Scenes and loose play

During play, the conversation will naturally shift between scenes and loose play. This isn't a formal distinction, or even always a conscious one. You'll often shift between them naturally and instinctively.

Scenes are zoomed-in. They feature specific characters in a particular place at a particular time. You follow the action moment-to-moment. Details are plentiful and specific. Players speak in character, and you portray NPCs in-character as well. Even if you and the players don't actually speak in your characters' voices, you still talk about the conversation at a zoomed-in, detailed level.

Scenes are cinematic and immersive, sometimes tense, often exciting. Players might lose themselves in their characters and feel real emotions about what's happening.

Good scenes have a purpose. There's a reason you framed this scene with these characters in this place, right? What are the PCs trying to accomplish? What are you trying to convey? What question are you hoping to answer? What conflict is being resolved? Knowing the purpose of a scene helps you focus your details, descriptions, and GM moves. And if you can't identify a scene's purpose, then maybe you don't need the scene!

When the scene's purpose is addressed, or the scene fizzles out, then wrap it up. Transition into the next obvious scene ("You enter the next room and see...") or shift into loose play.

Loose play is what happens between scenes. You still follow the core loop, but it's zoomed out. Instead of describing what happens here and now, you'll talk about what happens over minutes, hours, days, or weeks. You summarize and compress, skip minutiae and gloss over stretches of time. You do more talking about the characters than portraying the characters.

During loose play, you might describe the PCs moving through the Great Wood, the quiet tension as they try to avoid notice, the heat and biting insects getting worse as the day goes on. You might ask questions like, "Caradoc, what does your mind keep wandering to?" or, "Rhianna, how long do you plan on going before making camp?"

Player moves still work during loose play, but on a zoomed-out scale. They might Struggle as One to reach home before nightfall, or Seek Insight by watching the newcomers over the course of a few days.

Time tends to be fluid during loose play. "Okay, y'all head out and by noon you've reached the crossroads." "Oh, hey. Before we left, can we say that I Traded & Bartered for some bendis root?" Sure we can.

Loose play is more relaxed, less intense. Take care of bookkeeping and logistics between scenes. Check your notes, make updates, and maybe roll up a random discovery. Have metadiscussions. Talk about the characters' plans and goals ("What are we trying to accomplish again?"). See if the players have any requests ("I'd like to have a scene with Andras"). Take breaks, talk about real-life stuff, and enjoy each other's company.

A lot of in-fiction time passes during loose play, especially while the PCs travel or spend time at home between adventures. But you want the bulk of the real-world time to be in scenes. Scene-based play is much more visceral, rich, and exciting. Push loose play towards scenes. As soon as the next scene suggests itself, frame it and zoom back in on