Post by ~/\The Dragon Writer/\~ on Sept 9, 2007 18:25:00 GMT -5
Alright, I'm sure that everyone here has seen the posts of some of the members who are capable of seven paragraphs. You might look at those and think, "Holy crap! I'm not going to rp with them, I'll never be able to post that long!". In all truth, you don't have to. But, you might be asking yourself why they tend to post so long? Well, this is because of one reason and one reason alone.
Details.
Now, it comes as no shock or surprise that many people like to pack their posts with details. This might make the post look a lot better, but it also might make the post look completely awful. The major key to detailing posts, and I can't stress this enough, is don't over do it. If you're going to say that you're sitting underneath a shaded tree, then don't go into every tiny detail that's there. We all know there are millions of tiny blades of grass, each poking up toward the sky with small drops of dew glistening off of them. There's no need to post that much detail about it. If anything, say something about how the grass feels and looks, possibly describing it a bit more, then leave it there.
Let me show a true example of what I mean.
Kylon was sitting underneath the twelve foot tall willow tree, resting his weary feet from the seventeen mile trek he had just taken. The rough bark of the tree with jagged edges drove deep into his back, making him feel like he had hundreds of tiny cuts with everywhere on his back. The golden and burning sun was shining down upon the grassy lands, giving the area a humid feeling that made it feel as if Kylon's shirt was absolutely soaked. The black shadow of shade fromt he tree was giving him the cool down he so desperately needed, and also allowing him to have a break from the million degrees Celsius temperature of the boiling hot sun.
Now, if you leave something like that as your post, filled with hundreds of tiny details that add almost nothing to the overall feel of the post, I can assure you your rping won't be overly great. What you need to focus on more are the actually important events going on around you. Is it hot, are there animals, is ther any noise in the background, are there any plants around. All of these are perfect examples of details to describe without going too far into it. For example, state what the temperature feels like to your character, maybe giving it only two sentences of description maximum. No one wants to read a post involving nothing more than the weather.
Let me show you the proper way to use these details.
It was a long, uneventful day for Yuna in the Land of the Dragons. The sun was beating down hard upon the lands, causing Yuna to break out in a sweat without even moving. She had recently found the cover of a large willow tree, and managed to make her way over to it. Letting her back fall upon the rough bark of the tree, the high summoner slid down toward the grass below her, enjoying every second of the break from the heat. Feeling the soft grass beneath her, Yuna let out her pent up breath out of satisfaction. It had been so long since she had taken a break from her walk over the plains of the Land of the Dragons, and she was willing to take as much time as she could to rest.
Now, that post went into detail explaining not only what was around her, but how she got there as well. Which brings me to my next point.
The point of arrival.
I'm sure that most of you have posted a thread where you get straight to what's going on in the scene. This, though it gets everything in the thread moving a whole lot faster, leaves out a very good introduction that could be made. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with a thread that starts with instant action, but you could add to the suspense, giving it an overall better feel. For example, if there's a battle thread going on, instead of saying your character jumped straight into action, why don't you say how they entered, or even give them a sor tof stealth arrival?
Watch how Kylon enters this battle.
Seeing that his opponent was there, Kylon instantly leapt from behind, slashing at the enemy with Sol.
And now watch how Yuna (yes Yuna) enters the battle.
Sneaking past the bushes and trees which stood in her way, Yuna closely followed the man she had been chasing for hours. Silently unstrapping Nirvana from her back, Yuna let her blue and green eyes follow her opponent. She had to wait for the perfect opportunity to strike, not wanting to unveil her position until she was sure she could at least inflict a lasting wound on him. Then, the opportunity came. His back was turned to the high summoner, giving her the pefect chance. Gathering all the holy magic she could into Nirvana, Yuna leapt from the undergrowth toward the back of her enemy. She swung the staff with all of her might, unleashing a great wave of holy magic at her foe.
Now, neither of those would be a post I would've done, but they both show how you should go into detail with your battles, or posts in general. When you enter a thread, you shouldn't just say your character is there right away. Have a paragraph or so explaining what they were doing before they arrived in their current location. This gives more background on your character, and ultimately shows how they will feel in the thread. If Yuna just came from a peaceful location, she would be more relaxed, while if she came from an event that made her mad, she'd be more rage-blinded. Now, let's move on to the next section.
Introductions to threads.
