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Author Topic: Tips on Writing/Role Playing  (Read 8077 times)

GothicFires

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Tips on Writing/Role Playing
« on: November 22, 2007, 07:27:06 PM »
Role playing online is much different than sitting in a room with a bunch of your buddies around a table that is stacked high with books, empty soda cans and pizza crusts. The GM is the one that provides the scenery and the action that you are to react to. It is an action reaction scenario the entire game. You are never told what the npcs and monsters are thinking and you are not required to tell how your character feels. Even most of the details about the environment is left to the individuals imagination... the main reason is... time. I have seen it take an hour just to get 5 pcs across a street. Filling an in-person game with all the frills that keep us reading a book is simply not plausible; It would make the game unenjoyable for all.

Play-by-post role playing is a totally different monster. The members of the game may not be online at the same time. If you thin an in-person game can go slowly... play-by-post can be even more so. You may not have the rapid excitement that you get by being around your friends trying to through out actions and fighting monsters. Excitement and emotional involvement has to be developed in a different way. Player recruitment is also more difficult since you can't always grab your personal friends and drag them to a computer. 

How does one keep excitement in a play-by-post game or attract players to a game? Its the same thing that keeps a book in your hand... writing.

This thread will give you tips on writing and show you how easy it is to improve your skills. You don't have to be an exceptional writer, you just have to care enough to put in a little effort. You will be amazed at how much more fun you and your partners will experience.
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GothicFires

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Building a Post
« Reply #1 on: November 22, 2007, 09:08:58 PM »
One of the greatest frustrations that I have had over the years is short posts. Not only is it frustrating when I write a fat paragraph or two for the person I am writing for but short posts are hard to respond to because there is not much material by which to be inspired.

Don't think you have enough talent? For most partners you don't have to be a great writer, you just have to try. You can improve what you write by answering some of the following questions:

  • What is your character doing?
  • Why is your character doing what he is doing?
  • How does your character feel (emotions)?
  • Where is your character?
  • What does your character see, hear, touch, taste and smell?
  • How does your character react to what they see, hear, touch taste and feel?
  • What is going on around your character that does not directly affect your character yet gives more atmosphere to the game?

« Last Edit: January 05, 2008, 03:13:58 PM by GothicFires »
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GothicFires

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Re: Tips on Writing/Role Playing
« Reply #2 on: January 05, 2008, 03:13:21 PM »
What is your character doing?

Billy took  a drink of water.

Why is your character doing what he is doing?

The heat of the day drew the moisture out of Billy's throat. To quench his thirst, he took a drink of water.

How does your character feel (emotions)?

The heat of the day drew the moisture out of Billy's throat. He was physically and mentally exhausted from hours of working outside.  To quench his thirst, he took a drink of water.

Where is your character?

Billy sat on the edge of the porch. The heat of the day drew the moisture out of his throat. He was physically and mentally exhausted from hours of working outside.  To quench his thirst, he took a drink of water.

What does your character see, hear, touch, taste and smell?

See

Billy sat on the edge of the porch watching tumbleweed roll across the yard. The heat of the day drew the moisture out of his throat. He was physically and mentally exhausted from hours of working outside.  To quench his thirst, he took a drink of water.

hear

Billy sat on the edge of the porch watching tumbleweed roll across the yard. The distant calls of buzzards drifted through the air. Moisture was leached from this throat by the heat of the day. He was physically and mentally exhausted from hours of working outside.  To quench his thirst, he took a drink of water.

taste

Billy sat on the edge of the porch watching tumbleweed roll across the yard. The distant calls of buzzards drifted through the air. Moisture was leached from this throat by the heat of the day. He was physically and mentally exhausted from hours of working outside. His tongue felt tick and tasted like dirt from all the dust in the air.  To quench his thirst, he took a drink of water.

touch

Billy sat on the edge of the porch watching tumbleweed roll across the yard. The distant calls of buzzards drifted through the air. Moisture was leached from this throat by the heat of the day. He was physically and mentally exhausted from hours of working outside. His tongue felt tick and tasted like dirt from all the dust in the air.  Reaching to his left, his hand wrapped around a cold, sweating bottle. To quench his thirst, he took a drink of water.

smell

Billy sat on the edge of the porch watching tumbleweed roll across the yard. The distant calls of buzzards drifted through the air. Moisture was leached from this throat by the heat of the day. He was physically and mentally exhausted from hours of working outside. His tongue felt tick and tasted like dirt from all the dust in the air.  Reaching to his left, his hand wrapped around a cold, sweating bottle. With a quick twist, he removed the cap and brought it to his nose. His throat was so parched that he thought he could smell the freshness of the water. To quench his thirst, he took a drink of water.

As you can see from the example above, you don't have to be a great writer to be able to make a good post. Just by answering a few questions I turned 1 sentence into 9.
« Last Edit: June 06, 2009, 08:09:31 PM by GothicFires »
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GothicFires

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Re: Tips on Writing/Role Playing
« Reply #3 on: June 06, 2009, 09:32:43 PM »
The repeat reply

Nothing is more frustrating to a writer to read a response that has no influence from what they wrote. The entire point of role playing is that your character is interacting with another character. Unless the two characters are in two different places then your character is at least going to be indirectly affected by what the other character did.

The wrong way
Post

Sandy was staring out the window. She was upset about something that much was clear. What was a mystery is that John had no clue as to what was bothering her. She had ignored his question when he came in from work but not that he had changed cloths it was time to see if he could get her to open up.

Her walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders and rubbed gently. "Open up to me my love. Tell me what is wrong." He pleaded gently, not knowing what else to do.

reply

Sandy stared out the window feeling hopeless. She had lost her job the night before and had been unable to tell John. She had been sick too much the past few weeks. This morning she had finally broke down and taken a pregnancy test. It was positive. She was positive that she couldn't handle the situation.

Not wanting to talk she went to their bedroom and locked the door. She threw herself on the bed and cried.

The problem

Sandy was not only spoken to, but touched. For those to be ignored would make the writing partner wonder what they were even trying for. Frustrated writing partners make for short games.

The right way
Post

Sandy was staring out the window. She was upset about something that much was clear. What was a mystery is that John had no clue as to what was bothering her. She had ignored his question when he came in from work but not that he had changed cloths it was time to see if he could get her to open up.

Her walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders and rubbed gently. "Open up to me my love. Tell me what is wrong." He pleaded gently, not knowing what else to do.

reply

Sandy stared out the window feeling hopeless. She had lost her job the night before and had been unable to tell John. She had been sick too much the past few weeks. This morning she had finally broke down and taken a pregnancy test. It was positive. She was positive that she couldn't handle the situation.

She didn't turn her head when her boyfriend came up behind her. They had been arguing too much as of late. She didn't feel confident in that love. Financially they had been struggling. Another mouth to feed was bound to be the straw that broke their relationship. She shrugged her shoulders to dislodge his hands and ran to their bedroom. After locking the door she threw herself on the bed and cried.

What if there is no direct interaction?

What do you do if to characters are in the same scene but they do not touch or talk to one another? Just find something that you can use to let your partner know that you have read what they have wrote.

The post - taken from Wicked Game written by Archangel

It took a moment to realized Zayne was looking up at him like a slave worships an idol, and the thought alone made Izzy smile.

The reply - taken from Wicked Game written by Gothicfires

The teen would have been mortified if he would have known how the singer interpreted his gaze. But as he didn't know, Zayne blushed and smiled as he was aided to his feet.
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