NPCs

If there are NPCs that you expect they'll encounter in play, think about their names, the questions you'll ask about them, their defining traits, how you'll describe them and portray them. Maybe give them an instinct, connections, and motivations. If an NPC might end up as a follower, consider writing down their stats, tags, moves, cost, and instinct before play. See NPCs & Followers for guidelines.

All this prep might seem like it goes against playing to find out what happens, but it really doesn't. You're not prepping a story, or a plot, or an inevitable series of scenes that follow one after the other. You're prepping things that give you interesting stuff to say, that speed up play, that shore up your weaknesses and hone your craft, and that give you permission to play hard. Good prep doesn't involve scripting everything out; it involves laying a groundwork to help you improvise.