Tutorial #3 :: Lengthening Your Posts!!!

[NicholiDeSchidor]

Here again with a new tutorial!

 

Most beginner's wish they could write longer replies for players that enjoy what is called "Paraplaying/Paraplay". Meaning posting by paragraphs. I myeslf, prefer a nice long post with a lot of detail and effort put into the replies. But that is just me.

 

I would ike to stress as well, that Post length and a good post can be two different things. Just because you write out pages of detail and internal monologue doesnt mean that your partner can reply to you. And just because you only write one paragraph, this also doesnt mean you're partner can't reply to you.

 

This tutorial is for those that want to add length to their posts, but they don't know how to. For example on how each addition can change your post, I am going to use a basic post and show you how each builts onto it.

 

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[td]He sat on the ground.[/td]

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Each new addition will be hightlighted in red.

 

That being said, Lets Begin!

 

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[NicholiDeSchidor]

1. Setting!

 

This can be an area that many people neglect their focus on. Instead they focus on person interaction. But setting can also set a mood. Some questions that you may want to ask yourself when building a setting:

 

-Is it hot or cold?

-Is it bright or dark?

-Day or night?

-Is the place public or private?

-Is it clean or dirty?

-Rundown or posh?

-Buildings or nature?

-What's the weather like?

 

How it changes your post:

 

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[td]The night was cooler than most. The cloud moved across the moon, hiding off most of the light that it gave off. The graveyard was clearly not the cleanest of places. A place where the dead were put into sacred ground. A soft wind whipped through the tree's as he sat on the ground.[/td]

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[NicholiDeSchidor]

2. Character Impressions!

 

Anytime you go somewhere, you get impressions. This can come from people and places. Think of this as a snap judgement, often times stereotypes play a huge role.

 

People:

-Are they clean or dirty?

-Expensive clothes or cheap?

-Scars/tattoos/piercings?

-Well worn or new?

-Size? Are they big? Lean? Small?

-Intelligence?

-Accent?

-Race/Ethnicity?

-Does the person have animal like qualities? Drooping eyes, and sagging cheeks could be reminisce of a hound dog or narrow eyes and an angular face could remind one of a poisonous snake. Wide eyed and innocent could be a rabbit etc

-Prejudice

 

A lot of stereotypes you might not realize exist even in ourselves (Even though we might not want to admit it). Someone who is clean and expensive looking is more likely to have a certain level of trust compared to someone who looks dirty, poor or is heavily tattooed/pierced.

 

Places:

-Clean or dirty?

-New or rundown?

-Manicured or overgrown?

 

You'll notice that some of the questions are exactly the same, just applied to different things. Another thing to note is that an impression doesn't have to be correct. Again, it's a snap judgement.

 

How it changes your post:

 

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[td]The night was cooler than most. The cloud moved across the moon, hiding off most of the light that it gave off. The graveyard was clearly not the cleanest of places. A place where the dead were put into sacred ground. The graveyard looked unkept. The grass in some area's was overgrown. Rocks and rubble from fallen tombstones laid across the walkways in between. The bats in the tree's, hung on low branches. Watching for anything for a meal as their wings stayed curled around their bodies. A soft wind whipped through the tree's as he sat on the ground.[/td]

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[NicholiDeSchidor]

3. Reputation!

 

Again, this can be applied to people or places. It can be something tied into the setting. Perhaps a place is rumored to be haunted, or that its a place that foretells good luck if visited. For people, it could be that someone is a giving, happy person, always willing to help. Or a stone cold killer. Reputation can color impressions as well.

 

-Is the reputation good or bad?

-Is it dangerous?

-Does it make the person more approachable or less?

-More wary or more open?

