At Escaping Reality, we give out gifts and trinkets to characters, but these are few and far between. They also have to be earned and deserved. Unfortunately, some people can’t get used to the idea that there doesn’t always have to be a treasure or points to make a game fun.

So What’s the Answer?

A good role-playing game creates fun opportunity for both the player and the Storyteller (or Game Master or Dungeon Master). Never forget that the person running the game usually loves the game as much, if not more, than the players in the group.

A good RPG should also challenge the imagination. The game should make you think and use those brain cells of yours. Before the advent of video games, all we had were our imaginations and toys like little green army men, Hot Wheels, Tinker Toys and Lincoln Logs (made out of real wood).

Nothing moved, buzzed, flashed or spoke. If it did, it was probably too expensive for your parents to buy no matter how much you begged.

We had to make up our own games. And that is where role-playing games began.

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