have players submit plot hooks?

[Varianor Abroad]

Anything to get them talking and give you ideas is a good thing! There are always one or two players who have to be guilted into it, or who just don't want to do it. So what I've done for those folks in these background/history/plot point exercises is to sit down with them and let them accomplish it orally by talking with me. I make the record. It's all good though! I think you should try it.

 

[harmyn]

I always encourage players to give me ideas.

In one campaign I ran the players wanted to be criminals in an urban campaign. The first session involved them creating characters and making a backstory linking them all together. Then I asked them what they wanted to do first. The players went around each building upon the idea first put out by one of the players. I took notes, made the adventure around what they suggested and added a few twists and changes that they didn't know about because it was things their characters wouldn't know.

Then after each adventure I asked them what the next adventure was going to be. I also sent through and made notes and set up retribution adventures from npc's that they annoyed/harassed/harmed in their own ideas. Worked out great and made for some fun adventures.