This post should be what gets the post started. It doesn't necessarily have to be an amazingly great post, but this probably should be the longest of the thread. In your entrance/intro post, you want to explain all that is going on, as well as the overall setting. If you just say that your character entered right away, how will you know what's happening around you? There are milions of different combinations of details you could describe, and it'd be nice to at least have some imagery to associate with your post. Describe if there's anyone else around you, if there are any trees, any animals, any buildings, anything you can to give the return poster an idea of what the area looks like. That will not only help them with their post, but will save you the time you'll have to spend thinking about what the area around you looks like.
Let's see how Yuna and Kylon handle the situation.
Kylon, having decided to come to the Pride Lands because he was bored, walked up to the large rock formation and stopped. He stared in wonder at Pride Rock, wondering how such a large rock formation came to be. Shrugging the thought off to the side, he walked up the rocks to visit the king of the Pride Lands, Simba.
The Pride Lands...
Probably one of the most beautiful worlds in the entire universe. Hundreds of exotic and beautiful plants sprang up from the ground, giving this natural beauty a vibrant and colorful appearance. The sun was just starting to set, tinting the usually blue sky a soft, pinkish color. There were hundreds of animals all roaming along the plains of the Pride Lands, going about their daily duties. Up on the horizon, one of the most unbelievably breathtaking sights was standing tall above all else. The rock formation that was known as Pride Rock. The golden sunlight glinted off of the polished, grey rock, giving the rock formation an almost unearthly appearance. But there was one spot in particular that wasn't shining. Instead, it was giving off the reflection of a white shirt and blue dress.
Yuna was walking up Pride Rock.
In the post with Kylon, I stated everything he was doing in a very short amount of words. Meanwhile, in the post with Yuna, I gave the setting around her, the appearance of Pride Rock, the time of day, and what she was doing, all in one paragraph. It's not always necessary to post as long as I did for just the intro paragraph, but it gives both you and the return poster a lot to work with. It also saves time when you're trying to think of what the area around them looks like. Now, time for probably the most important element of the replying process.
Appearances.
I cannot tell you how many times I have gone through a thread having absolutely no clue what my replier's character looks like. It is incredibly important to say what your character looks like, and you should say it as early as you possibly can in the thread. Even if it's such a tiny detail as them wearing earings, every bit could mean the difference. It makes the thread so much less of a hassle if you know what everyone looks like. For example, Kylon is a teenager with dirty-blond hair, bluish-green eyes, and a fair complexion. If I didn't explain what he looked like, someone could come to the thought that he was a pale redhead with brown eyes. Nothing kills a muse more than picturing what someone looks like, only to learn they look the exact opposite.
Let me show you how I'd describe Yuna in a thread.
The hight summoner had spent the entire day trying to reach Pride Rock, and now all she had to do was climb up it. Her light brown locks of hair had become messed up from their usual placement from all the walking she had done, as well as the heat. A single hand brushed some stray locks of her hair from out of her blue and green eyes, allowing her to better see the path in front of her. Her hand dropped to her side, causing the white detatchable sleeves at her sides to brush lightly against the white top she wore. Her weary legs dragged across the grey rock, causing the blue dress with the white floras print to rub against her ankles. Moving her hand to the strap holding Nirvana on her back, Yuna clumsily adjusted her staff, making it run straight up and down once more.
After reading this post, there's pretty much no more confusion about what Yuna looks like, although you probably could've figured it out any way. But, it doesn't matter if you have a canon or not. What if someone doesn't know what Sora looks like from KH2? You'd have to describe what he looks like to clear up any confusion. I can't tell you how much strain it has caused my mind to have to change my image of someone in mid thread. Which brings me to my last and final point about details.
The mind.
Yes, the mind is a wonderful and terrible thing. Who knows what thoughts are going through the heads of our characters? No one, if you don't post them. Yes, you are actually allowed to devote a portion of your post to what your character is thinking about. If we don't know what a character is thinking, then we'll be forced to think they're just a mindless drone who doesn't have any thoughts. Now, I'm not saying to describe every miniscule detail about what's going on in their heads, but be sure to include enough to give an understanding of what your character is going through. Let's see how Kylon and Yuna's thoughts differ.
Kylon, after having fallen flat on his behind, rubbed the pained area with a regretful expression on his face. Ow...I knew I shouldn't have been thinking about Aki.
With that thread, we have absolutely no clue of what he's talking about. Who's Aki? Why was he thinking about her? Why did she take up so much of his attention? Perhaps Yuna will be able to better show her thoughts.
