-Roleplaying and Writing Tips-
Advice for smooth roleplaying, interesting characters, and overall fun! These tips also work well for other writing projects, from the occasional short story to full-fledged novels and sagas.
Other Roleplay and Writing Tips:
Spelling and Grammar
Sorry, but it had to come sometime. If you want to write good roleplay posts, you have to know your language well. It's no different from an engineer having to know math or an artist having to know anatomy! If you can't write a literate post, you're going to have a very hard time making it into more advanced roleplays.
Please note that I am an English speaker, so these tips apply best to English.
Please note that I am an English speaker, so these tips apply best to English.
Avoid "textspeak".
Textspeak or chatspeak is a pseudonym for certain words that technically aren't words (like “lol”, “gtg”, and “bbl”), and includes emoticons (text meant to represent facial expressions, such as “ ): ” or “ :D ”). Most roleplays ban it because it's informal, makes you look lazy, and ruins the storybook feel roleplays are meant to have.
My theory is that textspeak - the insane abbreviations of words and the creation of emoticons - popped up around the time cellphones became popular. People would have a hard time conveying long messages on those tiny flip phone screens that don't allow many characters, so they abbreviated the words as much as possible, as well as created emoticons to try and give the words the same “feeling” that a full sentence without emoticons would. So instead of trying to fit in “I love you so much!” into a screen that only allowed eight characters, each word would be abbreviated (or simply replaced) with something shorter, so the message would look something like this: “I <3 U”, where the “<3” is meant to be a heart.
However, modern technology allows us to form much more complex sentences in a much shorter time-span, so textspeak is hardly necessary anymore. It seems to have recently wound its way into common language (which, to be honest, unnerves me a little). While it isn't necessarily bad, it is often viewed as child-like or unprofessional. So avoid it whenever you can when making a post, and especially don't use it in IC when it is not appropriate.
Textspeak or chatspeak is a pseudonym for certain words that technically aren't words (like “lol”, “gtg”, and “bbl”), and includes emoticons (text meant to represent facial expressions, such as “ ): ” or “ :D ”). Most roleplays ban it because it's informal, makes you look lazy, and ruins the storybook feel roleplays are meant to have.
My theory is that textspeak - the insane abbreviations of words and the creation of emoticons - popped up around the time cellphones became popular. People would have a hard time conveying long messages on those tiny flip phone screens that don't allow many characters, so they abbreviated the words as much as possible, as well as created emoticons to try and give the words the same “feeling” that a full sentence without emoticons would. So instead of trying to fit in “I love you so much!” into a screen that only allowed eight characters, each word would be abbreviated (or simply replaced) with something shorter, so the message would look something like this: “I <3 U”, where the “<3” is meant to be a heart.
However, modern technology allows us to form much more complex sentences in a much shorter time-span, so textspeak is hardly necessary anymore. It seems to have recently wound its way into common language (which, to be honest, unnerves me a little). While it isn't necessarily bad, it is often viewed as child-like or unprofessional. So avoid it whenever you can when making a post, and especially don't use it in IC when it is not appropriate.
Proofread twice, find your mistakes, and fix them yourself.
Most text editors have an internal “dictionary” (or an external resource) that they reference to make sure that the words you're typing aren't spelled wrong. While this is nice, it can make people very relaxed about spelling mistakes, so whenever mistakes are made they think “Oh, I'll just use auto-correct and keep going”. This is bad is because they don't learn from their mistakes, so they make them again, and again, and again. Think of those internet horror-stories about auto-corrected messages getting things horribly wrong. That's what will happen if you're too lazy to fix your own errors! You'll become reliant on an auto-correcter, and if the auto-correcter corrects something wrong, you wouldn't notice, so you wouldn't fix it, so you would never learn to fix it in the event that the auto-correcter isn't there to help.
So, whenever you see that red squiggly line underneath a word, check the word's spelling and make sure that it's supposed to be that way (I recommend not using online dictionaries such as Merriam-Webster, which show words spelled according to how the majority of the population spells them (which is likely how you learned how to spell it wrong in the first place), not according to how they're actually spelled). When you see the correct spelling, fix it yourself so you cement that correction in your brain. Do not let an auto-correcter fix your mistakes for you!
