There's long been a nasty rumor that these adventures are really written to be read and not to be played.
And it always feels like there's some truth to it.
Rumor or not, that is the problem I have with the way adventures are presented.
In
Impro by Keith Johnstone he says we "shouldn't really think of making up stories, but of interrupting routines."
As a GM for a long time I thought "I have to write stories." Then I read this, and I saw a clip with Seth Rogen about the difference between Plot and Story. TLDW: Plot is what is happening Story is What is it about.
I translated that into this: Plot: What is happening; Story: What the players do with/to/at/around those happenings.
I now never worry about the "story". That's the players business (at least in my games, which are "traditional" rpgs (ie roles and responsiblity at the table are distinct and rarely overlap.)
And I have been tinkering with Keith Johnstone's formula: interrupting routines (this adventure design formula can also be found in S John Ross' Risus Companion.)
My way of doing this goes like this: (it crystalized for me just this morning. It is the first thing I thought of when I woke up. The other day the first thing I thought of when I woke up was Disney's Blackhole is just Moby Dick in Space. So be warned.)
- Adventure Plot: Write one down, or pick on from say S John Ross' Big List of RPG Plots.
- Think of 2-3 things that will happen - the PCs can't do anything about these things, they are part of the plot, they will happen - its kind of a timeline (or a railroad if you prefer, which I am fine with since I will be telling the players they are on this adventure not another)
- Grab some more of the RPG Plots from the list
- flesh them out
- make them self contained
- drop them into the adventure at various points when needed or wanted
- see how the characters resolve this interruptions
- then keep going with the adventure plot or interruption till:
- players die
- gm dies
- adventure ends
- heat death of the universe
Again, and really good example of what could be done to help a GM is in Toast of the Town by S John Ross (am I a fan boy? no just a fan of well written material) at the back of that adventure is a one page "timeline" of the adventure. While I don't consider it an adventure, its more like a campaign, based on the sheer GIRTH of the module, he claims its a one shot.
Anyway, this seems excessive so I'll stop.