How do you, the writer, take notes from the game?

[Wicht]

The title really says what I want to know. How do you take notes from a game for your storyhour.

I find myself taking page after page of note, including dialogues, blow by blow notes from the fights and jotting down every action of the characters (I miss a few but I try)

Do you take detailed notes?
Do you use a recorder?
Do you do it off the top of your head?
How accurate to the actual events do you try to be?

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

I do it just like you described. Line by line, blow by blow.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I'm so disorganised. Normally a day or two later I sit down and write a list of each of the significant events that took place. I try to remember key elements from the combats. I use these as memory joggers when the time comes to actually write the storyhour segment (which is normally much later).

I try to be as accurate to the events as possible. When a combat went very well and/or was very short I give a blow-by-blow description, but most of the time I just give the highlights, perhaps with added descriptive effects.

To be honest, I wouldn't have time to take down notes in the middle of the adventure. How do you manage it?

 

[Nail]

Originally posted by Plane Sailing To be honest, I wouldn't have time to take down notes in the middle of the adventure. How do you manage it?

He's not th' DM of "Wulf's Storyhour". Big time availability difference there (Player vs. DM).

 

[Wicht]

Well I am the DM of my campaign and I write as I talk, or more often, I write while the players are talking. I try not to let it slow down the game play too often, but it does some and hence my question - are there any tricks other note-takers use.

I posted elsewhere - in combat I have figured out a fairly quick way to log the blows but the dialogue is a killer to try and catch all of it.

 

[Ziona]

I keep a journal at the table with me and do exactly as you said...I write down actions and attacks, notable quotes and diologue. It can be time consuming, but I find that it works best.

I have tried to record the sessions onto cassette, but I find that it can make people a little nutty (either they don't want to be on the tape or they make goofy comments at the recorder.) So, I'd rather just jot things down (I'm up to 1 1/2 journals now) that way I can also take notes on things I notice as well. It can be tough sometimes when you're trying to write something down & it's your turn, or if you get up to use the lav & missed something, but I think the journal works best.

We have a big battle coming up tomorrow, and there are going to be so many people there (we're having "special guests" play NPC's) that we've decided to video tape it. But, the plan is to have the camera aimed at the table with the minis & the Master Maze & not at the players. This way, no one feels awkward about being on tape, and it stays focused on the game. I am pretty interested in seeing how this goes. I'll let you know if it's worthwhile.

 

[Enkhidu]

Try doing a story hour where the action is literally months old, and where you have only your memory and some scant notes!

My co-writer and I have wrestled with this problem since the beginning of our story hour, and I've got to say that the way we've been doing it is to let creative license run free. Outcomes of the events remain the same, but the round by round action has sometimes been changed (we don't thinks its all that important "who killed what in what order" so long as it's fairly close).

Of course, for the big and the memorable things we try to remain pretty much spot on.

As for dialogue, well, we always try to capture the essence of what was said, though we have absolutely no problem changing words to get rid of the inevitable gamespeak that creeps in.

 

[Zad]

I have a laptop at the game table. (I'm a player not the DM.)

I try to capture where things are generally going, some overviews in combat (frankly I find overly detailed combat makes for a boring story) and especially flavor text and significant conversation and story elements. I type reasonably fast but mostly it's just a memory tool. I then go type things into the story the next monday, with the notes as a basic guide and memory-jogger. I also make sure I get spellings on things like places, NPC names, etc.

My notes generally are missing detail and I get something wrong or mis-remember fairly often but it's not too bad.

 

[ForceUser]

I'm the DM; I'm too busy running the game to take notes at the table. I write my story hour based on the memories and impressions of what went on, and I embellish to tell a good tale. I try to make the story as accurate as possible from memory, and I pick the memories of my players if I want to get a specific point spot-on. With dialogue, I can generally remember what my NPCs said because I often practice their lines or characterizations before a session. With PCs, I try to get the right sentiments out of the right characters, but I'll be the first to admit that what I write is not a 100% accurate reflection of what was said at the table. Instead, I often write what I think they would have said. I have great players but they are not Oscar-winners, and their roleplaying reflects that, so I tend to talk them up a bit in the story hour without breaking character - I do this partly to make it a more interesting read and partly in an effort to inspire them to roleplay more. I would love to have the kind of banter that Wulf or PCat appear to have at their tables, but my players aren't as outgoing, and neither are their characters. But we have fun

 

[(contact)]

I'm usually too busy figuring out ways to make sure that I get the best snacks and the last of the soda to take notes while I DM.

My DMing style is very seat of the pants as well, so my internal thought process is something like a Jackie Chan fight scene.

I write rough notes on happenings and memorable dialouge after the game, then type the logs at my next opportunity.

I would love to use a dictaphone though, for RP scenes. (Huh, huh. I said 'dict'.)