Post by Patrick Logan on Mar 5, 2011 0:53:13 GMT -5
Role Play Guidelines and Tips
The following is intended to act as a guideline for RolePlay at RBRP. Whilst this is a free form RP site, it is based on the Dark Alleyways Game, so there are some basic guidelines to consider.
First we will start with a few tips and guidelines to help you expand your role play and hopefully enjoy the time you spend here by being part of creative and imaginative threads.
Organization
Is the key to keeping track of the “Who, What, Where and When” of your character. Each thread and story will have an impact on your character and will probably effect how he or she acts in subsequent thread. It is therefore handy to have a list of where you char has been, who they interacted with, what happened, etc, etc. Your own personal “time line” if you like. A good way to do this is to keep a list of threads in date started order. Consider using a title of xxx – yyyyyyyyy – zzzzzzzzzz where xxx = 01-999 and is the numerical sequence threads were started in. yyyyyyyyyy and zzzzzzzzzz can be the place and Thread title. Some people go as far as to create additional word documents using this titling system which contain either the entire thread or a detailed summary to re-read over when the memory needs refreshing.
It is important to keep track of your character so you do not enter a thread all happy and at full strength if you have another open thread that may well result in your character being badly injured. Also bear in mind open threads can take a sudden twist that may end by radically altering your character and therefore mean other threads you have opened or joined would never have actually happened. This may all sound daunting at first but by keeping a simple record of what your character has done and what they are currently doing means all future role play will have a nice smooth flow to it.
Writing Skills
Not everyone uses English as a first language. Not everyone is the greatest writer and speller. But pretty much everyone has access to a basic word processor and spell checker. Whilst you are not expected to write the worlds next best selling novel, using basic grammar, punctuation and spelling makes your contributions easer to read and therefore more inviting for others to join. For example, read the two “posts” below and decide which you would be more interested in responding to ?
I ran out the buildng to find it was raining so I ran oer to a tree and stood under it so the rain would not me wet and then I saw the man over the road ad thought he was looking at me so I walked over to him and loked at him and asked him what was wrong but he wouldnt talk to me so I turnd round and ran back to the tree.
------------------------------------------------------------
I came out of the building to find it was raining, so I ran over to a tree to shelter under it. Glancing around I saw a man watching me. Curious as to why he was interested in me I walked over to where he was standing. “Can I help you with something ? ….. Is there a problem ?”. I asked why he seemed to be looking at me but he remained silent. Deciding I was not going to get any answers I slowly walked back to where I had been standing.
Both of the above describe the same situation but I think you would agree that the second is much easier to read. It also employs the use of speech, punctuation and the spelling mistakes have been corrected.
Always use some form of word processor (even it is simply notepad) to write out your posts and read them back to yourself. Often the imagination can work faster than the brain can format and, a few moments taken to read your post, can highlight areas where the use of paragraphs and punctuation make all the difference.
First and Third Person[/b]
These are the two main ways of writing about your character. It is easier to demonstrate than explain so the following show use of each of these writing styles.
First person
I walked slowly along the road, my gaze drifting from side to side as I pulled up the collar of my coat against the cold wind.
Third Person
She walked slowly along the road, her gaze drifting from side to side as she pulled up the collar of her coat against the cold wind.
OR
Mary walked slowly along the road, her gaze drifting from side to side as she pulled up the collar of her coat against the cold wind.
You will find most people tend to write in third person. Read most books and most stories use the same format. At the end of the day it is down to personal preference. The only rule is consistency. Pick one and stick with it. Swapping styles half way through a thread or post can make it hard to follow your writing.
Expanding your writing
Or avoiding the “one liners”. Now this site has posting limits of 500 and 1000 characters so the one liner post has been eliminated but, we can all suffer from writers block at times, so this section offers you a few suggestions to meet those limits.
Take a post of “Walks along the path and sits down to wait”. Of course it shows what your character is doing but tells nothing of your characters appearance, emotional state, physical state, etc. or of the actual surroundings. So let us expand it a it.
She walked slowly along the small well trodden path, her gaze lowered to follow the progress of each dragged footstep. Normally she would run and skip along here laughing, but tonight was different. Tonight she carried the bruises of the fight on her back and shoulder. Tonight her steps were marred with a limp as she favored her right leg. Tonight she walked this path to escape the trials she now faced. The rain whipped about her, driven by the cold wind that howled through the trees. Her hands reached up to grip the collar of her long red coat, pulling it close around her neck to keep back the nights chill. As she turned a corner she saw the small wooden bench a few paces up ahead. A welcoming rest stop in her dreary trudge. Easing her tired and aching form down onto the hard surface she leant back with a low and troubled sigh. So much had happened that her thoughts were still in turmoil. A deep confusion evident in the tear stained gaze she lifted to the sky. All she could do now was wait and see what the future might hold.
1042 characters that now give us so much more information. We know about the area and weather. How the woman is dressed. The fact she seems to be injured and her thoughts troubled. And all it took was a few minutes thinking about what I wanted to portray. Picture it like a film in your mind. See the area around your character, imagine what they would be wearing. Then add in what has happened to have your character in this place at this time. And what effect that has had on them. Are they happy or sad ? Are they looking forward to something happening or dreading it ? Write your own film script so that those reading it can imagine what you are seeing in your mind and respond in kind.
Again you do not have to write pages and pages. Sometimes short and sweet can work better. But whenever you write remember others cannot read your mind. It is your responsibility to give them the detail and information they need in order to respond to you.
