Taking a Step Back

When prepping an adventure or campaign for your next tabletop get-together, it can become easy to get burned out or over-stressed as you wrack your brain for ideas or toil over the design. That's why it's important to be able to take a step back and put things in perspective. This could mean something short term like taking a walk outside, or something more long term like taking a week off from running games.

If you still need your gaming fix during a break, you might let another qualified individual run a session for you, as you take a turn being a player. Seeing things from the perspective of a player can provide you with much more insight on what players might enjoy most from a session, and it gives you more time to relax and think things through. If nobody else is ready to run a game, consider running a GM-less system like Fiasco, so that everybody can participate.

Start thinking about your next game ahead of time, so that you have plenty of time to prepare. Don't fixate on it or let it take up an inordinate amount of your free time. Set aside little chunks of time to write up notes and seek out inspiration. Read a book or watch a movie, let them stimulate your creativity. Above all, don't let it become a chore or burden on yourself. Your hobby should be just as fun for you as your players, even if it might require more work on your part.

Changing your environment can be a creative boon as well. Don't always sit in one place to do prep work. You can try jotting down notes on a laptop, tablet, paper notebook, or even a restaurant napkin if it's more convenient. Just have fun with it, let it be an outlet for stress relief and self expression. Your amusement will be infectious to your players if you keep your creative environment casual and not rushed. Watch yourself for signs of burn-out, a sure sign that you need to take some kind of break. If you can prevent it before it happens, it will spare you and your gaming group a lot of anxiety.

Happy ventures!