Post by Wildfire`Kitsune on Nov 6, 2009 21:21:19 GMT -5
This guide will cover the basics of roleplaying and some things I do to improve my posts.
*What is Roleplaying?
Roleplaying is writing a detailed summary of your character's actions and responses to other characters in a sequential order. Basically, it is writing a story with another person, because you can't roleplay by yourself. You must filter your character's thoughts, actions, emotions, and responses, in the words you write for others to read. It's kind of hard to explain, so I'll use examples throughout the guide.
*How do I roleplay?
Roleplaying is a skill that anyone can posses using logic and effort. Basically, your writing what your character does. Always use correct grammer, spelling, and punctuation. It makes a post a lot easier to read if it's written correctly. There are two basic things you need for roleplaying: setting and character description. Here, I am going to show you a post with my cat Shadowflame.
Shadowflame hissed, eyes glinting, at the intruder on ThunderClan territory.
In that sentence alone, my character is introduced and you get a rough idea of the setting.
She ran at the cat, wanting to rip him apart for intruding on the territory of her Clan.
In this sentence, more about my character's personality is revealed. You see that she is very protective of her Clan.
Her paws pounded on the soft grass as the intruder backed towards the stream.
In this sentence, we learn more about the setting; that it is near the stream in ThunderClan territory.
She finally leapt at the cat, bloodlust in her eyes as a snarl ripped through her throat. Her claws were unsheathed; this wasn't a play fight, and she was going in for the kill.
In this sentence, you learn that Shadowflame is a little bloodthirsty. She takes every fight seriously, even if it is a minor offense. Now, let's see it all together.
Shadowflame hissed, eyes glinting, at the intruder on ThunderClan territory. She ran at the cat, wanting to rip him apart for intruding on the territory of her Clan. Her paws pounded on the soft grass as the intruder backed towards the stream. She finally leapt at the cat, bloodlust in her eyes as a snarl ripped through her throat. Her claws were unsheathed; this wasn't a play fight, and she was going in for the kill.
That is a vague idea of what a post should be like. They could be longer or shorter, but this is good to start with.
*How do I detail my posts?
Detailing your posts is not hard, nor is it a chore. Putting in detail makes it more interesting to read. To really get into detail, get inside your character's head. Describe not only how they feel, but how they feel it. Tell what they see, but also tell what it seems to be to them. Excite your fellow rpers with a post that keeps them entranced, but doesn't bore them. Here's an example:
Disaster peered around a rocky bluff, watching the silhouettes of four cats lounging on the grass at the base of the cliff. He carefully prowled along the uneven mountain path, his large bulk making him rather unsteady, closer and closer to the unknowing family. He could now make out the colors of their pelts. Two were black with white chests, one larger than the other. Another small one was a light gray and the last one was colored almond. He smirked with amusement as he skidded down the small slope, far enough away that the cats didn’t sense him. This was easier than catching a mouse.
He prowled over until he was right behind the almond colored cat. The two that were facing in his direction had wide eyes, no doubt from seeing him, his bronze pelt rippling as he towered over the cat, his prey. He raised his large paw as his victim finally turned and noticed him. His hair stood on end and he had no chance to speak as Disaster’s paw came down on his head, crushing his skull.
The gray cat pelted over to the others, who were huddled together as he approached. He could’ve caught him, but wanted to play with his prey. The largest of his prey was baring its fangs, hackles raised, standing protectively in front of the smaller cats. He guessed that this cat must be the younger two’s mother. He lunged at her, slashing at her neck. Her reaction was a split second too slow. She let out a shriek as her lifeblood pooled around her.
The two young cats were in shock as he padded over to them. He supposed that it was because he had just murdered their parents. His mouth twisted in a cruel, knowing smirk.
”If you do not wish to share the same fate,” he began to speak in his deep, gravely voice. “You will join my group of cats. It is your choice.”
“I will join you.” Jaymist spoke softly, almost as if he didn’t believe the words he was speaking.
Aurorachasm could not believe the words she was hearing from her brother’s mouth. In her eyes he saw sadness and distress.
”Jaymist!” she said softly, her voice high and charming, disbelief in her emerald eyes. “I can’t believe you would betray me like that.”
“I know what I am doing, Aurorachasm.” he said firmly, though the unease in his eyes showed that he still doubted his decision.
Disaster shook his large head, chuckling internally. She was very naïve, though very pretty. It would be a shame to kill her. He took one step towards her. She flinched, but did not move. So she had already accepted her fate, it seemed. He raised his paw, preparing to crush her skull, but her brother moved in front of her.
“Please don’t kill her. Please don’t kill my baby sister! I’ll do anything, just don’t kill her.” He begged.
It seemed as if his new assistant had a soft spot for the black and white cat he was currently protecting. He had no such bonds.
“I will spare her, though I must take something.” He said.
Laughing, he pushed Jaymist aside, a single claw heading towards Aurorachasm’s left eye. He slashed it, licking his paw.
“Say goodbye to your sister.” He said.