Most text editors have an internal “dictionary” (or an external resource) that they reference to make sure that the words you're typing aren't spelled wrong. While this is nice, it can make people very relaxed about spelling mistakes, so whenever mistakes are made they think “Oh, I'll just use auto-correct and keep going”. This is bad is because they don't learn from their mistakes, so they make them again, and again, and again. Think of those internet horror-stories about auto-corrected messages getting things horribly wrong. That's what will happen if you're too lazy to fix your own errors! You'll become reliant on an auto-correcter, and if the auto-correcter corrects something wrong, you wouldn't notice, so you wouldn't fix it, so you would never learn to fix it in the event that the auto-correcter isn't there to help.
So, whenever you see that red squiggly line underneath a word, check the word's spelling and make sure that it's supposed to be that way (I recommend not using online dictionaries such as Merriam-Webster, which show words spelled according to how the majority of the population spells them (which is likely how you learned how to spell it wrong in the first place), not according to how they're actually spelled). When you see the correct spelling, fix it yourself so you cement that correction in your brain. Do not let an auto-correcter fix your mistakes for you!
Avoid common or petty spelling errors.
It's okay to edit a post because you spelled something wrong and didn't catch it in time, but childish mistakes - especially if they are repeated - make you look bad. Common mistakes vary among generations and even individuals, but it doesn't hurt to check a list somewhere and make sure that none of those words are ones you have trouble with. The English language is a funky language, with lots of borrowed words, but just like any language it should not be hard to pick up, especially if it is your native one.
Also, if you think you can rely on an autocorrecter for this, think again! It's possible to have a grammatical mistake that uses actual words, such as he instead of the, or and instead of an, or using the wrong tense for the sentence or confusing one word with another, such as lay and lie, are and our, etc. These are the kinds of mistakes that sound right in your head, so it's hard to catch them!
It's okay to edit a post because you spelled something wrong and didn't catch it in time, but childish mistakes - especially if they are repeated - make you look bad. Common mistakes vary among generations and even individuals, but it doesn't hurt to check a list somewhere and make sure that none of those words are ones you have trouble with. The English language is a funky language, with lots of borrowed words, but just like any language it should not be hard to pick up, especially if it is your native one.
Also, if you think you can rely on an autocorrecter for this, think again! It's possible to have a grammatical mistake that uses actual words, such as he instead of the, or and instead of an, or using the wrong tense for the sentence or confusing one word with another, such as lay and lie, are and our, etc. These are the kinds of mistakes that sound right in your head, so it's hard to catch them!
Avoid common grammar mistakes.
Similar to the above, but a bit trickier to catch. Some text editors have grammar checks, but even though I would have this check enabled whenever writing, the text editor doesn't seem to care what I do, so I wouldn't rely on those checkers. Instead, I'll give you a few tips that can help you catch grammar mistakes.
As far as I know, a grammar mistake is when the sentence doesn't flow right, or if a word is misused according to the context of the sentence. The words can still be spelled right, and it can still be a sentence, but the structure is wrong. On the next page, titled Common Grammar Mistakes, I've listed many pet peeves of mine concerning grammar. I advise that you stay attentive to these things, because if you get them right your writing will come off a lot more professional. (Although it is important to note that it's okay for a character's dialogue or monologue to have misspellings or mistakes! Illiterate characters are almost more loveable.)
Similar to the above, but a bit trickier to catch. Some text editors have grammar checks, but even though I would have this check enabled whenever writing, the text editor doesn't seem to care what I do, so I wouldn't rely on those checkers. Instead, I'll give you a few tips that can help you catch grammar mistakes.
As far as I know, a grammar mistake is when the sentence doesn't flow right, or if a word is misused according to the context of the sentence. The words can still be spelled right, and it can still be a sentence, but the structure is wrong. On the next page, titled Common Grammar Mistakes, I've listed many pet peeves of mine concerning grammar. I advise that you stay attentive to these things, because if you get them right your writing will come off a lot more professional. (Although it is important to note that it's okay for a character's dialogue or monologue to have misspellings or mistakes! Illiterate characters are almost more loveable.)
