Post by Phoenix on Nov 18, 2011 22:20:43 GMT -5
It can be hard at times to come up with a good, long post. I know, I frequently suffer from writer's block! This Guide is here to help you along with some ideas to beef up your posts!
So you want to start RPing, do you? Well, you're going to have to either start out in a pre-exsisting thread (a thread someone else has started) or you'll have to write up your own. If you want to write your own post, there are a few things you can, and should, include:
The first is Location. Where is your cat? Is he at the lake? Is he at the moonpool? Describe the location; is it calm and peaceful, or tense and chaotic? Location gives your RP partner a sense of where the RP is taking place. If you don't spcify this, you may find yourself RPing with a Windclan cat in Shadowclan territory.
Also, keep in mind that Warriors wouldn't normally be going to places like the Ocean or the Moonpool, and Kits wouldn't be travelling to other clan's territories.
The second major factor in the starting RP is the Time and Conditions. It makes a big difference whether the RP is taking place in the morning, right after the sunrise patrol, or at moonhigh, right after your cat has snuck out of camp for some night hunting. Likewise, it's helpful to also mention some seasonal conditions; if it's Leaf-fall, mention the leaves changing colors; if it's Leaf-Bare, talk about how your cat has trouble walking through the snow, or how his pelt sticks out in the powdery white snow like a sore thumb.
Conditions make up the ambiance of your post. A happy, lovey-dovey couple wouldn't be meeting in the rain, and a couple of sworn enemies wouldn't choose a sunny, bright day (when they could be of better use to their clan) to meet up and battle. Of course there's exceptions to that rule. And weather changes alot! Note any changes in your post, as well.
Lastly, we have situation. Is your cat spying on another clan? Is he fishing at the Lake? Is he on patrol for his clan, or locked in fierce battle for territory? Situation is the bread and butter of a post; it's the whole purpose. There would be no RP without the situation. Explain the events leading up to the RP, and what's going on around your cat. Is there squabbling in the Apprentices den? Are the elders raising a ruckus over ticks? Set the mood with the actions going on around you.
Now we come to two of my favorite subjects:
Dialogue is the external locomotion of a post. It's how your cat interacts with other cats. By dialogue, I not only mean his spoken words, but his body language and actions, as well. His actions should always match what he's saying, and how he's saying it.
You see, WHAT you say is just as important as HOW you say it. Actions and tone add a new depth to dialogue, and shuldn't be ignored. And don't rely too much on common speech tags. "He said" "She said" can get boreing. "Cried", "Sobbed", and "Chirped" are much more interesting, and convey more feeling and mood that "said".
Thoughts add a whole 'nother dimention to a post. Not only do we get to see what your cat says and does, but also what your cats thinks. He could be saying something, but thinking the exact opposite. Blackclaw could say he was loyal, but be thinking about how he's going to overthrow the leader and sieze power. The element of thought doesn't so much add to the plot of the RP, but it adds depth to your character.
This is just a small congloberation of things that might be useful in helping you compose a killer post. Using only a few of these things will definitely beef up your posts and add stoc to your word count.
Jadestripe sat down and sighed. "I have no one to hunt with," she said.
Jadestripe's tail flicked with irritation. It was New-Leaf; prey was abundant and the sun was shining, so why didn't anyone want to hunt with her? Her entire clan was lazing about in the mid-morning sun, soaking up the rays, but the brown-speckled warriors was itching to get out of camp.
'Lazy lumps,' she thought, twitching her whiskers. 'I wish someone would get up already so I could get out of the camp!'
See? Posts don't have to be super long to be detailed.
So you want to start RPing, do you? Well, you're going to have to either start out in a pre-exsisting thread (a thread someone else has started) or you'll have to write up your own. If you want to write your own post, there are a few things you can, and should, include:
- Location (Setting)
- Time and Conditions (Time of day or year, and weather/environment)
- Situation (What other cats are doing around you/what your cat is doing)
The first is Location. Where is your cat? Is he at the lake? Is he at the moonpool? Describe the location; is it calm and peaceful, or tense and chaotic? Location gives your RP partner a sense of where the RP is taking place. If you don't spcify this, you may find yourself RPing with a Windclan cat in Shadowclan territory.
