Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2013 22:05:01 GMT -5
[/b] This applies to bios as well. The staff team is kept very busy and there are constantly bios that need accepted. Please do not pester the staff multiple times about needing a bio checked. Allow a minimum of three days to pass before you contact a staff member. Chances are a lot of other people are waiting on bios as well, and we check them in order of oldest to newest.INTRODUCTION -- !
If you’ve read the site rules but still have some questions about how our site works you’ve come to the right place. This guide will explain the guidelines this site follows for in-character (IC) posts and will offer suggestions that can help you develop and improve your skills. This guide will not offer exact directions on how to be a successful role player. No such guide can exist until you write one for yourself.
Everyone who writes wants to improve their craft. The best way to improve writing skills is simply to write. Role playing is an enjoyable way to practice your voice, experiment with your style, and share your characters and plots with others. If you’re brand new to role playing, this guide will help you get started, and you will probably want to review all of the material below. If you’re a seasoned veteran, check the Style section, but you may be able to skim other parts of this guide. An overview of the sections is as follows:STYLE -- !
Styles of role playing vary from site to site. On Anikira, we follow a style known as “literate-based role play,” which is a fancy term that means that members are working together, long term, to tell a story from different points of view while following standard grammatical rules. In this style we ask that posts be from third person point of view, be in the past tense, and use correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar.
Some other role playing sites use a specialized vocabulary known as Wolfspeak. We ask that you avoid using Wolkspeak here. Wolfspeak terms are not grammatically correct and can be very confusing to those who are not familiar with them. We want people of all levels to be able to enjoy this site and not have to consult a Wolfspeak to English dictionary to understand what’s going on. We understand if you are used to using these terms and find that they still slip into your posts from time to time. We simply ask you to limit your use of them as much as possible.
Beyond these general guidelines, the format of your post is up to you. Some separate speech from the rest of the text by making it bold or another color. Some members on the site use posting tables. Whatever you feel comfortable with is fine, as long as it does not make the posts difficult to read.INSPIRATION -- !
Inspiration can come from many places, and every now and then you may find yourself without any. It’s not uncommon on sites like ours to see people lament a lack of a Muse. And while we all wish that the magical story elves would come in the night and dig the ideas out of our heads and put them onto paper for us, we’re simply on our own.
So the next time you find yourself museless, consider it a challenge. Professional writers, the ones many of us admire, write every day, if they want to or not. Sometimes when you don’t know what to say or do, the best solution is to try to write it out anyway. Along the way you may find new ideas and inspiration. Every post you make does not have to be a mini masterpiece. Some posts will just never turn out like you really want them to. But the important thing is to get them out there anyway. That’s the only way for the characters and the thread to move on. Don’t think of posts individually as successes or failures. All stories have weak spots and places where the pacing drags a bit. But even a weak post moves the story forward, and moving forward is the only way to get back to where the writing was easy and fun.
The best advice is don’t wait. Write something. Don’t judge your story. While that post may be “finished” the story will still go on. Kick your Muse in the pants and don’t let her hold you back. Remember you are the master of your Muse, not the other way around. Let your own writing inspire you, and you will never be museless again.ROLEPLAY BASICS -- !
If you are brand new to role playing, you might wonder what exactly you should write in your posts. Of course, we can’t tell you exactly, but we can give you a basic rundown of what makes a good post.
A good post usually starts with some sort of reaction to the post before. If the post is the first in a new thread this is replaced by giving a general setting for the posts that follow. Reaction doesn’t mean that your character has to notice every little twitch the other character made. What things stand out to your character? Your reaction can be physical, like jumping back in surprise or fear, or mental, like being reminded of something or someone else. Your character may answer a question or comment on something the other character said. Remember, you’re telling a story together, and your posts should reflect that interaction.
A quality post also needs some kind of action. This will give the next player something to react to when they reply. Physical actions can vary widely from pouncing on a falling leaf to gazing off into the distance in contemplation. Your dialogue can continue the action as well, with your character asking questions, or leading the conversation in a new direction. When you have finished your post read over it again. Ask yourself if you could easily reply to the post. If not, consider adding some more action to your post.