Jaymist nuzzled his sister, whispering a quick goodbye. Disaster started padding away, Jaymist at his back, as Aurorachasm watched them through her only eye.
*How do I expand my vocabulary?
Expanding your vocabulary is a good thing to do when roleplaying. It's simple, but finding the right words can be troublesome. Don't talk in a way that no one can understand, but don't post two or three word sentences. I'll give an example.
The cat ran.
This is very vague. All we know is that a cat was running. We don't know anything about the cat at all. Here's what you should do:
The large, marmalade colored tomcat dashed towards the border of WindClan Territory. He was running full speed to get away from his WindClan quarries; as a RiverClan cat, he should not be here.
This tells the gender, basic appearance, and Clan of the cat, and why he was running. If you need help, you can use a thesaurus.
*How do I handle an action sequence?
Action sequences are one of the hardest things to roleplay. You must incorperate your character's wit with their abilities. Remember not to godmod-limiting the abilities of other characters by proposing the idea tht your character is the best at something. I'll show you how to roleplay an action sequence.
Person 1
Shadowflame hissed, eyes glinting, at the intruder on ThunderClan territory. She ran at the cat, wanting to rip him apart for intruding on the territory of her Clan. Her paws pounded on the soft grass as the intruder backed towards the stream. She finally leapt at the cat, bloodlust in her eyes as a snarl ripped through her throat. Her claws were unsheathed; this wasn't a play fight, and she was going in for the kill.
Person 2
The startled loner stepped back, almost falling into the stream, as the cat leapt at him. He had had no warning of the attack, so had no time to dodge. The other cat's claws raked down his side, tearing through brown fur and soft flesh. He aimed a blow at the other cat's flank.
Person 1
Shadowflame hissed in satisfaction as her blow landed. She felt satisfaction when she ripped through his flesh. She dodged to the side as his claws headed toward her; they nicked her, not really tearing the skin, only hitting the smoky gray fur. "Get out of my territory or I'll kill you." she snarled, murder in her expression.
Person 2
The still-shaken loner heeded her words, turning tail and fleeing in the direction of his home. He was timid and really hated fighting. He stumbled as his injury began to throb and pulse.
*My own tricks to rping.
• Bolding dialogue and italicizing thoughts helps to know if your character is thinking or talking, and which to respond to.
• Use different ways to announce your character's presence. Instead of saying Shadowflame, I could call her a Thunderclanner or The flaming shadow.
• I try not to rp if my muse is dead. My advice-wait until you can post a good response instead of something boring!
Feel free to comment on this guide.
This guide is copyright to Wildfire`Kitsune of ``e q u i n o x.
*What is Roleplaying?
Roleplaying is writing a detailed summary of your character's actions and responses to other characters in a sequential order. Basically, it is writing a story with another person, because you can't roleplay by yourself. You must filter your character's thoughts, actions, emotions, and responses, in the words you write for others to read. It's kind of hard to explain, so I'll use examples throughout the guide.
*How do I roleplay?
Roleplaying is a skill that anyone can posses using logic and effort. Basically, your writing what your character does. Always use correct grammer, spelling, and punctuation. It makes a post a lot easier to read if it's written correctly. There are two basic things you need for roleplaying: setting and character description. Here, I am going to show you a post with my cat Shadowflame.
Shadowflame hissed, eyes glinting, at the intruder on ThunderClan territory.
In that sentence alone, my character is introduced and you get a rough idea of the setting.
She ran at the cat, wanting to rip him apart for intruding on the territory of her Clan.
In this sentence, more about my character's personality is revealed. You see that she is very protective of her Clan.
Her paws pounded on the soft grass as the intruder backed towards the stream.
In this sentence, we learn more about the setting; that it is near the stream in ThunderClan territory.
She finally leapt at the cat, bloodlust in her eyes as a snarl ripped through her throat. Her claws were unsheathed; this wasn't a play fight, and she was going in for the kill.
In this sentence, you learn that Shadowflame is a little bloodthirsty. She takes every fight seriously, even if it is a minor offense. Now, let's see it all together.
Shadowflame hissed, eyes glinting, at the intruder on ThunderClan territory. She ran at the cat, wanting to rip him apart for intruding on the territory of her Clan. Her paws pounded on the soft grass as the intruder backed towards the stream. She finally leapt at the cat, bloodlust in her eyes as a snarl ripped through her throat. Her claws were unsheathed; this wasn't a play fight, and she was going in for the kill.
That is a vague idea of what a post should be like. They could be longer or shorter, but this is good to start with.
*How do I detail my posts?
Detailing your posts is not hard, nor is it a chore. Putting in detail makes it more interesting to read. To really get into detail, get inside your character's head. Describe not only how they feel, but how they feel it. Tell what they see, but also tell what it seems to be to them. Excite your fellow rpers with a post that keeps them entranced, but doesn't bore them. Here's an example:
Disaster peered around a rocky bluff, watching the silhouettes of four cats lounging on the grass at the base of the cliff. He carefully prowled along the uneven mountain path, his large bulk making him rather unsteady, closer and closer to the unknowing family. He could now make out the colors of their pelts. Two were black with white chests, one larger than the other. Another small one was a light gray and the last one was colored almond. He smirked with amusement as he skidded down the small slope, far enough away that the cats didn’t sense him. This was easier than catching a mouse.
