What Do You Do Next?
Some of my games have suffered from the, "What Do You Do Next?" syndrome, whereupon my players scratch their heads and ask, "What are we supposed to do?"
This used to frustrate me to no end. After all, these same people don't stand around each and every day, asking, "Um...so what am I supposed to be doing?" (Well, OK, maybe a couple of them did, but most of my players were fairly strong "self-starters" [as the terminology of the want ads put it] in real life.)
This especially didn't work in con games. Sure, I can tell you it's a beautiful, intriguing world, but you're not going to see much of it in 4 hours. It's more of a lay-over in my Neverlands.
I got better. I'm starting to learn that there need to be options...reminders, heck, in a PBeM, Oberon might have said to get Deirdre as an ambassador in the morning, but the morning was three months ago...
The concept is based on a simple but little known truth: freedom inhibits creativity. There are nothing like restrictions to get you thinking.
The quote talks about making rules for yourself in writing, like, "I can only write using these tools," or "I have to write x words a day," or "I have to use a new word in each message." It's a matter of discipline, matched with a structure.
Sometimes, the structure is simply in the design. When I run a con game, I'm looking at a design that needs to tell the players what the goal is, what the "winning circumstances" are...and interpret it to the characters in such a way that it isn't entirely obvious, isn't circumvented by silliness, and fits a certain feel I'm trying to develop.
We begin to impose additional structures: genre is the cake mix, style is the icing. "I have to use a new word in each message," but the new word is teaching me (or my players) a foreign language. The proper tool to produce the proper results, of course.
I can manipulate my reminders, and my structures. I could mention that the player is reminded that they have to Trump Deirdre...but not why. I could mention that Oberon wanted someone as an ambassador...but not who... and in most ways it's fair: it means the player has to do the detail work, but more specifically, I can use it to push a plot. Especially when, three months later, details have changed.
Neglecting the tool, however, means I'm using one less skill for the game, and that means my players are missing out...