Let’s change gears a bit this Mechanic Monday, shall we? I’ve just realized that the format of this site has calcified over time into a particularly sleep-deprived recipe blog, but for unused game designs. Truly, my fingers are clamped firmly on the pulse of these manic times. I hope all of you are enjoying these enthusiastic mental rambles, in such a modern format.
I just taught a playwriting class yesterday. I’ve already completed the regular 7-week session, but as it’s a class on playwriting, they are expected to write a play, and yesterday was our midway-point checkin out of the two-to-three months they have post-class to get out a draft. I’ll meet up with this group one last time in January to read from their completed drafts and to do a little post-morteming of how the process went for them. Some of them already have drafts completed, some of them may not have one done by the final deadline. Talking with a few of the students after the session had formally ended, I impressed upon them that I would honestly rather they focused on their play’s longterm development over the arbitrary milestone of getting a Capital D Draft on time. I’m super good at giving writing advice, imagine if I ever took it.
I’ve really enjoyed teaching this class. A number of the students are more qualified writers than I am, but sharing the experience that is unique to me, and facilitating discussions where students can find common ground in challenges faced and solutions found, has been a very satisfying task. I think that I have at the very least succeeded in giving these writers an atmosphere of critical learning and fruitful collaboration, and I hope that they feel empowered by the knowledge and encouraged by the accountability.
So today I thought I’d do a Mechanic that’s less tabletop-y/strategic and more storytelling/theatrewoowoo. It’s not quite an RPG mechanic, though it’s got some of the markers. Behold! The exquisite copse
Collaborative Story-Telling Flowchart
In THE EXQUISITE COPSE, a starting piece of text (the “Spark”) is placed in a central, easily accessible location. This can be on a horizontal surface or a vertical one, and it may be against an edge (to create a tree-like shape) or surrounded by space on all sides (to create a web-like shape). The Spark may be written directly on the surface, or text may be written on cards or post-its and affixed to the surface. Players then freely add to the story in one of the following ways:
They add a second Piece to the Spark: this may be a response, or a continuation. The new text is written next to the Spark (or on a card that is affixed next to the spark) and linked by a drawn line or yarn or any other clear means of creating a visual connection. Linked Pieces are called Chains. Ex. Ace writes a new second Piece next to the Spark, and connects the two with a line, creating a Chain that reads Spark > Ace’s Piece.
They add a new Piece to the end of an existing Chain. Ex. Ben writes a new Piece after Ace’s Piece and links the two, creating a Chain that reads Spark > Ace’s Piece > Ben’s Piece.
They add a different new Piece to one within an existing Chain, creating a new Chain branching off in a different direction. Ex. Cat ignores Ben’s piece and adds a new Piece to Ace’s Piece, creating a Chain that reads Spark > Ace’s Piece > Cat’s Piece.
They link a Piece in a Chain to a different Piece, in either a different Chain or a different place in its own Chain. Ex. Ace links Ben’s Piece to Cat’s Piece, creating a Chain that reads Spark > Ace’s Piece > Ben’s Piece > Cat’s Piece
The exquisite copse can have a determinate ending, based on time, maximum number of Pieces, number of Chains or Chain length, or on any other subjective trigger like audience response, running out of yarn, or completing a narrative goal. It can also remain unfinished, always available for revisitation. It can be played in turns, by teams, or freeform. The result, final or otherwise, will be a narrative that begins one way and then splits into many different storylines, some of which will intertwine or fold back in upon themselves, and an even wider range of endings.
This is, obviously, inspired by the old writing exercise / party game “the exquisite corpse”, but it’s meant to allow a lot more freedom, and thereby the potential for more simultaneous engagement and possibly art with value beyond the immediate. I actually wanted to try and have this as an activity at my theatre company’s most recent gala but the idea was still too nascent and it was not the time to spend time and coordination on a rough idea. I’ll probably try and test this out sometime before our next fundraiser, as I really do think it can be engaging and fun.
