Post by AlphaWolf on May 3, 2011 10:01:42 GMT -5
While most people don't see anything wrong with one-liners, some of us would rather see at least a paragraph. If you ever plan on getting into the Advanced Roleplay forum, this is a must-read.
So remember: detail is key to making longer posts, but don't go overboard!
1. The Idea
The rules state that posts like *walks around* are against the rules. Thus, we start with a simple post much like the sentences you read in stories.
Dawn sat down.
If you're new to roleplaying in storybook fashion, this is probably the type of post you're used to. Unfortunately, something like this is not going to get you into Advanced Roleplay.
However, this is an improvement from the "chatplay" (see one-word example high above) frequently seen. You're actually saying who the character is and what they're doing.
The most important step in roleplaying is telling your reader, much like a book, what is going on and who's there. We've already established what's going on and who does it: Dawn sits down.
But who's Dawn? Where is she? What time of day is it? How does Dawn feel? What's she thinking about? Answering these questions is key in lengthening a roleplay post.
2. Detail - Character and Setting
Detail is key to lengthening your post. Let's start off by answering the first question above: who's Dawn?
We want to establish Dawn's species, her color, build, etc., maybe the way she moves. This is only necessary in your first post in a thread; the other reader doesn't need to know what Dawn looks like every time she does something.
Dawn, a female ginger-colored wolf, sat down on skinny legs.
That sounds a bit forced, doesn't it? Try making it sound like you're writing a story. Describing how Dawn sits isn't all too exciting either, so let's make her do something else.
A female wolf walked through the forest on white-colored paws. Ginger fur stood out against the trees. Amber eyes gazed around as thin legs took her down a path. Eventually she sat down in a clearing.
See how we've also described the setting? (Note how Dawn's name has been left out; some writers prefer to keep their character's name hidden until they introduce themselves, while others give the name right off the bat. Either way is fine.) Look, we've already managed >30 words, and we've established what Dawn looks like and where she is. Let's use more detail to describe the setting; while this isn't important if you're posting a reply and the setting has already been established, it's always nice to describe a little something extra to help make words.
A female wolf walked through the forest, white paws crunching scattered auburn leaves. Her ginger fur stood out from the forest, turned red by the sunset. Amber eyes glanced around at the tall oak trees, and as she spotted a clearing her slim frame approached it.
We're making good progress! We've established what Dawn looks like, where she is, what time it is, and what she's doing. This is a great starting point, but if you want to go even further, we can describe how she feels and give a bit of insight as to what she's doing here.
3. Thoughts and Feelings
If you really want to make a detailed, long post, let's go with describing what's going on in Dawn's mind and why she came here. This is especially helpful in replies, when you've already established setting and looks. Just don't go overboard; if Dawn is thinking about caribou when she's taking a calm stroll, there's no point to including this. You'll develop your own style of lengthening posts as you improve as a roleplayer.
A female wolf walked through the forest, white paws crunching scattered auburn leaves. Her ginger fur stood out from the forest, turned red by the sunset. Amber eyes glanced around at the tall oak trees, and as she spotted a clearing her slim frame approached it.
Once there, Dawn sat down with a huff. It was about time she got a chance to stop; she had been walking for a few hours now and it was nice to finally get a rest. Who knew exploring a territory could be so much work? she wondered with an exhausted sigh. Wonder if I'll meet anyone...?
WOW! We've managed a couple of paragraphs and a hundred words. Though relatively short, they're something, and they explain the whole reason why Dawn is there and what she's been up to.
4. IMPORTANT: I Did What?
Some roleplayers like to end their posts with something like this:
Suddenly Dawn heard a twig snap. Whipping around in surprise, she asked, "Who's there?"
(Note how speech has been bolded; in longer posts, making speech bold is a common courtesy.)
This is powerplay. Though subtle, it states that the character who replies needs to have stepped on a twig to draw Dawn's attention to them. Avoid things like this at all costs!
5. A Note on Multiple Characters
Some people like to bring more than one character into the scene so they can skip over detail and simply use dialogue to make a big word count. While this is fine, most of us would rather see a nice, detailed post with one character over reading a tedious conversation between two characters who are barely described.
So remember: detail is key to making longer posts, but don't go overboard!