Expand and use your vocabulary as much as possible!
Wouldn't a phrase be boring if it used the same word over and over?
“The storm was approaching. The stormy winds kicked up dust into the air, and the storm clouds rumbled and loomed threateningly.”
Storm is used three times! What if you used other words for storm to give the sentence a little bit of life?
“The storm was approaching. Tempest winds kicked up dust into the air, and the thunderheads rumbled and loomed threateningly.”
Not only does it read better, but now you have an enticing visual in your head! You can almost hear the howling of the “tempest winds”, and feel the thrumming in your ears as black “thunderheads” approached. Isn't that great?!
The wonders of vocabulary words. Each word in the English language means something different, but many words can also be used interchangeably due to having similar meanings. For example, the “have got” redundancy. If you say “I've got mail!”, it sounds clunky (I personally think it sounds clunky with got in it no matter what, but that's more of a personal preference). However, if you say “I have mail!” suddenly it's a lot clearer. You could also convey the same message by wording the sentence differently: “I went to get the mail!”, “I found mail!”, “There was mail in the mailbox!”.
Don't use too many big words in a post, otherwise people will have trouble reading through it all. However, sprinkling a few in never hurt anything! If you can't switch out a word, reword the sentence so you can. Let it be fun for you!
Wouldn't a phrase be boring if it used the same word over and over?
“The storm was approaching. The stormy winds kicked up dust into the air, and the storm clouds rumbled and loomed threateningly.”
Storm is used three times! What if you used other words for storm to give the sentence a little bit of life?
“The storm was approaching. Tempest winds kicked up dust into the air, and the thunderheads rumbled and loomed threateningly.”
Not only does it read better, but now you have an enticing visual in your head! You can almost hear the howling of the “tempest winds”, and feel the thrumming in your ears as black “thunderheads” approached. Isn't that great?!
The wonders of vocabulary words. Each word in the English language means something different, but many words can also be used interchangeably due to having similar meanings. For example, the “have got” redundancy. If you say “I've got mail!”, it sounds clunky (I personally think it sounds clunky with got in it no matter what, but that's more of a personal preference). However, if you say “I have mail!” suddenly it's a lot clearer. You could also convey the same message by wording the sentence differently: “I went to get the mail!”, “I found mail!”, “There was mail in the mailbox!”.
Don't use too many big words in a post, otherwise people will have trouble reading through it all. However, sprinkling a few in never hurt anything! If you can't switch out a word, reword the sentence so you can. Let it be fun for you!
Find creative ways to avoid things you may not be allowed to do.
One thing that has always bothered me with explicitives - and by that I mean what causes R and M ratings, not something that's just specific - is that it comes across as trashy and unnecessary, simply a way to appeal to short-term earthly desires and pleasures, rather than being intelligent, fulfilling content that expands the mind with possibilities and creativity. Cursing specifically annoys me because it comes across as unintelligent, anger-driven sputter, an attempt to vocalize discontent about something but lacking the skills or vocabulary to do so. That is, you sound like an idiot who lets your anger drive you.
Consider every curse word you have ever heard. How many of them have only one meaning, regardless of context? None of them do. The meanings of curse words are entirely dependent on the context of the sentence, no matter which one you pick or how you use it. What's worse is that some of those curse words never were actual curses at one point! They were simply twisted, one way or another, by society in order to have the effect and immediate impact of a curse word; that's how slurs and insults are born. So as you can imagine, I am unimpressed and frustrated by people who throw curse words nilly-willy into their writing. It looks like a pathetic attempt to be edgy, hip, or funny, or as a poor way for people on the internet to vent anger. I just don't see the point when you could be putting that same energy into something more fruitful than swearing up a storm.
Yet, taking myself out of the question, you as the roleplayer may find yourself frustrated by roleplays that block the content you want to write, or simply are casual about writing, especially on forums with strict, PG13 guidelines that block any explicit content (i.e., the extensive or detailed usage of drugs and alcohol, nudity, extreme and/or barbaric violence, gore, vulgar language, etc.) There are plenty of cool ideas out there, but you might find yourself blocked by these simple rules. How to work around them?
