RPing tips II

[Mystie Glass]

Okie-dokie, being one of the not-so-great RPers here, I almost decided not to post this, but, well, here you go. I typed this all up months ago for my website, so I know this might be copying a little of what "RP tips I" said. So groovy. I know it's a bit long, and some of it is REALLY simple, for people who are, like, complete new, so reasonably good RPers can just skip Part 1. If anyone wants to add to it, then go ahead. This has eleven parts, so... well, it might take a while to read, so get a drink, a nice scotch maybe, and a packet of scotch eggs.

[Mystie Glass]

PART 1

It is important to remember that what RP-ing actually is. Basically, it's a story which everyone writes together. Now, how would it look if you read a story and it looked like this:

Bob burst through the door rapidly and looked around for Fred, hoping that he could talk to her about a very important matter. I notice Ben but decide not to talk to him right now... it's probably about the same thing as always...

As great as that is... it makes absolutely no sense to anyone that doesn't want to read it twice. Not only because the first sentence is in 3rd person and the second in 1st, but also because the first uses past tense, and the second uses present. People will probably disagree with me on this one, but I think that everyone should keep their posts in the same format. This means that since the majority uses 3rd person past tense, so should you.

Look how nicely these two posts fit together:

Bob burst through the door, out of breath and looked around desperately for Fred. Fred noticed Ben and began to think. Hmm... wonder if I should talk to him? It might be important... Nah, it's probably about the same thing as always.

Still not perfect, but much better than the first, no? Of course, if that were a real post it would probably be a lot longer.

So, as a summary, we briefly talked about two topics:
1) Use the 3rd person.
2) Use the past tense.

And thus ends my first tutorial thingy... please don't flame me for it. We can't all be perfect.
Oh, and feel free to post any comments or questions you might have about this part.

[Mystie Glass]

PART 2

When you post, make sure to 'set the scene'. For example - if you were to post something like (and I have in the past done it ):

Bob barged through the door and looked at the room.

Then whoever reads it will have no idea what the room is like, what the door is, where the door is, what time of day it is, what Bob is wearing, who else is there, what is in the room and so on.
A post should really describe all sorts of different things. You could rearrange the order of it, but this is kind of how I tend to try and post. Remember that you don't always need to post this sort of thing - it's more appropriate for starting a thread.

As his eyes looking towards the floor as he walked up the escalating staircase, Bob didn't look at all healthy. His eyes had bags under them, his bright blue irises now a greyish colour. His hair had started turning from blonde to a light chestnut and he had grown taller. He looked malnourished - and felt it.

He approached the door upon reaching the last stair and knocked on it a few times. Glancing out of the window, he noticed the midday sun hidden behind a cloud or two. Ah, that was England for you.

Now that post follows a kind of frame. It starts with introducing the character (Bob) followed by a small piece of 'action' (moving up the staircase). It then follows with his appearance... (malnourished - tired). In the second paragraph, the weather, time of day and setting is explained and then the actual main 'action' happens (knocking on the door).

So in simpler form, you could try to use a sort of frame to open threads, and perhaps to continue them:


Introduce your Character
Give a small snapshot of action
Describe the character's appearance
Describe the time of day (and if possible weather and setting)
Finally, make sure you finish with some sort of 'action' with movement etc., using lots of verbs.

That ends my second tutorial thingie-ma-jiggie.

One last tip, please know that you have lots of time to post. You don't have to type fast, make erronius spelling errors or use annoying chatspeak. It makes a post much easier to read and more enjoyable in general. Also, the 'Modify' button is there for a reason. If you make a mistake, please fix it. I make spelling or consistency mistakes all the time and a lot of times I don't catch them until I read it a second time, after I've posted it. Sometimes I don't like the way a post flows, so I'll go back and modify it. That is also another good reason to modify posts.
I'm no great RPer and I don't pretend to be - but I find that that kind of thing works. A final note:
Please remember: it's better to elaborate and describe in detail, than to make a one-word post.

And another final note:
Always remember, just because someone else makes a one-word post, doesn't mean you have to too.

[Mystie Glass]

PART 3
One thing that makes RPing with others really hard is when they don't use punctuation, capitalization, proper grammar, etc. We are all supposed to be at least 13 in here so I know the majority, if not all, of us should have had English classes teaching us how to write basic sentences!

For example...

joe walked into the room and looked around hey he said the people at the table as he walked over to them smiling

That makes no sense at all! You can't tell what he's saying without reading the thread at least twice and who honestly wants to read such a short thread like that twice?

To make it better...

Joe entered the room and looked about at his surroundings. He saw a group of people sitting at a table so he decided to approached them.

"Hey," he smiled as he walked up.

Not perfect, but much better and more understandable.


