Viewpoint Roleplay or writing?

[Honeymead]

Been leaning towards just writing for myself lately, though RP'ing is a very unique experience and creating a story with another person is a lot of fun!
Why not both?

 

[That Mystic Writer]

It really depends on what kind of story I am doing. If the story has a lot of characters in it and a loose plot line, I usually like to make it a roleplay. If the story is more specific with a detailed plot line with few characters, than I prefer to just write it on my own. But I think both ways are a good way to express your creative thoughts.

 

[Meadows]

I do both.

I like to role-play because it’s interactive and it introduces me to new ideas and new people. It’s a very social form of writing. Very refreshing.

I write alone when I have thoughts that need expelling. It doesn’t necessarily have to be under anything specific. It can be inklings of a plot or a character, poems or journalling, or just streams of consciousness. This tends to be more self-indulgent and something I’d like to explore on my own.

I think writing with another person is great when you want to bounce ideas off each other and have a sounding board. It also adds a sense of urgency since you’re writing with a partner. While writing by yourself, on the other hand, requires a little more focus, but at least you move leisurely at your own pace. Both has its pros, cons, and times of utility.

 

[Natasha4E]

Most of my ideas start out as role playing ideas, but when it takes too long to find a suitable partner sometimes the story starts to take on more shape, and I end up feeling it's better to work on it on my own.

 

[FrostyDragon]

I can relate. I began my current work in progress fantasy novel because I just couldn’t stand the wait for the next player to post in the RP. So, I scratched the creative itch by writing a short backstory for the character I was RPing, and that took on a life of its own and became a whole novel all of its own. These days, I find I crave RPing as a sort of muse to get the creativity flowing so I can work on my novel.

 

[Hootle]

I enjoy the collaboration roleplay has to offer with the right people. I also do like writing on my own. Both have their advantages. I think at some point I have felt how you felt.

 

[Next Door Hustler]

For me writing with a partner is more fun than writing solo.

 

[GojiBean]

When I want to role-play and write for characters and a story/plot that need to happen a certain way I will write it myself. My latest example (which is slow moving cause work sucks) is A Maiden's Revolution.

But otherwise, I almost always choose to just RP it with others and see where it goes.

Cheers!

 

[Korillian]

I've sort of found a solution that appeased both needs from time to time. Currently the roleplay I'm in has been on a three month hiatus, so I've taken old roleplays that I've backed up and began rewriting them in proper story format and expansion on the details. It lets you get that feel of interaction since you were involved with it, while getting that nostalgia from the responses you were given at the time. It's also helped me improve my writing since I'm sure we all have looked back at our own personal works and went, "Oh dear lord what was I thinking when writing this?" I've caught myself with some writing habits and common words used during descriptions, to which I've slowly shifted out of it.

I personally think I prefer roleplaying despite writing being my passion. It spawns from my love of sharing a world with another, and knowing it's actually being read rather than collecting dust on a word doc. And for me personally, it brings me some peace as I'm sure I'm not the only one who uses words as an escape. It applies to both sides here, but at least with the interaction, you know you're being heard in some sense.

I do appreciate solo writing however. You can go at it on your own pace and not need to worry about someone losing interest since it's with yourself. It's really just dependent on what kind of a writer you are, and how much interaction you enjoy if it's with another or others.

 

[Luscinioide]

I actually prefer writing solo most of the time. I tend to be extremely picky about roleplay partners since I like to invest a lot into worldbuilding and characters; writing solo lets me put in as much as I want without the fear of it going to waste should things not work out. That, and sometimes you just have an idea that's burning holes into your head and you gotta write it, no time to wait on picking someone up to do it with you.

 

[Jannah]

I actually prefer writing solo most of the time. I tend to be extremely picky about roleplay partners since I like to invest a lot into worldbuilding and characters; writing solo lets me put in as much as I want without the fear of it going to waste should things not work out. That, and sometimes you just have an idea that's burning holes into your head and you gotta write it, no time to wait on picking someone up to do it with you.

In RP I don't even bother with complex worldbuilding anymore, if at all. I just stick to real world settings or alternative settings similar to real world ones. Most RP's just don't last long enough to invest in many hours of worldbuilding.

 

[Aethereal]

I do both. I like to RP because of the collaborative aspect! It’s like writing a story with a curveball thrown in because your partner could change how a scene plays out. It’s a lot of fun to adapt and a pretty good creative challenge! But if I’m incredibly muse-y and just have an idea that doesn’t really fit into an RP, I would just write by myself. Short stories are usually my go-to in that way. I don’t think I have the discipline to write a novel, but someday I hope to.

 

[halcyon_tales]

Man, all the time! I usually decide by figuring out how much I want to manage plot details/how precise the setting and character personalities have to be for my vision to come to life. If I know I won't be satisfied unless x criteria are fulfilled and those criteria are too specific, I don't want to burden someone else with those things and just keep it for my own writing. LOL

 

[Hiwa]

I do both!

I think RP really helps in developing ideas and learning about writing from reading other people’s post - like expanding your vocabulary with new words. It’s refreshing to read about a scene from a new lens and perspective. I pick up a lot of storytelling elements from other people.

Similarly, if I have a particular idea and it might be too complex to explain, I just write on my own. It’s more around the fact that I want a particular outcome to my writing as opposed to leaving it an open idea. It’s not fun to force someone else into writing your story without taking their input, if that makes sense.

 

[Celestial Water]

Roleplay. I like exploring themes and collaborating with a writing partner.

 

[Sugarnaut]

I cycle between forum rps, ttrpgs, and solo writing. It's been a good balance to keep me creative and not burnt out.

 

[ThAtGuY101]

Best option is both. Post on RPs when you want to collaborate with others. I like comedy so I usually like to joke around.

Slow group? Some RPers be like that. Got things to do, I got a Naruto RP I really need to post on. Different website, but I still need to post there. With Rps, I can have fun interactions with different people. That's partially why I like written works. I don't need to wait for anyone. I start whenever I want to, and finish when I want to as well.

Both have advantaged and can be fun.

 

[Kimby]

Love writing with a group or partner especially because of the interaction that goes on in IC and OOC (building up the story, plotting relationships, etc.) but it's always frustrating when RPs die, and I still want to continue the story. That's when I start writing for myself until I can find another RP to jump into.

 

[rueberry]

i love roleplaying when I want to see where my partners will take the story with their characters, while writing by myself takes more energy because i'm in charge of the full cast and world building. With a partner, it's fun to build the plot and narrative together along with receiving feedback and reactions about where the story is headed. I do have to admit that when I'm writing alone I do like the amount of freedom I get to have regarding where I want my story to go and the pace I write. With a partner I do feel more responsible for my writing pace and making sure everything is up good quality as compared to when I'm just writing- I just dump out my thoughts and edit them over way later after I jot down every idea that comes to mind so that I don't forget. I'm more organized with a partner and enjoy having someone to have fun writing with. But I also enjoy writing as well because I get to explore different plot lines without worrying about wasting time.

 

[GrumpySwallow]

Role play

I don't have the focus to write an entire novel. I can come up with ideas and concepts, but I can't put them together in a flowing narrative.