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The interactive process involves verbal give and take. You say something and the spect responds. The spect says something and you respond. There’s a way to super-charge this process. Instead of waiting until spects have finished speaking, respond emotionally while they’re speaking. This is concurrent emotion. It’s something we do in real life all the time. While the other person is talking, we nod our heads, furrow our brows, or roll our eyes. We exhibit all manner of emotional responses while the other person is speaking.
Fiction isn’t real, but spects still need to care about it as if it were. Stories are more compelling when everyone cares about the fiction. This is why spects need to become invested.
When spects care what happens in the fiction, they are invested. They know that it’s pretend, but they play as though it really matters.
When people go through a Halloween haunt, they have different responses. Some scream, cower, cling to their friends, and when it’s over, exclaim, “That was awesome!” Others scream, cower, cling to their friends, but when it’s over, they’re not happy. Not happy at all. Some like being scared and some don’t. Their initial behaviors may be similar, but the subtext is different. If you’re paying attention, you can tell who enjoys being scared and who doesn’t.
Spects play better when they’re deeply invested. Whether their commitment is mild or strong, you can get them more deeply committed by pushing back.
Player B puts forward an idea with a certain level of commitment, either low, medium, or high. Player A does a pushback that matches Player B’s level of commitment. Then roles are reversed and the process is repeated.
Some spects seem not to be affected by anything. They don’t get excited, intrigued, frightened, or angry. No matter what happens, it all slides right off them as if they were made of teflon.