Another thing that makes it really hard to understand is when everything is in one large blob. It's much easier to read/understand what some one is saying/doing when there are breaks in the text. If the text, actions, and thoughts are all in one huge paragraph it makes it so hard sometimes to figure out if some one is talking, thinking or doing! And also, if you put breaks in your texts (not too many obviously) it makes it look alot longer *giggle*.

[Mystie Glass]

PART 4

Ben walked through the door.

Excellent! Ben's learned to walk (Hoorah!!!) But that doesn't tell us very much. Somehow, I doubt that you can tell very much about Ben and his current feelings by that one post. We could try to expland that, in order to give everyone a better idea of what's going on, and how to respond.
I've already really said this, but I'm gonna say it again to make this look longer.

Sleepily, Ben slowly approached the door. He approached it and just stood there for a few minutes. He was late... maybe it would be better to just skip the entire class? Although not the best idea... that way he wouldn't disturb the class... on the other hand, he would get in much more trouble if he didn't show up at all... or would he?

Finally, Ben made up his mind. He closed his eyes for a while and then reopened them, biting his lower lip nervously, unsure of his desicion. Ben placed his hand on the knob of the door and slowly pushed it open, before walking inside the room.

Now, which example do you prefer? The first, or second?

[Mystie Glass]

PART 5

No one likes talking about how they deeply feel in RL (or at least I don't.) Good thing this is RP then, huh? I know that it's weird to describe how your character feels, but once again it's very important. Your characters emotions can sway a thread one way or another, and it can be very bothersome if someone misunderstands you.

And your examples:

Ben was rather annoyed, and then curious.

Ben couldn't stand it! He felt like if he didn't get some peace and quiet soon he'd explode! What would make them shut up?! Obviously, Ben was trying to hide this feeling, but it was growing stronger and stronger with every word she uttered.

Who was she, anyway? Ben felt like he no longer understood this person whom he used to call his best friend. What happpened?! What had forced her to change?! Ben's aggitation seemed to turn to curiosity. Suddenly, his whole mood turned around. He felt like jumping up for joy! That was it! The last part of the puzzle! It all made sense!

That might be VERY over-the-top... but it proves my point .


This is where most people, including myself, mess up. To understand the situation at hand, you must describe how your character feels. Although, it is important to remember that readers have to pretend like they don't know other people's thoughts. (Unless they're telepathic, of course )

Ben decided against speaking and instead simply stood up and left.

Ben stood up and looked around.
Hmm... should I say anything? I mean, I am just a first year... what if I sound completley stupid? But I can't just put up with this kind of speech! Who do they think they are, anyway?! Hmm... I'll get back at the later...
Eventually, Ben stood up and looked around one last time. Without another word, he left, still fuming.

Now, don't forget to keep your characters thoughts distinguished from the rest of your text. I'll admit, this is my biggest mistake. Usually I post Mystie's thoughts in narraration. Careful not to make the same mistake as me.

[Mystie Glass]

PART 6

We have already discussed this in the Basic RP-ing tips, but I'd just like to discuss it further. It is not only important to describe the room itself, but also how your character got there, what's he or she has been doing, and if possible a clue (or the exact reason) he or she is there. If you don't get what I mean:

Ben walked to the lake.

It was bright outside... the sun was blinding after having spent all day stuffed up in the dungeons, spending another detention. The usually warm and pleasent air felt like it was burning into Ben's skin.

Cold, dark, damp dungeons... bright, hot, dry air... the change was too great. Eventually, Ben realized that the only intellegent thing to do was to either go back inside or pass by the lake.

The choice was obvious, and Ben quickly found himself walking towards the lake. Slowly... carefully. As much as Ben wanted to get to his destination as soon as possible, the heat made it impossible to walk any faster.

-Stops writing- Er... you guys get the point, right? That post would be perfect for beginning a thread if I'd post about reaching the lake. I stopped writing since I realize you guys clicked this post to learn how to RP, not to learn about Ben.

[Mystie Glass]

PART 7
Keeping It Consistant

One thing that really annoys me is when someone posts something without paying attention to the little details -screams in frustration, then runs out with a spork, planning on eating a sunflower-. -Runs back in, having eaten a sunflower- It is important for every body to know exactly what's going on in any particular thread. You need to read every post carefully in order to fully understand what is happening in a thread (I know it's annoying with really long threads, but normally the posts are quite short, so please get an idea before you post).
I've seen someone being in the room one post and then come barging in again the next. I've seen someone been standing by a dark corner and then the sunshine has suddenly been shining down on them.
We should all take the time to read over what we have written so the story stay's consistant within each individual thread. So we don't have doubles of the one person turning up within a thread or a person changing positions like magic. Also you will understand the other characters better and will get to know your own character better as well, making the board become more consistant and more like a flowing story, not something that is filled with things that don't coincide with each other.
I'm gonna stop being annoying now. ONTO PART 8!

