NPC_Raven
Call Me Raven
This may be a new account, but I've been writing and roleplaying for a very long time now on many different platforms. I've noticed a whole lot of pet peeve posts here, so assuming everyone agrees that they don't want to be the subject of these discussions, why not throw out some advice? Of course, although this is based off of a whole lot of experience, it's simply what has worked best for me, personally. You are welcome to share your own ways of doing things or give criticism. That aside...
Why not start with where all RPs begin: Planning a plot and making a starter.
Starters tend to go one of two ways; a post dedicated to a plot idea from a single role-player that's then built upon by someone else or a collaborative beginning planned out by the role-players, likely derived from a character bio or request. Whichever way it begins, discussion and planning is very important to the success of the RP. Communicating what each person involved wants out of the RP will determine how invested you become, so it's important not to skip a proper greeting and introduction. But how does one make a starter? Or reply to one, for that matter? Well, the key elements of any collaborative story are motivations, setting(s), and characters. It sounds simple, but there's much more to it than it first appears.
Let's start with motivation, which I've already briefly gone over. Ask yourself: why do you want to RP as the character you've chosen with the other person's character in whatever setting is being established? What could tie the two together for an interesting dynamic and story? Heck, are the characters even going to make for an interesting dynamic or story together? How do you want the RP to progress? Once you've figured out why you want to do the RP in the first place, find out the same for the other person. Ask them questions about the characters and setting, especially if they're the one initiating the RP. Make sure you both have a style that goes well together, like how long your replies tend to be, how much the setting plays a role in the plot, how side characters or even multiple characters could work, etc.. Without establishing this mutual understanding, the RP might not go in the direction you or they intended.
What about the setting, then? Setting is often the least prioritized aspect of an RP, but it's important. Giving a proper description of where the characters are and where they're going determines how well everything is visualized. Sometimes it's okay to go on a small tangent about the environment. That's especially true for a place you expect the characters to be often. It adds more to the mood than you would think, as long as it doesn't go so much detail as to feel like filler. It can give insight into the way the characters are effected by their environment, or vise versa. It also makes for interesting solo interactions and insight if the characters aren't in the same location. Obviously if the setting is an actual place, it's easier to describe, but fictional places need to be described and discussed early on to avoid misconceptions and to make it easier to understand how characters can interact with the setting.
Finally, characters; arguably the most important and most fun aspect of any RP. Character bios are certainly a good start, but elaborating on some things, particularly personality or special abilities, should probably be discussed further. It's always wise to keep your's and someone else's options open in terms of possible characters because although you might think a certain one would work the best, the other person might see more potential in a character you hadn't considered. Establishing possible dynamics at the beginning and then later on could really bring out new ideas and possible plots.
Once you've figured out each of these elements, it's fairly easy to make a starter. Taking the time to indulge in what you want and what the other role-player wants will save a lot of trouble, and I think a lot of flaws come from poor planning and communication. It's easier to do it the right way at the start than to try and correct it later into the RP ir just flat out ignoring each other, which is what usually ends up happening. I can't guarantee the success of an RP with this advice, as there are many more factors than could possibly be explained in a single post, but I feel like this community greatly undermines the importance of planning things out. I hope you've found this helpful, and depending on the response this gets, I might make more advice posts. As I said, you are welcome to add your own advice about starters. If you want me to post advice over something in particular or have questions about this advice, go ahead.
Why not start with where all RPs begin: Planning a plot and making a starter.
Starters tend to go one of two ways; a post dedicated to a plot idea from a single role-player that's then built upon by someone else or a collaborative beginning planned out by the role-players, likely derived from a character bio or request. Whichever way it begins, discussion and planning is very important to the success of the RP. Communicating what each person involved wants out of the RP will determine how invested you become, so it's important not to skip a proper greeting and introduction. But how does one make a starter? Or reply to one, for that matter? Well, the key elements of any collaborative story are motivations, setting(s), and characters. It sounds simple, but there's much more to it than it first appears.
Let's start with motivation, which I've already briefly gone over. Ask yourself: why do you want to RP as the character you've chosen with the other person's character in whatever setting is being established? What could tie the two together for an interesting dynamic and story? Heck, are the characters even going to make for an interesting dynamic or story together? How do you want the RP to progress? Once you've figured out why you want to do the RP in the first place, find out the same for the other person. Ask them questions about the characters and setting, especially if they're the one initiating the RP. Make sure you both have a style that goes well together, like how long your replies tend to be, how much the setting plays a role in the plot, how side characters or even multiple characters could work, etc.. Without establishing this mutual understanding, the RP might not go in the direction you or they intended.
What about the setting, then? Setting is often the least prioritized aspect of an RP, but it's important. Giving a proper description of where the characters are and where they're going determines how well everything is visualized. Sometimes it's okay to go on a small tangent about the environment. That's especially true for a place you expect the characters to be often. It adds more to the mood than you would think, as long as it doesn't go so much detail as to feel like filler. It can give insight into the way the characters are effected by their environment, or vise versa. It also makes for interesting solo interactions and insight if the characters aren't in the same location. Obviously if the setting is an actual place, it's easier to describe, but fictional places need to be described and discussed early on to avoid misconceptions and to make it easier to understand how characters can interact with the setting.
Finally, characters; arguably the most important and most fun aspect of any RP. Character bios are certainly a good start, but elaborating on some things, particularly personality or special abilities, should probably be discussed further. It's always wise to keep your's and someone else's options open in terms of possible characters because although you might think a certain one would work the best, the other person might see more potential in a character you hadn't considered. Establishing possible dynamics at the beginning and then later on could really bring out new ideas and possible plots.
Once you've figured out each of these elements, it's fairly easy to make a starter. Taking the time to indulge in what you want and what the other role-player wants will save a lot of trouble, and I think a lot of flaws come from poor planning and communication. It's easier to do it the right way at the start than to try and correct it later into the RP ir just flat out ignoring each other, which is what usually ends up happening. I can't guarantee the success of an RP with this advice, as there are many more factors than could possibly be explained in a single post, but I feel like this community greatly undermines the importance of planning things out. I hope you've found this helpful, and depending on the response this gets, I might make more advice posts. As I said, you are welcome to add your own advice about starters. If you want me to post advice over something in particular or have questions about this advice, go ahead.
