• 3 Posts
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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: June 12th, 2023

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  • I’ve got the whole family giving it a go this time around.

    That’s awesome! My 13 year old wrote a few hundred words the first day, but I’m not sure if he’s continuing. He started Skyrim recently, so…

    I’m finding it difficult to motivate myself to be creative after work… Any tips?

    Is there a better time when you feel more creative? I like to write in 15-20 minute sprints 2-3 times a day (although of course some days I do more or less or don’t write at all). Maybe after work would be a good time to work on your outline or other meta-writing? Describing scenes or characters, etc. Then perhaps before work you set a 15 minute timer and just chug out what you can based on the outlining work you did the night before?

    I always find it easier to be creative when I already have some prep to lean on. Putting on the right music can help, too!








  • Hi! Sorry if this came across as a specific complaint about you. It’s a trend I’ve seen on YouTube that I don’t understand, is all. By all means, express yourself however you want! But of course, don’t be surprised if old fogies like me don’t engage with that style of content.

    And thanks for the blog post! I’m a DM trying to find the best way to distribute fun magic items to my party. I have one character who wants to craft a stronger shield but lacks the necessary skills. This could be a good approach to get him the effect he wants without losing the shield he’s been spending time and effort on.





  • If the problem is more the time-wasting and less about him doing anything unfair, perhaps the best way to handle this is the way some DMs handle shopping: do it offline.

    First, explain to him that this is a collaborative/group game, and unfortunately we can’t spend all of our game time on one character’s individual adventure. If necessary, explain to him that he is not the main character, and that is not fair to everyone else who is trying to play if their game gets constantly stalled when they have things they want to do, too.

    Next, tell him to keep notes of all the things he is hoping to gather and craft as the adventure goes on. He can then bring these to you at the end of the session, and you two can work it out retroactively. Or alternatively, you can set aside designated time in-game for him to negotiate this with you (maybe once an hour instead of every 3 minutes).

    I’m impressed with how patient and understanding you’ve been about this. You recognize that he is embracing the free-form nature of the game, and you don’t want to smother that. It’s a hard thing to balance with the rest of the table, especially when his parents aren’t present. Good luck!