How to write a field report: a template and an example
You forget most of a night out by the next afternoon. Not the highlights, but the useful details: what you said in the first ten seconds, the moment a conversation lost energy, the two people you almost approached and didn't.
A field report (FR) is a short written account of a night out or a single approach. The pickup community has posted them to forums for decades. Templates used in the community cover the same elements: date, plan for the day, work done, observations, and a plan for next time. Below are two versions you can use, a worked example, and the mistakes to avoid.
When to write
Within 24 hours, ideally the same night. Take notes between approaches (where, opener, how it ended, one detail), then expand them the next morning. Sketch the structure first (the template below), then fill it in.
Target time: 2 minutes per approach for the quick log, 10 minutes per outing for the full report.
Template 1: the 2-minute quick log
Copy this into your notes app. One block per approach.
#__ | day | place | time of day
Opener (word for word):
Her response (words, tone, body language):
Length: __ min
How it ended:
What I felt:
One change:
Pair it with Run Game: tap Success or Rejected first, then fill in the block. The people you didn't approach get a line in the report too, with the real reason.
Template 2: the 10-minute full report
Write this after the outing, from your quick logs.
1. Context
- Date, day or night, kind of place, how busy.
- Your state: tired, nervous, warmed up, a few drinks in.
- Who you were with.
- Your goal for the night, as a number: "Five approaches, ask once."
2. Approaches
- What you noticed and why you went over.
- Your opener, word for word.
- Her response and any interest you observed (IOIs, in pickup terms: eye contact, leaning in, asking questions back).
- Where it went and how it ended.
- What you felt at the key moments.
3. Hesitations
- Anyone you wanted to approach and didn't, and the honest reason.
4. Takeaways
- What worked. One specific.
- What to do differently. One specific.
- One focus for next time. A report that ends with one clear action beats one with ten lessons.
An example (about 250 words)
Saturday, 9pm to midnight. Busy pub, then a quieter wine bar. With a wingman. Goal: four approaches, ask for a number once.
Nervous for the first hour. Passed on two people in the pub because I kept waiting for the "right moment." No real reason. Just scared.
Approach 1. Woman at the bar waiting to order. Said "This is the slowest bar in the city, I've aged a year." She laughed and said she'd been waiting longer. Chatted about the band for a few minutes. Her friend came back, I said hi to the friend too. Fine, friendly, nothing more. I never said I found her interesting, so it stayed small talk.
Approach 2. Wine bar. "Hi, I saw you from over there and wanted to say hello." She smiled but gave short answers and kept glancing at her phone. I said "Seems like I caught you mid-something, nice to meet you," and left. Stung for ten minutes, then fine.
Approach 3. Woman near the window, reading the menu. Asked what she'd recommend. About 15 minutes, lots of laughing about terrible first jobs. Asked for her number. She said yes.
Hesitations: Two. Both nerves.
Went well: Clean exits. Approach 3 felt natural. Do differently: I keep staying in small talk. I need to say what I like about someone earlier. Next time: In every conversation going well, say something sincere about why I came over within the first few minutes.
Add numbers once a week
Once a week, spend 5 minutes turning your reports into counts:
| Count | This week |
|---|---|
| Approaches (Success + Rejected) | |
| Hesitations (from your reports) | |
| Average conversation length | |
| Asks made | |
| Numbers | |
| Same problem repeated in how many reports |
Run Game's Stats shows approaches, success rate and the funnel; the reports tell you why. See why tracking your approaches makes you better at them. Success rate in Run Game is successes divided by successes plus rejections.
What to leave out
- Names, photos, workplaces, and anything that could identify the person you talked to. The report is about your behavior.
- Ratings or numbers for people. Describe what happened instead.
- Sexual detail. It adds nothing you can act on.
Common mistakes and fixes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Only writing up good nights | Write the freeze-ups first. They hold the most information. |
| Writing for an hour | Cap it at 10 minutes. |
| Judging by outcome | Score what you intended vs what you did. A no can follow a great approach. |
| Vague takeaways ("be more confident") | Use an action: "Say hello with my voice up for the first word." |
| Blaming her ("she was stuck up") | Write what you could change next time. |
| Summarizing your opener | Write it word for word. |
Posting for feedback
Put your question first: "Why do my conversations stall at minute five?" Include your exact words and what you were feeling. Post it under Field reports in Run Game's forum, which starts you from a short template (where, what happened, what worked, what you'd do differently). Then try one suggestion at your next outing and report back.
What to do next
- This week: Go out for one outing and keep the 2-minute quick log for every approach.
- Within 24 hours: Write the 10-minute full report from your logs. End with one focus.
- At your next outing: Work only on that focus. Say it out loud before your first approach.
- Sunday: Fill in the weekly count table. Circle the repeated problem.
- After 4 reports: Read them in order. Compare the first one with the last. Link them to your sticking points.
- If you're on a challenge: Write one report per outing during the 100 approaches challenge.
Group the night into a session in Run Game, log each approach, then post the report.