When you hear the word ‘trigger,’ you probably start thinking about weapons. When triggers are pressed in a movie, baddies and expendable crewmen get shot. Big shiny buildings explode. Traps snap open and swallow heroes whole.

Triggers promise excitement. They make you sit up a little in your seat and pay more attention to the screen in front of you because triggers mean that Something is About to Happen.

So why should writing be any different? Be a player that puts explosive fun into each and every scene by learning how and when to use your literary guns.

Shoot ‘Em Up IC

Successful RPGing is based on a simple system of give and take. Act and react. Block and hit back. Take cover and return fire. Every time you write a post, you’re responding to your fellow players’ actions and making a move that lets them do the same.

Creative Writing teachers use the word “trigger” to mean something that gets a story started, but when it comes to RPGing, gamers use it to mean anything that sparks a change in a thread. When you get inspired with an idea for a scene, your imagination’s just handed you a weapon. Is it a handgun? A cell phone connected to a roomful of explosives?

When writing alone, you’re the one who determine what that weapon looks like. In an RPG, on the other hand, you have other players (and persnickety Storytellers) who set limits on what can and can’t be done. You may think it’d be wicked sweet for your characters to liven up a dull date by jumping onto the table and throwing food across the room, but think carefully before you pull a trigger like that. Not only would you have to make sure your fellow player is down for the plan, but if the Storytellers decide that that kind of behavior earns your character some time in jail, you have to be ready to deal with the consequences.

And always keep in mind that every other player has weapons of their own. Be ready for anything another player might throw at you. Think creatively, but limit your imagination to things that are realistic if not logical. And always remember that you can be dangerous as long as you’re ready to pull out your guns when the opportunity arises.

The Shot Heard ‘Round the World

It’s important to be thoughtful when deciding how to start a scene. The first post of a thread sets the stage for what’s to come, and though any character that joins has the power to change the mood, they can only build on the foundation that you lay out.

So why not start with an explosion?

There’s no law that says that players can’t be kept on their toes for the duration of a thread. It’s good for them! RPGing is only as fun as you make it, so don’t be timid about making the game exciting right from the get-go. Start the scene with your guns blazing and see what players will step up to the challenge.

The important thing about setting up a bold scene is to provide opportunities for players that follow to find triggers that they can use to continue the momentum. If your character is feeling a strong emotion when he enters the stage, the characters coming after you have something to grab onto right away.

Try to come up with an entrance for your character that’s more memorable than something like “He walked in and sat down and looked around for someone to talk to.” Challenge yourself to write aggressively, and be the one that makes others stop and blink.

Charging Into the Fray

Not to overcharge my metaphor card, but sometimes playing in a thread gets to be more like tetherball than a battle. Sure the scene started out fun, but after a while it seems like players are standing around in a circle, halfheartedly swinging their arm at the story when it comes their way and then simply watching as it winds itself around the pole.

Wouldn’t tetherball be a whole lot more fun if there were guns involved?

When a scene starts to drag, you shouldn’t look around for someone else to provide ammunition for entertainment. Fun scenes depend on the players involved being willing to draw their guns or take a bullet and Do Something.

It takes some risk to gain rewards. Maybe your character will be scorned if he asks the stranger next to him if he can borrow her chapstick. Maybe other players will think you’re a bad writer if you change the mood of the thread by doing something unexpected. Maybe your character’s friend will get angry at her if she tells the truth about what she’s thinking.

There are potentially bad outcomes for every decision, but there are a plethora of good possible outcomes as well. You’ll never know which one you’ll get until you try.

Smoking Gun

The toughest guns have reputations that sometimes get them into trouble. On an RPG, there’s nothing you should want more. Don’t be afraid to make bold moves and shake up the status quo. Be considerate of other players when you’re contemplating a twist, but make yourself a player others want to play with.

It’s challenges that make games interesting. Pull the trigger at your fellow players, and you’re guaranteed to get shot back.

Which, when RPing, is actually a lot more fun than it sounds.