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Exercises
Two players engage in a conversation. The dialogue is spoken at a conversational rate. When one player stops talking, the other player immediately starts talking. The goal for both players is to release control over what they say and speak before they know what they are going to say.
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When you feel unsure, stop second-guessing yourself. Do something with confidence. What you do doesn’t matter as much as doing it. Don’t let doubt color your performance. Confidence comes from playing confidently, whether you feel that way or not.
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looking like you’re trying to win, while letting your opponent win
As characters pursue objectives, conflict arises. For the story to progress, someone needs to win. That winner often needs to be the spect. Spects don’t get much satisfaction if it looks like you threw the fight. You need to look like you’re fighting for your objective while creating opportunities for the spect to win. That’s called “playing for the loss.”
Exercises
Two players play a scene in which their objectives are in opposition to each other. They pursue their objectives for one minute, then one player plays for the loss while the other continues to play for the win.
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Different spects have different play styles; they enjoy playing in different ways. Some like to be heroes, so set them up to be heroic. Some get a charge out of arguing, so disagree with them. Some get a kick out of being evil, so give them something noble to mess with. Don’t force your values or what you think is a good story on them. Make the story one that they enjoy playing, and spects will engage with everything they’ve got.
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playing with full emotional commitment to a character’s perspective
When spects begin to play, they’re often nervous. They settle down when inter-actors look like they know what they’re doing. That’s why it’s best to start off playing strong. Play with full commitment to whatever you’re doing. Playing “gently” can read as uncertainty. In spects’ eyes, uncertain characters seem like uncertain inter-actors, which makes spects even more nervous. Play strong to give spects something solid to work with. It assures them that you know what you’re doing, and they’ll play better as a result.
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the way in which a spect enjoys playing
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.
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