After having fallen down flat on her behind, Yuna rubbed the pained area with a regretful expression on her face. She had to be more careful with where she was going, and not keep her attention on her thoughts of Tidus. And yet, she really couldn't stop herself from thinking about the love of her life. He had disappeared only a few weeks ago, yet she could still feel the pain as if it happened just the other day. Now she had been roaming the lands, looking for any sign of her lost love with no luck. She was starting to think there was no hope of finding Tidus, but she didn't want to let him go. She wanted to hold on to her thoughts of him for as long as she possibly could. Ow...I...I should keep more of my attention on where I'm walking. But I...I can't help but think of Tidus...[/b]
Now, with that thread, we have a rather clear idea of why Yuna's thinking about Tidus, as well as what her current state of mind is. She's troubled and looking for her love, whereas Kylon...we don't really know much of anything about his state of mind. Sometimes a post won't be complete unless you include some of your character's personal thoughts, without having them say any of them. This gives the replier the opportunity to know exactly what is going on in the character's head, even if their character would have no idea. It also gives a reason for their current behavior. If you just say your character fell down and have them state they were thinking of someone in their thoughts, then the replier will have to sit there wondering why.
In conclusion, when you're posting a new thread, or posting in a current thread, try and think of the details and add them. A thread won't be as exciting or as much of a pleasure to read if you simply put actions. If you describe exactly what's going on around you, as well as what your character looks like, and their state of mind, you can make an ordinarily boring thread into something much better. But, one thing I must stress is that length does not make a post good. I could post a thread entirely about what one of my characters is thinking and have it be about...nine paragraphs. But, I don't do this because it would be a lack of balance. If you want to make a truly good, long thread, or even a good, short thread, you must put a balanced amount of all these details into your post. The little things are what makes threads so much fun to read and participate in.
Well, I hope this has helped you with your posting in the future.
And as Simba turned from his typing, he removed the white headphones from his ears and stretched his sore limbs. He had been sitting down for at least an hour, causing him some slight pain in his muscles. Picking up his silver glasses and placing them carefully on his nose, Simba brushed the hair from out of his eyes and stepped away from the computer. It was time for him to don his black apparel that was his work clothes. Normally, people hated going to their jobs, especially when they were closing on a school night. But Simba was actually looking forward to the singing and hopefully slow night at work. Grabbing the hangars which held his clothes, he went to change into his black apparel with an optimistic outlook toward work.
Today was going to be a good day.
^_^
Details.
Now, it comes as no shock or surprise that many people like to pack their posts with details. This might make the post look a lot better, but it also might make the post look completely awful. The major key to detailing posts, and I can't stress this enough, is don't over do it. If you're going to say that you're sitting underneath a shaded tree, then don't go into every tiny detail that's there. We all know there are millions of tiny blades of grass, each poking up toward the sky with small drops of dew glistening off of them. There's no need to post that much detail about it. If anything, say something about how the grass feels and looks, possibly describing it a bit more, then leave it there.
Let me show a true example of what I mean.
Kylon was sitting underneath the twelve foot tall willow tree, resting his weary feet from the seventeen mile trek he had just taken. The rough bark of the tree with jagged edges drove deep into his back, making him feel like he had hundreds of tiny cuts with everywhere on his back. The golden and burning sun was shining down upon the grassy lands, giving the area a humid feeling that made it feel as if Kylon's shirt was absolutely soaked. The black shadow of shade fromt he tree was giving him the cool down he so desperately needed, and also allowing him to have a break from the million degrees Celsius temperature of the boiling hot sun.
Now, if you leave something like that as your post, filled with hundreds of tiny details that add almost nothing to the overall feel of the post, I can assure you your rping won't be overly great. What you need to focus on more are the actually important events going on around you. Is it hot, are there animals, is ther any noise in the background, are there any plants around. All of these are perfect examples of details to describe without going too far into it. For example, state what the temperature feels like to your character, maybe giving it only two sentences of description maximum. No one wants to read a post involving nothing more than the weather.
Let me show you the proper way to use these details.
It was a long, uneventful day for Yuna in the Land of the Dragons. The sun was beating down hard upon the lands, causing Yuna to break out in a sweat without even moving. She had recently found the cover of a large willow tree, and managed to make her way over to it. Letting her back fall upon the rough bark of the tree, the high summoner slid down toward the grass below her, enjoying every second of the break from the heat. Feeling the soft grass beneath her, Yuna let out her pent up breath out of satisfaction. It had been so long since she had taken a break from her walk over the plains of the Land of the Dragons, and she was willing to take as much time as she could to rest.