He prowled over until he was right behind the almond colored cat. The two that were facing in his direction had wide eyes, no doubt from seeing him, his bronze pelt rippling as he towered over the cat, his prey. He raised his large paw as his victim finally turned and noticed him. His hair stood on end and he had no chance to speak as Disaster’s paw came down on his head, crushing his skull.
The gray cat pelted over to the others, who were huddled together as he approached. He could’ve caught him, but wanted to play with his prey. The largest of his prey was baring its fangs, hackles raised, standing protectively in front of the smaller cats. He guessed that this cat must be the younger two’s mother. He lunged at her, slashing at her neck. Her reaction was a split second too slow. She let out a shriek as her lifeblood pooled around her.
The two young cats were in shock as he padded over to them. He supposed that it was because he had just murdered their parents. His mouth twisted in a cruel, knowing smirk.
”If you do not wish to share the same fate,” he began to speak in his deep, gravely voice. “You will join my group of cats. It is your choice.”
“I will join you.” Jaymist spoke softly, almost as if he didn’t believe the words he was speaking.
Aurorachasm could not believe the words she was hearing from her brother’s mouth. In her eyes he saw sadness and distress.
”Jaymist!” she said softly, her voice high and charming, disbelief in her emerald eyes. “I can’t believe you would betray me like that.”
“I know what I am doing, Aurorachasm.” he said firmly, though the unease in his eyes showed that he still doubted his decision.
Disaster shook his large head, chuckling internally. She was very naïve, though very pretty. It would be a shame to kill her. He took one step towards her. She flinched, but did not move. So she had already accepted her fate, it seemed. He raised his paw, preparing to crush her skull, but her brother moved in front of her.
“Please don’t kill her. Please don’t kill my baby sister! I’ll do anything, just don’t kill her.” He begged.
It seemed as if his new assistant had a soft spot for the black and white cat he was currently protecting. He had no such bonds.
“I will spare her, though I must take something.” He said.
Laughing, he pushed Jaymist aside, a single claw heading towards Aurorachasm’s left eye. He slashed it, licking his paw.
“Say goodbye to your sister.” He said.
Jaymist nuzzled his sister, whispering a quick goodbye. Disaster started padding away, Jaymist at his back, as Aurorachasm watched them through her only eye.
*How do I expand my vocabulary?
Expanding your vocabulary is a good thing to do when roleplaying. It's simple, but finding the right words can be troublesome. Don't talk in a way that no one can understand, but don't post two or three word sentences. I'll give an example.
The cat ran.
This is very vague. All we know is that a cat was running. We don't know anything about the cat at all. Here's what you should do:
The large, marmalade colored tomcat dashed towards the border of WindClan Territory. He was running full speed to get away from his WindClan quarries; as a RiverClan cat, he should not be here.
This tells the gender, basic appearance, and Clan of the cat, and why he was running. If you need help, you can use a thesaurus.
*How do I handle an action sequence?
Action sequences are one of the hardest things to roleplay. You must incorperate your character's wit with their abilities. Remember not to godmod-limiting the abilities of other characters by proposing the idea tht your character is the best at something. I'll show you how to roleplay an action sequence.
Person 1
Shadowflame hissed, eyes glinting, at the intruder on ThunderClan territory. She ran at the cat, wanting to rip him apart for intruding on the territory of her Clan. Her paws pounded on the soft grass as the intruder backed towards the stream. She finally leapt at the cat, bloodlust in her eyes as a snarl ripped through her throat. Her claws were unsheathed; this wasn't a play fight, and she was going in for the kill.
Person 2
The startled loner stepped back, almost falling into the stream, as the cat leapt at him. He had had no warning of the attack, so had no time to dodge. The other cat's claws raked down his side, tearing through brown fur and soft flesh. He aimed a blow at the other cat's flank.
Person 1
Shadowflame hissed in satisfaction as her blow landed. She felt satisfaction when she ripped through his flesh. She dodged to the side as his claws headed toward her; they nicked her, not really tearing the skin, only hitting the smoky gray fur. "Get out of my territory or I'll kill you." she snarled, murder in her expression.
Person 2
The still-shaken loner heeded her words, turning tail and fleeing in the direction of his home. He was timid and really hated fighting. He stumbled as his injury began to throb and pulse.
*My own tricks to rping.
• Bolding dialogue and italicizing thoughts helps to know if your character is thinking or talking, and which to respond to.
• Use different ways to announce your character's presence. Instead of saying Shadowflame, I could call her a Thunderclanner or The flaming shadow.
• I try not to rp if my muse is dead. My advice-wait until you can post a good response instead of something boring!
Feel free to comment on this guide.
This guide is copyright to Wildfire`Kitsune of ``e q u i n o x.
