Post by Alice Locke on Jan 11, 2012 20:15:10 GMT -5
Roleplaying on a forum is very simple. To keep it clear, and avoid confusion, this thread will be dedicated to describe how it works, and what expectations we have on you, as a roleplayer, on this site regarding the roleplaying post's quality. Rules for roleplaying, how to start a new thread, and other important information, can be found in another spot. This thread is for educational purposes only.[/b]
On Simplest Tastes, we're looking for quality. This doesn't necessarily mean that the posts need to be longer than on other sites, but we expect them to be of good quality.
Sentences should always begin with a capital letter, and end with a fitting punctuation marker. Spelling should be as correct as possible; if you are unsure about a word, spell check using some sort of spell checking programme (like, for example, Word), or use the spell check in Mozilla Firefox's browser.
[¤] Speech and thoughts, and out of character comments.
A spoken sentence can either be marked by quotation marks ("Spoken sentence") or begin with a dash (- Spoken sentence). Be consistent in your use of either one of them; do not mix them, but instead decide on one and stick to that. Character thoughts that can not be heard by anyone else shall always be written with italicized text. Comments that do not belong in the post, that are not part of your characters actions, speech or thoughts (a.k.a Out Of Character - OOC) should be kept to a minimum, and either be written inside a double paranthesis ((OOC comment)) or braces [OOC comment]. Those are put either at the top of your post, or at the bottom. Never in the middle.
[¤] Your post's formatting.
Think of our roleplaying post as if it was a small cutout from a book, seen from your character's point of view. Your character can not read the thoughts of others, even if you can read it in your co-players' posts. The text should, of course, be formulated following this rule: don't use ** to mark your character's actions, but write them in a flowing, descriptive form, just like as if you had read them in a book.
[¤] Mind the atmosphere and genre.
Remember to adjust everything your character says so it fits in with the atmosphere of the thread you're participating in. No "Yo, what's up?" in a roleplaying post taking place in a upper-class setting (unless played for comedy/with a misplaced character), for example. Adjust your character's choice of words after the background of your character. One from a simple background would surely use a simpler language than someone with a higher education.
[¤] It's all in the description!
Be careful with how you word and describe actions. Instead of using a simpler sentence:
Ex. Timmy sat on a rock and he was bored.
Describe! What does Timmy look like? How does the rock he is sitting on feel - is it cold? Mouldy? Where is this rock placed? What does the environment look like? What is the weather like? Why is Timmy bored? What would Timmy like to do instead of being bored? Is something in the way of him doing that instead?
Ex. The forest wasn't what it used to be. The brown-haired boy sighed heavily and sat down without taking a look around to see where he'd land. The granite underneath him was cold and damp; it had just rained, but Timmy wasn't worried that his pants would get wet. It didn't matter now. Fact was, a wet stain would make his day considerably more interesting. Since Lois went away with her family, nothing had been what it used to be. If he missed her? Missing was such a strong word... but things had been a lot more fun around here when the girl next door still lived in the yellow house beside his.
This is a much better post! Here, a small environmental description is included, and we also get a snippet of information on how the main character might look. A look inside his head, a taste of conflict. Always aim to describe as detailed as possible instead of just stating facts.
[¤] Use a Thesaurus.
If you don't know a lot of words a thesaurus can be a great help that can help you find words to vary your use of "beautiful", for example, and describe in a more decided way.
Try not to use the same adjective over and over again in the same post; there are more than one, you know. And don't be afraid to use adjectives that describes negative aspects of a character.
[¤] Seek a balance in your post.
Try not to focus on either the inner or the outer workings of your character, but instead use a little bit of both. It doesn't matter if you write a short post. To the contrary, a short post might be the right thing to do if you, for example, are in the middle of a dialogue between two persons. But be careful with the way you describe things in your post, and that you include some sort of action or response that your co-player can use to build their post around. Do not only play introvert - but do not only play extrovert either. It's not interesting to read the reasoning behind a certain thought, or a reaction that is not visible to your co-player's character. You need to give them something to work with too.[/ul][/blockquote]