Look at all this DMing I’m doing! (DM = dungeon master aka the person who facilitates a Dungeons & Dragons game). Wild. I took over DMing for the Ghosts of Saltmarsh campaign after my friend had to step down. With them stepping into a player role instead, I made the chaotic choice to just completely deviate from the book and basically write fanfiction from here on out based on the reality of the first two sessions from our players (this means my friends can play and not be spoiled on anything they prepped because I threw out that original story).
It made for an interesting afternoon as I prepared for a session this evening, but I believe everything went okay. I feel like this is a crash course in improv without someone actually teaching me because I have not figured out how to predict what players will do, what story aspects they will be interested in, and how much time each scene will take up. But it’s one big creative exercise figuring it out and right now I’d really like to get better at DMing and learn more about D&D . . . the answer to both seems to be just practicing. I’ve always been an “into the fire” kind of learner.
Hopefully, eventually, I’ll get better at prepping for the right things, acting out non-player characters (everyone sounds the same right now, lol — and dialogue has always been a weak point for me in writing), and creating situations that are fun for the players.
I’ve been struggling with writing lately so maybe D&D is the best way to get a creative outlet that’s more about premises and running with first drafts and building something together. And with so much of my brain stuck on baby stuff and then another part anxious about work all the time, maybe a biweekly D&D game I have to prep for can be a positive distraction.
It also feels like a small miracle to get seven people to commit to a biweekly calendar event to socialize and storytell . . . I don’t want to waste that opportunity while we have it.
With Love,
Natalie