Advice/Help How exactly do I relight my Role-play spark?

[Guttem]

I've been role-playing for at least 5 years. Maybe even more. Actually now that I think about it maybe a lil less. But that's besides the point. I love fandoms and sometimes I'll have these awesome ideas. I'll go on to weave a plot and just really let my creativity flow. It's fun. But I get on site and it's kinda like throwing a ball but I get bored right when I go to throw it. I feel like something is missing. For a long time I've been one X ones with people I meet but it just doesn't feel the same as I did with a group. Maybe that's it? I'm not sure. Any tips on this?

It didn't help that it's hard for me to be pretty social. Atleast when it comes to introductions 0.o

 

[Bone2pick]

At what specific point in the roleplay process do you get bored?

 

[Guttem]

Bone2pick

Generally it's at the execution stage. Like I'll have my idea and my inspiration. But as soon as I jump on here or discord to really get it started, put up a request, it just kinda fizzles out. Maybe i think of the negative too much and I let it get to me.

 

[Bone2pick]

To be clear, you're only speaking about roleplays you're attempting to GM or create yourself?

 

[Guttem]

Bone2pick

Yeah, like I could go out and find an rp and I wouldn't really have a big problem. Infact I might just do that but I'll still have those ideas I'd like to do.

 

[rae2nerdy]

So what Exactly does boredom look like.

Do you not want to put in the work to get the roleplay started?

Do you not feel like meeting new people?

Do you not feel like making posts?

And what is your favorite part of the roleplay planning?

Do you just like coming up with plots? Do you like writing out a story? Do you like world building?

 

[Bone2pick]

Well if you still get value out of joining other rolepkays that's a short-term solution. As far as following through with your own projects, why don't you describe your creative process and elobarate on what you like doing and what you struggle with.

 

[rae2nerdy]

Me I love world building, I tend to do about 99% of all world building for my ideas. I make entire documents that I keep saved of different worlds I’ve made for roleplays or head canons from fandoms.

But more me the thing I find boring is actually posting or making characters. Making characters is usually a really short process where I just make someone inspired by myself or a family member and call it a day.

Posts I tend to be excited for intros setting up the world but steadily loose interest after that.

This is because my favorite thing is just the world building and hanging out with other people. The actual posting isn’t really important to me so I struggle with it.

So what I find helps is finding partners that are active in the OOC and yet don’t expect quick responses. And honestly for posting itself I just kinda push through the boredom or tell my partner it’s not working and just continue to chat without the roleplay itself.

Now obviously I don’t know what things you like so I can’t give a specific example but in general find the thing that gets you excited and focus on that.

If you just like making stories and don’t like working with partners than maybe posting your stuff as fiction you write alone is best. Or maybe you could just make plots that you let other people use

 

[Guttem]

Bone2pick
rae2nerdy

My process goes a bit like this. So the idea stage is where I either come up with an idea from scratch or I'll maybe see something or watch something to inspire me. This is my favorite stage due to just letting my mind wonder and roam, making up things and places. Pretty much world building. I can do this with no problem and I don't feel any boredom when it comes to this.

The second stage is pretty much just putting the idea out there. It's a small task and I can do it in no time. Just post it on a request page. But it's the creation that gives me a problem.

I finally compile my ideas and im ready to start up the Rp and all it's threads necessary to the rp. But then i just kind of hit a wall. I think I might know what it is. And if it's that then I can easily deal with it.

I appreciate you guys help with this but I think i know what I gotta do.

 

[Shakit]

rae2nerdy
G Guttem
Have you ever considered being a GM for some d&d cause it sounds like you both would be excellent at it with the world building!!

 

[Idea]

G Guttem I want to make something clear, you didn't loose your roleplay spark. The issue you're encountering has a very specific name and that name is "work".

Now, please don't misunderstand I am not saying you're lazy or anything. It'd be odd if you found effort and work themselves to be interesting on their own. Which is exactly why it's natural to find these sloggy parts. Writing is a creative process, managing an RP is both that and involves, well, management. For this reason you cannot avoid finding boring parts, losses of muse, times when you feel you can't push foward. Bumps along the way. It's unavoidable, so you either give up and scrap it or you find countermeisures that minimize the damage.

Personally, as a planner by nature my solution to this problem is to plan ahead and structure things methodically. Of course, a degree of flexibility is needed, but through this method...
1. I can keep the end goal in mind and better savor the hype of upcoming scenes, better ditributing it
2. Even if I lack motivation or inspiration I have additional material already worked on that I can fall back on as a plan B
3. At the expense of a little bit of flow, there is a general increase in the narrative quality of individual posts and overall story

Ultimately though, even this method can't fix just not feeling like typing. However, if you ask any professional author, the general answer you will get is "don't take your hands off the keyboard" or "don't stop writing" or something to that effect. One's ideas are a perpetually freezing train resting within a warm spot. The moment you get them moving if you make them stop they'll freeze and stop on their tracks.

Happy RPing!