KatrinaOstrander.com - The Professional Portfolio of Katrina Ostrander
  • About Me
  • Fiction
  • Tabletop Games
  • Interviews
  • Resources
    • For Writers
    • For Roleplayers
    • For Gamemasters
  • Contact
About Me
Fiction
Tabletop Games
Interviews
Resources
    For Writers
    For Roleplayers
    For Gamemasters
Contact
KatrinaOstrander.com - The Professional Portfolio of Katrina Ostrander
  • About Me
  • Fiction
  • Tabletop Games
  • Interviews
  • Resources
    • For Writers
    • For Roleplayers
    • For Gamemasters
  • Contact

Don’t Let Fear or Anxiety Keep You Out of the GM’s Chair

September 25, 2016 by Katrina Ostrander No Comments

As with any activity that requires you to perform in front of other people, GMing can be nerve-wracking. Some amount of nervousness is to be expected, but when your fears overwhelm you and you consider canceling the session at the last minute, you can unwittingly put your entire campaign in jeopardy.

Many of us creative types know how anxiety and depression can interfere with the way we want to live our lives. If you haven’t already heard Wil Wheaton’s powerful talk on anxiety, depression, and recovery, you owe it to yourself to have a listen. Our inner demons are insidious, but you can empower yourself to mitigate their effects on your game.

Arm Yourself with the Tools You Need

It’s natural to worry that you haven’t prepped enough for a given session, but have you ever felt so unprepared that you wanted to cancel the session outright? If you feel this way often, it’s time to take stock of your current prep habits. Maybe you need to try a different method (I’d recommend Engine Publishing’s Never Unprepared for ideas). Can you devote more time to prepping, or can you switch to an adventure that requires less prep, such as a published module? Alternatively, you might investigate improvisational techniques for RPGs (again, check out Engine Publishing’s Unframed) or games that are designed to be run with minimal prep. If you have the time to prep for your game, yet you still find yourself falling prey to procrastination, perfectionism is probably rearing its ugly head.

Continue reading
Share:
Reading time: 4 min

Search this Site

Find Me and My Work

About KatrinaOstrander.com

Welcome to the professional portfolio and personal blog of Katrina Ostrander, a writer of fiction and games who works full-time in the tabletop games industry. Here you can find resources and advice on writing, roleplaying, and gamemastering, as well as updates on her latest publications.

Subscribe for Updates

Subscribe to my newsletter for updates and exclusive content.

powered by TinyLetter

My Latest Work


Out now in ebook and
trade paperback formats!

Popular Posts

Talking Arkham Horror on NPR

Talking Arkham Horror on NPR

November 19, 2022
How to Write a Killer Character Backstory

How to Write a Killer Character Backstory

September 16, 2016
Don’t Let Fear or Anxiety Keep You Out of the GM’s Chair

Don’t Let Fear or Anxiety Keep You Out of the GM’s Chair

September 25, 2016
Find Your Ideal RPG Campaign Organization Method

Find Your Ideal RPG Campaign Organization Method

October 9, 2016
Crafting Compelling Social Intrigue Encounters

Crafting Compelling Social Intrigue Encounters

October 17, 2016

katrina ostrander Follow

a twin cities writer and gamer. follow for musings on tabletop rpgs, sf/f books, board games, video games, history, and politics. opinions are my own.

lindevi
Retweet on Twitter katrina ostrander Retweeted
ffgames FantasyFlightGames @ffgames ·
8h

Mission Start.

Team up with iconic heroes and take on global threats from some of Marvel’s most dangerous villains in Marvel D.A.G.G.E.R., an all-new cooperative board game. Order Now: https://bit.ly/3G4v4cH

Reply on Twitter 1641456571874963456 Retweet on Twitter 1641456571874963456 12 Like on Twitter 1641456571874963456 60 Twitter 1641456571874963456
lindevi katrina ostrander @lindevi ·
5h

Y'all, this is gonna be a blast. (I'm the GM.)

Jay Exonauts @Exonauts

Saturday Night Space Opera's April 8 game is DARK HERESY: The Fall of the House of Escher! Sign up now to reserve your seat at
@SourceComicGame! https://forms.gle/ZBb6tanEkkae8rii8

#darkheresy #wh40k #ttrpg #minneapolis #saturdaynightspaceopera

Reply on Twitter 1641510951840014337 Retweet on Twitter 1641510951840014337 Like on Twitter 1641510951840014337 3 Twitter 1641510951840014337
lindevi katrina ostrander @lindevi ·
29 Mar

So far, episodes 1, 3, 5, and 7 of Last of Us have been killer. (Haven't finished yet.) What is it about the odd-numbered episodes?

Reply on Twitter 1640915265360732161 Retweet on Twitter 1640915265360732161 Like on Twitter 1640915265360732161 1 Twitter 1640915265360732161
lindevi katrina ostrander @lindevi ·
29 Mar

Look at this distinguished gentleman.

Reply on Twitter 1640898294837661696 Retweet on Twitter 1640898294837661696 Like on Twitter 1640898294837661696 16 Twitter 1640898294837661696
lindevi katrina ostrander @lindevi ·
29 Mar

Me: I need to find the background that will give me access to the Battle Medicine feat.
Husband: Isn't that power gaming?
Me: No?
Husband: ...
Me: Maybe?
Husband: ...
Me: Probably? But only a little, cause it's for healing, not damaging.
#PF2

Reply on Twitter 1640883050534895616 Retweet on Twitter 1640883050534895616 Like on Twitter 1640883050534895616 9 Twitter 1640883050534895616
Load More
Contact MeAmazonDriveThruRPGGoodreadsTwitter
This theme was made with love by Premiumcoding