I started this series to share my views on starting and maintaining a RPG blog. I first explored the “Why” and then the “How” of RPG blogging, both of which applied, more or less, to all blogs.
Today I want to delve in the specific aspect of RPG blogging which is the “What” of our beloved blogging niche.
In a break with my usual tradition, I’m writing this series nearly back to back, mostly because I got near-instant feedback that the timing was right and also because I feel that a lot of Role Playing Blogs start in Summer (as mine did).
Hope you’ll enjoy this one too.
Content
All right, what is there to talk about in a RPG blog? Actually, more things that a mere blogger can list. Still, here’s a starter list to get your gears going (I apologize to my fellow RPG bloggers for borrowing from their content):
- Campaign logs: You tell the story of your game as a:
- Player: Either as an in character narrative or straight up as a player of the game
- GM: As a narrative or as your point of view as GM (discussing players, rules calls, etc) or both
- GMing tips: Sharing your system specific/neutral GMing tips
- Player tips: Character tips, playing with various groups, etc
- Adventure Preparation: Sharing how you prep your game sessions (be careful of spoilers… your players will read your blog)
- Slice of life: Journal-like entries of your gaming experiences
- You chronicle your gaming sessions you host at home
- You chronicle your learning steps as a GM and/or Player
- Industry News: Hunt gaming scoops to post and/or comment on
- Reviews: Reviewing RPG products, including books and other websites
- Editorial/Pundit: Comment and criticize the hobby’s health, main trends and theories
- House Rules for specific games
- Campaign, Adventure and/or Encounters: From seeds to fully fleshed out
- RPG tools: Tools (online and otherwise) to make the life of GMs and/or players easier
- Forum: Not a blog per say but you can create a RPG community with them and ‘blog’ in a reserved board
- Character Concepts: From one sentence NPCs to 3 page D&D 3.5 antagonists
- RPG Tropes: Sorry, you can’t touch that one… Nah, go ahead I’d love to have a fellow RPG trope blogger
- RPG Art: Either visual or audible art you create or links to other art sites of interest to RPGs (be careful of Copyright)
- Reference Material for RPGs/Fiction: Discussing real world/Fiction elements that can be used as inspiration in RPGs and associated litterature
- RPG Webcomic: Hey, they work, when done properly!
- RPG Theory: Very popular topic in some circles
- Player Psychology: Discussing what makes players ‘tick’
- RPG themed Quizzes: Always popular also
- A RPG Digest site: Where you link and comment on other RPG posts and news
I’m forgetting a lot of subjects, I’m sure, and I invite readers to submit some more in the comments.
I initially wanted to provide links to examples of each of those types of posts, but that would be too time consuming. I therefore invite you to visit my extended Blogroll or my series and ‘Categories’ in this blog’s sidebar for examples.
As you can see, the field of RPG blogging is a rich one and is wide enough to accommodate multiple bloggers, each with their unique styles and take on things.
Don’t feel constrained by the format you choose initially. You’re definitively allowed to explore any or all of these themes. You can also use your blog to write on other subjects if you feel like it. Just as long as you realize that not all your readers will follow you when you veer off the path (especially if you do it for a prolonged period).
For example, this blog is mainly about GMing tips, the games I play, some opinions and Vox Pop pieces and the reviews I make. However, I sometime discuss Geeky non-RPG things or I’ll actually tackle a Real World pet peeve of mine (Heck I even tried my hand at Webcomics, too much work).
Not all readers follow each of my sub-themes and that’s all right. I like to think I go through each often enough to keep the interest level constant.
Bottomline: There’s tons of subjects, you don’t have to feel any constraints.
On Originality:
RPG websites have been around for a long time. RPGs have been dissected and discussed in Newsgroups, Forums, blogs and social networks for years. Chances are, if you write a post, someone, somewhere posted something similar before. Especially in the realm of GMing tips, some things have been threaded multiple times.
Writing original material requires some serious research mouse work…
You know what? Who Cares?! The thing about a blog is that it’s a personal discussion on subjects you really care about. While you should definitively do a Google Search about what you intend to write about, you should build upon what was written before instead of abandoning an idea others already visited.
