I'm completely new to these forums, and to role playing in general. What should I do to get started?

Hi there! Welcome to the world of roleplaying (^_^)

First of all Here's a new user's guide to the Roleplayer Guild made by our moderators and site staff. It should list down most of the essentials that you need to know, along with some supplementary links you can check out for additional information regarding the site as well. It would do you good to look at the moderation policy to avoid getting into trouble by accident. Checking the "News" forum is a good way to know what's up.

Also here is the fundamental rules of the guild. They're pretty small and simple, but they encompass the entirety of the site so it's good to keep them in mind. The top of the page of this link should also show some links to the profiles of site staff that you can contact if you have some issues that you need to address.

If you're new to both roleplaying and writing, I suggest starting out in the "Free" section where there aren't really any standards of writing you need to maintain. If you already have experience in story writing in general, head on over to the "Casual" and "Advanced" section. Roleplaying is a lot like writing a story. The only difference is that you have other people working on this story as well, so it's not just your own story; it's a collaborative and interactive one. The stories are created by how different people have their characters act upon the world that they are in.

Here's the following advice I can give to newcomers like you:

1. Be observant and ask questions - Learn from your fellow peers about how things go around here as well as using your own logic and understanding. Ask around if you feel something is unclear. Most people should be friendly enough to answer them.

2. Don't be one of "Those Guys" - You know those people who just ruin your day because they are inconsiderate jerks who do not care about others and seem to subconsciously block out any form of logic you present to them? Yes, those guys. Don't be like those guys. Please. You will make the world a slightly better place by avoiding that. Be friendly to people and they'll be friendly to you too (most of the time). If they're not, just try to avoid interacting with people who don't seem like good company and find those who you enjoy spending time and roleplaying with.

3. Don't respond too negatively to criticism. And by criticism I mean the constructive one that is sensible and logically founded. Not the random insults people throw for the sake of insulting. If someone criticizes the way you write, try not to take it too harshly. Chances are these people just want to help you improve. OF course, sometimes criticism is based on personal opinion. So I'm not telling you to just comply with everything everyone says. Instead, just keep their comments in mind and decide for yourself if they have a good point or not. And adjust your style accordingly.

And lastly:

4. Have fun! The point of roleplaying is to enjoy yourself in fantastic new worlds created by everyone on the site (yes that includes you!). Join in with some good people and go on an adventure that you will all have a blast with.

Once again, welcome to the site, and I hope to see you around!

^ Pretty much this.

Hi there and welcome :) Happy rp'ing

Getting into a Free RP is probably a good start in accordance with the above. If ya want me to I could dig some up.