5) Repeat

• Is the situation clear and compelling? Can the PCs act? Back to step 3.
• Is the situation clear, but escalating before the PCs act? Back to step 2.
• Is the situation clear, but needs a nudge? Back to step 2.
• Is the situation unclear? Does it need recapping or updating? Back to step 1.
• Is the current scene or situation over? Wrap up, look for the next one. Back to step 1.

In practice, the conversation is fluid, messy, and chaotic. It'll be interrupted by questions about rules and fictional details. Players will kibitz and joke, discuss options, or play out scenes with each other in-character. You'll often juggle two or more "loops" of conversation at a time, jumping between players whose characters are each up to their own thing.

But beneath it all is this structure, this loop. If you ever feel lost, and you aren't sure what to do or say next, then figure out where you are in this loop and go from there.

Now, let's look at each step in detail.