Post by Alexandra Cabot on Oct 29, 2009 18:50:48 GMT -5
So, you wanna learn to roleplay better huh? well I'm no expert on the matter but I have put together a little guide to help you all out these hints and tricks come from my friends and my own experiance so...read and be enlightened!!!
How to Write a Beginning Post
Beginning posts are important for two reasons 1) they set the scene, 2) they give the other person something to go on. So, its safe to say that if your beginning post is good chances are your partner can give you something to work with. When you are writing your beginning posts, consider the following
Setting-Night, Day, Place, Time they're all important, these are the background of your story and setting lets the other person know where the roleplay is takeing place. Just because you're posting under the sub board titled Sunnydale High does not mean you dont need to have a setting are we in the computer lab, Giles' library? the principles office, the hallway? see there are MANY places within Sunnydale High you could go so be specific the more specific you are the better.
Surroundings-Everywhere we go we're surrounded by something. If you're in a school (i'm just going with the example above) you're bound to see students, teachers, and sometimes mascots that are pigs! so, describe your surroundings where are you? where are you going? what are the people around you doing? is there a pig loose in the school, sensory details like your sight, smell, hearing, touch can add excellent *meat* to your post so consider them too
Your Character-This is the main focus, since the thread is started from your character's point of view...what are you wearing, what are you thinking, how's your mood are you mad at someone, in love, worried about grades? it should all be included
There are many more but here are the basics, as you begin to roleplay and get used to things you will develope your own style for starting posts but in the meantime here is an example post from me from another site.
It was late at night when Manhattan ADA Alexandra Cabot ran through the streets of New York. She was tired and she looked it. There were circles under her eyes, her blond hair was a mess and her shirt was on backwards. But none of this apparently mattered to her as she was half screaming on the phone to god only knew who. "I try cases I am handed by this squad...you don't like the evidence i've got find me some more, I can't do your job too!" she hung up after that, not wantint to make more of a scene than she already had.
With her hands shoved in her pocket now, Alex conteanued to walk, while the streets of New York were packed with people both young and old she could hardly be bothered by any of them. She was too preoccupied with what was going on in her own life. Before she could think or say or do anything however, she bumped straight into someone. Falling backwards due to the impact she got up. "Watch where the heck you're..." but whoever it was cut her off with a hand on her shoulders. Alex gasped. Standing in front of her, dressed all in blue was none other than her mentor and friend Elizabeth Donnelly.
Replying to a post
Well before we talked about making a new thread and a starter post, now we're gonna talk about how to respond to one. Again, everyone has their own style but here are some simple concepts to use to help you the first couple times.
Introduce your character-This is the same, bring them in and don't forget to add thoughts and actions and details but you have an easier time because the setting and time has already been provided for you. All you have to do is drop your character into that situation and time and post.
React to the other person without godmodding
This is important, two people are in a thread but if they dont ever interact with each other, that's not roleplaying. So make sure you are aware of the other character. Let me give you an example. If I play Alex, and I am in a thread with Elizabeth Donnelly, here is how the person playing Elizabeth may react to my character.
"Whoa...hold on Alex...don't tell me you're losing it already..." with half a smile on her face criminal court judge Elizabeth Donnelly grabbed ahold of her young charge and kept her where she was. "We're all tired but that does not give you a reason to be rude...how's the case going?"
IMPORTANT NOTE: watch what i'm gonna do on the next part.
Than she took in the young ADA's appearance. She looked either drunk or tired or both. There were circles under her eyes, she had her shirt on backwards and she hardly seemed to be *with it* "Alex, are you all right?" she asked as she took her hand and put it to the young woman's forehead.
Get me? the other character's state how they are right now you need to pick that up and react to that. Notice how I also had Elizabeth say something back to what Alex was saying, not only do you need to have your character react to how the other person looks but what they are saying basically react to everything about that character you guys are in the same place, having a conversation now...go with it.
Using NPCs to make things interesting-NPCs also known as nonplayable characters are characters that can help the stories move on. Going back to Alex and Elizabeth when they are talking like this in the middle of the street, how you can make things interesting using an NPC is by doing this. Maybe, just maybe there is someone who's not quite 100% around the two ladies. A person with a gun who's trigger happy and he's just walking down the street, that person would be NPC, if that person just started to shoot, what do you think would happen? Alex and Elizabeth would both have seperate reactions and it would create drama which is good, but whiel drama is good try not to over do it. But if you decide to make something like this happen you have to make that NPC significent enough so that everyone involved can react to them.
Fight Scenes
People fight and other people react to things. If someone just came into the middle of the street and started to shoot people, I guarentee you everyone would have different reactions to it. Maybe Alexandra will call the police because she works with them maybe Elizabeth will try and gain control because she's a judge but while all this is important, I need you to remember that if someone starts a shootout, there's gonna be a fight they don't have to involve magick and slaying although they may but in a normal situation like this, simply the reaction to the fight maybe for Alex to kick the gunman, now the gunman can either avoid Alex's kick (although not forever if she decides to repeatedly do so he's gonna get hit one time or another) OR he can grab ahold of her hair and push her back.
Fight scenes can be a lot of fun if you know how to keep things in check.