Another thing to consider is that quality posts stay true to the characters. The actions and reactions of your character should match who they are. You spent a lot of time working out your profile, so keep those things in mind as you write. If your character is shy, then nuzzling strangers or picking fights isn’t really an action that makes sense for him or her to do. Of course, we want your characters to be able to grow and develop, but true change happens over time with many small steps along the way.
And finally, a good post is easy to understand. It’s difficult to reply to a post when you aren’t sure what the previous poster meant. The easiest way to be sure your post is clear is to carefully reread it before you post it. You catch a lot of errors this way and it may spark a brilliant last minute revision.
Your first few threads will likely be joining a pack and making some friends (and maybe even some enemies). As your character continues to interact with others it’s good to keep in mind what has come before, especially when you run into a character a second time. What happened in their last encounter? Did they part on good terms? Keeping the past in mind can help you build dynamic relationships with other characters.
Don’t be afraid to head over to the plot board. Check out what others are plotting, and you might find that your character fits right in with a plot someone is planning. Or, if you have something in mind for your character, make a post of your own and see if others are interested in helping out. Plots can be simple or elaborate, but they always add a layer of excitement to the story.ROLEPLAYING ETIQUETTE -- !
There are a few things to keep in mind as you play that keep things polite in the community.
III. If you’re looking for an open thread to join, check the Open Thread box on the side of the cbox. If you start an open thread, ask a staff member to add it to the list so others can easily find it. If your open thread has not been replied to, try asking people in the cbox if they would like to join you. Be polite and understand if they decline.
IV. Keep the same order while replying, unless members of the thread agree to break posting order or the thread is very large, like a pack meeting.
V. Respect claimed territories. Your wolf can post in any in-character board, but sub-boards may be the claimed territory of a pack. If you are not a member of that pack, you should not be posting there unless you are challenging the leader or on some sort of diplomatic visit.[/ul]
If you want to start a thread for a specific person to reply to, simply add their name in parenthesize after the thread title. This is also useful for marking threads that are open for anyone to reply to and joining threads where you need a high ranking pack member to reply.
ROLEPLAYING TABOOS -- !
While all players on the site are working together to tell a story, there are a few rules as to what people can add to the story. They help keep everyone on an even playing field and keep it fun for everyone involved. No one enjoys playing with someone who takes all the control or completely ignores that every character has limits. Below you’ll find some examples of what not to do so that you can avoid them.
Power playing
Power playing is when you type up the actions of another character. Let’s take a look at an example.
Shadow turned and saw the shape of a wolf in the distance. He stood his ground and gave a gentle growl, suspicious of what was to come. He turned his ears back and his lip trembled in his growling. Shadow was never a wolf to trust strangers. And so, his tail wagged slowly, hoping that this wolf did not see him. The dark wolf wanted loneliness. Would he be granted it?[/ul]
Light merrily skipped ahead, seeing Shadow right away. “Hey! Who are you?” Shadow immediately pricked his ears at her words and came up to her. “I’m Light,” the golden wolf said. Shadow smiled and said, "My name is Shadow! I'm happy to meet you!"[/ul]
It’s pretty clear that RPer1 didn’t intend for Shadow to be friendly with Light. But RPer2 has taken complete control of Shadow’s actions. In this example Shadow is acting completely out of character, but let’s take a look at another possible response by RPer2 that is also an example of power playing.
Light merrily skipped ahead, seeing Shadow right away. “Hey! Who are you?” Shadow immediately pounced on Light, clawing deep gashes in her face and biting her neck with his sharp fangs. Light flailed at the sudden attack, but could do nothing to stop Shadow’s vicious onslaught.[/ul]
Again, RPer2 has taken complete control. Is this what Shadow would have done in the situation? It certainly seems more in character than the first example. But it doesn’t matter if this is accurate to how Shadow would react or not. The problem in both examples is that RPer2 has taken all options away from RPer1 as to how their character will respond.
Most of the time power playing is pretty easy to avoid. Special care should be taken when role playing physical fights. When caught up in the excitement of battle, it might be tempting to say that your character ripped into the other’s flesh or delivered a crippling blow. But that doesn’t give the other player a chance to have their character dodge or block your attacks. Saying your character “gouged out the other wolf’s eye” is power playing; stating that he “swiped at the other wolf’s eye, hoping to impede his vision” is not. The other player’s reply to your post should let you know how successful your attack was. It can be a bit tricky to balance at first, and you may wish to read over some completed fight threads to see it in action.
