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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Kobold Boots" data-source="post: 5333165" data-attributes="member: 92239">As a DM with the 20 years of experience that another mentioned.. I can openly state that I too have prep issues and have always had them regardless of whether I've spent 20 hours in prep or none.  There's always some level of anxiety akin to butterflies just before a session (especially since our average game session is 9 hours in length.)However, here are the tricks to short prep, enjoyable sessions in my opinion.  They've worked for me as I've done all of them.  Most of these have to do with doing prep in other ways such that you can improvise off the cuff with things that are just innate to you as a person.1. Read voraciously.  Know the classics.  Most stories build off of only a few basic hooks and themes.  Most players don't read the literature, they've seen it on TV.  In my case I'm doubly prepared as I took the long road in college and could have gone Lit or History, but you don't need to go to school to pick up books and in most cases you don't expose an entire plot line all at once.  If you need an hour or two of filler, grab a subplot from literature and wing it.  You'll only need to change a few names and will have time to figure out what you did after the fact if done properly.2. To understand your X - do what X does in the real world and retcon it back to your milieu.  If you have a bard in your group, pick up an instrument and get a street performer's license for a few bucks.  If you have a monk in your group, take a martial art.. If you have a cleric, spend a few hours in church, any church.  Need ideas for a tavern, go to a bar..As presented, this sounds like prep, but it's life experience.  It's something I like to call (amongst gamers only) gaming while not gaming or prep without walls.  Doesn't hurt that you can do all of these things while on a date or while meeting other people and you end up a better rounded person.  In a game application, it allows you to have a certain amount of crushing logic about things that can help in making decisions.3. Have players openly discuss the games or do a post event letter via email that gets them some experience in exchange for giving an in game view of the characters thoughts or the players values in gaming.  Whole plot arcs can come off of those things; reducing prep time (and anyone that's done a larp probably understands PELs).4. Practice storytelling via any medium you can.  Keep a journal of ..once upon a time.., read to your kids before putting them down for the night.. slowly ween off the books and just come up with stuff randomly.. volunteer to give presentations at work.. these things all translate into good gamemastery directly and they all win brownie points with some group of people in your life.. which brings me to my last point.5. Live well, sleep well, eat well, exercise.  If you want your energy to be dedicated to performance you can't expect to do well if you're worried about your relationships, health or are exhausted.  Probably missed a bunch of stuff, but those are the most important in my view.KB</blockquote>

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