It’s a hobby, really, not a craft. But sometimes it helps to think of it like one. I remember reading a book about writing years ago – when I was just starting writing fiction – quoting darts player Jocky Wilson, “If the team you’re in isn’t getting promoted every year, you might need to find a new team.” It was talking about writing groups. It could have been talking about gaming groups. While we’re all in this for fun, ultimately, it’s also fun to get better at things; to stretch yourself and do difficult things, and get to that top of the trajectory and surpass it.

Or, to put it another way, sometimes it pays to be reflective and serious about your fun. For the last few years, I’ve tracked my RPG gaming on a spreadsheet for each year – it’s the source of posts like this, where I look back on what I’ve played, and also helps to seal in some great memories of what I’ve played and when.

And, as of the time of writing, it’s blank. 20 days into 2025 and I haven’t played a single session of any TTRPG.

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It’s made me think of some advice from Denis Wick. He’s not somebody that gaming often refers to, being as he is a trombonist, who as far as I know has never rolled a dice in anger (he was principal trombone for the Star Wars recordings of John Williams, which gives him some geek caché, I guess). I read his catchily titled book “Trombone Technique” when I was younger, and saw a future where playing brass instruments was a much bigger part of my life than it became. It blew my mind a bit – the idea that you could just write a book about playing an instrument, with no exercises or sheet music, was revelatory – it was like having somebody just talk to you about how to do something fundamentally physically and aesthetically challenging just with words. Although, to be fair, doing anything with a trombone – even listening to it – is sometimes aesthetically challenging.

One piece of advice stuck with me even though I never followed it. He recommended spending a few weeks each year away from the instrument. No exercises, no playing, no warm ups. He suggests coming back gradually to it, and confidently states that you’ll develop better embouchure, new techniques, and unlock yourself out of bad habits this way. As someone who was forever playing in bands, I never did it – unless I can count the ongoing, 20+ year break I’m currently having from it.

And, in a roundabout way, I’m seeing what this means in gaming now. A break has made me reflect on what I’m doing, and what I want to do. I haven’t set out to not play these last few weeks – I’ve been a bit busy, but I’ve been busy before, and it’s not as it’s an extension of the Christmas break – I played on the 30th December, and great fun it was too. I’ve got conventions and AP recordings coming up, and I’m still reading and day-dreaming and half-prepping the way we do when there isn’t a deadline. I’m very happy with it, and I’m really looking forward to my first game of 2025 – which should be happening in a week’s time.

It’s made me reflect on what I want from gaming, and while I’m not sure how interesting it is to share this with you – the point of this post, if there is one, is to encourage you into the same sort of reflection – and here’s what I’m hoping for in 2025:

• Something Short and Campaigny – I didn’t really run any campaigns in 2024. I don’t think I want a big heavy one, but I’d love a few 4-5 session blasts to really get to know a game, and a system, well – maybe on channel, maybe not

• Something Off-Books – the Unconventional GMs channel has ended up being prioritised in my own gaming, somewhat understandably. It’s a lot more chilled playing games that aren’t recorded. I’ve got a good group of people ready to try new games – that’s how I set up my last game, Swords Without Master, and I should do this more often

• Some New Conventions – I’ve become a creature of habit here. I should spread my wings and run games elsewhere

• Some New Players – Likewise, it’d be great to get some new faces around the table – whether I’m running or not.

Nothing revolutionary, I guess – but just enough to make me think I might just know what I want. So, if you haven’t yet – follow Denis Wick’s advice – take a break (you might already be taking one) – and think about what you want to play and run. Then go ahead and do it – and think about how it went. Here’s to much more of what we want in 2025.