Make It Your Own

...and get the most out of your games.
I read game play aids of many types from adventure modules to core rules and I generally enjoy most of what I read, both old and new, those written for the older systems and their clones and those written for newer systems. I enjoy reading adventure paths written for modern systems and sand-box or hex-crawl materials in the old school style. I enjoy reading setting books, advice books, and rule system books. I use only a fraction of what I read in my personal games and use almost none of it “as written”. If what I am reading strikes me as a good idea, I make a mental or written note to help me  remember it and often bring a version of it to the game table at some future date, but even more often, what I am reading will inspire me to make-up something similar in my own style for use in my own way in a game I am either refereeing or playing in.
Of all the game related material that I consume, it is the system rules that I am most likely to use “as written”. I believe in giving a game a chance to prove itself as the author intends it to be played, at least for a time. As with many role-players who have “tinkered” with various home-brewed versions of more than one system, I have lots of ideas about what I like to see in a game - and what I don’t. It is hard at times for me to ignore my preferences.
This post is not about the peculiarities of my personal preferences. I doubt anyone would care to read about that topic half as much as I might enjoy the exercise in pontificating. Each of us likely has our own set of preferences which we think are best. I am sure enough of that sort of thing unintentionally comes through in the course of my posts despite my efforts to just state facts. So what I do want to say is this, "Whatever you run, make it your own."
As referee, I encourage you to add some things, remove other things, change this, alter that - make it uniquely your version, especially when it comes to play aids like modules and adventures. It will invariably happen whether you intend to run it "as written" or not, for it has been my experience that no two tables ever run the same module exactly the same and little changes will frequently creep into a rule system the longer we play it.
Also as a player, I encourage you to bring something unique to each character you role-play. Let the character's personality emerge as you play the game. Sketch their portrait on the character sheet. Paint a miniature to represent your character. Jot a few personality traits down as bullet points in the margin if there is no space specifically devoted to such details. Ask yourself, “What does this character want out of their fictional life?” And make note of the answer that reveals itself to you. Each character can be more than a stat block. Discovering who the character seems to be can be a fun part of role-playing. If you give the characters some "personality" through role-play, everyone is likely to enjoy the game more.
By making the game “your game”, you will be adding to the richness of the overall experience for everyone for it is very likely that your enthusiasm for sharing what you have created will enhance the fun for everyone at your table. Role-playing is a creative form of entertainment. When you look for ways to add your own creations into the game, the chances are good that everyone wins!