Viewpoint Roleplay or writing?

Imaginarium

The Wandering Mind
Roleplay Type(s)
Does anyone else ever get stuck between the desire to roleplay or just write the entirety of the story by yourself? I frequently find myself stuck in such a place. And when it happens by brain just refuses to cooperate with either activity.
 
For me it depends on what I want to do plot wise, and also my likelihood of finding a RP partner that’s willing to do the plots I’m interested in. There’s a few fandom things I’m craving that no one seems to want to do so I guess it’s off to writing fanfiction.
 
To me the difference lies in what I want to share and how I want people to interact with what I want to share.

If I want to share a story, or something more complete/rounded I’m probably going to want o write a story on my own for it. Same thing if I want people whom I share it with to read my story specifically, as opposed to contributing with their own input.

However, if what I want to share is a character or a world, then I’m probably going to want to see not just how people like them as they read them, but also enjoy seeing how they interact with or within what I am presenting to them. In those cases, I want a roleplay.

There is one murky case though, because it is in-between a solo story and a roleplay, which are quest roleplays.
 
Ugh, I've tried to write a lot of stories, but they wind up stalling out. So I've tried to offer up those ideas as RP notions. This has also been met with it's own set of pitfalls. I've also formatted some of my favorite characters into a CS version in order that I might get a chance to play them in a setting. Most of the time though, they don't get anywhere. Since they came from my own settings, they don't easily fit into those created by other people without a lot of changes being made.
 
There's no way I'll ever finish a book by myself. The range of characters I can write convincingly is not terrific. Roleplaying is basically crowdsourcing ideas, dialogue, and plot.
 
I am always very very conflicted haha.

I have multiple novels in the works at the moment and I love weaving and creating my own stories independently, but the call to the roleplay is just too strong... It is a constant tug o' war in my mind, let me tell you. Then add school into the mix and actual books I want read alongside the hellscape which is foodservice as a job and I have trouble with time management which is why y'all will find me up at 4 am surviving on only caffeine and the pure unaltered will to keep on going lol. But writing and roleplaying is so fun that I am willing to push some other shit aside for it. And I bid you good luck in all of your writing and roleplaying friend!
 
I'm often tempted to just write on my own since I have a lot of ideas that people just aren't interested in RPing. However, I rarely write anything outside of RP now since I never get very far with it. I lose focus since I'm terrible at plot development. I'm way better at the character driven stories.
 
I actually really enjoy both. Writing by myself is always something fun because you can write whatever you desire. You're not really in a tight deadline and there's so much room for creativity. Role-playing, though, brings a social and kind of game-y aspect to writing. Plus, when you're stuck, there's always someone who can pull you right out or cheer you along.
 
I don’t really prefer one or the other because I look at them in different ways. Writing for me is my way to get away and escape from people and do my own thing. RP for me has usually been tied to gaming and more of a social thing. Both are creative but for me writing includes a lot of planning and thinking while most rp I have done is almost completely improvised.
 
I suppose it depends on how you define Roleplay. To me Roleplay is actual characters engaging, I prefer that at times. If given between writing and Roleplaying with self-assertion of one's self, or a shallow character, I choose writing.
 










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It's a chronic problem lmaooo
That aside! It's probably because I'm an English: Creative Writing Uni student with authorship dreams and also a 5e DM so

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I struggle with this frequently. I just don't have the drive to write a full fledged novel on my own. I come up with a lot of great ideas, plots and characters, but the idea of writing an entire book by myself just seems so daunting. With RP'ing, you still get to put forward the idea and in many instances, characters, general universe and lore...without having to write an entire novel. My current RP is an idea I've had for a long while. As the plot rolls along, I'm slowly building an intricate universe of lore including heroes, villains, gods and monsters. My plan is, when this current RP fades, taking the lore thread along with plot elements, even some characters from the actual RP and possibly hiring a ghost writer to put it all into a coherent novel. That may be the solution to my novel writing woes.
 
I find myself constantly thinking about writing a novel or even just a fanfiction of some sort, but I always find trouble with being able to go through with it. There are a lot of ideas going through my head, but I can never fixate myself on the topic long enough to do it, especially without thinking too much to where I no longer have time to actually write it. Someday, I definitely want to start writing, but for the time being, I am definitely still satisfied with roleplaying and have a lot of fun with it when I'm with a person or group who enjoy storytelling and character development in their roleplays.
 