Now, that post went into detail explaining not only what was around her, but how she got there as well. Which brings me to my next point.
The point of arrival.
I'm sure that most of you have posted a thread where you get straight to what's going on in the scene. This, though it gets everything in the thread moving a whole lot faster, leaves out a very good introduction that could be made. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with a thread that starts with instant action, but you could add to the suspense, giving it an overall better feel. For example, if there's a battle thread going on, instead of saying your character jumped straight into action, why don't you say how they entered, or even give them a sor tof stealth arrival?
Watch how Kylon enters this battle.
Seeing that his opponent was there, Kylon instantly leapt from behind, slashing at the enemy with Sol.
And now watch how Yuna (yes Yuna) enters the battle.
Sneaking past the bushes and trees which stood in her way, Yuna closely followed the man she had been chasing for hours. Silently unstrapping Nirvana from her back, Yuna let her blue and green eyes follow her opponent. She had to wait for the perfect opportunity to strike, not wanting to unveil her position until she was sure she could at least inflict a lasting wound on him. Then, the opportunity came. His back was turned to the high summoner, giving her the pefect chance. Gathering all the holy magic she could into Nirvana, Yuna leapt from the undergrowth toward the back of her enemy. She swung the staff with all of her might, unleashing a great wave of holy magic at her foe.
Now, neither of those would be a post I would've done, but they both show how you should go into detail with your battles, or posts in general. When you enter a thread, you shouldn't just say your character is there right away. Have a paragraph or so explaining what they were doing before they arrived in their current location. This gives more background on your character, and ultimately shows how they will feel in the thread. If Yuna just came from a peaceful location, she would be more relaxed, while if she came from an event that made her mad, she'd be more rage-blinded. Now, let's move on to the next section.
Introductions to threads.
This post should be what gets the post started. It doesn't necessarily have to be an amazingly great post, but this probably should be the longest of the thread. In your entrance/intro post, you want to explain all that is going on, as well as the overall setting. If you just say that your character entered right away, how will you know what's happening around you? There are milions of different combinations of details you could describe, and it'd be nice to at least have some imagery to associate with your post. Describe if there's anyone else around you, if there are any trees, any animals, any buildings, anything you can to give the return poster an idea of what the area looks like. That will not only help them with their post, but will save you the time you'll have to spend thinking about what the area around you looks like.
Let's see how Yuna and Kylon handle the situation.
Kylon, having decided to come to the Pride Lands because he was bored, walked up to the large rock formation and stopped. He stared in wonder at Pride Rock, wondering how such a large rock formation came to be. Shrugging the thought off to the side, he walked up the rocks to visit the king of the Pride Lands, Simba.
The Pride Lands...
Probably one of the most beautiful worlds in the entire universe. Hundreds of exotic and beautiful plants sprang up from the ground, giving this natural beauty a vibrant and colorful appearance. The sun was just starting to set, tinting the usually blue sky a soft, pinkish color. There were hundreds of animals all roaming along the plains of the Pride Lands, going about their daily duties. Up on the horizon, one of the most unbelievably breathtaking sights was standing tall above all else. The rock formation that was known as Pride Rock. The golden sunlight glinted off of the polished, grey rock, giving the rock formation an almost unearthly appearance. But there was one spot in particular that wasn't shining. Instead, it was giving off the reflection of a white shirt and blue dress.
Yuna was walking up Pride Rock.
In the post with Kylon, I stated everything he was doing in a very short amount of words. Meanwhile, in the post with Yuna, I gave the setting around her, the appearance of Pride Rock, the time of day, and what she was doing, all in one paragraph. It's not always necessary to post as long as I did for just the intro paragraph, but it gives both you and the return poster a lot to work with. It also saves time when you're trying to think of what the area around them looks like. Now, time for probably the most important element of the replying process.
Appearances.
I cannot tell you how many times I have gone through a thread having absolutely no clue what my replier's character looks like. It is incredibly important to say what your character looks like, and you should say it as early as you possibly can in the thread. Even if it's such a tiny detail as them wearing earings, every bit could mean the difference. It makes the thread so much less of a hassle if you know what everyone looks like. For example, Kylon is a teenager with dirty-blond hair, bluish-green eyes, and a fair complexion. If I didn't explain what he looked like, someone could come to the thought that he was a pale redhead with brown eyes. Nothing kills a muse more than picturing what someone looks like, only to learn they look the exact opposite.