[Mystie Glass]

PART 8
I've noticed a lot of people making one mistake that I'd like to point out, and hopefully fix: TABs. Really, I know that in essays and stuff after ending a paragraph we use a ENTER then TAB. I have no idea why but Proboards doesn't seem to understand the TAB key. (-Thinks (for once)- Hmm... might be 'cuz it's an Internet site and TAB sends you to the next input box? Meh, whatever.)

Anyhoo, use two ENTERS so that we can tell the difference between your different paragraphs. (Plus, it makes your post look longer. Just remember not to make your paragraphs too short. Then it just looks weird.)

Next topic for this part:
It is very important for everyone to be able to understand each others posts. We can't react appropriately if we have no idea what someone posted. For that goal, please try to:
Use capitals in the right places (Beginning of sentences, Abbreviations, etc)
Obey rules of grammar
Use quotation marks (" ") to show when your character is speaking. I've seen some people use color as well, thats a good idea.

Typos and spelling errors happen, but looking over your post (and modifying it if you see a mistake) can make your post easier to understand.

Incomplete sentences are confusing.
Try not to use sentences that make no sense. An example could be ' Chastity smiled softly.' That is an incomplete sentence.
Reading over your post before posting would point these things out to you.

[Mystie Glass]

PART 9
Repetitive Language:

Repetitive language gets annoying fast. Who wants to read something like:

Bella grinned back at Ant, her eyes alight with mischief. 'Nuh uh. Anyone with half a squirrel could see that that one is most definitely a dandelion, whereas that one right over there is the real elephant.' She looked away from the clouds and down at the lake. She thought she saw something moving in the water and hoped it wasn't the giant squid. She poked him and scooted back a bit. 'You don't think there's anything dangerous in there, do you? In the lake I mean.' She peered nervously into the water, then glanced at Ant for reassurance.

Even though there was lots of interesting vocabulary embedded in that paragraphn (blah, blah, e.t.c.), the many she's made it boring and hard to read. Even though you might be doing something (an action, thinking a thought, etc.), please try to mix up the beginnings of your sentences. When every sentence starts the same way, your whole post begins to sound redundant. Let's try looking at that paragraph again with the beginnings of the sentences varied.

Bella grinned back at Ant, her eyes alight with mischief. 'Nuh uh. Anyone with half a squirrel could see that that one is most definitely a dandelion, whereas that one right over there is the real elephant.' Suddenly something drew her gaze away from the clouds and down to the lake. She thought she saw something moving in the water and hoped it wasn't the giant squid. A nervous look crossed her face as she poked him and scooted back a bit. 'You don't think there's anything dangerous in there, do you? In the lake I mean.' Bella peered warily into the water, then glanced at Ant for reassurance.

Isn't that so much more interesting and easy to read? All it took was some unique phrasing and the use of passive voice.
Admittedly, the second post took alot longer, as I've grown accustomed to put "She" about 8 times in every sentence. These are just tips... so... yeah.

(Just for the record, this was not an actual post and Bella isn't really afraid of anything that might be in the lake. ;D)

[Mystie Glass]

PART 10
Mystie's Tip-Top Tips To Tip-Top Posts

1. Remember that the correct way of writing a pause is '...' I see many people doing a lot of '..............'.
2. I think there are great ways of adding vocabulary to your post, it is proven to make your posts better to read. [-is a guilty culprit of that lately-]
3. Also people who post 3 words should try to expand it. I saw a thread a few days ago with the two people repeating the same thing for like...10 posts on another site.

-Gasps- Spell check! -uses it-

Other ways of spicing up your writing...:

Similes & metaphors:

Yes we're talking about year 1 concepts here, yet can make your writing sound more appealing/intriguing...a poetic touch maybe (-poetic sniff-).

For example:

Bella browsed through the garden's layers. Lovely it was, dazzling as ever. Alike of a fruit bowl, containing the rich scarlet apples, mellow tinged oranges and darkened violet grapes...a feast only for the thieves eyes to dwell.

(Yes VERY cheesy, I know, yet makes writing a bit more edgy).

Personification:

I find this one the most intriguing (love that word!) when writing. Allow non living objects to have human abilities, a fun trick to play with...and almost adds a more powerful message when writing. (Yup indeedy)

For example:

Bella gazed about her wondering eyes on the awaiting sky above. Her desire grew, as she watched the clouds roam above, taking for granted how lucky they may be...touring freely about, having no limits to where they may go.

A few fundamental concepts to writing can give your writing up to a whole new level...able to express in a more powerful statement.

(Wow, I scare myself sometimes...ok don't even mention my corny lines).

[Mystie Glass]

PART 11
That concludes my tutorial thingie-ma-bobbie... yeah, if you've managed to read right down to here, WELL DONE! You now get a cookie.

Thanks Groovy-Mcoovy.
-Mystie (You know me, right? Well, you do now).
X-Huggles-X