The following is intended to act as a guideline for RolePlay at RBRP. Whilst this is a free form RP site, it is based on the Dark Alleyways Game, so there are some basic guidelines to consider.
First we will start with a few tips and guidelines to help you expand your role play and hopefully enjoy the time you spend here by being part of creative and imaginative threads.
Organization
Is the key to keeping track of the “Who, What, Where and When” of your character. Each thread and story will have an impact on your character and will probably effect how he or she acts in subsequent thread. It is therefore handy to have a list of where you char has been, who they interacted with, what happened, etc, etc. Your own personal “time line” if you like. A good way to do this is to keep a list of threads in date started order. Consider using a title of xxx – yyyyyyyyy – zzzzzzzzzz where xxx = 01-999 and is the numerical sequence threads were started in. yyyyyyyyyy and zzzzzzzzzz can be the place and Thread title. Some people go as far as to create additional word documents using this titling system which contain either the entire thread or a detailed summary to re-read over when the memory needs refreshing.
It is important to keep track of your character so you do not enter a thread all happy and at full strength if you have another open thread that may well result in your character being badly injured. Also bear in mind open threads can take a sudden twist that may end by radically altering your character and therefore mean other threads you have opened or joined would never have actually happened. This may all sound daunting at first but by keeping a simple record of what your character has done and what they are currently doing means all future role play will have a nice smooth flow to it.
Writing Skills
Not everyone uses English as a first language. Not everyone is the greatest writer and speller. But pretty much everyone has access to a basic word processor and spell checker. Whilst you are not expected to write the worlds next best selling novel, using basic grammar, punctuation and spelling makes your contributions easer to read and therefore more inviting for others to join. For example, read the two “posts” below and decide which you would be more interested in responding to ?
I ran out the buildng to find it was raining so I ran oer to a tree and stood under it so the rain would not me wet and then I saw the man over the road ad thought he was looking at me so I walked over to him and loked at him and asked him what was wrong but he wouldnt talk to me so I turnd round and ran back to the tree.
------------------------------------------------------------
I came out of the building to find it was raining, so I ran over to a tree to shelter under it. Glancing around I saw a man watching me. Curious as to why he was interested in me I walked over to where he was standing. “Can I help you with something ? ….. Is there a problem ?”. I asked why he seemed to be looking at me but he remained silent. Deciding I was not going to get any answers I slowly walked back to where I had been standing.
Both of the above describe the same situation but I think you would agree that the second is much easier to read. It also employs the use of speech, punctuation and the spelling mistakes have been corrected.
Always use some form of word processor (even it is simply notepad) to write out your posts and read them back to yourself. Often the imagination can work faster than the brain can format and, a few moments taken to read your post, can highlight areas where the use of paragraphs and punctuation make all the difference.
First and Third Person[/b]
These are the two main ways of writing about your character. It is easier to demonstrate than explain so the following show use of each of these writing styles.
First person
I walked slowly along the road, my gaze drifting from side to side as I pulled up the collar of my coat against the cold wind.
Third Person
She walked slowly along the road, her gaze drifting from side to side as she pulled up the collar of her coat against the cold wind.
OR
Mary walked slowly along the road, her gaze drifting from side to side as she pulled up the collar of her coat against the cold wind.
You will find most people tend to write in third person. Read most books and most stories use the same format. At the end of the day it is down to personal preference. The only rule is consistency. Pick one and stick with it. Swapping styles half way through a thread or post can make it hard to follow your writing.
Expanding your writing
Or avoiding the “one liners”. Now this site has posting limits of 500 and 1000 characters so the one liner post has been eliminated but, we can all suffer from writers block at times, so this section offers you a few suggestions to meet those limits.
Take a post of “Walks along the path and sits down to wait”. Of course it shows what your character is doing but tells nothing of your characters appearance, emotional state, physical state, etc. or of the actual surroundings. So let us expand it a it.
She walked slowly along the small well trodden path, her gaze lowered to follow the progress of each dragged footstep. Normally she would run and skip along here laughing, but tonight was different. Tonight she carried the bruises of the fight on her back and shoulder. Tonight her steps were marred with a limp as she favored her right leg. Tonight she walked this path to escape the trials she now faced. The rain whipped about her, driven by the cold wind that howled through the trees. Her hands reached up to grip the collar of her long red coat, pulling it close around her neck to keep back the nights chill. As she turned a corner she saw the small wooden bench a few paces up ahead. A welcoming rest stop in her dreary trudge. Easing her tired and aching form down onto the hard surface she leant back with a low and troubled sigh. So much had happened that her thoughts were still in turmoil. A deep confusion evident in the tear stained gaze she lifted to the sky. All she could do now was wait and see what the future might hold.
1042 characters that now give us so much more information. We know about the area and weather. How the woman is dressed. The fact she seems to be injured and her thoughts troubled. And all it took was a few minutes thinking about what I wanted to portray. Picture it like a film in your mind. See the area around your character, imagine what they would be wearing. Then add in what has happened to have your character in this place at this time. And what effect that has had on them. Are they happy or sad ? Are they looking forward to something happening or dreading it ? Write your own film script so that those reading it can imagine what you are seeing in your mind and respond in kind.
Again you do not have to write pages and pages. Sometimes short and sweet can work better. But whenever you write remember others cannot read your mind. It is your responsibility to give them the detail and information they need in order to respond to you.
