Portraying Information in Different Ways (in RPs and Writing)

[Tick]

This topic is meant to discuss any general issue of presenting information in RPs and/or writing (as some might lump together or separate the two), and what is most effective, interesting, preferred, or the like. It can either be how direct the information is (a small example is hinting at someone's thoughts or reaction versus directly stating it), the perspective it is given, creating something that isn't a traditional post (e.g. a post showing an e-mail), etc.

This was brought to mind, recently, when I was pondering over a side thread that coincides with my current RP (which may be a good example of what I'm discussing). It is made to show the "behind the scenes" aspect of the RP, things that a character might not otherwise show or suggest. It acts in an atypical way, for the majority of my experiences with RPs, in that the posts are technically of audio recordings, e-mails, security camera videos, etc. Not the traditional RP post.

So, both for the possible advice and out of general interest, I am curious to hear what people think when it comes to the various ways one can portray and carry across the same information. It can be as specific or as broad of a point as desired, such as discussing its relevance only or the entire issue, within the limits of the subject. :]

[Marrone]

I've adopted a fairly abstract style, similar to Passos and e.e. cummings, but I usually strive to make it more practical for the sake of my peers.

I just thought your 'non-traditional' example wasn't very, well, explosive. I have my own little quoblibet written on another forum, but I brought it and adapted it for this one. Basically, my character is in a nuclear wasteland and his gasmask ran out of oxygen. The post below is him trying to reach what seems to be people in sight in hopes for help.

Spoiler

this is just to say

and which

I have eaten

you were probably

the plums

saving for breakfast

that were in
the icebox

Forgive me
they were delicious
and so cold

Curtis grabbed his pulsing head; throbbing in an entropic mixture of squalling howls; he had to get out of the building, he could hear the structure straining and squeezing down into itself::::::::

We were metaphysical when girls
Cheered on the sidelines.
Tangled up in a falling,
Muscles were a bright motor
Double-flashing to the metal hoop
Nailed to our oak.
When Sonny Boy's mama died
He played nonstop all day, so hard
Our backboard

splintered.

Curtis grabbed his pulsing head; throbbing in an entropic mixture of squalling howls; he had to get out of the building, he could hear the structure straining and squeezing down into itself: in a flash he snapped his foot back into place realized his foot wasn't sprained or dislocated, just HURT LIKE A BITCH probably bruised black, gotta get it looked at as soon as he gets underrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Shake and shake
The catsup bottle
None'll come-
And then a lot'll

Wanted: Men;
Millions of men are WANTED AT O_NCE in a big new field;
NEW, TREMENDOUS, THRILLING, GREAT.
If you've ever been a figure in the chamber of horrors,
If you've ever escaped from a psychiatric ward
If you thrill at the thought of throwing poison into wells, have heavenly
visions of people, by the thousands, dying in flames -
YOU ARE THE VERY MAN WE WANT
We mean business and our business is YOU
Wanted: A race of brand new men.

From my mother's sleep I fell into the State,
And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze.

Apply: Middle Europe;

Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life,

No skill needed;

I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters.

No ambition required; no brains wanted and no character allowed;

When I died they washed m e out of the turret with a hos e.

TAKE A PERMENENT JOB IN THE COMING PROFESSION
Wages: Death

back into place realized his foot wasn't sprained or dislocated, just HURT LIKE A BITCH probably bruised black, gotta get it looked at as soon as he gets under over towards those other voices, oh god the voices OH GOD

THE VOICES

MAKE THEM STOP

So on we worked, a_nd waited for the light,
And went without the meat, and cursed the bread
And

Richard Cory, one calm summer night,

Went home and put a bullet ^{through his head.}
plaese please
Was RAINBOW, RAINBOW, RAINBOW!

A man said to the universe:

And I let the fish go.

Sir, I exist! However, replied the universe,
The fact has not created in me

a sense of obligation.

---

He shoved his revolver into his holster, got up finally, wiped the grime from his crackling gas mask, and simply ran in a roll of thunderous lightning split in his foot as each step jolted in intense, immeasurably keen pain that sizzled through his side in an intolerable splash of suffering and pain, like his atoms being split at every step while nightmares peeked out in lunging position and incessent voices demanded of him in his head; he couldn't breath anymore; both his filter and his lungs gave out and refused to comply. All he could do was run. He was a futurist and his legs were his automobile, all in a pinnacle goal to reach those fellows, those mirages, those ghosts, those shadows. He could feel his foot swelling in his boot as his sprint got him closer, and closer, and closer, and closer until he began to black out a little (a little) and he reached out to touch them, he just needed to know they didn't exist and then he could die, just let go of it all and let the mutants take him finally, finally, but no NO NO NO NO he reached out and the person existed, THEY EXISTED which meant that he had to survive because God damn, he has a chance now!

By now, however, Curtis was frothing at the mouth in an absolutely debilitating fashion. He forced himself to breath, knowing that if he didn't he'd further drive his mental instability further. And with his luck, his filters allowed this; a change of heart, perhaps. However, physically he was a complete mess and the moment he touched someone, his hand latched onto them and anchored them (accidently, of course) slightly. When they were suddenly suprised at something, they just looked back to Curtis. He was wondering if they knew the manhole wasn't too far from under their feet, and then Curtis wondered how he knew that among all this entropy.

So, addressing the importance of trying to express a certain sentiment to another, I think that it's important to understand other peoples misunderstandings. If you look at any statue by Michaelangelo, you'll see that if you look up and forward you might see a indominable hero-- look at it from the side, you see doubt in his face. From another angle, you see a man who's wise. So taking different looks, using loaded words, mixing organic and mechanical adjectives depending on the situation-- a whole bunch of stuff, seemingly minute, can entirely change the viewpoint of our understanding of anothers interpretation. That's why you got to find and choose the best one!