Once Upon A Text Prop

by Zoe

Hello everyone! Due to a double load of teaching and classes, plus a full larp schedule, I have been sadly bereft of freetime. As I happily move into my winter break, however, I find myself once more with time for larp blogging. As I was prepping for a larp this morning, a questions came to mind...

Anyone who knows me, as a staffer or players, knows that I love text props. Too much. My strength, in larps, tends to rest in writing, and text props are one of my preferred modes of communication. I enjoy them because they allow me to express things, about a character, in a way that can't happen face-to-face; they also allow me to preemptively "characterize" NPCs before they hit game. Honestly, I could go on and on about how much I love text props. For instance, take the following examples as reasons why I love textprops:

Communicating the Surreal

In larp, it can be hard to communicate the surreal: while costuming and acting, as well as set-dressing and narrative, can go a long way, larps don't have the expressive freedom of text. In my opinion, text props allow for staffers to communicate dreamy, unreal landscapes to their PCs in a way that conditions the PCs towards understanding a specific plotline as surreal. One of my favorite examples of this was Albert's work in Endgame: he and I worked on a range of textprops connected to the mourner plotline. They created the expectation of a very alien landscape-- when players were finally introduced to the characters and settings from this landscape, they already had the expectation of the surreal.

Yes, really. This NPC is mean.

I don't have a hard time producing bitchy NPCs... at all, really. However, when I have them deliver letters to PCs, prior to their onstage entrance, that writhe with acidity, frigidity, and/or flat-out nastiness, it sets a good precedent for when I roll in, and meet them face-to-face: when I've already insulted their morale foundations and/or competence, I find PCs more than willing to enter into thorny relationships.

Unwritten/Unspoken Tensions

As both an NPC and a PC, I play a lot of introverted, frustrated characters. (This should be telling.) One of my favorite interactions in larp is the tension of "things left unsaid": that moment when you both know what you want to say, but, due to character reasons, refuse to say it. Letters, especially, allow me to further those moments. In general, I think there's a human expectation that letters are more revealing than spoken word-- I enjoy the art of making my textual communication with other players equally, if not more, frustratingly vague, but simultaneously painfully honest. I appreciate the knowledge that, post a text-prop from me, other players have more questions than answers-- to me, that's the real strength of a well-used text prop.

Hey, PC. I love you.

One of the biggest problems of larp is the issue of "so many things to do, so little time." Especially as a staffer, I often find myself out as a role that can only interact with individual PCs for so long. Text props-- letters, diaries etc.-- allow me to give PCs a little bit more interaction with an NPC. While this doesn't replace face-to-face, IG time, it provides PCs with some personal attention, and often allows them to use letters/journals to engage other PCs in their plot (in a material way).

Soo... with my unabashed love for text props revealed, I have a question...

What is your favorite text prop (or text props, should you be so lucky) that you have received? Why was it your favorite, and what sort of interactions/player developments did it encourage? Grazi!

Note Taking: How LARPs Can Ease Your Scholarly Urges

by Zoe Eddy and Anthony Reed


I'm pleased to have the input of my friend, Anthony Reed, the fellow who originally introduced me to LARPing. Anthony is also a diligent note taker and note sharer; his tactics for note-taking have improved my experience and approach to LARPing.


Note-taking may seem like a strange topic. Note-taking is something, in my opinion, that players do religiously or almost not at all. As an anthropologist and a writer, note-taking has always appealed to me. Zealously taking notes, I quickly found, improved my game experience, and allowed me to, on a meta-level, interact with the game world more reflectively. Anthony and I thought about the note-taking phenomenon at LARPs, and expanded on it a bit further.

Getting into Character: Writing Exercises

by Zoe

Perhaps its the end of semester giddiness, but I find myself, after 200 pages of required writing, very happy to dip my pen into the font of non-academic writing. Not only does that include blogs, but a few in-game projects as well. I'm currently helping Chris (Mushir) on an in-game proposal for a school of psionics (Mirror, Mirror), Tev's Guide to Fae and Other Unlikely Creatures (she's compiling a book), work for Invictus (which you'll just have to come play if you're interested), and a book of illustrated fables from Madrigal (primarily having to do with the foxtail happenings). I write, and teach writing, professionally-- I have found, in my LARP life or otherwise, that writing really helps me work through the kinks in my ideas, characterizations, and goals. With that general idea, I thought some writing exercises for LARP characterizations might be in order...

