Post by angelous on Apr 23, 2009 21:09:03 GMT -5
So those of you who know me, I'm not exactly the best at long winded rps, but I have done my fair share. If we had a requirement for number of words on the site, say 500, I could reach it, though I may struggle here or there. Any-who, this guide is for the person who wishes to type longer posts. I will say now that this guide may not be the longest, but it will help.
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There are a number of things one can do to lengthen a RP post. If it is at the beginning of an RP, state why your character is in the particular area they are in, at that particular time. While you may not always have a reason for joining a RP other than the other people in it, giving a character a little bit of reason can go a long way in helping to lengthen your post, and for character development.
Description is a MUST. I know that when people read books, they don't usually care for all the long winded descriptions of places and people. Well, descriptions are a must. With them, you get a sense of who a person is, how they act, and the like. You can also see what an area is like in your mind. You can see the terrain, feel the wind, the heat, hear the crickets chirping... Oh wait, that's the noise of you reading this. Joking, joking. But as I said just moments ago, you need description for a good lengthy post, and even if you aren't aiming for a longer post, description is still a nice thing to have. Without it there is really no way anyone you RP with will be able to tell what is going on in your posts.
Dialogue is nice too. Many novels are dialog driven, rather than plot driven. Have your character talk a few times in your post, if it is in their nature. Even if they are just talking to himself (or herself, depending on the gender).
Inner thoughts. These are key. Nobody will know what your character is thinking at any given point in time except yourself, unless you type it in the post. Now when it comes to canon auditions, I'm sort of challenged in this department, but I'm getting better.
Expressions show emotion. Have your character chuckle, smile, sneer, frown, things like that. It'll help pass them off as real and emotional, instead of empty and hollow. Describing these expressions can also help point out what they are really feeling. Cause come on, who really always act how they feel?
Action. No RP is complete without movement of some sort. It's boring as hell to just stand in one spot for an entire RP. Move around, swing your arms, stretch your legs. Simple things can make things less boring to read, help portray emotion, and that sort of stuff. Have a little bout of violence if need be, get those juices flowing. Just try not to break character doing this.
Tone.... Now on paper, or in type, tone is hard to do for some, because you can't hear tone if it's written down. Describe a character's tone as best you can, because even a little description for their tone can help them sound angry when you want them to be, instead of dull and consistent.
Gestures make the man, or woman, or whatever your rping as. Again, they help portray emotion, and add a little razz-ma-tazz to your post, and a little bit of length.
Another bit of advice, if you aren't in a good mood, or if you are tired, or your muse is lacking, don't RP. Wait until you've got your inspiration back, because if you are burnt out, bitter, or bored, you're less likely to take as long to write a post, and the length will suffer. Not only that, but you might end off worse than before you started. But make sure anyone you're rping with knows you need a little break. You don't want them to get mad at you for a little thing like that.
At any rate, this is my guide on longer rps.
~Angelus
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There are a number of things one can do to lengthen a RP post. If it is at the beginning of an RP, state why your character is in the particular area they are in, at that particular time. While you may not always have a reason for joining a RP other than the other people in it, giving a character a little bit of reason can go a long way in helping to lengthen your post, and for character development.
Description is a MUST. I know that when people read books, they don't usually care for all the long winded descriptions of places and people. Well, descriptions are a must. With them, you get a sense of who a person is, how they act, and the like. You can also see what an area is like in your mind. You can see the terrain, feel the wind, the heat, hear the crickets chirping... Oh wait, that's the noise of you reading this. Joking, joking. But as I said just moments ago, you need description for a good lengthy post, and even if you aren't aiming for a longer post, description is still a nice thing to have. Without it there is really no way anyone you RP with will be able to tell what is going on in your posts.
Dialogue is nice too. Many novels are dialog driven, rather than plot driven. Have your character talk a few times in your post, if it is in their nature. Even if they are just talking to himself (or herself, depending on the gender).
Inner thoughts. These are key. Nobody will know what your character is thinking at any given point in time except yourself, unless you type it in the post. Now when it comes to canon auditions, I'm sort of challenged in this department, but I'm getting better.
Expressions show emotion. Have your character chuckle, smile, sneer, frown, things like that. It'll help pass them off as real and emotional, instead of empty and hollow. Describing these expressions can also help point out what they are really feeling. Cause come on, who really always act how they feel?
Action. No RP is complete without movement of some sort. It's boring as hell to just stand in one spot for an entire RP. Move around, swing your arms, stretch your legs. Simple things can make things less boring to read, help portray emotion, and that sort of stuff. Have a little bout of violence if need be, get those juices flowing. Just try not to break character doing this.
Tone.... Now on paper, or in type, tone is hard to do for some, because you can't hear tone if it's written down. Describe a character's tone as best you can, because even a little description for their tone can help them sound angry when you want them to be, instead of dull and consistent.
Gestures make the man, or woman, or whatever your rping as. Again, they help portray emotion, and add a little razz-ma-tazz to your post, and a little bit of length.
Another bit of advice, if you aren't in a good mood, or if you are tired, or your muse is lacking, don't RP. Wait until you've got your inspiration back, because if you are burnt out, bitter, or bored, you're less likely to take as long to write a post, and the length will suffer. Not only that, but you might end off worse than before you started. But make sure anyone you're rping with knows you need a little break. You don't want them to get mad at you for a little thing like that.
At any rate, this is my guide on longer rps.
~Angelus
I did post in shades of grey if anyone even remembers that lmao