DM Burnout or DM Frustration With His Players?

[Insight]

I have been in a very similar situation. Here's the main problem, and it's something I didn't recognize until it was too late.

Don't waste your time with stuff that doesn't directly (and I mean DIRECTLY) impact the game.

Assume that none of your players gives a crap about anything that doesn't occur AT THE TABLE. Yeah, it'd be NICE if players understood that THEY bear some responsibility in making the game fun, but they don't.

Keeping a journal is something that interests and benefits YOU. The players obviously couldn't care less about it. Drop the journal idea and continue the game without it. Don't have hard feelings - players just can't be bothered with stuff like that. In a perfect world, players and the DM would contribute equally to the game experience, but we all know that doesn't happen.

 

[chriton227]

I would say to drop the journal. It was originally requested by the players, you stipulated that they would need to put forth the effort to maintain it. If they aren't doing that, then they have decided that it is not worth the effort involved to maintain it. If down the road they start complaining that no one is updating the Journal, they have only themselves to blame.

 

[Ry]

Yeah, I went through the same thing. In the end, I realized I had to come around to the players. That had a really huge impact on how I design, and what I spend my time designing - and the games have been better for me as a result.

 

[Ry]

What I should say is that you'll have to say to them "Hey guys, I put a lot of work into this because you asked for it. If it's just going to sit there I'm going to stop." So by "coming around to the players" I mean come around to the actions-not-words thing.

 

[bento]

Face it, you're the only one at the table who's really thinking about the game beyond the time you're playing it at the table. Everyone else is there to play a game, while you're up to your ears with writing fiction. Been there, done that, and recently got over the frustration.

Now all the time I would have spent writing "Campaign Backgrounder Chapter 3: Ritual Magic and Pantheons of the Ancient Dwarven Summerians" I've instead used it to make sure that every encounter in tonight's game is exciting and memorable.

My focus has shifted away from "educating" my players to seeing that I know the villians motivations, tactics, and when/where new things will pop up.

Don't get frustrated, just know how to use your time to get the biggest payoff at the table.

 

[Ry]

Keeping a journal is something that interests and benefits YOU. The players obviously couldn't care less about it.

To be fair, it was the players who requested it, not +5 Keyboard.

 

[+5 Keyboard!]

Think of it this way: sure, it sucks that players won't read about your campaign outside of the game, but...that just saves you from doing a lot of extra work.

Right, you are. I'm going to try to keep that in mind.

I don't understand why you would quit DMing over this though. You already make time to DM when you're already busy writing papers. So if you no longer had to write a campaign journal, wouldn't this give you more time writing your papers and still have time to DM?

Did I say I was going to quit DMing? Can't remember. I have to scroll back up and see. I've been tempted to out of a childish "I'll show them" kind of impulse, but that's about it. And yes, I agree, I'll definitely have more time to write gaming material I actually get paid for.

Edit: Just looked back at my OP and I wasn't saying that I was actually going to cancel the game, rather that it was one of the reactionary feelings I've been having.

 

[Oryan77]

Right, you are. I'm going to try to keep that in mind.

Hey if you want, since you don't need to write a journal, you can help me on my campaign! I have plenty of things you can do for me now that you have all that extra free time

 

[+5 Keyboard!]

Hey if you want, since you don't need to write a journal, you can help me on my campaign! I have plenty of things you can do for me now that you have all that extra free time

LOL! How's the pay?

 

[Erywin]

In the Eberron Campaign that I run, our group also decided to keep up a journal (we keep one for our other campaign as well) but the DMs don't write them, the players do. Each session one person is appointed note taker (we try to rotate and even out the load as much as possible) and they take notes and do the write up before the next session on our online forum. Now in order for this to work they needed some kind of incentive to regularily post the updates. We dont use the regular guidelines for XP, we use a tick system where all the ticks (you get them for showing up on time, fast combat, in character dialogue, etc.) that has worked out very well. Everybody gets one tick if the notes were taken for last session and another tick if the write up was posted before the beginning of the next session. Has worked out great Occasionally they miss one and don't get the tick but they still get the write up done eventually Going to try and compile it all into a Story Hour type deal, each session will be from a different characters point of view.

Don't know if that helps at all. If ya have any questions on it just shout.

Cheers,
E