How can I help the DM as a player?

[graceful oriole]

I have been playing for a year through Discord and I want to be a better player to my DM because he does a lot

[gusty wing]

Best you can do is bite their hooks

If they hint to a dungeon, show interest in that dungeon. If they highlight an NPC, talk to them. If there's treasure, go after it. Engage with their world.

A step further would be foreshadowing things your character would like to do; if a DM runs a more open-ended game, your character expressing interest in a certain goal can give the DM an idea as to what they can prep for future sessions, without worrying whether that prep will go to waste.

[sterile birch]

as a long time dm, i can tell you that its really helpful if you focus on details and encourage the party to do so as well, it can be so simple from just asking questions to the party about plot or ''what do you think this clue means?'' and sharing your thoughts on whats going on to the rest of the party

[glad pine]

Personally I love proactive players. Don't just expect me to give you a trail of breadcrumbs to follow. Just... do stuff. Form a circus. Raise money to get a statue erected. Figure out better trade routes. Go prospecting. And feel free to worldbuild/co-create with me. This is communal storytelling.

[neon tulip]

this! often times players lack the initiative to do things on their own. I love it when one or all of my players makes decisions with confidence when it comes to where to go next or what to do!