Let me show you how I'd describe Yuna in a thread.
The hight summoner had spent the entire day trying to reach Pride Rock, and now all she had to do was climb up it. Her light brown locks of hair had become messed up from their usual placement from all the walking she had done, as well as the heat. A single hand brushed some stray locks of her hair from out of her blue and green eyes, allowing her to better see the path in front of her. Her hand dropped to her side, causing the white detatchable sleeves at her sides to brush lightly against the white top she wore. Her weary legs dragged across the grey rock, causing the blue dress with the white floras print to rub against her ankles. Moving her hand to the strap holding Nirvana on her back, Yuna clumsily adjusted her staff, making it run straight up and down once more.
After reading this post, there's pretty much no more confusion about what Yuna looks like, although you probably could've figured it out any way. But, it doesn't matter if you have a canon or not. What if someone doesn't know what Sora looks like from KH2? You'd have to describe what he looks like to clear up any confusion. I can't tell you how much strain it has caused my mind to have to change my image of someone in mid thread. Which brings me to my last and final point about details.
The mind.
Yes, the mind is a wonderful and terrible thing. Who knows what thoughts are going through the heads of our characters? No one, if you don't post them. Yes, you are actually allowed to devote a portion of your post to what your character is thinking about. If we don't know what a character is thinking, then we'll be forced to think they're just a mindless drone who doesn't have any thoughts. Now, I'm not saying to describe every miniscule detail about what's going on in their heads, but be sure to include enough to give an understanding of what your character is going through. Let's see how Kylon and Yuna's thoughts differ.
Kylon, after having fallen flat on his behind, rubbed the pained area with a regretful expression on his face. Ow...I knew I shouldn't have been thinking about Aki.
With that thread, we have absolutely no clue of what he's talking about. Who's Aki? Why was he thinking about her? Why did she take up so much of his attention? Perhaps Yuna will be able to better show her thoughts.
After having fallen down flat on her behind, Yuna rubbed the pained area with a regretful expression on her face. She had to be more careful with where she was going, and not keep her attention on her thoughts of Tidus. And yet, she really couldn't stop herself from thinking about the love of her life. He had disappeared only a few weeks ago, yet she could still feel the pain as if it happened just the other day. Now she had been roaming the lands, looking for any sign of her lost love with no luck. She was starting to think there was no hope of finding Tidus, but she didn't want to let him go. She wanted to hold on to her thoughts of him for as long as she possibly could. Ow...I...I should keep more of my attention on where I'm walking. But I...I can't help but think of Tidus...[/b]
Now, with that thread, we have a rather clear idea of why Yuna's thinking about Tidus, as well as what her current state of mind is. She's troubled and looking for her love, whereas Kylon...we don't really know much of anything about his state of mind. Sometimes a post won't be complete unless you include some of your character's personal thoughts, without having them say any of them. This gives the replier the opportunity to know exactly what is going on in the character's head, even if their character would have no idea. It also gives a reason for their current behavior. If you just say your character fell down and have them state they were thinking of someone in their thoughts, then the replier will have to sit there wondering why.
In conclusion, when you're posting a new thread, or posting in a current thread, try and think of the details and add them. A thread won't be as exciting or as much of a pleasure to read if you simply put actions. If you describe exactly what's going on around you, as well as what your character looks like, and their state of mind, you can make an ordinarily boring thread into something much better. But, one thing I must stress is that length does not make a post good. I could post a thread entirely about what one of my characters is thinking and have it be about...nine paragraphs. But, I don't do this because it would be a lack of balance. If you want to make a truly good, long thread, or even a good, short thread, you must put a balanced amount of all these details into your post. The little things are what makes threads so much fun to read and participate in.
Well, I hope this has helped you with your posting in the future.
And as Simba turned from his typing, he removed the white headphones from his ears and stretched his sore limbs. He had been sitting down for at least an hour, causing him some slight pain in his muscles. Picking up his silver glasses and placing them carefully on his nose, Simba brushed the hair from out of his eyes and stepped away from the computer. It was time for him to don his black apparel that was his work clothes. Normally, people hated going to their jobs, especially when they were closing on a school night. But Simba was actually looking forward to the singing and hopefully slow night at work. Grabbing the hangars which held his clothes, he went to change into his black apparel with an optimistic outlook toward work.
Today was going to be a good day.
^_^
I did post in shades of grey if anyone even remembers that lmao