AN OPEN CALL FOR STORIES

So you've played the games. You've enjoyed the stories. You've had ideas of your own.

Now's your chance to make them happen.

It's time to put together the story schedule for WESTFINDER SEASON FOUR! And that means we need stories! So if you've ever had an idea for a story, and thought, "oh man, that'd make such a cool game/tavern scene!" this is the email for you! We welcome submissions from everyone, experienced or otherwise. Also, though we're not inherently opposed to it (as shown by our game history) try to stay away from adapting existing stories into games. We prefer pure originality.


WHEN DO I NEED TO SUBMIT BY?
We'll be taking submissions up through midnight on the night of May 9th, after which we'll publish the schedule, so you've got plenty of time to get writing!

WHAT GOES IN A SUBMISSION?
A few things!

WORLD BACKGROUND
Where does the game take place? What is the world like? Who inhabits it? What is the sociopolitical history? Is there relevant religion? The more fleshed-out this is, the cooler your game will be.

PC TEAM BACKGROUNDS
Who are the groups in the game? What brings them to where they are? What is their motivation? This is really important!

FLOW
What actually happens in the game? Who does what? This can take a number of forms—paragraph narration, a chart organized by time of event, a series of separate goal lists for each group, whatever. Flow is a pretty open-ended thing, and everyone writes it differently. It's VERY important, though. It needs catalysts and events and oftentimes a few pre-planned scenes. It also needs an ending! Endings are important!

GAME CONVENTIONS
What sorts of magic are there? Any other interesting systems out of the usual?

OPTIONAL (but encouraged!):

TEASER
The first thing players will see. This can be almost anything—a short story, a myth, a poster, or even a short movie! So long as it teases.

RE
Who's sitting around in the woods sending dead folk back? Re is often a major part of game, and can play into the Flow.


Also, please note whether the submission is a Game or a Tavern Scene. The two are different in subtly important ways. Tavern Scenes are much like Games, only generally with no adventuring. The action takes place in one location, and there's no combat (except for maybe a ceremonial duel or somesuch). This doesn't necessarily mean there's no Flow, though—mysteries and drama can abound at a social gathering every bit as much as they can in the wilderness! See: No Murder Please!


WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
We pick games based on a number of things! Most important among these is that it be a fun game! We look for games that people will enjoy, and come away from with really cool stories. This of course means different things to different people--some people have the most fun at horror games, some at comedy games, some at really dramatic intense games, and so on.
As such, one of the things we try to do is find a good balance and mix. Some comedic games, some fantasy games, some modern-day games, and so on. Keep things interesting for everyone! What this means is that even if you wrote an incredibly fantastic awesome game that we want to play, there just might not be the right fit for it in the schedule.
No one thing makes every game amazing. Some games are chosen for their subtle and elegantly crafted Flows, some for their creative and new game mechanics, and some for detailed and original settings.
Also, there are plans for there to be a Gamewriting Workshop sometime soon! I also intend to send out some rambles of my own thoughts on gamewriting and what makes a good game! Hopefully I'll get that done soon!


If you want help or advice on your games, you can talk to several different people. Many of the current staff have run games, if not several games, at Westfinder and even Wayfinder. Other people in the community have run games these past years, so you might want to talk with them: what went well, what was the most difficult, and what they would have done differently! Getting more than one person's input on the development of your game is often helpful.


Finally, some words of advice from Gen Casagrande, head of Wayfinder stories:
"Please keep in mind that our stories are different from movies, books, comic books, or other forms of art. The major difference is that in our stories the main characters are the groups of PCs and not any individual hero. The PCs groups are there to take action, not to watch the action, and should feel empowered at all times."

"And now, a happy word of inspiration. Writing stories is one of the hardest, ridiculous, funnest, and most rewarding experiences of life. Remember all of the magical moments that you have experienced in game, and think about what a great opportunity it is to be able to give that experience to others! Some stories are designed to make you laugh, some to make you think, some to make you cry, and some to make you believe in magic again. But all of the good ones should elicit distinct and passionate feelings within the hearts of their participants, and all of them should, in some way, make the world a better place."

Send your completed games right here, to westfinder@gmail.com. We'll be waiting eagerly.

~Westfinder