Better yet, link to the other material in your post to present to readers what was discussed on the same subject. In such cases however you need to add your personal touch to the post. You need to share your ideas on the subject and add material to what was said, even if it’s only your personal experience with said subject.
Content is important but your personnal style makes it cool even if it’s to re-visit a familiar subject.
One thing though, Just linking to other sources and repeating what was said, unless your theme is to be a repository of Cool RPG links, is called the Echo Chamber effect (repeating what has already been said) . Websites on Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan are good at that, yours doesn’t have to be.
Bottomline: Originality is the twist you put on subjects, even if they were tackled by others previously.
Fighting the Inner Demons:
I discuss blogging with a lot of readers (no not just you) and a theme that keeps coming back is the Self-Defeating litany of:
- But I don’t know what to write!
- My writing sucks! (Often coming from English Majors)
- No one wants to read what I have to say!
- That seems like too much work!
- Everything I have to say has already been said! (see above)
- It takes me too long to post because I need it to be perfect!
While I understand where this all comes from (Insecurity mixed with perfectionism), I’m willing to bet that these attitudes are the prime responsible for failed blogs.
Yes some bloggers don’t have the chops to become popular. They lack sufficient imagination, the basic communication/language skills, or the willpower to put in the effort of writing. However you won’t know until your tried and push through that first barrier that is your Self-doubt trying to hold you back.
Writing IS hard, it’s made especially hard because we constantly see other people being so good at it (making it look easy) and we compare ourselves to them.
However, as I keep hammering in this series (and this should be the one take home message of it all), you blog for YOU first and foremost.
It’s been shown that Blogging is an excellent therapeutic tool (I speak from personal experience). You do it to prove to yourself that you can do it. You do it to slay the demons of self doubt. You force yourself to press ‘publish’ knowing it’s not a perfect masterpiece of prose (it never is and people won’t notice).
Readers may or may not come. Chances are, if you are enthusiastic/passionate about the hobby and you can string sentences in logical order, you’ll get a readership.
In my next post I’ll give out tips and hints to actively go and get readers.
If you don’t manage to get readers, you have to ask yourself why and resist the urge to blame others (readers, bloggers who ‘stole’ your idea, etc). Chances are there’s something with your writing/website that prevents people to understand what you have say. If such is the case, you should check how to make your content more accessible/readable.
Bottomline: Shut those demons up and write! Writing is a form of self-help therapy for our neuroses.
What if it’s not gonna work?
If you do try Blogging and can’t get the hang of it, or lose interest or just abandon it, that’s okay. You tried and that’s a lot more than what most internet users ever do. You can always try later or move on, saying that it might not have been for you.
That does not make you a failure. I’d be lying is I said successful Blogging is accessible to all. It’s not. What I’m saying is that everyone can try it, learn from the experience, and be surprised by the results.
All right, up next is the ‘Who’ of RPG blogging. I’ll discuss the potential target audience of such blogs and the fine art of getting readers through networking.
Another great work of advice 🙂
Of course, my blog is still evolving, but I see it mostly dealing with characters and role play from a players standpoint, though I do have an idea for a post with advice to DMs looking to try and get more role play out of their characters.
Still, I agree that it’s important to find a niche and fill it, even if someone else is already there. After all, there’s always room for more 🙂
Toms last blog post..Party Versus a Group of Folks
More great advice, Chatty.
I think my issue is trying to have some sense of order to what I write. Yesterday I posted about house rules stuff. Today I posted about making a scale model for our big finale event. I feel like I am a stream of consciousness blogger and not sure if people will find that interesting/accessible as you mentioned above.
Still, as you, and others have said, first and foremost write for yourself and if others like it, that’s gravy. 🙂 Looking forward to the next installment.
Deadshots last blog post..Planning a Gaming Marathon at Home and a Surprise For My Players
Another couple of writing subjects you might add:
RPG accessories: little tools to make your life easier.
Miniature Painting/Modelling and terrain.
