Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 utktrumpet22 Oct 17, 2014 8:07:37	This might be an odd question (I feel like it is).   I'd like to start writing my games using a template like the ones used by Wizards in their new 5th edition books. Right now I just toss walls of text in to word and go from there with little to no organization in regards to layout. Does anyone have a template that would give me a similar layout? It may help keep me more organized and make my campaign more appealing to look at. I know I could create one given the time, but I figured I would ask first and see if anyone does this or knows where I could find such a thing.   How do you write your games?
#2 iserith Oct 17, 2014 8:11:49	The only time I "write" my games is if I expect someone else to read them. Otherwise, it's just sparse notes, Dungeon World fronts, and bullet points of ideas that I can use as things to spark my imagination during play.   Modules are not good examples of how a DM should prepare his own game - they are far more prep work than is necessary because the writer is trying to communicate to someone else his or her vision for the game. For your own stuff, you can prepare a great deal less than that and trust yourself to improvise in the moment.
#3 Wuzzard Oct 17, 2014 8:23:51	My games are written usually as notes after the fact or during play while everyone else is gabbing so I can remember the crazy things I made up on the fly.  Sometimes, before a new adventure I'll plut down a few ideas, names of places and people and the set up of the situation.  If I spend the time to think it all the way through to the end game, I'll be wrong nearly 100% of the time.    I use OneNote on my pc so I can attach pictures of maps and use separate pages for different places & plots.  I will also supply a seperate living OneNote document to players that they use as a campaign guide, atlas, and notes they keep and share about the game and characters.
#4 utktrumpet22 Oct 17, 2014 8:31:06	Good tips. I've been using Evernote for jotting down ideas, but never thought to just wing it and go off just my notes. I have a terrible memory and feel inclined to write down alot of details so I don't forget.
#5 sleypy Oct 17, 2014 8:48:54	I know it going to sound wierd, but I think its more important that information be accessible, but not neccesarily organized. I'm very scatter brained so I have found that using mind maps work better for me to organize my notes. I wrote a short blog about it on the community site that I just reposted here.