I have had this book since Origins and I am still trying to decide what I think about it. There is definitely some good advice contained within, but I am not sure I am smart enough to take it (or understand it all).
How to Write... is an oversize hardcover book collecting essays and short adventure ideas from two dozen plus authors in 160 pages of illustrated text. The school "theme book" look is eye catching and the cartoonish artwork complements the subject nicely. Each of the twenty-five authors included writes some advice and gives a short adventure idea presumably illustrating the advice. There are some clever ideas contained in this volume and it is useful for inspiring the reader's imagination toward game creations of our own.
Rather than try and explain the advice contained in How to Write... from Goodman Games, I will instead give my own amateur advice (it's my vanity blog after all). I have mentioned before how I feel it is important to expose ourselves as referees to as many stories and ideas as we can cram into our brains during our busy schedules. I try to constantly be semi-aware of "how can I use this in my gaming?" as I read, watch, listen to, or whatever. Twisting, borrowing and re-interpreting themes from a number of sources can lead to something new and fun, or a mess. There is no substitute for thinking things through carefully, and being ready to improvise when plans go awry.
So here is my advice (to myself):
Know your system rules! It may sound like unnecessary advice, but I find it easier to focus on the adventure material I would like to share than to study and master new rules. I tend to gloss over rules that are unfamiliar and to borrow methods from my White Box ways to fill in the gaps. This isn't really fair to the rules as written (and the game designer) or to players who have taken the time to learn the rules and are expecting to play by them. If, as referee, I agree to run a game using a particular rule set, I should have command of those rules.
Know the material being used at the table. If it is a purchased play aid, read it through several times, make notes and convert it into my own words. As a player I don't like being read to and as a referee I feel awkward reading to players. Know the modules well enough to paraphrase it. Published play aids contain lots of great ideas and, with work, can be made to fit into almost any campaign. Most are that much better having been modified for personal use.
Finally, run something you really like. Enthusiasm is catching and so is boredom. If the referee is excited about the game, it is a good chance this will mean the players will get excited about it too. The reverse is very often true as well. An uninspired referee going through the motions in order to just "get it done" is not much fun for the players. Saying "no" to players who want the group's usual referee to run something which doesn't appeal to me as referee can be difficult, but probably good advice. If one of my players is particularly keen on the idea, they should probably be the one to run it. Perhaps their enthusiasm will be infectious and everyone will enjoy the game more.
Find a system you like, master the rules you intend to run, know the adventure material forwards and back (to borrow a mid-western saying), and only run what you can get excited about running. It is a pretty short advice essay (more bullet points really) and I am not a published author, but that's my advice for running an adventure that doesn't suck.
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