I lack the ability to add the details I want when writing on my own. I also get lost and start writing in circles. And often times I simply get stuck and can't seem to move forwards with the story anymore. So I prefer Rping. Even if it's not always what I want, I still get good inspiration to help with my writing. Helps me come up with details, or helps me start moving forwards once more. What matters most to me is having that muse that keeps working with me. World-building. Plotting! Then everything else, both RP and Writing, seems to flow pretty well. I've now written 2 books but I don't have the guests to publish them. XP Although I don't mind anyone reading my RPs. LOL
 
There are times when I'd like to write the plot out myself due to the way I see "perfect" ending or outcome going but a reason why I love to roleplay so much is that I don't know. Relinquishing that control of the story for a moment or two to someone else who probably has a different or even the same vision as I do is thoroughly enjoyable. Whether it's showing new possibilities or working together on the plot to really create a world that's alive is probably y favourite part of roleplaying.
 
although i used to enjoy writing solo, i find myself more drawn to writing for rp. i think i enjoy the interaction of collaborating on a story with a partner and the spontaneity their characters/replies give to the plot. idk, i guess the social aspect of the hobby is just more engaging for me, thus making it easier to keep up with compared to my many abandoned fanfic ideas. ;;
 
I love any kind of writing in general, but I find that I love RP way more than regular writing. It's kind of exciting to write when you're only controlling what happens to your own character and you never know what your partner or partners might write in to spice things up. >w<
 
I struggle with this a lot!!!!!! lol, There are things I feel people might think are just too crazy of an idea so I just go ahead and write it out myself then just trying to see if someone would love to try it out with me.
 
I love both when I'm in the right mood for it. I enjoy writing and roleplay equally. To me, roleplay is simply writing and forming a story with one or more people. Though if I push myself too much to do either I'll suddenly lose any and all interest I did have. It's either that I just get in this moods where for days or weeks I won't wanna do anything and then just out of the blue be all like, "I WANNA WRITE/RP!" Queue the large spark of inspiration.
 
It really depends on my mood, but I find that I get stuck in that loop quite a lot. Writing gives me freedom to do as I want with the characters in hand, but roleplaying has a social aspect to it that makes writing so much more enjoyable. If I end up not roleplaying, I usually just talk someone's ear off about what I'm writing as a sort of compromise with my excited little brain.
 
I can see the potential to flourish in both sides.

I think writing by yourself, you get a clear vision of where the story is heading. You have a lot more creative control on the characters and the world-building aspect. I see solo writing as having a conversation with yourself in your own creative world/bubble. Allowing your own imagination to take the lead, completely unhindered. And while, it’s fun and even therapeutic for some. It’s also a large task to do by yourself. You can easily overwhelm yourself with the details and the ideas that come and go. Since no one’s holding you accountable (unless you’re a hired professional), you can pace it out. On the flip side, you’re also the one responsible when nothing gets accomplished as is the case for those who lose interest, have no time, or have writer’s block - harsh truths coming from experience, I have so many unfinished drafts and outlines of stories in my folders. It’s a graveyard out there!

As for role-playing, it’s definitely more social and interactive in nature. You get a chance to run your ideas by others and it can help to refine it. Having someone else question your plots and the logic behind things is something I really find useful. It helps to fill in the gaps via other characters and elements you might not have thought of. Role-playing is like having a conversation with other people through their characters. It’s fun to get to know other people, but it also adds this pressure to respond (which may or may not be a breaking point). There’s also the possibility that your partner may not be open for collaboration or isn’t participating in the way you wanted them to - word count, level of activity, cohesiveness to plot, etc. It’s up to you to manage your own expectations on that token. Role-play’s a game of chance in that way. But if you stick it out and find the right partner, the possibilities are endless! And it’s all done in good fun!

I’d say, if you’re more serious about writing, then, you can probably find a lot more focus and practice by writing by yourself. Otherwise, enjoy reading and participating in other’s people’s imagination/fictional universes through RP.
 
Does anyone else ever get stuck between the desire to roleplay or just write the entirety of the story by yourself? I frequently find myself stuck in such a place. And when it happens by brain just refuses to cooperate with either activity.
Loads of times.
People get pretty annoying to roleplay with easily.
Any number of things can just annoy me and make me wish I just wrote a book on it rather than trust them to stay in character, or whatever it is that they were doing.
 
I enjoy RP when I don't want to have total control over where the story will go, and It's great for when I have writers block. When I already have a fully fleshed out idea, I prefer to write solo. I feel like knowing exactly how the story will play out ruins the fun of collaborating.
 

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