The Importance of the Little Details

 Tonight I started a segment in a small village with a straightforward plot. A seer, that the party needs to get a prophesy from, is having terrible nightmares. Since the nightmares block his prophetic dreams, they have to figure out how to get rid of them. Seeing how the party is all monster hunters, they suspect a monster.

I improvised a lot.

The rich local who ran the caravan stop, trading post, and stables, with a walled compound is not to be trusted -- the local healer told them so. It was clear she hated him. 

When talking to the old man, he spoke to them through a small window in his front gate and quickly sent them away.

They sent in their little invisible mascot, a mischievous sprite named Freelay with a penchant for apples, into the compound to check things out. When he didn't return, they sent his mount, a Tibetan mastiff named pip to track him and found he was still inside. They talked to the man again and gained entry after some good social skill usage. He was obviously hiding something. He had an orchard and a small building where they tracked Freelay to. The man didn't let them into the shed, but he coerced Freelay out, who was now drunk. It quickly came out that the man was making hard cider from his orchard and was hiding the fact he wasn't paying taxes on it.

He also told them not to trust the healer. The hatred was there too.

With social interaction, the story came out. The rich man and healer were engaged, but she wanted to remain a healer and he wanted a wife to live and stay in his manor. 

Enter Odin -- the party's eccentric old coot who never skips an opportunity to fix a wrong. He drags the man to see the healer, makes them sit down and talk. By the end he helps to heal their differences, and after 15 years, they agree to marry. The local caravan master marries them. The players are all laughing and having a great time.

All improvised. Had I not added these heartfelt little details of things going on behind the scenes, not necessarily relevant to the plot, the party wouldn't have experienced the most wonderful story. 

Being a GM isn't just about organization and planning. Sometimes it is about adding random details and figuring out as you go how they might fit together in some bigger story that isn't part of the plot. Let the attention of the party guide you and give them the story they seem interested in.