Stretch those writing muscles

There's something magical, something truly creative about the hours before a table top campaign. I've querying right now, so my actual writing is limited. Fortunately, stuff like this keep the creativity flowing.

I think there are important things to engage in when you're a writer, things to help keep your mind flexible and creativity up. The biggest, as you'll get from the twitter feed of any famous author, is to read. I could certainly be doing better with that (though I did read a Stephen King novel recently), but I don't think it ends there.

Expose yourself to creative things wherever you can. Watch movies. Play games. Listen to music. But engaging in storytelling games, I feel , is one of the best ways to stretch those writing muscles between sessions. Now, I've mentioned a few games before, like what my friends over at Smash Fiction love to do (and that I've brought to a few conventions now.) But circling this around back to the topic I started with, involve yourself with an RPG group. If you can. I realize they're sometimes hard to find, but there's something different about playing Dungeons and Dragons or Pathfinder or whatever game you choose to involve yourself with. 

You see, the difference between DnD and a video game is that the latter is focused on winning. A properly run campaign isn't about winning or defeating an enemy. It's about telling a story together with a group. Assuming your Game Master isn't sadistic and you don't have a player that tries to hog the spotlight, you'll usually end up with stories that you can refer back to for years. Experiences that, while fictional, are still emotional and memorable. 

In the end, there are a lot of ways to help stretch those creative muscles between writing sessions. Look for what moves you, what calls to you. If you have the opportunity, give table top gaming a try. 

​Be Excellent to Each Other