Chance’s Muse: Random Tools For Creative Ideas

By Steven Savage

Turning Randomness Into Infinite Potential!

From dice and tables to complicated programs, people have found ways to turn random numbers into inspiring ideas.  Few of us haven't had fun rolling dice in a Role-Playing Game or sought inspiration in software that creates new plots and characters.  But how does one create these "Generators of Inspiration?"

Author Steven Savage has explored random Generators for decades and is the creator of the website Seventh Sanctum.  Here he details a framework for creating random Generators  that includes:

* The five different forms of Generators, providing a useful model to understand the different ways random tools inspire.

* A philosophy of the Traits and Principles of goods Generator to help you create powerful imagination tools.

* Examples of how one might approach creating random tools for popular subjects like names and characters.

* Exploring common language elements that help one break down and create Generators.

* Advice on Generator creation.

If you create games, work on tools for inspiration, or just like a surprise, this is the book for you!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Steven Savage
• Release date: Dec 6, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393688006

Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a biologist, natural history writer, lecturer, and an associate member of the Institute of Biology in England. He teaches about ocean biology and has written more than thirty-seven natural history books for children.

Book preview

Table of Contents

Chance’s Muse

Dedication and Acknowledgement

Forward

Introduction

What This Book is About

A Quick Guide To Terms

The Five Modes Of Generators

Combining

Expanding

Fusion

Reducing

Mapping

Using Modes In Generator Design

The Traits And Principles Of Good Generators

The First Principle Of Good Generators

Five Traits Of Good Generators

The Trait of Diversity

The Principle Of Seven Plus

The Principle Of Variation

The Principle Of Extras

The Trait of Being Bounded

The Principle of Constraint

The Principle of Appropriate Differences

The Principle of Minimization

The Trait of Being Understandable

The Principle of Audience Appropriateness

The Principle of Appropriate Patterns

The Principle of Expected Components

The Principle of Context

The Principle of Recognition

The Trait of Being Evocative

The Principle of Evocative Elements

The Principle of Condensation

The Principle Of Surprise

The Trait of Being Coherent

The Principle of Impact

The Principle of Connection

The Principle of Evolution

The Principle of Transition

Examples Of Generators

Generating Regular Names

Generating Spells

Generating Characters Part 1

Generating Characters Part 2

Generating Cities

Common Generator Patterns And Components

Common Components

Common Patterns

The Stages Of Generator Construction

Initial Concept

Definition of Goal

Research And Brainstorming

Solidification

Prototype

Feedback and Followup

Completion

Testing

Launch Preparation

Launch

General Advice

Advice On Determining Generator Patterns

Discovering Generator Components

Good Generator Construction

Closing

Appendix A – The Five Modes Of Generators

Appendix B – A List Of Traits And Principles For Good Generators

Appendix C – A List Of Common Components

Appendix D – A List Of Common Patterns

About The Author

Other Books by Steven Savage

Chance’s Muse

Random Tools For Creative Ideas

(First Edition)

By Steven Savage

Copyright © 2019 by Steven Savage

All Rights Reserved. The materials in this book are provided for the personal use of the purchaser of the book. No redesign, editing, reproductions, or creations of a derivative work from these materials is permitted without the permission of Steven Savage. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, including but not limited to, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission – except for the inclusion of quotations in a review or personal use.

The information in this book is offered with the understanding that it does not contain legal, financial, or other professional advice. Those interested in such advice should consult a competent, properly-certified professional.

While it is the sincere intent of this publication to provide accurate information in regard to the subject matter, the authors and all those affiliated with the publication of this book assume no responsibility for events occurring to any person or entity taking action or refraining from action as a result of the material in this publication.

This book is not completely comprehensive. Some readers may wish to consult additional forms of information, some of which are provided inside this book.

This book is provided as is without warranty of any kind.

AUTHOR: Steven Savage

www.StevenSavage.com

www.InformoTron.com

www.SeventhSanctum.com

EDITOR: Bonnie Walling

Dedication and Acknowledgement

To the friends who inspired me to make Generators.

To my online crews who give me feedback and support.

To every user of my site that has given me feedback.

To everyone out there making generators in all their forms.

To my editor Bonnie for her hard work.

To Duncan and ELF Vesala for their pre-reading.

Forward

I created my first random generators for roleplaying games in mid-2017 on EN World. Soon after I was looking for other creators to discuss ideas and get inspiration from. I found sites like Donjon, Fantasy Name Generators and Chaotic Shiny.

