I’m in a strange sort of mood as I write this. I don’t feel like doing anything in particular, but can’t stand to do nothing; I can’t work up any sort of enthusiasm even for the things that I enjoy doing, and nothing in my video/dvd/cd collection holds any appeal. And the only thing that I can point towards as being the cause of this particular lassitude – which many would (incorrectly) describe as burnout – is the fact that I havn’t had my gaming fix lately. Over the last couple of weeks, my regular games havn’t happened for one reason or another – one-off anomalies, road bumps on the street of life. And without the vicarious thrill of interacting with my friends, without the stimulation that they provide (and which is one of the many reasons I Gamemaster more than I play), I’m feeling rather adrift at the moment.

There are all sorts of things I could be doing, and any number of things that I could be doing, but instead I’m just sort of…. drifting.

I likened this state to burnout a few moments ago, which implies that others might also make the same mistake. So what do I do when I get into this sort of mood?

I watch something that replicates the feeling and mood of GMing. It might be a courtroom drama (The Firm, A Few Good Men, etc), or a heist movie (Ocean’s Eleven, The Sting, The Italian Job), or even one of the Bud Spenser / Terrance Hill classic comedies. Something that has enough detail to capture my attention, with being so demanding of my concentration that it feels like work – and something with an exuberant attitude. And I usually find that the right stimulation fixes the problem and gears me up for whatever comes next, even if I didn’t particularly feel like watching it when I started. Something that someone else out there might find useful.