What do you do when you run out of stories to tell?

[Halivar]

I know it sounds silly; logically, it's an impossible premise. But what do you do when you have the urge to tell a new story at the game table, but nothing feels new? Your muse has abandoned you, and everything you can think of is a stale rehash of a previous game or a bad adaptation of a book or movie? What do you do when you've run out of stories to tell?

 

[Electric Wizard]

Find a sandbox-style adventure and let the players make their own story.

 

[Nagol]

I don't tell stories. I set up situations and have the player actions and reactions tell me a story.

If everything feels faded and old that tells me its time for the underlying reltionships between the characters needs to change -- i.e. change campaigns.

 

[delericho]

Read. Read lots, and read as much variety as you can stomach.

Because while there are (per common wisdom) only about 7 stories in the whole of literature, in the whole of fantasy literature that total drops to about 2.

 

[nnms]

Stop telling a story. Let the story emerge from play by creating the situation.

 

[Tonguez]

grab the nearest newspaper and read out the headline story but with goblins

 

[Mark CMG]

I agree with those that believe the best stories come from character choices. However, it can't hurt to be prepared for when they can't or won't make choices. Read through these from time to time and you'll be brimming with ideas.

http://www222.pair.com/sjohn/blueroom/plots.htm

 

[Umbran]

I don't run out of stories, because I don't have a pre-planned story. I do, however, have themes and plotlines. Like, if the player wrote in his backstory that his family is rich, powerful, and in league with cthuloid horrors, you can bet I'm using the conflict with them in the campaign. But, what do I do when they've beaten all my BBEGs, worked through their issues, and all that?

Well, when I'm running a sci-fi game, I'll pick up a copy of Scientific American or some other science periodical (doesn't even have to be current, really), pick an article, and take its' topic to an extreme to the point where it becomes an interesting element of plot, and see where that takes me

 

[GMMichael]

Let your antagonists write the story. If your game world is alive, then it functions just fine without the PCs around. And there are plenty of characters (hopefully) who have agendas of their own.

Remember that antagonists don't have to be evil. Or human. Or mortal...or material.

 

[CarlZog]

Find a sandbox-style adventure and let the players make their own story.

I don't tell stories. I set up situations and have the player actions and reactions tell me a story.

Stop telling a story. Let the story emerge from play by creating the situation.

Yeah, pretty much this.

Well, when I'm running a sci-fi game, I'll pick up a copy of Scientific American or some other science periodical (doesn't even have to be current, really), pick an article, and take its' topic to an extreme to the point where it becomes an interesting element of plot, and see where that takes me

I like doing this with Popular Mechanics and Popular Science from the early- to mid-1900s. Adventure hooks write themselves from that stuff.