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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Aeric" data-source="post: 3132742" data-attributes="member: 17012">One storytelling trick I've used to great effect is something I call the "Quantum Leap"--always leave the session on a cliffhanger.  It will leave the players enthusiastic about the next session, and it will cut down on most of the chatter time prior to the actual start of the session (since they are eager to find out what happened to their characters!).  If you find yourself close to the end of a session where everything is neatly tied up and there isn't enough time to get into the next story arc for the cliffhanger, make something up.  If you're not comfortable coming up with things on the fly, create a list.  It doesn't have to have anything to do with the adventure at hand, but it shouldn't be so random that it couldn't somehow be tied into what is going on.  At worst, it provides a challenge for you to come up with a way to build an adventure or tie-in to the current plotline before the following session.Here is an idea I've yet to use, but is on tap for the next game I run:Write up a dozen or so "hooks" that might appear in someone's character history.  They could range from "your father went missing on an important mission for the king," to "you have a identical twin brother."  Make sure they are things that you could use as part of your campaign plot, or at least center a subplot around.  Put all of these ideas into a hat or similar container, shuffle them up, and before anyone writes a character history, have them each draw once from the hat.  Whatever hook they draw must be incorporated into their character background somehow.  By having at least one hook per character, you can weave the characters into the story, making it personal and meaningful.</blockquote>

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