How do you keep a game from becoming a chore?
Great advice from Engine and Don. In the world of Improv, the golden rule is "Yes, and..." So relax, have fun, take what your players give you, and build on it.
If you are presenting yourself as a GM, aside from module-play, I think you have an obligation at the outset to have a rough sketch of the "world" you are dropping your characters into. It doesn't have to be fully fleshed out. Just a rough sketch.
From there, you can let them build their back stories and take cues from them to help add some detail to your world. Aside from that, just move the story forward, and build out further when and as needed.
If you get to a place where you feel stuck, just tell the players you need a week (or whatever) to do a little work to fill in the blanks. I think most players would understand that.
100% agree with Don that it should not feel like a chore. To me (and I imagine, to most of us on here), RP is the most fun thing in the world. If being a GM is not fun, try just being a player. If that too feels like a chore, then maybe try pickle ball?
This message was last edited by the user at 14:16, Mon 04 July 2022.