K.T. Davies

Over the years I’ve fallen in and out of love with larp. Like most niche hobbies it contains some super peeps and some awful ones, the problem with a niche hobby is that you are likely to encounter the less fun types at some point.

However, for people watchers, which I ‘spose most writers are to a degree, larp is brilliant. I’m not being cynical here, I don’t go to study people; I play. I get immersed, I get into it just as much (sometimes more) than the next person. Larp is the closest you’ll come as a genre writer to experiencing what some of your characters do. Do you know what it’s like trying to evade zombies in a locked building? I do. Do you know what it’s like wearing plate armour for 12 hours a day in all weather from snow to burning sun? Again, I have found this out, all while playing a game, which is great.

Now I’ve also done more than my fair share or re-enactment and you get a strong flavour of the physical side of things even on a ‘mock’ battlefield. The weapons may be blunt, but steel is steel and gunpowder still burns (Lemme tell you, nothing smoulders like a burning wool jacket I actually really know what it’s like to be stabbed, shot at, and charged by cavalry. But there’s not much in the way of in-depth role-playing to be had from most re-enactments events.

Larp is where you get to, not only put on another person’s clothes, but another personality. What larp offers is a safe place to explore a different headspace. Live role-playing can be much closer to a real experience than acting in a play. (I also used to be an actor; I have a vague idea what I’m talking about) There’s no script, you’re in the moment.  How you and those around you react can be truly enlightening and quite often surprising.  I know there are several genre writers who larp, it’s not only useful; it’s also a heck of a lot of fun. So go on, give it a try. Put on someone else’s skin for a weekend…but not literally you understand.