Ok, hope you enjoyed this weirdness! Come back next time for M-M-M-MECHANIC MONDAY!
I just taught a playwriting class yesterday. I’ve already completed the regular 7-week session, but as it’s a class on playwriting, they are expected to write a play, and yesterday was our midway-point checkin out of the two-to-three months they have post-class to get out a draft. I’ll meet up with this group one last time in January to read from their completed drafts and to do a little post-morteming of how the process went for them. Some of them already have drafts completed, some of them may not have one done by the final deadline. Talking with a few of the students after the session had formally ended, I impressed upon them that I would honestly rather they focused on their play’s longterm development over the arbitrary milestone of getting a Capital D Draft on time. I’m super good at giving writing advice, imagine if I ever took it.
I’ve really enjoyed teaching this class. A number of the students are more qualified writers than I am, but sharing the experience that is unique to me, and facilitating discussions where students can find common ground in challenges faced and solutions found, has been a very satisfying task. I think that I have at the very least succeeded in giving these writers an atmosphere of critical learning and fruitful collaboration, and I hope that they feel empowered by the knowledge and encouraged by the accountability.
So today I thought I’d do a Mechanic that’s less tabletop-y/strategic and more storytelling/theatrewoowoo. It’s not quite an RPG mechanic, though it’s got some of the markers. Behold! The exquisite copse
Collaborative Story-Telling Flowchart
In THE EXQUISITE COPSE, a starting piece of text (the “Spark”) is placed in a central, easily accessible location. This can be on a horizontal surface or a vertical one, and it may be against an edge (to create a tree-like shape) or surrounded by space on all sides (to create a web-like shape). The Spark may be written directly on the surface, or text may be written on cards or post-its and affixed to the surface. Players then freely add to the story in one of the following ways:
They add a second Piece to the Spark: this may be a response, or a continuation. The new text is written next to the Spark (or on a card that is affixed next to the spark) and linked by a drawn line or yarn or any other clear means of creating a visual connection. Linked Pieces are called Chains. Ex. Ace writes a new second Piece next to the Spark, and connects the two with a line, creating a Chain that reads Spark > Ace’s Piece.
They add a new Piece to the end of an existing Chain. Ex. Ben writes a new Piece after Ace’s Piece and links the two, creating a Chain that reads Spark > Ace’s Piece > Ben’s Piece.
They add a different new Piece to one within an existing Chain, creating a new Chain branching off in a different direction. Ex. Cat ignores Ben’s piece and adds a new Piece to Ace’s Piece, creating a Chain that reads Spark > Ace’s Piece > Cat’s Piece.
They link a Piece in a Chain to a different Piece, in either a different Chain or a different place in its own Chain. Ex. Ace links Ben’s Piece to Cat’s Piece, creating a Chain that reads Spark > Ace’s Piece > Ben’s Piece > Cat’s Piece
The exquisite copse can have a determinate ending, based on time, maximum number of Pieces, number of Chains or Chain length, or on any other subjective trigger like audience response, running out of yarn, or completing a narrative goal. It can also remain unfinished, always available for revisitation. It can be played in turns, by teams, or freeform. The result, final or otherwise, will be a narrative that begins one way and then splits into many different storylines, some of which will intertwine or fold back in upon themselves, and an even wider range of endings.
This is, obviously, inspired by the old writing exercise / party game “the exquisite corpse”, but it’s meant to allow a lot more freedom, and thereby the potential for more simultaneous engagement and possibly art with value beyond the immediate. I actually wanted to try and have this as an activity at my theatre company’s most recent gala but the idea was still too nascent and it was not the time to spend time and coordination on a rough idea. I’ll probably try and test this out sometime before our next fundraiser, as I really do think it can be engaging and fun.
Ok, hope you enjoyed this weirdness! Come back next time for M-M-M-MECHANIC MONDAY!
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