The only time it is acceptable to control another player’s character is when they have given you permission to do so. Usually these situations involve very simple actions where allowing you to control the other character will help speed things along. This might include things like following another character to an agreed upon location or cooperating in a mutually beneficial task. Whatever the action, the other player must give you express permission to do so.
God Moding
As it sounds, god moding is when your character becomes all powerful or all knowing. Here’s an example.
Shadow drifted into the night. He could smell the bear and grew very afraid. He moved slowly, hoping that he could sneak away. Sadly, he could not because he heard the heavy breathing of the monster behind him. Ears pointed back, all he could hear was the huffing of a nearing bear. Shadow shivered in fear. Suddenly the bear let out a snarl.[/ul]
Light saw the bear approaching Shadow and immediately jumped onto its back. The bear thrashed wildly, but never hit either wolf. Light snapped its neck and the bear died in a gurgling breath. She jumped off easily, "Are you okay?" She sounded very worried.[/ul]
RPer2 seems to have had good intentions (wanting to save Shadow), but Light’s actions make very little sense. A single wolf is unlikely to be able to take down a bear, and would certainly not be able to do so easily and without injury. By coming in and suddenly making everything better all of the drama was taken out of the situation.
Your character should not be able to deflect every blow in battle (unless there is some massive difference in the two character’s experience and strength). This is especially true if nothing in your bio or posts has indicated that your character is a skilled fighter. After a severe wound your character should not be instantly better and full of energy.
God moding doesn’t just apply to physical actions. It can apply to knowledge as well. Here’s another example.
Shadow hesistated. Perhaps this wolf was different. She seemed so nice. But he had been fooled by false kindness before, and then they had cast him out. Maybe someday he would find a home among those who would accept him and not judge him too harshly. But for now it was safer to stay on his guard and hope that this encounter would be short. “I just want to be left alone.”[/ul]
Light laughed happily. She always knew just what to say. “No you don’t silly. You just want to be accepted for who you are. I’ve had trouble with other’s judging me before they get to know me too. We have a lot in common. We should be friends!”[/ul]
As this seems to be the first time these characters have met, there is really no way that Light should be aware of Shadow’s deep personal feelings or his seemingly complicated past. All she should know is that he seems guarded and wants to be alone. Keep in mind that while you, the player, may know a lot about other characters on the site, that knowledge does not transfer to your characters. You can read a character’s bio and get insight into their thoughts and feelings. Your character’s knowledge is limited to their interactions with the other character.
Your character should not be able to see through every lie they are told or instantly know when others are in trouble. Keep in mind the strengths and weaknesses of your character, as well as those of other characters. If a character you meet has a talent of being a good liar, then it’s less likely that your character will pick up on it. If your character is too trusting they might believe lies that aren’t even very convincing. Allowing your characters to make mistakes or be mislead can add a lot of interesting drama and makes your character more interesting and relatable.
IMPROVING YOURSELF -- !
While we are an advanced site, one of our goals here at Anikira is to help members of every level to improve themselves. Role playing can be fun and challenging for a wide range of skill levels, and there is always room for improvement. The writing skills you cultivate here can be transferred to your writing elsewhere in essays, reports, or any story you want to tell.
This doesn’t mean that members will be critiquing all of your posts, or criticizing your work. It’s more of a call to challenge yourself, to observe others, and to learn by doing. The more you do something, the better you will become at it. The tips below give you some things to think about as you work to improve your own writing. Don’t feel like you have to tackle all of them at once, but move at your own pace and you’ll be rewarded for your efforts.
On Anikira we value quality over quantity of writing. Short posts (posts that meet our 300 word minimum with little more) can be used to great effect, and having a shorter length does not automatically make a post lower in quality. But if all of your posts are short, you may want to consider why they are that way. Below are some tips that can help you add meaningful content to your posts.