Also, keep in mind that Warriors wouldn't normally be going to places like the Ocean or the Moonpool, and Kits wouldn't be travelling to other clan's territories.
The second major factor in the starting RP is the Time and Conditions. It makes a big difference whether the RP is taking place in the morning, right after the sunrise patrol, or at moonhigh, right after your cat has snuck out of camp for some night hunting. Likewise, it's helpful to also mention some seasonal conditions; if it's Leaf-fall, mention the leaves changing colors; if it's Leaf-Bare, talk about how your cat has trouble walking through the snow, or how his pelt sticks out in the powdery white snow like a sore thumb.
Conditions make up the ambiance of your post. A happy, lovey-dovey couple wouldn't be meeting in the rain, and a couple of sworn enemies wouldn't choose a sunny, bright day (when they could be of better use to their clan) to meet up and battle. Of course there's exceptions to that rule. And weather changes alot! Note any changes in your post, as well.
Lastly, we have situation. Is your cat spying on another clan? Is he fishing at the Lake? Is he on patrol for his clan, or locked in fierce battle for territory? Situation is the bread and butter of a post; it's the whole purpose. There would be no RP without the situation. Explain the events leading up to the RP, and what's going on around your cat. Is there squabbling in the Apprentices den? Are the elders raising a ruckus over ticks? Set the mood with the actions going on around you.
~
Now we come to two of my favorite subjects:
"Dialogue" and 'Thoughts'
Dialogue is the external locomotion of a post. It's how your cat interacts with other cats. By dialogue, I not only mean his spoken words, but his body language and actions, as well. His actions should always match what he's saying, and how he's saying it.
~
"I'm hopeless," Bubbletail laughed, dragging her feet through the dust as she hopped along.
That was a confusing sentence. Was she happy? Was she sad? I know I'm confused.
"I'm hopeless," Bubbletail sighed, giving a half-hearted laugh and shrugging.
This sentence gives you the impression that Bubbletail is dissapointed, but accepting of the fact that she's hopeless, and even a little amused by it.
"I'm hopeless!" Bubbletail cried, flinging herself down on the ground and sobbing.
This sentence gives you the impression that Bubbletail is hopeless, but horribly sad about it. Like she doesn't want to be so hopeless.
~
"I'm hopeless," Bubbletail laughed, dragging her feet through the dust as she hopped along.
That was a confusing sentence. Was she happy? Was she sad? I know I'm confused.
"I'm hopeless," Bubbletail sighed, giving a half-hearted laugh and shrugging.
This sentence gives you the impression that Bubbletail is dissapointed, but accepting of the fact that she's hopeless, and even a little amused by it.
"I'm hopeless!" Bubbletail cried, flinging herself down on the ground and sobbing.
This sentence gives you the impression that Bubbletail is hopeless, but horribly sad about it. Like she doesn't want to be so hopeless.
~
You see, WHAT you say is just as important as HOW you say it. Actions and tone add a new depth to dialogue, and shuldn't be ignored. And don't rely too much on common speech tags. "He said" "She said" can get boreing. "Cried", "Sobbed", and "Chirped" are much more interesting, and convey more feeling and mood that "said".
Thoughts add a whole 'nother dimention to a post. Not only do we get to see what your cat says and does, but also what your cats thinks. He could be saying something, but thinking the exact opposite. Blackclaw could say he was loyal, but be thinking about how he's going to overthrow the leader and sieze power. The element of thought doesn't so much add to the plot of the RP, but it adds depth to your character.
This is just a small congloberation of things that might be useful in helping you compose a killer post. Using only a few of these things will definitely beef up your posts and add stoc to your word count.
Old Post
Jadestripe sat down and sighed. "I have no one to hunt with," she said.
New Post
Jadestripe's tail flicked with irritation. It was New-Leaf; prey was abundant and the sun was shining, so why didn't anyone want to hunt with her? Her entire clan was lazing about in the mid-morning sun, soaking up the rays, but the brown-speckled warriors was itching to get out of camp.
'Lazy lumps,' she thought, twitching her whiskers. 'I wish someone would get up already so I could get out of the camp!'
See? Posts don't have to be super long to be detailed.