Post by Wes Janson on Jun 25, 2007 19:33:15 GMT -5
This guide can be for both beginners and vetrans.
1. What is RPing?
RPing stands for Role Playing and in this text-based forum, it is a game in which a person picks a character (or several) in which to write about and creates new adventures for them to go on and interacts with other characters. It is an excellent way to brush up on your writing skills as well as to see how characters would live and react to in ways and scenarios that didn't happen in the movie or book that they are from.
2. How do I go about doing this thing?
You write. Plain and simple. Write a creative story in elementary school? Exact same thing. (Please don't use the same grammar and spelling, though! I assume that you have advanced.)
3. Aspects of writing:
First person vs. Third person
We use Third person in this forum. It makes it easier to read and it comes off more like a story.
Spelling and Grammar
This is pretty much an unwritten but expected thing in most if not all RPs. We want to read a story. Therefore, it better read like a story. I personally think that grammar is more important than spelling in the game because we all easily make spelling mistakes from time to time (especially with Star Wars names and places) but without good grammar, you can't even understand what's going on.
Run-on-Sentences
Don't make a sentence last the entire paragraph.
Luke did this and did that but went over here and then did that but all of a sudden he went over there instead but once he got settled he got back up and sat down on that thing but it wasn't comfortable so he got a pillow and went to sleep.
Yeah, it's weird.
Dialogue and Paragraphs
Space out your speaking bits so that it's easier to read. Breaking things up into paragraphs might make it easier for all of us so we don't have to take five minutes to search in the post to figure out where your dialogue is. I know this can be chalked up to personal preferences and writing styles sometimes and I am guilty of doing such, but it's mostly common courtesy when it comes to this. Don't forget the " ".
No:
It was a tough decision, but Wes was adamant about it. "You know what? Let's just go," he said. Then he placed his blaster back in the holster and went outside.
Yes:
It was a tough decision, but Wes was adamant about it.
"You know what? Let's just go," he said. Then he placed his blaster back in the holster and went outside.
4. Knowing your character:
Research. Wookee and wiki. Figure out what they would do in certain situations, how they would react to things and people. Be like a scientist and them your little lab rat. Subject them to stimuli and see how they react. Think about it when you're doing something at your house: How would Wes Janson wash his clothes every week? Answer: Probably doesn't, leaves them lying around until it gets too much to bear and then hires a droid to pick up after him. There will be games and things to help you with this in these forums. The journals and prompts are excellent in helping you with your character development.
[glow=red,2,300]The Dreaded Mary-Sue and Gary-Stu:[/glow]
In Star Wars verse, this is a little easier to discern because you don't have a pretty little intelligent elf-thing that everyone loves.
Good characters have flaws. Nobody's perfect. Now that doesn't mean they should be ALL flaws, that's just counter productive and people will get annoyed at the emo whining of your character. Angst is always a good plot device, however.
Make sure that they're good at some things--and bad at others.
However, oftentimes people use Mary-Sues to project themselves into the universe of their choice, so the character is basically themselves. There's nothing really wrong about that (I mean, I wouldn't do it 'cause it's not my thing, but I AM guilty of doing it in fanfic when I was like 14) but you have to be careful you don't just put the good things and forget the bad.
1. What is RPing?
RPing stands for Role Playing and in this text-based forum, it is a game in which a person picks a character (or several) in which to write about and creates new adventures for them to go on and interacts with other characters. It is an excellent way to brush up on your writing skills as well as to see how characters would live and react to in ways and scenarios that didn't happen in the movie or book that they are from.
2. How do I go about doing this thing?
You write. Plain and simple. Write a creative story in elementary school? Exact same thing. (Please don't use the same grammar and spelling, though! I assume that you have advanced.)
3. Aspects of writing:
First person vs. Third person
We use Third person in this forum. It makes it easier to read and it comes off more like a story.
Spelling and Grammar
This is pretty much an unwritten but expected thing in most if not all RPs. We want to read a story. Therefore, it better read like a story. I personally think that grammar is more important than spelling in the game because we all easily make spelling mistakes from time to time (especially with Star Wars names and places) but without good grammar, you can't even understand what's going on.
Run-on-Sentences
Don't make a sentence last the entire paragraph.
Luke did this and did that but went over here and then did that but all of a sudden he went over there instead but once he got settled he got back up and sat down on that thing but it wasn't comfortable so he got a pillow and went to sleep.
Yeah, it's weird.
Dialogue and Paragraphs
Space out your speaking bits so that it's easier to read. Breaking things up into paragraphs might make it easier for all of us so we don't have to take five minutes to search in the post to figure out where your dialogue is. I know this can be chalked up to personal preferences and writing styles sometimes and I am guilty of doing such, but it's mostly common courtesy when it comes to this. Don't forget the " ".
No:
It was a tough decision, but Wes was adamant about it. "You know what? Let's just go," he said. Then he placed his blaster back in the holster and went outside.
Yes:
It was a tough decision, but Wes was adamant about it.
"You know what? Let's just go," he said. Then he placed his blaster back in the holster and went outside.
4. Knowing your character:
Research. Wookee and wiki. Figure out what they would do in certain situations, how they would react to things and people. Be like a scientist and them your little lab rat. Subject them to stimuli and see how they react. Think about it when you're doing something at your house: How would Wes Janson wash his clothes every week? Answer: Probably doesn't, leaves them lying around until it gets too much to bear and then hires a droid to pick up after him. There will be games and things to help you with this in these forums. The journals and prompts are excellent in helping you with your character development.
[glow=red,2,300]The Dreaded Mary-Sue and Gary-Stu:[/glow]
In Star Wars verse, this is a little easier to discern because you don't have a pretty little intelligent elf-thing that everyone loves.
Good characters have flaws. Nobody's perfect. Now that doesn't mean they should be ALL flaws, that's just counter productive and people will get annoyed at the emo whining of your character. Angst is always a good plot device, however.
Make sure that they're good at some things--and bad at others.
However, oftentimes people use Mary-Sues to project themselves into the universe of their choice, so the character is basically themselves. There's nothing really wrong about that (I mean, I wouldn't do it 'cause it's not my thing, but I AM guilty of doing it in fanfic when I was like 14) but you have to be careful you don't just put the good things and forget the bad.