Post by A.thourity on May 11, 2006 19:41:05 GMT -5
I gotta give props to Pandora for all this stuff, I jope she doesn't mind me passing on her many pearls of wisdom!
((Lesson 1))
-Things to keep in mind when role-playing-
1)Your character
Sounds simple? Not always! I've read some wonderful posts where the nature is magnificently described, there are emotions and feelings present, but we barely see the actual character at all! Their movements, appearance, even name, can sometimes be missing entirely! So remember, describe what you character is doing, how they are moving, what they look like, at least a little, in every post!
2)Where you are
What does the nature look like, what scents and sounds are there? Ok, so you are on a beach, but what kind of a beach? Is it rocky, or is it sandy? Is the sand dark, or is it almost white? Is it warm, the sun baking the ground, or is there a cold wind blowing?
3)What your character is thinking/feeling
Emotions, opinions, reflections, musings, try to make sure that you find space in your posts for these! You don't need to put them as straight on thoughts in italics, but maybe just add them as a subtle spice to your monologue?
4)Synonyms and adverbs
Always keep these in mind. Keep a dictionary and/or thesaurus handy at all times. There are some great internet sources which you can use as well. Take for example the color red. In your post you could say red, or you could say crimson(sadly that word is rather overused), or cherry, or vermilion, or ruby, or rose. See the difference it makes? And that’s one of the simplest ways to add zest to your posts!
dictionary.reference.com/
thesaurus.reference.com/
-What NOT to do-
1) NeVeR tYpE lIkE tHiS!!!
I can not understand why some people do it, maybe it's accidental, but even then I just don't see how! Anyway, be careful with your capital letters, please try to keep them in the right place!
2)Make sure not to type run on sentences that continue on forever never ending and never pausing with so much as a single comma period or semicolon it is very frustrating and tires the reader out they won't have the energy to absorb even half of what you are saying and will get lost among all the words!
This is very important, always remember this! Don't try to pile too much information into one sentence, split it up a little!
3)Do not type u, meaning you, or 4, meaning for. Chat speak does not belong in RP posts!
Need I say anything more about this one? It's self explanatory, isn't it?
4)Please refrain from shortening his to 'is and using other such abreviations. That's ok in speech, as an accent of sorts, but do not type like this in your texts. It's very frustrating, not to mention that people often use it wrong!
Think it sounds fancy? Think again! It's slang, cool in speech, not at all cool in regular text!
5)May I opine that you evade exercising the very loftiest of words and verbalisms, when you are quite capable of illustrating the plight in a notably more unembellished manner?
Anybody understand that sentence? Ok, so it really wasn't that hard to read, but it didn't sound good though, did it? Too many fancy words, piled onto eachother, it sounds rough and is difficult to digest. Of course, fancy words are great, and I would be the last person to tell you to stop using them. But maybe you should be careful, and try not to go overboard? I respect a person who can describe a complicated thing in simple words much more than I respect someone who can make a simple thing incredibly complicated.
.:An ending note:.
Although all of these things that I have listed are important, and you should try to strive to follow them, there are times when you can "break the rules" just a bit as well. For example, there might be times when all you want to do is describe nature, down to the very last detail. Then there might be instances where your character's emotions dominate the post entirely. And that's ok, once you become more adept and accustomed to writing you will learn when, and how, you can be artistic with your writing! Don't feel like you are forced to follow any certain set of guidelines always. Writing is all about being creative after all! Just make sure that your texts are easy to understand and that they are reader friendly!
All above is from Pandora at Hues of Grey RPG, which is great, I'll admit!
((Lesson 1))
-Things to keep in mind when role-playing-
1)Your character
Sounds simple? Not always! I've read some wonderful posts where the nature is magnificently described, there are emotions and feelings present, but we barely see the actual character at all! Their movements, appearance, even name, can sometimes be missing entirely! So remember, describe what you character is doing, how they are moving, what they look like, at least a little, in every post!
2)Where you are
What does the nature look like, what scents and sounds are there? Ok, so you are on a beach, but what kind of a beach? Is it rocky, or is it sandy? Is the sand dark, or is it almost white? Is it warm, the sun baking the ground, or is there a cold wind blowing?
3)What your character is thinking/feeling
Emotions, opinions, reflections, musings, try to make sure that you find space in your posts for these! You don't need to put them as straight on thoughts in italics, but maybe just add them as a subtle spice to your monologue?
4)Synonyms and adverbs
Always keep these in mind. Keep a dictionary and/or thesaurus handy at all times. There are some great internet sources which you can use as well. Take for example the color red. In your post you could say red, or you could say crimson(sadly that word is rather overused), or cherry, or vermilion, or ruby, or rose. See the difference it makes? And that’s one of the simplest ways to add zest to your posts!
dictionary.reference.com/
thesaurus.reference.com/
-What NOT to do-
1) NeVeR tYpE lIkE tHiS!!!
I can not understand why some people do it, maybe it's accidental, but even then I just don't see how! Anyway, be careful with your capital letters, please try to keep them in the right place!
2)Make sure not to type run on sentences that continue on forever never ending and never pausing with so much as a single comma period or semicolon it is very frustrating and tires the reader out they won't have the energy to absorb even half of what you are saying and will get lost among all the words!
This is very important, always remember this! Don't try to pile too much information into one sentence, split it up a little!
3)Do not type u, meaning you, or 4, meaning for. Chat speak does not belong in RP posts!
Need I say anything more about this one? It's self explanatory, isn't it?
4)Please refrain from shortening his to 'is and using other such abreviations. That's ok in speech, as an accent of sorts, but do not type like this in your texts. It's very frustrating, not to mention that people often use it wrong!
Think it sounds fancy? Think again! It's slang, cool in speech, not at all cool in regular text!
5)May I opine that you evade exercising the very loftiest of words and verbalisms, when you are quite capable of illustrating the plight in a notably more unembellished manner?
Anybody understand that sentence? Ok, so it really wasn't that hard to read, but it didn't sound good though, did it? Too many fancy words, piled onto eachother, it sounds rough and is difficult to digest. Of course, fancy words are great, and I would be the last person to tell you to stop using them. But maybe you should be careful, and try not to go overboard? I respect a person who can describe a complicated thing in simple words much more than I respect someone who can make a simple thing incredibly complicated.
.:An ending note:.
Although all of these things that I have listed are important, and you should try to strive to follow them, there are times when you can "break the rules" just a bit as well. For example, there might be times when all you want to do is describe nature, down to the very last detail. Then there might be instances where your character's emotions dominate the post entirely. And that's ok, once you become more adept and accustomed to writing you will learn when, and how, you can be artistic with your writing! Don't feel like you are forced to follow any certain set of guidelines always. Writing is all about being creative after all! Just make sure that your texts are easy to understand and that they are reader friendly!
All above is from Pandora at Hues of Grey RPG, which is great, I'll admit!