The Magic of ‘What If?’ (Johnn’s GM Bookshelf #04)

Dragon Magazine Collection

A quick note to say I finally finished re-reading my print Dragon Magazine collection! But now, alas, I must part with it as I downsize.

Postage is brutal. So I would like to first see if anyone near Beaumont, Alberta is interested and willing to pick them up.

I am asking $500 OBO for the collection. I have every issue from mid-50s to the final issue #359. That works out to about a buck fifty an issue.

Issues in the 50s-90s have seen better days. A couple of the early issues are also missing covers. Then from the 90s-359 the issues are in excellent or mint condition, some still in plastic sleeves. 

So I would consider this a collection for an avid GM looking to read a ton of lore, not a collection for someone wanting to make a financial investment. Perhaps an early Christmas present to yourself.

If you are near Beaumont AB, can pick up 300+ magazines, and are interested in buying the whole collection, drop me a note.

Speaking of great reading, here’s one of my biggest inspirations….

The Magic of “What If?” (Johnn’s GM Bookshelf #04)

“Sometimes I am stunned at my capacity as a nine-year-old to understand my entrapment and escape it.”

What a way to start a book! This sentence speaks to me on two levels.

First, when I discovered D&D at 10 years old, I could escape the shackles of childhood. I was suddenly able to build adventures and play games that never ended.

Second, when I feel low confidence or anxiety as a GM, I just remember the wonder and excitement my Grade 5 self felt every time when rolling those sweet baby blue polyhedrons.

The book is Ray Bradbury’s legendary Zen in the Art of Writing: Releasing the Creative Genius Within You.

It’s a slim, digest-sized volume, not much larger than a copy of Strunk & White, but it’s packed with wisdom earned over a lifetime of incredible creativity.

As per the title, this book offers a meditative and personal look at the writing process, and it’s the source of one of my most-used creative tools: the What If… method.

Unlocking Creativity Through Meditation

The core concept of this book is that great writing and creativity are released through passion, experience, and a sort of meditative practice, rather than by simply following a checklist.

Bradbury shares his stories and hard-won lessons from a rough-knuckle time when writing science fiction did not pay well.

The most powerful takeaway for me was the framing of creativity as a series of simple questions.

The entire What If… method, which I use constantly for adventure and world building, is rooted in this book. It’s about looking at the world and playfully asking questions to unlock stories.

For example:

  • What if… the BBEG is actually trying to save the world?
  • What if… the Captain of the Queen’s Guard is secretly a member of a different faction?
  • What if… the Message spell was an everyday cheap service?

I don’t see this as a book to devour in one sitting. I first read it through in essay order, but one at a time, pausing to noodle on the ideas of each.

I’m keeping Bradbury’s book. I need to read it again soon.

Cheers,
Johnn
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