Karin, of larpohio, wrote a good article on getting back in character after a seasonal break. She has some great tips and ideas (like refreshing yourself on rules), and I'd like to continue with one of her tips: reconnecting with your character. On this topic, Karin notes:

1.) Re-connect with your character - Over a break, it's easy to lose the momentum you built with your character last season.  Once you're back into the swing of playing, you may realize you're not as connected with your character.  Review your character's history to refresh your roleplay. Remember what your character's about - maybe watch the movie that inspired them, or pick out a theme song to get into their mood. Then take some time to remember what you were up to last year, and figure out what you want to get into this year.  If you don't have character goals, make some up! :)  Decide what you want to do as a character in-game, and what kind of cool skills you'd like to work up to out-of-game.  This can help you decide what you want to pursue at events, or between games, if you're looking for direction.

 This is a really excellent point, and I wanted to expand on it through writing exercises. Characterization drills, the type that many fiction writers use, may be a great way to work on fleshing out a tired, forgotten, or uninteresting character. Moreover, in the larger scheme of things, it gives you something tangible, out of game, that you can keep or share with others (and submit to me). Finally, if you're writing plot for a LARP, this can be really useful too-- it creates a richer world populated with not just one, but dozens of well constructed characters. So, here are some classic exercises to get you started:

1. Explore character arcs.

After a year or more of LARPing, your character has probably been involved in more than a few plot arcs. Your valorous warrior has probably experienced everything from werewolf hunting to infiltration missions to greater demons hitting the field. On a rainy day, look at Post Event Letters or game notes you've made. What plot arcs have you completed? What did your character gain or learn from them? How did your character feel about the arcs? Plot is what makes a game run, and if your character has complicated emotions about these arcs, it makes for a better game. It also helps you learn where you're going with character development. Also, it puts things in bigger picture perspective, which can be helpful with the multiple plots that inevitably run.

2. Write miniature bios for everyone in your character's history.

Sure. We all have the long-lost friend, the estranged family member, or the nemesis that is important to our characters' histories. However, how many of these supporting characters are really fleshed out? If someone were to waltz up to you as Erde the Barbarian, and ask her, "So did your brother get along with his son?" would you/Erde be able to answer? Better yet, would you/Erde be able to, at length, talk about the squabbles the two of them used to have. Some LARPers are good at both a) improv and b) continuity, so having a backstory for your background characters isn't a problem. However, many of us would simply offer a more dynamic game if we could respond to questions like this without stammering out an off-the-cuff guess. Detail, briefly, the things that make your secondary characters tick. Start with basic like age, appearance, family, location, occupation, religion, and that sort of thing. Work into more complicated thoughts as you get familiar with the character.

3. Put your character in a situation, and problematize.

Imagine a situation, either simple or complex (and, ideally, something from your gameworld), and write it down. For instance, something along the lines of "your character's mentor is actually working for the other side" or "your character is given a leadership position of significant responsibility." How would your character respond? This can be a good way to explore the motivations that you've given to your character.

4. Play the "why?" game.

Little kids of a certain age seem to punctuate every conversation with the word, "why?" This isn't because their intent on exposing our adult inadequacies, it's because they're curious. Asking "why?" is a good way to explore a situation. List 5-10 significant actions your character has taken or wants to take. At the end of each action, jot down, "why?" Now try to answer that question. Especially if you've taken actions that are ambiguous or unclear to you, this can be a good exercise to hash things out. (For example, "I went on that module and killed those merfolk, even though they were relatively harmless." "Why?" "My good friend really wanted the treasure they had, and I thought that was a good way to express loyalty; now I (my character) am having some serious doubts about the morality of my team." Et voila! A seemingly inconsequential module turns into a cesspool of personal angst and character drama!)

5. Soliloquize. 

If your character could, in the middle of a heated battle or political intrigue, step aside and deliver an internal monologue to a watching audience, what would it sound like? Pretend your character is an actor, delivering a soliloquy. Write your character's most internal thoughts, and present them dramatically. Try to get across not only your character's motivations, but that person's particular style and manner of speaking.

Anyways, go have fun. And if any of these were useful, let me know!