I’ve been delving into those on my blog and finding them to be good little topics.
robbbbbbs last blog post..Stick to the Shadows
More excellent information. Thank you! This will hopefully be the catalyst to getting out there and DONIG IT instead of just talking about it. Big step though…gotta try not to look down…DAMMIT!
I really don’t think you should choose a subset of that list of subjects and stick to it… Blogs live and evolve as you get a grip around your craft.
Also, while I repeatedly say to write for yourself, you invariably start shifting your content according to the feedback you start getting from readers.
My trope series was initially fueled by my obsessive interest for tropes but as that waned, reader feedback became the chief motivator for me to revisit it periodically.
Glad to see that people are picking this up and toying with it! Thanks
My blog is more about writing techniques and how they interact with the game: you could call it “Writing for gamers, gaming for writers”. I think what set me off were the creative writing classes I took my senior year of college. I kept running into people whose biggest weaknesses were either “Show, don’t tell” or not knowing how to handle (or in some cases even being able to conceive of) characters who thought for themselves, and reacting particularly strongly to these issues. Near the end of the year, I figured out why: I’d been practicing those two skills pretty much constantly in the two and a half year old play by chat I was running. I thought that if I could get more people into that kind of practice, it would make both the writing and gaming worlds a better place, so… here I am.
I recommend:
Dramatic techniques
Character development (it’s what I’m currently working on)
How to do mood
There are others; I’ll probably think of them later.
I agree that it’s probably a bad idea to narrow your niche too much. Everything I’ve read points to defining your niche broadly enough to give yourself room to flex and grow, but not so broadly that you’re writing about your favorite pizza toppings. 😉
Very few people can pull off that kind of personal/random/niche-less blogging and do well.
Good advice. Content is the most significant aspect of a blog. I’ve been leaning toward DM-specific content, but it’s definitely a good idea to appeal to players too if you hope to get popular.
I just wanted to elaborate on one thing you said in the article.
Don’t be afraid of being wrong or saying something unpopular – heck, the posts that I get the most comments on are the ones that I’m either being stupid/naive on or mildly controversial. 😉
Geek’s Dream Girls last blog post..e’s Feed Favorites – 7/23/08
I also think Blogging has therapeutical properties :). It helps to develop writing skills, it helps to socialize and find fellow gamers (and geeks 😉 who post comments in your blog, etc. Also, at the end of the year you can look at the post and feel something has been created and *shared*, so is not just a dream in your head, but an act of creation given freely.
I like the feeling :).
Really, the best advice I can give (and Chatty DM has already said it) is to write first for yourself about things which interest you. To be sincere and honest and to write things you care about.
Best regards,
Carlos
Carlos de la Cruzs last blog post..Iron Man y Hulk
Thanks for the comments and tips everyone.
@Carlos: Holà Hombre, I totally agree with you that the feeling of having creating something that stays behind you is incredible. Tomorrow’s my 1st year anniversary as a blogger and I’m still amazed at what I achieved!
Awww, happy blogiversary!
Geek’s Dream Girls last blog post..e’s Feed Favorites – 7/23/08
I started my blog for one simple reason: I’d made a list of resolutions, and one of those resolutions was to work on my creativity by writing something new everyday.
That’s still my overriding goal. It’s nice getting readers, but I really don’t go out of my way to advertise myself. It’s just too much effort. It’s kind of saddening when I look at my numbers, see how low my readership is, and then get reminded about how successful other RPG bloggers have been in roughly the same time frame ;), but I just keep reminding myself that I’m not doing this for the readers. I’m doing it for myself.
Of course, on the flipside, when I don’t feel like doing it for myself, I remind myself that I’ve got (theoretical) readers who I’m failing if I don’t, so I suspect that if I hadn’t had any readers at all I’d probably have let myself quit a long time ago.
Hey, Chatty, here’s an idea for a post if you’re interested (I’d do it myself, but it doesn’t really fit my blog’s focus, and you know how tight I keep my focus and how fastidious I am about never straying one iota!!! 😉 ) Anyways, a while back I’m sure you recall Maikl’s polling the bloggers on their opinions on 4th edition. How about doing something similar, where you ask a bunch of RPG bloggers “Why do you write?”