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Read my UPDATED story hour and I'll give you a cookie!
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<blockquote data-quote="Wulf Ratbane" data-source="post: 239489" data-attributes="member: 94"><p>I just took a look at it. Seems ok so far, but I will give you my comments.</p><p></p><p>1) AVOID grammar mistakes. It's very hard to get into a story rife with errors. (So far it's not as bad as you indicated!)</p><p></p><p>2) Take notes at the table, especially, <strong>especially</strong> good quotes from players. If everyone is laughing or impressed by a comment at the table, you better write it down!</p><p></p><p>3) Use dialogue when you need it, but don't overdo it, and if you can't write convincing dialogue, better to avoid it. </p><p></p><p>4) Don't be afraid to "fill in the gaps" to keep the story interesting and keep it moving. Most of the story hour authors will tell you, you're not getting a 100% accurate transcript of what happened at the table. It's unrealistic to expect that and, in most cases, it wouldn't make a very good story anyway.</p><p></p><p>5) Where story hours are concerned, DM/writers have the advantage of plot, and PC/writers have the advantage of characterization. In my experience the DM just has too much going on to keep really good notes and quotes of what's actually going on at the table among PCs; he's busy running the adventure, after all. So if you are DMing this game, then I would advise you to keep your story focused on the the plot. After all, you already have all the notes on the plot in front of you: you ran the adventure from something, right?</p><p></p><p>6) Be interesting.</p><p></p><p>7) Be patient.</p><p></p><p>8) Update regularly. It keeps people interested and it will improve your writing. </p><p></p><p>9) Don't be stingy with your narrative. When a good combat comes along, force yourself to think about it one round at a time. As an exercise, see what you can do to really focus in on the action, one character at a time, one round of combat at a time. Again, fill in the gaps if you have to! If you force yourself to do this, instead of ending up with just a play-by-play accounting of the combat, you'll have something more storylike. Compare:</p><p></p><p>a) Dorn healed Wulf</p><p></p><p>b) Seeing his comrade staggering under the crushing blows of his enemies, Dorn hacked his way through the press of bodies and reached the side of his fellow dwarf. With his axe <em>Syrius</em> dealing death in his right hand, his left hand channeled life...</p><p></p><p>Notice in the above example, if you're keeping notes at the table, all you have to write down is example A, but when you sit down to make your story hour you flesh it out into example B.</p><p></p><p>That's it for now... Hopefully not the sum total of my knowledge but all I can think of off the top of my head. Good luck!</p><p></p><p>Be patient!</p><p></p><p></p><p>Wulf</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Wulf Ratbane, post: 239489, member: 94"] I just took a look at it. Seems ok so far, but I will give you my comments. 1) AVOID grammar mistakes. It's very hard to get into a story rife with errors. (So far it's not as bad as you indicated!) 2) Take notes at the table, especially, [b]especially[/b] good quotes from players. If everyone is laughing or impressed by a comment at the table, you better write it down! 3) Use dialogue when you need it, but don't overdo it, and if you can't write convincing dialogue, better to avoid it. 4) Don't be afraid to "fill in the gaps" to keep the story interesting and keep it moving. Most of the story hour authors will tell you, you're not getting a 100% accurate transcript of what happened at the table. It's unrealistic to expect that and, in most cases, it wouldn't make a very good story anyway. 5) Where story hours are concerned, DM/writers have the advantage of plot, and PC/writers have the advantage of characterization. In my experience the DM just has too much going on to keep really good notes and quotes of what's actually going on at the table among PCs; he's busy running the adventure, after all. So if you are DMing this game, then I would advise you to keep your story focused on the the plot. After all, you already have all the notes on the plot in front of you: you ran the adventure from something, right? 6) Be interesting. 7) Be patient. 8) Update regularly. It keeps people interested and it will improve your writing. 9) Don't be stingy with your narrative. When a good combat comes along, force yourself to think about it one round at a time. As an exercise, see what you can do to really focus in on the action, one character at a time, one round of combat at a time. Again, fill in the gaps if you have to! If you force yourself to do this, instead of ending up with just a play-by-play accounting of the combat, you'll have something more storylike. Compare: a) Dorn healed Wulf b) Seeing his comrade staggering under the crushing blows of his enemies, Dorn hacked his way through the press of bodies and reached the side of his fellow dwarf. With his axe [i]Syrius[/i] dealing death in his right hand, his left hand channeled life... Notice in the above example, if you're keeping notes at the table, all you have to write down is example A, but when you sit down to make your story hour you flesh it out into example B. That's it for now... Hopefully not the sum total of my knowledge but all I can think of off the top of my head. Good luck! Be patient! Wulf [/QUOTE]
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