And a site called 7th Sanctum run by Steve Savage. A site ancient in internet terms, full of useful and interesting generators. Steve was one of my first interviews on my blog on RPG tools. He was also the catalyst for growing a community of creators around generator tools.

After 30+ creative interviews, I've found many corners of the web where these creators lurk. There's a network talking on Reddit and Discord, building on Chartopia and Perchance. Tools supported on Patreon and Twitter. Random tables shared on Instagram and Pinterest.

Creating generator blends many skills. The science of coding, templates and algorithms. The art of word-smithing, random lists and an intuitive feel for what looks right. It has the frustrations and highs of all creative works.

We've supported Steve on his journey of creating of writing this book. It's his contribution after many years experience building generator tools.

It's a book about building better generators. Ones that encourage tools and tables that writers and games masters want to use. That inspire imagination. That lead to better games and stories among groups of friends everywhere.

Duncan of RandRoll.com

Introduction

Humans love randomization. We eagerly await random draws of cards and rolls of the dice when we play games. Video games drop randomized loot or even create entire settings out of random numbers and mathematical acrobatics. Writers and artists challenge each other with random ideas and concepts so they grow.

I think we humans love these things because there’s the promise of the unknown. A draw of a card, a roll of a dice, a random number entered into a game, yields something never seen before. There, in our heads and on our computers, something unique is born from chance with that razor-edge newness humans crave.

At the same time, there’s something predictable about this phenomena. We know what we’re getting – a character, a move on a game board – and yet, in a way, we don't. Randomized creativity gives us infinity with boundaries, a sense of exploration, and enough context to make sense of it.

Many of us have taken to creating tools for randomizing ideas. We write games where rolls of dice and consulting tables in a book turn into adventures. We write computer programs to create titles and plot-lines and character ideas. Some of us even develop simulations, where people walk about inside virtual worlds made from math and random numbers.

I've taken to referring to these Randomization Tools as Generators, inspired by my work creating such things at a website called Seventh Sanctum. I find Generators fascinating because we can take a handful of math and a few bags of language or images, and lead people to near-infinite possibilities. This book is about exploring Generators, using my experience to build a framework to help us explore them further.

Please note this book is about the psychology of Generators, essential findings, and general advice on creating them. I will not be going deep into the mathematics of such things; fractal formulas and L-systems are for people far better versed in them than I. Instead, this will explore useful frameworks for understanding and creating Generators.

How I Came To Be Here

So what makes someone write a book on the philosophy and psychology of Generators?

In the late 70's/early '80s, I was introduced to RPGs and computer games. I was fascinated by what randomization could create, from the dungeons of Beneath Apple Manor to characters in Dungeons and Dragons. Something was amazing about code or dice, making things both unknown and so real. I could wander dungeons and meet interesting people made out of math.

In my teenage years, I began building name Generators, centered around my love of the fantasy series ElfQuest and superhero stories. I also started playing more RPGs and games, both computer and pen and paper, exposing me to even more creative tools – in short, Generators.

In my twenties, I played around with a few game designs of my own, even doing some indie publishing work. The rules and methods that turned the random into the real continued to fascinate me. There was magic in these structures and formulas.

In my thirties, I created Seventh Sanctum, a site of random Generators. It started initially as a joke when friends and I at a get-together discussed crazy-sounding attacks in a mecha anime, and I made a Generator to create some. Soon I was making more and more Generators.

In my forties, I began writing, publishing books on the things I knew about from careers to creative advice. I even returned to fiction writing, which I’d taken a break from for a few years. As I wrote, I noticed how all my experience with Generators had fired up my imagination, and how much I’d learned.

I wrote this book in my early 50's because I realized I had a lot of knowledge about randomized creativity, and I should record it. Besides, when one turns fifty, one does appreciate how much one has seen. It took a lot of years to make me realize how much I’d learned about randomization, creativity, and Generators.

Of course, when one is fifty-one and realizes that there are likely fewer decades ahead than behind, recording experiences is essential. If I may be so morbid, you may well be reading this book after I have passed on (and if not, give me a shout-out).

I hope that this will help you and other people who create, make games, and inspire others.

Infinity is out there. Let’s explore it.

Steven Savage

November 1st, 2019

What This Book is About

The goal of this book is to distill my findings about Generators into an orderly form that helps people create Generators. It's me