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Role Playing Tips
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Barry Grant
Barry Grant
Old Shoe

Apr-7-2007 09:33
(sticky post)


As you all probably know, I am more than willing to answer any questions you may have about role playing. Those of you who have contacted me with questions have asked some very good ones and I thought the answers would be best shared by all.

In addition to the basic tips Miss Parr has shared:

1. Assume & maintain an identity (know your character)

2. Contribute to existing story lines (know the story)

3. Review past stories for guidance (http://www.freewebs.com/yoyofoshow/sleuthcliffnotes.htm) (Many thanks to Mr. Yoyofoshow)

4. Keep within the time frame (1920-1940, no microwaves, cell phones, or telephone answering machines)

5. Feel free to take risks (don't be afraid to join in or start a new story)

I would like to add the following writing tips that I find aids the reader:

6. One person speaking per paragraph

7. Double space between paragraphs

8. Use capital letters for SCREAMING

9. Double quotes for conversation

Probably the most difficult thing for people to do is get started. My recommendation would be the following:

10. Start slowly. It is not necessary to write a huge entry. A few sentences is all you need to introduce your character.

11. Respect the other characters. It is very difficult to write someone else's character without knowing him well. Be mindful of the different personalities and be sure you are representing them accurately. Be careful not to add attributes to anyone's character that have not already been established.

12. Don't rush the story. Be sure to write connecting content that supports the actions of your characters.

The written word is vastly different from the spoken word. No one can hear inflection nor see the face of the person speaking. It is important that what you write stands on it's own.

Replies

Joseph Zeo
Joseph Zeo
Tale Spinner

Feb-15-2009 03:38

I've the same question as Jeanne De La Motte (who posted the question 19 months ago..., i just hope this will be answered...):

What if we wanted to post on many threads and run parallel stories.
I can stick with the same character traits, but the role of the character would be different due to what the story requires (burglar in one story and investigator in a parallel one).
Would there be any rules against that?

Makensie Brewer
Makensie Brewer
Super Steeper

Feb-15-2009 10:43

You can be apart of as many stories on The Stage as you wish, in different roles. So post as many different storylines as u wish Joseph, and have fun :o)

Joey
Joey "Bulldog" Bane
Washed Up Punter

Feb-15-2009 13:33

Zeo, I don't think there was ever made a rule about this and even more, I don't think anyone was ever entitled to enforce such a rule. But I will give you my own opinion on the subject, although you may not like what I am going to say.

The art and the challange in role playing is to create, grow and develop a character and to manage to find a way of puting him into the largest variety of situations. It is a child's play to switch from Captain Planet to Spiderman, but it is an elevate mind's pleasure and delight to find the ability of switching a hero into an anti hero (just as an example). I find that switching through characters as you are suggesting practically makes all of them lose personality. In my line of work we have a phenomenon very similar to this and we call it with a very simple word: prostitution.
But, as I said, this is only my personal opinion.

Now, since you seem to enjoy RP-ing and your righting is good and captivating, I have to point out one very important thing to you. There is one rule that has been written and has been respected all along with only minor flaws: RESPECT YOUR RP PARTNERS. This basically means to respect their work. If you may like shapeshifting into different characters, other RP-ers may not and your duty is to respect their approach on the subject, as it is their choice. If you would've not jumped in shouting your mouth and you'd have had the patience of reading what was posted on the stage through time, you would've seen that some of them invested some hard work into shaping their characters. You jumped into "The Heist" with your head ahead, assuming an identity that was not there to be taken. If you would've had the decency to just read my character's description, you would've found out there was a certain J.C. Tombstone in my past, who had a bank robbing history, who also named my agency and who...SURPRISE!!!...is a member of my agency!

to be continued...

Joey
Joey "Bulldog" Bane
Washed Up Punter

Feb-15-2009 13:41

...and here goes the second part

J.C. was a piece of my character which you destroyed with foolishness and arrogance. You practically took a dump on my work and time invested into building this character.

Now, this post was made for me to make it clear that you stepped hard on my tail and that you made a capital mistake. BUT...since, as I said, I do believe you have really good RP skills and since I like "The Heist", I will continue it with you as J.C. If as a result of this post you will decide to take your character out of the story, it will be a second mistake and it will be a completelly childish reaction.

No regards, for now. I need a whiskey.

Joseph Zeo
Joseph Zeo
Tale Spinner

Feb-16-2009 03:21

Thank you both Makensie and Joey for your tips.

I usually RP in Shades and we received an invite (more an announcement) for us to "cannonball into the swimming pool" here in Noir. Apologies if I dived in too quickly before reviewing all the postings and characters on this stage. I apologize to J.C. as well if he intended to use his character in "Heist".

In Shades I had quite a few people who had unintentionally trampled my stories, which felt terrible, but I learned to cope with it and grew in my writing and improvisation skills as a result. This is no excuse for me to be rash however, and many apologies again for running into your story, Joey. I just read your bio, I will s-mail you about how to straighten out the discrepancies, since that wouldn't be part of "Role Playing Tips " :P

Joey
Joey "Bulldog" Bane
Washed Up Punter

Feb-16-2009 04:20

We've all made our mistakes...well...at least I did and got past them. Also we have all had to improvize at some point in order to straighten up a misportraying post of our characters or just to give basic logic and to actually fit some posts into the story. I usually handle such issues directly in the play without making too much fuss about them, but your step was way out of line. It's true though that it was just a mistake and we're all people (and also we're still in a game). I'll answer the rest of your questions as a reply to your PM.

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