II. Inner Dialogue
If you find yourself limiting your posts to the physical actions of your character, take a moment to reflect on what they are thinking. Inner dialogue can be a powerful tool to give greater insight into why your character does the things they do. It can be as simple as their impression of a task or obstacle. Do they see it as a challenge or as a burden? Are they thinking ahead to potential dangers or are they blissfully ignorant of the reality of the situation? The best part is that you probably already know these things about your character, so now you just have to let the reader in on your secrets.
III. Describe with the Five Senses
We tend to focus on the visual in description, since that is our strongest sense and often dominates our own perception. By crafting descriptions with more of our senses, we give a more complete picture of what we are describing. It’s also good to remember that our characters are wolves, and their perception of the world is probably different than ours. They are able to hear and smell much better than we can, and those senses might tell them more than their eyesight. Our characters don’t walk in shoes, they constantly feel the terrain beneath their feet. Don’t feel like you must describe every tiny detail, or that you must use the senses as a checklist, always commenting on each one. Focus on the things that have meaning to your character, the things that stand out to them and determine their actions. Vivid descriptions can tell a reader a lot about your characters and how they see the world.
IV. Show, Don’t Tell
A distinguishing feature of great writing is the ability to show your reader what you mean, rather than having to tell them. Let’s look at some examples.
Ashes was sad that day. His sky blue eyes were filled with tears because his mom died. He went close to her and touched her body with a paw because he couldn't believe she was dead. He cried more.[/ul]
Ashes let a lonely whine escape his throat. His sky blue eyes flicked over his mother's still body before he finally decided to near her. Soon, his sight was filmy with hot tears that ran down his face. A few dropped upon his mother's pelt, glistening like dew drops. His ears drew back and he shut his eyes to clear them. He gulped, and then he reached out a trembling paw to gently touch her rib cage. His mouth shivered as he tried to stifle a cry. He managed, but now tears fell freely from his eyes.[/ul]
The first example tells the reader that Ashes is sad. In the second example we are never told that “Ashes was sad,” but it is very clear that he is feeling that way. The second example has shown us his feelings through descriptions of his actions.
IV. Remove the Fluff
As you work to master the above tips, you may overdo it and add too much to your post. Fluff is padding that adds to the word count but has little to no bearing on the situation at hand. It can be removed from the post and no actual content would be lost. The details, descriptions, and thoughts you add to your posts should always be meaningful and add something to the story. If you have a section that doesn’t really add any value to the post, other than sounding good, consider removing it.[/ul]
General Tips
The more you write, the more you will become aware of patterns in your own writing. Some of these will be good things, and some may be bad. The first step to getting rid of a bad habit is to recognize it. Then you can pay special attention to that area of your writing and work to improve it. Read over things you have written with a critical eye and make note of what you’d like to work on in the future.
II. Use Words That You Know
One of the easiest ways to be misunderstood is to use the wrong word. Some people like to use a thesaurus to give variety to their vocabulary or to find an uncommon word for a common one. But remember, it’s not a good idea to use a word you’ve never seen before. Some words that have similar meanings have a very different feeling associated with them, which a thesaurus won’t tell you. And not all results from a thesaurus are an exact match. Here’s an example. “My new bed is like sleeping on a pile of feathers.” “Feather” is a pretty plain word; let’s spice things up. These are the thesaurus results I got for “feather:” quill, plume, barb, spine, spike. Now imagine replacing the word feather in the sentence with barb or spike. This may seem like a ridiculous example, because you know what all of those words mean. But if you didn’t, as can often happen with heavy thesaurus use, you could make a similar blunder. It’s best to stick to words you know, but of course you should work to…
III. Expand Your Vocabulary
It’s great to use uncommon words, as long as you know what they mean. There are tons of ways to learn new words, but the easiest way to increase your vocabulary is to read. This can be as simple as reading other posts here on Anikira or other RP sites. But the more you read, the more your vocabulary will increase. Expose yourself to a variety of styles and genres and your own writing will grow stronger.[/ul]
THANK YOU FOR READING -- !
This guide was originally written for Wonderwhy by Spigot with Vulpes Rose and 'Nali as editors. I ('Nali) have taken the time to adapt it for Anikira.[/justify][/blockquote][/blockquote]