The answer is simply to work with them, not around them, and to do that you just need to be creative! Not allowed to write about how freaked out Joe is by the alien? Just say he "strung a bunch of obscenities together, too panicked to realize what he was saying". The message is there, but it's written in a way that doesn't break a "No Swearing" rule. Need to prove just how horribly evil your antagonist is? Use fade-to-black, meaning things are implied but never written, thus the reader doesn't actually know what happened (some movies like to toy with fade-to-black in that they make you think something happened, only to reveal later what actually happened). A really good fade-to-black scene leaves things completely shrouded in mystery, so you can't even assume what may have gone on! Or if you have a scene in your head that you can't elaborate on, but its ambiguous form is considered innocent enough to be written about, use the ambiguity to your advantage (i.e. simply saying "he was killed" is much more innocent than <CENSORED> and yes, many forums do have censoring plugins that will absolutely butcher your posts. Even a skimmer at that point would know what you did).
My overall advice on explicit content? Don't write about it at all. If, for whatever reason, you feel like writing about that content will do more good than harm to your posts (a rare case indeed), find ways to avoid turning a regular, kid-friendly post into a Rated R horror film; and no, I don't care that people are bound to come across such content sooner or later. Not everyone is willing to wade through foul things for the sake of something interesting. Respect that, and you will have a lot of people who'll love your writing.
One thing that has always bothered me with explicitives - and by that I mean what causes R and M ratings, not something that's just specific - is that it comes across as trashy and unnecessary, simply a way to appeal to short-term earthly desires and pleasures, rather than being intelligent, fulfilling content that expands the mind with possibilities and creativity. Cursing specifically annoys me because it comes across as unintelligent, anger-driven sputter, an attempt to vocalize discontent about something but lacking the skills or vocabulary to do so. That is, you sound like an idiot who lets your anger drive you.
Consider every curse word you have ever heard. How many of them have only one meaning, regardless of context? None of them do. The meanings of curse words are entirely dependent on the context of the sentence, no matter which one you pick or how you use it. What's worse is that some of those curse words never were actual curses at one point! They were simply twisted, one way or another, by society in order to have the effect and immediate impact of a curse word; that's how slurs and insults are born. So as you can imagine, I am unimpressed and frustrated by people who throw curse words nilly-willy into their writing. It looks like a pathetic attempt to be edgy, hip, or funny, or as a poor way for people on the internet to vent anger. I just don't see the point when you could be putting that same energy into something more fruitful than swearing up a storm.
Yet, taking myself out of the question, you as the roleplayer may find yourself frustrated by roleplays that block the content you want to write, or simply are casual about writing, especially on forums with strict, PG13 guidelines that block any explicit content (i.e., the extensive or detailed usage of drugs and alcohol, nudity, extreme and/or barbaric violence, gore, vulgar language, etc.) There are plenty of cool ideas out there, but you might find yourself blocked by these simple rules. How to work around them?
The answer is simply to work with them, not around them, and to do that you just need to be creative! Not allowed to write about how freaked out Joe is by the alien? Just say he "strung a bunch of obscenities together, too panicked to realize what he was saying". The message is there, but it's written in a way that doesn't break a "No Swearing" rule. Need to prove just how horribly evil your antagonist is? Use fade-to-black, meaning things are implied but never written, thus the reader doesn't actually know what happened (some movies like to toy with fade-to-black in that they make you think something happened, only to reveal later what actually happened). A really good fade-to-black scene leaves things completely shrouded in mystery, so you can't even assume what may have gone on! Or if you have a scene in your head that you can't elaborate on, but its ambiguous form is considered innocent enough to be written about, use the ambiguity to your advantage (i.e. simply saying "he was killed" is much more innocent than <CENSORED> and yes, many forums do have censoring plugins that will absolutely butcher your posts. Even a skimmer at that point would know what you did).
My overall advice on explicit content? Don't write about it at all. If, for whatever reason, you feel like writing about that content will do more good than harm to your posts (a rare case indeed), find ways to avoid turning a regular, kid-friendly post into a Rated R horror film; and no, I don't care that people are bound to come across such content sooner or later. Not everyone is willing to wade through foul things for the sake of something interesting. Respect that, and you will have a lot of people who'll love your writing.
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