Again, these are some of the tips and tricks I learned and i'll post more helpful hints and stuff as we go along but right now keep these in mind and have fun roleplaying.
How to Write a Beginning Post
Beginning posts are important for two reasons 1) they set the scene, 2) they give the other person something to go on. So, its safe to say that if your beginning post is good chances are your partner can give you something to work with. When you are writing your beginning posts, consider the following
Setting-Night, Day, Place, Time they're all important, these are the background of your story and setting lets the other person know where the roleplay is takeing place. Just because you're posting under the sub board titled Sunnydale High does not mean you dont need to have a setting are we in the computer lab, Giles' library? the principles office, the hallway? see there are MANY places within Sunnydale High you could go so be specific the more specific you are the better.
Surroundings-Everywhere we go we're surrounded by something. If you're in a school (i'm just going with the example above) you're bound to see students, teachers, and sometimes mascots that are pigs! so, describe your surroundings where are you? where are you going? what are the people around you doing? is there a pig loose in the school, sensory details like your sight, smell, hearing, touch can add excellent *meat* to your post so consider them too
Your Character-This is the main focus, since the thread is started from your character's point of view...what are you wearing, what are you thinking, how's your mood are you mad at someone, in love, worried about grades? it should all be included
There are many more but here are the basics, as you begin to roleplay and get used to things you will develope your own style for starting posts but in the meantime here is an example post from me from another site.
It was late at night when Manhattan ADA Alexandra Cabot ran through the streets of New York. She was tired and she looked it. There were circles under her eyes, her blond hair was a mess and her shirt was on backwards. But none of this apparently mattered to her as she was half screaming on the phone to god only knew who. "I try cases I am handed by this squad...you don't like the evidence i've got find me some more, I can't do your job too!" she hung up after that, not wantint to make more of a scene than she already had.
With her hands shoved in her pocket now, Alex conteanued to walk, while the streets of New York were packed with people both young and old she could hardly be bothered by any of them. She was too preoccupied with what was going on in her own life. Before she could think or say or do anything however, she bumped straight into someone. Falling backwards due to the impact she got up. "Watch where the heck you're..." but whoever it was cut her off with a hand on her shoulders. Alex gasped. Standing in front of her, dressed all in blue was none other than her mentor and friend Elizabeth Donnelly.
Replying to a post
Well before we talked about making a new thread and a starter post, now we're gonna talk about how to respond to one. Again, everyone has their own style but here are some simple concepts to use to help you the first couple times.
Introduce your character-This is the same, bring them in and don't forget to add thoughts and actions and details but you have an easier time because the setting and time has already been provided for you. All you have to do is drop your character into that situation and time and post.
React to the other person without godmodding
This is important, two people are in a thread but if they dont ever interact with each other, that's not roleplaying. So make sure you are aware of the other character. Let me give you an example. If I play Alex, and I am in a thread with Elizabeth Donnelly, here is how the person playing Elizabeth may react to my character.
"Whoa...hold on Alex...don't tell me you're losing it already..." with half a smile on her face criminal court judge Elizabeth Donnelly grabbed ahold of her young charge and kept her where she was. "We're all tired but that does not give you a reason to be rude...how's the case going?"
IMPORTANT NOTE: watch what i'm gonna do on the next part.
Than she took in the young ADA's appearance. She looked either drunk or tired or both. There were circles under her eyes, she had her shirt on backwards and she hardly seemed to be *with it* "Alex, are you all right?" she asked as she took her hand and put it to the young woman's forehead.
Get me? the other character's state how they are right now you need to pick that up and react to that. Notice how I also had Elizabeth say something back to what Alex was saying, not only do you need to have your character react to how the other person looks but what they are saying basically react to everything about that character you guys are in the same place, having a conversation now...go with it.
Using NPCs to make things interesting-NPCs also known as nonplayable characters are characters that can help the stories move on. Going back to Alex and Elizabeth when they are talking like this in the middle of the street, how you can make things interesting using an NPC is by doing this. Maybe, just maybe there is someone who's not quite 100% around the two ladies. A person with a gun who's trigger happy and he's just walking down the street, that person would be NPC, if that person just started to shoot, what do you think would happen? Alex and Elizabeth would both have seperate reactions and it would create drama which is good, but whiel drama is good try not to over do it. But if you decide to make something like this happen you have to make that NPC significent enough so that everyone involved can react to them.
Fight Scenes
People fight and other people react to things. If someone just came into the middle of the street and started to shoot people, I guarentee you everyone would have different reactions to it. Maybe Alexandra will call the police because she works with them maybe Elizabeth will try and gain control because she's a judge but while all this is important, I need you to remember that if someone starts a shootout, there's gonna be a fight they don't have to involve magick and slaying although they may but in a normal situation like this, simply the reaction to the fight maybe for Alex to kick the gunman, now the gunman can either avoid Alex's kick (although not forever if she decides to repeatedly do so he's gonna get hit one time or another) OR he can grab ahold of her hair and push her back.
Fight scenes can be a lot of fun if you know how to keep things in check.
Again, these are some of the tips and tricks I learned and i'll post more helpful hints and stuff as we go along but right now keep these in mind and have fun roleplaying.