So you're new to roleplaying and want to learn the ropes?
Then you've come to the right Cat!
I might not look it at first, but to tell you the truth, I've been roleplaying for eight years! THAT'S A LONG TIME IN THE ROLEPLAY UNIVERSE. I've been in about every awkward situation you can imagine and I've built up a lot of skill along the way. This guide will instruct you in the Ancient Laws of Roleplay... as written by me!
ENJOY!
Getting In Character
- Spoiler:
- Of all the wonderful things I have to teach you, this is by far the MOST IMPORTANT aspect of roleplaying. Knowing your character by heart gives you an advantage over other roleplayers. Write out your character's history somewhere for your own reference, research real life occurrences that tie into your character's life, be ahead of the game!
- Make your character's personality the most descriptive part about them! Don't just list whether their pessimistic or optimistic, tell why they are the way they are, and list all the little likes and dislikes that make them up in entirety. Just think as if you were describing yourself. You might play a sport, but you might also like art, however you have trouble doing any art because your brother always criticizes your work so you do it in secret. Details like this with a lot of background make your character interesting.
- Get in depth with design! It may seem trivial, but a character's appearance actually plays a lot into their personality. Their style of clothing and physical wellness reflect the way they live their lives. Never forget to add these physical descriptions in your posts.
- The magic is in the eyes! True love and deep feelings are often expressed through a simple gaze. But don't make it simple. If you have to take a few sentences just to describe the fiery look in your character's eyes, DO IT. It amplifies emotions like you would not believe!
- Relationships matter! How does your character react to certain types of people? Are they solitary or do they thrive off of attention? Make connections with the characters of your roleplay partners. Whether positive or negative, the more detail you can give about thoughts and feelings toward one another, the better!
- Find a way to relate your character to yourself! You know yourself best, if you can find a parallel between you and your character, use it! The realistic connections make the roleplay seem all the more, well...REAL!
- Of all the wonderful things I have to teach you, this is by far the MOST IMPORTANT aspect of roleplaying. Knowing your character by heart gives you an advantage over other roleplayers. Write out your character's history somewhere for your own reference, research real life occurrences that tie into your character's life, be ahead of the game!
Starting A Roleplay
- Spoiler:
- ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS have a plot written out in your head before you start a roleplay. NEVER WRITE BLIND. If you can't attempt to follow a set storyline, the roleplay will go nowhere and everyone will be disappointed. Sometimes, it helps to write a small roleplay synopsis before your character's post. For example, here is my hook into an Irish Revolution roleplay:
In the Easter Rebellion of 1916, the Irish made an attempt at capturing the city of Dublin and declaring the independence of Ireland. The rebellion was unsuccessful, primarily due to limited support from the Irish people. However, Britain’s severe reaction, including the execution of 15 Irish nationalist leaders, outraged the Irish population and set the stage for the nationalist group Sinn Fein to become the dominant political party in Ireland. Thus beginning a revolution... - Write the roleplay as an author would a fiction novel. Third person format is suggested, but first person can be used at times as well. Writing in third person shows professionalism in your work and opens more opportunities for details.
- Use correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. I know, nobody likes these stupid English rules, but they certainly do come in handy. Again, it shows professionalism and the more experience you have with correct skills, the better your essay writing can get for school - no joke!
- Separate quotes and thoughts from actions with the BBCodes! Many people color character quotes and italicize thoughts. This separates them from the actions and makes the whole post easier on the eyes. Another example:
She pulled her arm away from her wound, observing a stream of blood run from her arm to her fingertips, dripping onto the floor in a sanguine puddle. Where did we go wrong?
As the two were dragged away by the British soldiers, Eireann tried desperately to break free, pulling at their grasp and sending a gaze of utmost emotionless rage at her British sibling. "You 'aven't seen anythin' yet, Arthur!!! Just you wait!! This is only the beginning!!" - Create a roleplay template for your character, or even better, for your character for each specific roleplay you do! Templates are awesome and add an artistic touch to any post. And I doubt anyone would disagree when I say visuals enhance the reading experience. But of course, you don't have to make one. Some people find them difficult to make, yet still are fantastic writers! Here is an example template:
- DON'T BUTCHER PEOPLE WITH DETAILS. As great as details are, too many can be overwhelming and undesirable to read. Use detail, but don't go overboard.
- ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS have a plot written out in your head before you start a roleplay. NEVER WRITE BLIND. If you can't attempt to follow a set storyline, the roleplay will go nowhere and everyone will be disappointed. Sometimes, it helps to write a small roleplay synopsis before your character's post. For example, here is my hook into an Irish Revolution roleplay:
Continuing A Roleplay
- Spoiler:
- Patience is a virtue, but so is loyalty. If you join a roleplay, make sure you reply frequently or whenever you are required. Don't leave your peers hanging, especially if the number of participants exceeds three people. We all have lives, but you need to make time to complete your responses as well. Everyone will be counting on you to do so.
- Stay calm. Feels, aggravation, intimidation - all can come with a well written roleplay. Even if you feel those you are roleplaying with are much better writers than you, do not be discouraged. It takes a lot of time to get good, and often, even the most advanced of roleplayers are intimidated by newer ones with exceptional talent. Keep it cool and concentrate on your writing, otherwise your replies will falter in quality.
- Always interpret the replies before yours. If you are about to reply, lead your last post and all of the posts that came after it. Make sure you cover every necessary detail laid out by every involved character. You don't want to miss someone addressing your character. They will feel left out and ignored if you do so. Give each person a response to the height of your ability, all chronologically set up in a single reply.
- Structure your style. If you have been using certain fonts, colors, and templates for your characters, don't change them in the middle of a roleplay. Only do so if you make the change permanent or if there is a change in the character's appearance, occupation, or species that may require a new template. Your character setup is like a trademark for that character. Don't abuse it.
- Use a signature! Signatures can also be a nice trademark item. This way, people will know who you are no matter which character you are using. See my signature at the bottom of this post for an example.
- Patience is a virtue, but so is loyalty. If you join a roleplay, make sure you reply frequently or whenever you are required. Don't leave your peers hanging, especially if the number of participants exceeds three people. We all have lives, but you need to make time to complete your responses as well. Everyone will be counting on you to do so.
Sustaining The Mood
- Spoiler:
- If you're in a roleplay where everyone is having fun somewhere like the beach, don't come in and start drowning. Ruining the mood is a quick way to cause the downfall of a good roleplay. Follow the general mood as best you can.
- Avoid dialogue between your characters. If you have two characters in the same roleplay, make their conversation minimal or put them in completely different scenarios with other characters. By this, say you were roleplaying and one character was going to go shopping and the other was going to the pool. Send one of your characters shopping and one to the pool, that way, there isn't much awkward dialogue conflict.
- Don't take charge of the roleplay. If you didn't start the roleplay, you don't want to make any scenario flipping plot twists. Leave that up to the roleplay's original creator. They made the story line in the first place, so they have the right to guide everyone else along. However, don't be afraid to make surprising changes to your personal character and scenario. It's impressive to see someone turn around a character successfully and believably.
- If you're in a roleplay where everyone is having fun somewhere like the beach, don't come in and start drowning. Ruining the mood is a quick way to cause the downfall of a good roleplay. Follow the general mood as best you can.
Well, that's all I have for you!
If you have any extra questions or suggestions for something I can add, please PM me about it!
I hope this guide has been useful to you!
If you have any extra questions or suggestions for something I can add, please PM me about it!
I hope this guide has been useful to you!
