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General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
Is RPGing a *literary* endeavour?
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<blockquote data-quote="hawkeyefan" data-source="post: 7615799" data-attributes="member: 6785785"><p>Again, I think you make a good point and I don't know if any of these things need to be mutually exclusive. A longer boxed text may or may not be of better literary quality than any other. I'm all for Strunk and White's rule of "omit unnecessary words". </p><p></p><p>But then it's due to the muddy waters of the term literary quality and how it can be viewed in broad or narrow terms. I don't know if I'd say that a well constructed sentence is necessarily an effort toward literary quality. Technical writing needs to be clear and understandable.....qualities that, although they can be present in writing that aspires to literary quality are not essential to it.....metaphorical language would be an example of literary minded language that may not be immediately understood or clear. </p><p></p><p>So for me, I'm looking at it as a question or what works at the table. Sometimes....especially at the start of a session, or a new scene or new location and similar situations.....evocative language and description can serve a strong purpose. But I think once we get to the back and forth nature of GM giving info to player declaring an action and then to mechanical resolution and then further narration.....at that point, I think literary quality takes a back seat to clear and concise description. </p><p></p><p>Obviously, it's a scale and everyone is going to have a different sweet spot on that scale. For me, a natural discussion with the GM offering info, the players asking questions, the back and forth....all of that is preferable....and more engaging, I'd argue....than the GM trying to evoke a response through evocative word choice.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="hawkeyefan, post: 7615799, member: 6785785"] Again, I think you make a good point and I don't know if any of these things need to be mutually exclusive. A longer boxed text may or may not be of better literary quality than any other. I'm all for Strunk and White's rule of "omit unnecessary words". But then it's due to the muddy waters of the term literary quality and how it can be viewed in broad or narrow terms. I don't know if I'd say that a well constructed sentence is necessarily an effort toward literary quality. Technical writing needs to be clear and understandable.....qualities that, although they can be present in writing that aspires to literary quality are not essential to it.....metaphorical language would be an example of literary minded language that may not be immediately understood or clear. So for me, I'm looking at it as a question or what works at the table. Sometimes....especially at the start of a session, or a new scene or new location and similar situations.....evocative language and description can serve a strong purpose. But I think once we get to the back and forth nature of GM giving info to player declaring an action and then to mechanical resolution and then further narration.....at that point, I think literary quality takes a back seat to clear and concise description. Obviously, it's a scale and everyone is going to have a different sweet spot on that scale. For me, a natural discussion with the GM offering info, the players asking questions, the back and forth....all of that is preferable....and more engaging, I'd argue....than the GM trying to evoke a response through evocative word choice. [/QUOTE]
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