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<blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 8239256" data-attributes="member: 6696971">Quick addendum to the above post.My position on these things is surely driven by my martial life (not academic). “Perfect practice makes perfect” is an axiom in sports and martial arts but it absolutely applies to GMing. What it means is:1) Fundamentally understand what you’re trying to do:<ul>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">1st principles.</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">Discrete concepts and holistic concept.</li>
</ul>2) Develop your base and be technically sound in doing so.3) Attack your weaknesses and be technically sound in doing so (make them your strengths).4) Improve your strengths and be technically sound in doing so.It defies all logic how GMs are encouraged to just jump right in whole hog without this path above. If you don’t fundamentally understand what you’re doing and don’t work on fundamentals and developing your base, it’s inevitable that you’re going to pick up technical flaws and bad habits (overwhelmingly cognitive habits in the craft of GMing). Those become hardwired because theyre formed in the crucible of a high stress situation of full-on running a game. And then you have to put in a lot of work to undo them and rewire yourself.Or...more likely...people just quit.New GMs should practice the constituent parts of their GMing with a friend or friends, for a nice stretch, long before they ever run a full game.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Manbearcat, post: 8239256, member: 6696971"] Quick addendum to the above post. My position on these things is surely driven by my martial life (not academic). “Perfect practice makes perfect” is an axiom in sports and martial arts but it absolutely applies to GMing. What it means is: 1) Fundamentally understand what you’re trying to do: [LIST] [*]1st principles. [*]Discrete concepts and holistic concept. [/LIST] 2) Develop your base and be technically sound in doing so. 3) Attack your weaknesses and be technically sound in doing so (make them your strengths). 4) Improve your strengths and be technically sound in doing so. It defies all logic how GMs are encouraged to just jump right in whole hog without this path above. If you don’t fundamentally understand what you’re doing and don’t work on fundamentals and developing your base, it’s inevitable that you’re going to pick up technical flaws and bad habits (overwhelmingly cognitive habits in the craft of GMing). Those become hardwired because theyre formed in the crucible of a high stress situation of full-on running a game. And then you have to put in a lot of work to undo them and rewire yourself. Or...more likely...people just quit. New GMs should practice the constituent parts of their GMing with a friend or friends, for a nice stretch, long before they ever run a full game. [/QUOTE]

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