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Is RPGing a *literary* endeavour?
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<blockquote data-quote="Aldarc" data-source="post: 7611582" data-attributes="member: 5142"><p>Crafting a good story can be part of crafting great literature, but crafting a good story is also part of crafting good cinematic film or crafting a good televised serial or crafting a good video game. These latter things are necessarily regarded as "literary" with any conventional usage. I would also add that just because you have a good story does not mean that you have good literature, and just because you have good wordcraft does not mean that you have good literature or a good story. "Good literature" is generally about the sum of its parts rather than its particular elements though what constitutes good literature is culturally and historically subjective. And typically every generation challenges what prior generations regarded as good literature. </p><p></p><p>Film, for example, leans heavily on audio-visual storytelling issues that do not apply to literary works. Films, much like books, may enhance their storytelling through how it cuts between scenes, but there is obviously a critical difference with film: it can do so audio-visually. It does not have to rely on its wordcraft. And there are a wide variety of techniques that film can use for transitioning between scenes that books cannot readily achieve. And without any wordcraft at all, films can evoke tremendous emotional responses: see the first 5 minutes of the Pixar film Up. Another good example is when we see Luke Skywalker on Tatooine in A New Hope looking out at the horizon at sunset with John Williams using the music including Luke's leit motif in the background. We feel his frustration, his hopes, and his wanderlust. Given how much screen time hangs on this one wordless moment so early in the film, we understand that Luke will probably be our focus in the film and that the film will probably delve into Luke's growth as a character. His eyes are drawn outward to space, and his journey will likewise take him to where his eyes gaze. This is one of the wonderous things about how film is able to construct story in unique ways. </p><p></p><p>Likewise, just because are attempting to craft a good story for TTRPGs, I don't think that this makes TTRPGs a "literary endeavor." IMHO, I believe that we are mostly discussing something more of a storytelling/narrative endeavor, which may or may not lead to immersive play. So I think that it is important to recognize that crafting a good story for TTRPGs will not involve the same processes as crafting a good story for literature. This is because the process of TTRPG-craft will face issues that are unique to TTRPGs. For example, how you frame a scene in a TTRPG will differ from how you would frame a scene film or a book. Premade text is often provided for TTRPG modules and adventures. But you can also ignore or modify that text entirely. Texts are not required for "wordcraft." Most of the play will not be scripted, but conversational (as per John Harper). You don't even need good "wordcraft" to evoke a powerful emotional response. Sometimes it can be as simple as "you see your sister there." That may be all that you need to trigger an emotional response. You may also use maps, grids, and minis. This shapes the framing of the story. As do the rules of the game system. They will impact how the story will be told because these are the mechanics that players and game master will likely be engaging concurrently with the story. A lot of story tension even hangs on the randomness of dice! </p><p></p><p>Again, please be aware that I am not pemerton and that I do not necessarily share his broader sense of "literary."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Aldarc, post: 7611582, member: 5142"] Crafting a good story can be part of crafting great literature, but crafting a good story is also part of crafting good cinematic film or crafting a good televised serial or crafting a good video game. These latter things are necessarily regarded as "literary" with any conventional usage. I would also add that just because you have a good story does not mean that you have good literature, and just because you have good wordcraft does not mean that you have good literature or a good story. "Good literature" is generally about the sum of its parts rather than its particular elements though what constitutes good literature is culturally and historically subjective. And typically every generation challenges what prior generations regarded as good literature. Film, for example, leans heavily on audio-visual storytelling issues that do not apply to literary works. Films, much like books, may enhance their storytelling through how it cuts between scenes, but there is obviously a critical difference with film: it can do so audio-visually. It does not have to rely on its wordcraft. And there are a wide variety of techniques that film can use for transitioning between scenes that books cannot readily achieve. And without any wordcraft at all, films can evoke tremendous emotional responses: see the first 5 minutes of the Pixar film Up. Another good example is when we see Luke Skywalker on Tatooine in A New Hope looking out at the horizon at sunset with John Williams using the music including Luke's leit motif in the background. We feel his frustration, his hopes, and his wanderlust. Given how much screen time hangs on this one wordless moment so early in the film, we understand that Luke will probably be our focus in the film and that the film will probably delve into Luke's growth as a character. His eyes are drawn outward to space, and his journey will likewise take him to where his eyes gaze. This is one of the wonderous things about how film is able to construct story in unique ways. Likewise, just because are attempting to craft a good story for TTRPGs, I don't think that this makes TTRPGs a "literary endeavor." IMHO, I believe that we are mostly discussing something more of a storytelling/narrative endeavor, which may or may not lead to immersive play. So I think that it is important to recognize that crafting a good story for TTRPGs will not involve the same processes as crafting a good story for literature. This is because the process of TTRPG-craft will face issues that are unique to TTRPGs. For example, how you frame a scene in a TTRPG will differ from how you would frame a scene film or a book. Premade text is often provided for TTRPG modules and adventures. But you can also ignore or modify that text entirely. Texts are not required for "wordcraft." Most of the play will not be scripted, but conversational (as per John Harper). You don't even need good "wordcraft" to evoke a powerful emotional response. Sometimes it can be as simple as "you see your sister there." That may be all that you need to trigger an emotional response. You may also use maps, grids, and minis. This shapes the framing of the story. As do the rules of the game system. They will impact how the story will be told because these are the mechanics that players and game master will likely be engaging concurrently with the story. A lot of story tension even hangs on the randomness of dice! Again, please be aware that I am not pemerton and that I do not necessarily share his broader sense of "literary." [/QUOTE]
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