GMing Advice from Lester Dent

[PatP]

Lester Dent was the writer behind much of the famous "Doc Savage" series. In the 50s, he wrote a summary of what he called the master plot he used for his stories. An online version of that article can be found at:
http://www.english.upenn.edu/~rbarrett/mc/dent.txt

While reading Dent's description of this master plot, it occurred to me that he might have some useful advice for GMs. Of course, everything won't track precisely, since a story and a game are two different mediums, but I think what he has to say is interesting and potentially useful.

Dent described a story of 6000 words, that he divided into four 1500 word sections. I find it tempting to think of that as a story-arc completed over the course of four game sessions.

Note that Dent describes his master plot as being written around a single hero. Of course, we deal with PC parties. So where Dent says "hero" in his master plot, I've substituted "players".

Preliminary components:

1) An unusual murder method.
2) An unusual thing sought by the villain.
3) An unusual locale.
4) A menace that threatens the players.

Dent recommends that you have at least one of the above -- and more than one if possible.

First Section (Each Section is 1500 words -- or 1 game session)

1) The introduction should immediately introduce the players and hit them with trouble. There should be a mystery, menace, or problem to be solved.
2) The players should be pitched into dealing with the trouble in which they find themselves. Running away should not be an option!
3) Introduce all characters as soon as possible.
4) Physical conflict near the end of the section.
5) Surprise plot twist near the end of the section.

Second Section:

1) Hand the players a lot of crap.
2) Players struggle on, which leads up to:
3) Another physical conflict (not a repeat of previous conflict -- should be different!).
4) Another surprise plot twist.

Third Section:

1) Hand players yet more crap.
2) Players make headway and corner the villain (or somebody) in...
3) Yet another physical conflict (not a repeat of previous conflicts -- should be different!).
4) Yet another surprise plot twist -- preferably one that leaves the players in deep trouble.

Fourth Section:

1) More crap for the players!!! Pile it on!!!
2) The players are almost buried in trouble (examples: imprisoned by villains, framed for murder, important NPC presumed dead, the unusual murder method is about to be used on the players, etc.)
3) The players then extricate themselves from the previous situation.
4) Remaining mysteries are cleared up in a final conflict -- possibly keeping a big one around for...
5) The final twist, which should be a big surprise.
6) "The snapper" -- a punch line to end it.

Interesting advice:

"...action should do something besides advance the hero over the scenery. Suppose the hero has learned the... villains have seized somebody named Eloise, who can explain the secret... behind all these sinister events. ...surprise! Eloise is a ring-tailed monkey. The hero counts the rings on the Eloise's tail... They're not real. The rings are painted there. Why?"

"Don't tell about it -- show how it looked. This is one of the secrets of writing; never tell the reader -- show him."

"...it helps to get at least one minor surprise to the printed page..."

"Characterizing a story actor consists of giving him some things which make him stick in the reader's mind. TAG HIM."

[Phelps]

<B>Lester Dent was the writer behind much of the famous "Doc Savage" series. In the 50s, he wrote a summary of what he called the master plot he used for his stories. </B>


No, not in the 50s. I've got a copy on my shelf published in 1937, when the pulps were still at the heart of American pop culture (and I'm pretty sure it appeared even earlier).

The thing that bothers me most about the various pirated copies of Dent's article on the net is that it's invariably presented without its sister article, "The Slick Paper Fiction Formula" by Albert Richard Wetjen. The two articles, read together, are a vastly more insightful read than either presented independently. But I suppose kids with scanners pick and choose according to their own tastes.

But yes, it's useful as a primer for newbie GMs, definitley.

[MoonHunter]

A few net articles and interviews with J. Michael Straczynski, Joss Weadon, and W Gibson, can give you some significant insights as to scripting a better game. (Websearch the author's name and you will be suprised what comes up. Stretch and improve your Google-Fu)

Nobody likes reading books on "writing books", but they are also good resources- espeically books for a given genre like horror or mystery. Yes, you have to slog though things not applicable to you as a gamer, but what you do pick up from these books is worth the effort.

Yet writing is not the best metaphor for gaming. Gaming is more storytelling over time, it is more like film. Filmcraft and film play books give you ideas on now to create engaging stories, apply beats and timing, and keep your story, game moving. "Story" by R McKee is a great one. It has just gone through yet another printing and should be available in a trade paperback instead of hard back fairly soon. The book is great providing proven patterns to create tighter and better stories... thus games. Other books on creating film plays are also useful.