[GUIDE] The Role-Playing Handbook

[joonsexual]

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO ROLE-PLAYING: A PERSONAL ANALYSIS BY JING

I wanted to share my experiences with both new and old writers.
And I wanted to help people avoid the potholes that I fell into.


NOTE: Readers, you are welcomed to comment/debate any of the listed points.

TABLE OF CONTENTS;

* [GENERAL] WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A GOOD RP'ER
* [CHARACTER] THE DO'S AND DON'TS OF DESIGN

[joonsexual]

[GENERAL] WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A GOOD RP'ER

Everyone has an opinion on what makes a good role-player, well, good. Some people will tell you that a good role-player can weave intricate details into their posts, make it lengthy and exciting. Other people will tell you that a good role-player can play multiple characters at the same time, writing in several different scenarios without confusion.

And, in a way, everyone is correct.

A good role-player should be able to tie details into their post. They should be able to color their prose with excitement and intrigue. They should be able to hold onto the strands of multiple characters and breathe life into each and every one of them. They should be able to do all those things without breaking a sweat, but these aren't things that make a role-player good. These are (some of the) things that make a role-player great.

So, let's not worry about the above-and-beyond things. Let's just talk about what makes a good role-player.


1. A good role-player knows how to share a scene. Role-playing is all about give and take. It's about writing collaboratively—as a pair or a group. A good role-player knows his or her limits. He or she knows what his or her character can and can't do. And, perhaps most importantly, a good role-player knows that his or her character is not always going to be the main character of the show. A good role-player will always remember that his or her character is only one of many and the spotlight must be shared.

2. A good role-player knows when to stop writing. In fiction, a writer writes as much as he or she needs to finish the chapter. Some times, that will be an impressive twenty-thousand words and, other times, it will be a modest thousand. And while everyone can enjoy a good session of details and dialogue, a role-play is not a one-man show. Some times, the best kind of post is the post that spares the reader of details.

3. A good role-player knows how to roll with the punches. In fiction, the writer is the one in control of everything from scene to characters to dialogue. He or she is the final authority on what happens and how it happens. But, in a RP, the control is shared and divided and (almost cruelly) unfair. Some times, the environment will do bad things to a character and, other times, other characters will do bad or unfavorable things to a character. And, in both cases, a good role-player will know how to react to the situation without dousing the tension or the energy of the situation. A good role-player knows that his or her character isn't always going to be Mr. Suave or Mrs. Sexy and will learn to let his or her character bleed a little (even if it's only the character's pride being stepped on).

4. A good role-players knows how to work together. Being a good role-player is more than just making fabulous characters and exciting posts. Being a good role-player means knowing how to contribute to the story—be it through private messaging or group brainstorming sessions. A role-play lives off of the creativity of its writers and its writers' willingness to plot.


Everyone has a different definition of what it means to be a good role-player and, some times, the definitions might disagree or conflict. But if you take nothing away from this message, at least remember this: A role-play is a group effort. It is a story told collectively and not through a single narrative.

[joonsexual]

[CHARACTER] THE DO'S AND DON'TS OF DESIGN

A good character should be compelling and believable even in the face of the most unbelievable setting. A good character should come alive in the profile; he or she should be convincing and engaging. A good character is more than being a well-written piece of flowery literature.


1. Don't rely on a one-to-one match-up of traits. A good character is a multifaceted design; he or she is a complex variety of strengths and weaknesses. Don't be afraid to have an uneven amount of qualities; some times some people were just born lucky (or unlucky). There is absolutely nothing wrong with a character that is gifted in both studies and sports. Having a talented character is not the hallmark of a Mary-Sue.

2. Don't be afraid to break stereotypes. People are not neatly packaged objects with clear-cut rules and instructions. Therefore, characters shouldn't be either. There's no reason why a well-read character can't be a well-rounded sportsmen. Athletes can enjoy a good book too. Don't be afraid to be different; it is what separates a good character from the enormous pool of average.

3. Don't force strengths or weaknesses. A character's trait-composition should develop naturally. A character's composition should always be logical in its progression. Forcing traits results in forced designs, which are disjointed, two-dimensional products at best. Never force a set of qualities together; always weave the path of least resistance when brainstorming.

4. Don't over-explain a character. There is no good reason to detail or note every quality. A profile is meant to highlight the most prominent of features (i.e. the features that will be the biggest factor in affecting actions). It is not an operating manual that explains every possibility.



After a lot of thought (and a lot of rewriting), I have decided that the aforementioned "tips" are the most crucial and the most basic in character-building. Additionally, these are the four tips I feel most relevant to the things I have seen and encountered.

[Atiousaing]

This is incredible, thank you so much!

It is very well done and super helpful, some of those links man...hit the nail right on the head when it comes to the stuff i'm looking for and in need of learning.

Thank you very much.

[joonsexual]

@ ATIOUSAING:

Thanks!

I'm glad that my thoughts were helpful! It's always a happy moment to know that my ramblings were beneficial to other people. (:

[Strude]

You ever going to continue this love?

[joonsexual]

@ STRUDE :

Surprisingly, I am!

I actually have a few topics already outlined/drafted, but I haven't gotten around to actually posting them.