[OOC] The Faraway Land

[Thinslayer]

-Trying to think of a legitimate excuse that hasn't been heard a thousand times-

:/

@Hawlin

Writer's block, maybe? I've heard you grumble about your own post quality a couple times. It doesn't have to be long or spectacular - just fun to read and/or react to.

EDIT: And even your allegedly "poor" posts are quite good. So don't sweat it, if that's what's holding you up.

[ineffable]

@Thinslayer
I'm still interested but Laina is basically just waiting for the quest to start etc.

[Thinslayer]

@Thinslayer
I'm still interested but Laina is basically just waiting for the quest to start etc.

@ineffable

The quest has already begun. I'm currently designing subquests that will challenge you, not just as an individual, but as a team. Heroes don't just save lives - they take tremendous risks. The upcoming subquests have the potential to end your character's life or otherwise deal them substantial harm. In order to properly design these subquests, I need to know your character better. More importantly, the characters need to know each other better, because they will come to depend on each other. This conversation stage is vital bonding time. Please take advantage of it.

[Thinslayer]

Maybe I should commandeer Dionaea Sycamore...

[Lord Zee]

Sorry, forgive me. I've been trying to do college haha. I'll write a post right now.

[Lord Zee]

There we are, I've pretty much addressed everyone besides Dionaea(if she is even with the party) and Vert. Hopefully this post gives others some motivation.

[Hawlin]

@Thinslayer

It's a bit 'else' from that, but I'll try to work out a post, tonight.
Lord Zee is a saint for his inclusion on the cast. I just hope I know how to follow up.

Also, I'm a bit 'worked' with just now knowing that the group is already on the road.
x_x;;;;;

[XenoCyanide]

@Hawlin

Let's just say Xen handed you the map. I'll update the post.

[Hawlin]

@XenoCyanide

I guess my wording could be better. I missed my opportunity to post about heading out with the squad.
xD

Kaite was probably bumming around the gate waiting for everyone with her crew of impressionable youths.

[XenoCyanide]

@Hawlin

I kind of jumped forward a little bit where they are already out on the road. Saves time setting up fluff pieces of gathering things which can be included in a developmental post in not so many lines. :P

[rush99999]

Xen handed the letter off to Kaitra and rode in silence, waiting to hear what they would talk about or their idle banter.

@XenoCyanide

When did Xen take the letter, exactly?

[XenoCyanide]

@rush99999

Goddamn it. Meant to say map. I'll edit accordingly.

[Rekaigan]

Maps.. Letters.. They're all the same, right? :P

[rush99999]

@Rekaigan

Not really. Maps are used for navigation, while letters are used for communication.

[Rekaigan]

@rush99999

I was kidding..

[XenoCyanide]

I'd like to draw attention to something that I've noticed happening lately, though I'm not sure if @Thinslayer has objection to it, but I may as well put it out into the open.

The quality of posts I've been noticing has been diminishing, devolving into nothing more than a few sentences and that is all. This is in the casual section of the RP forums, and as such, I would love to see some world building in our posts. I'm not calling anyone out, as many of us are guilty of it, but giving your posts some meat really engages your readers. I'd rather wait a little longer for a post that brings the world to life than spam back and forth with a sentence of dialogue or two, or a post that doesn't really say much. It leaves others scrambling for substance. Interaction between characters is important, but just as important is the world around them. It shapes the characters in many different ways, and adding tid-bits of history of your character in your post can truly make him/her stand out and be an engaging character.

I may be alone in this, and if so, that is fine, continue as normal. This is just my two cents worth.

[Thinslayer]

I know a few tips for that.

* When writing a response, rewrite in your own words the post you're replying to. It shows the other player what you (or your character) thought of the events and improves your readers' immersion.
* Don't describe the environment per se, describe your character's reaction to it. You don't "see a lamp hanging from the celing," you "watch your head so you don't bump into the lamp hanging from the ceiling." There aren't "brambles and thickets around," you "bat away the brambles and thickets."
* Show, don't tell (or don't adverb). You don't "close the book angrily," you "slam the book shut with an ear-splitting pop."

[Thinslayer]

Now, to be fair, the above tips are more in the purview of Detailed RP. They're easy to say, tough to implement. The reason I have this RP as Casual is to put a damper on the stress. As a rule, if posting feels like work, you're not going to do it. I know because I've been there. There are days when I really want to post something, but the desire to write a high-quality post overwhelms me and stops me from writing anything at all. I don't want that to happen to you guys.

Honestly, we'd all prefer that everyone's stories be well-written, and I think that XenoCyanide is right to challenge us to write better. But at the same time, if life is getting you down, your interests have moved on, or you're just plain busy, don't feel like you have to write an award-winning short story for your next post and end up leaving us hanging for a week. Just don't make a habit of writing low-quality work. I think that's all anybody can ask for, no? :P

Anybody else have writing tips to share?

[Rekaigan]

@Thinslayer

To me, Roleplaying is like a team game. As you say, you shouldn't have to feel that it's a chore to write something good. However I think it's better to think of it this way:

A nice fleshy post helps others think about what they can write in return. The more you express, the more things people can use to write their response. Which is similar to when Xeno said. There's a fine balance between writing too little and writing too much. There have been cases where some roleplayers just write too much and it becomes a chore to read.

I personally find it comforting when someone gives me character expressions and internal dialogue to read so I can learn more about their character.

Writing about their internal dialogues and expressions is important in this case as unlike many roleplays, we don't know each other's characters at all. There's no bio or little personality snippet to refer to.

Just something to keep in mind. We're a team. We're all here to help each other out if one of us is feeling lost.

[XenoCyanide]

Agreed. I'm not asking for work that could be published or anything. I realize not everyone has the same background in writing as I do or as others do. We're all here to have fun.

That being said, one tip that I can give to others to help them in writing is this:

Picture the scene in your head like a movie. You're the director, or, at least, the director of your character. When you are reading someone's post, read a paragraph, close your eyes, and act it out in your head. Then read the next paragraph. Rinse repeat.

When writing your own post, before you start writing, have an idea of how your character would respond to the actions of others. Think about how the NPCs would react to what you're doing or what you are saying. It doesn't have to be super long to be engaging. Here is an example.

The barbarian swings his axe but the rogue ducked at the last moment, the axe slamming into the wooden post becoming lodged.

Although this explains exactly what is happening, its lackluster. It can also be explained this way:

The barbarian cleaves at the man with both hands, sending the double-headed axe at the rogue's head. Fortunately for the rogue, he ducked just in time, the axe passing overhead. The immense power behind the swing caused the axe to become lodged into a wooden post just to the rogue's right, sending splinters showering over the room.

It's a bit longer, but it engages you. You can visually see in detail. You can deduce that the barbarian is incredibly strong. You can almost audibly hear the slamming of the axe into the post. The power of the swing is further inferred with the splintering of the wood.

You can add further detail to describe his muscles tightening under the swing or give the barbarian an audible roar as he strikes. You can add NPC reaction to this, having some people flinch or run for cover as the strike frightens them. You can have people knocking tables, chairs, bottles over. If this is outside, you can have people exit shops to see what the ruckus is all about or guards running to stop the altercation.

The world is your oyster! So to speak, anyway, haha.