Say Goodbye to TV

If you have ever become enthralled with a TV series, falling in love with the characters, or thrilling to the unfolding story week after week, there is a pretty good chance that at least once you have experienced the crushing disappointment of seeing the story end prematurely.

If you are lucky, the producers of the show had some advanced notice, allowing them to wrap up plot threads even if they had to do so in a truncated, unsatisfying manner. We've all been there.

If you're unlucky, then you've probably had to say goodbye to beloved characters and fictional worlds following a cliffhanger. You may have followed a story across several seasons, years passing by as you eagerly await the resolution of a storyline that then goes unfinished.

Personally, I've never forgiven The Pretender for having the opportunity to wrap everything up in a movie but choosing instead to give us another Cliffhanger...

At one time, Netflix proved to be the saviour of many such shows, picking them up for a final season following their cancellation on network TV. Now, however, Netflix seems to enjoy playing the same game, cancelling shows after no more than 2 or 3 seasons. This is why my wife and I often wait until after the final season of a show to decide if we're going to watch it. It's not worth investing time in a show that will only leave you feeling frustrated.

Books, of course, are a great alternative, and as a writer, I certainly love to see people reading. (If you ever feel like reading something I've written, please do! It may not be terribly good, but I'll hopefully get better with time.) Fans of certain authors know that following a book series can prove just as problematic when they have to wait several years between each new book.

So what other options remain?

I'd like to recommend RPGs.

My elder son would probably make a comment here along the lines of "yeah, a rocket-propelled grenade would make Netflix think twice about cancelling a show!" I'm actually thinking of something that is (at least potentially) somewhat less violent.

RPG stands for Role-playing Game.

Your first thought may be of Dungeons and Dragons and this might make you envision teenaged boys sitting around a table rolling dice, eating snacks, and describing their intrepid magic users hurling fireballs at slavering Orcs.

That's certainly one possible scenario, but there are countless other RPGs out there, many of which I would argue are far better than D&D. Many modern RPGs are very narrative, focusing more on the actual role-playing than roll- playing.

From the start of 2020, many gamers found themselves unable to get together with their friends to play. Several solutions were made available, such as virtual tabletops, but for me, it was the discovery of solo RPGs that was especially interesting.

Solo RPGs are not new, though I had personally been unaware of them. I stopped playing with my gaming buddies years ago and moved to a new city. I tried to interest my kids in playing but had no luck. If I'd have known about solo RPGs earlier, I'd be several years into a solo story by now.

So, what are solo RPGs?

As the name suggests, they are games that you can play solo, using various random tables (typically called Oracles) to take the place of the game master (the one who normally runs the game and controls the story). Playing Solo can be a surprisingly enjoyable experience, providing just as many exciting stories as any regular game. Maybe more.

Does it sound silly?

Many writers like to use random prompts to create stories. They might choose three random words and interpret them in a way to create a story. Tools like Rory's Story Cubes challenge your creativity by having you roll dice with various images that you must arrange into a short tale beginning with "once upon a time..." Here's an example:

Using the random roll above, we can come up with a quick, simple story:

Once upon a time... there were twin brothers. One was always happy, the other was always sad. One day, they were out for a walk, having a chat when they came across a bridge. They felt a strange, irresistable pull compelling them to cross over. When they did, they discovered a locked gate that barred their way. Looking around for a bit, they discovered a key. They passed through the gate and found themselves in another realm... Olympus! As they stood before the throne of Zeus, they were asked if they were old enough to be there and had to show their IDs...

Ok, so I didn't say it would be a good story. That was just off the top of my head and put together in about 10 seconds. With a bit of thought, prompts such as these can be made into a much more interesting story.

Solo RPGs are similar, providing various prompts to create a story, but the best part is that you play a role in it.

You have probably seen a movie or TV show where you became frustrated with the actions of a particular character. Imagine being that character, making decision for them, and having the story respond to what you do. That's what an RPG can do. Rather than being passively entertained, you get to be an active part of the story.

Best of all, you get to determine how long the story lasts. You won't be left hanging, wondering what happens next only to realize you'll never have the chance to find out. In your story, you play for as long as you want. You may even be surprised at how close you feel to the characters in your game.

If you enjoy writing, storytelling, or anything creative (or if you’re simply tired of your favorite shows being cancelled), give RPGs a shot. There are now many excellent tools available for playing solo or with friends online.

Get creative and engage