 

How it changes your post:

 

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[td]The night was cooler than most. The cloud moved across the moon, hiding off most of the light that it gave off. The graveyard was clearly not the cleanest of places. A place where the dead were put into sacred ground. The graveyard looked unkept. The grass in some area's was overgrown. Rocks and rubble from fallen tombstones laid across the walkways in between. The bats in the tree's, hung on low branches. Watching for anything for a meal as their wings stayed curled around their bodies. The bat's looked harmless enough, but Nicholi knew that was not so. Those creatures were known to be cold blooded killers. And no one should ever underestimate them. Much like his own kind, they had a reputation for their own food source. Sometimes even killing if they were unable to stop themselves. They may look charming enough, but that was just one of a vampyres quirks. A soft wind whipped through the tree's as he sat on the ground.[/td]

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[NicholiDeSchidor]

4. History!

 

As you can see, our 1 sentance starter has already grown! Another place that you can add some depth is history. This, again, can apply to people or place. While this can be considered filler, it can also shape character interactions. A positive history can be as building as a negative one. You can have this be a history with the other character, with a place, or personal history.

 

-Is it positive or negative?

-Was someone injured?

-Was someone saved/healed/helped?

-Is there a level of trust? Or no trust?

-Is there regret?

-Did it leave tension?

-What was the relationship? Is it the same now? Friend, enemy, lover, sex toy, pet, rival?

 

How it changes your post:

 

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[td]The night was cooler than most. The cloud moved across the moon, hiding off most of the light that it gave off. The graveyard was clearly not the cleanest of places. A place where the dead were put into sacred ground. The graveyard looked unkept. The grass in some area's was overgrown. Rocks and rubble from fallen tombstones laid across the walkways in between. The bats in the tree's, hung on low branches. Watching for anything for a meal as their wings stayed curled around their bodies. The bat's looked harmless enough, but Nicholi knew that was not so. Those creatures were known to be cold blooded killers. And no one should ever underestimate them. Much like his own kind, they had a reputation for their own food source. Sometimes even killing if they were unable to stop themselves. They may look charming enough, but that was just one of a vampyres quirks. A soft wind whipped through the tree's as he sat on the ground.

 

For most of Nicholi's life, he had been alone. His parents had died of Scarlet Fever before he was old enough to truely remember their faces clearly. The fact that he had been found by a darker creature of night, was something that weighed heavy on his heart. Having trusted the man from the beginning, he lost his humanity to become something more than either of them could believe. He had caused such harm to the one that gave him a new life, with a hidden gift deep within himself. And as such, he was cast out on his own. No teachings under him, so he had nothing more than his own instincts to carry him through the night.[/td]

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[NicholiDeSchidor]

5. Emotions!

 

Emotions can add depth to your character. They don't necessarily have to be obvious, but hinting at them or mentioning them in 'filler' can shape the way your partner replies. If your character (YC) is secretly in love with someone, they could get in their space and make things uncomfortable or awkward adding some drama to the rp. If YC has a deep hatred, they might goad and prod to ignite that further. In our sample post, we honestly have no idea how Nicholi feels about the one who gave him his new life.

 

-How does s/he feel?

-Happy?

-Sad?

-Ambivalent?

-Impartial?

-Cold?

-Love?

-Hate?

-Longing?

-Regret?

 

You don't have to stick to one emotion. They come in groups. Primary emotions can lead to secondary emotions and so on. For example love can lead into regret which can feed anger. A character might feel all of these and more at any given one time. If anger is involved (always a secondary emotion) ask yourself why the character is angry.

 

How it changes your post:

 

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[td]The night was cooler than most. The cloud moved across the moon, hiding off most of the light that it gave off. The graveyard was clearly not the cleanest of places. A place where the dead were put into sacred ground. The graveyard looked unkept. The grass in some area's was overgrown. Rocks and rubble from fallen tombstones laid across the walkways in between. The bats in the tree's, hung on low branches. Watching for anything for a meal as their wings stayed curled around their bodies. The bat's looked harmless enough, but Nicholi knew that was not so. Those creatures were known to be cold blooded killers. And no one should ever underestimate them. Much like his own kind, they had a reputation for their own food source. Sometimes even killing if they were unable to stop themselves. They may look charming enough, but that was just one of a vampyres quirks. A soft wind whipped through the tree's as he sat on the ground.

 

For most of Nicholi's life, he had been alone. His parents had died of Scarlet Fever before he was old enough to truely remember their faces clearly. The fact that he had been found by a darker creature of night, was something that weighed heavy on his heart. Having trusted the man from the beginning, he lost his humanity to become something more than either of them could believe. He had caused such harm to the one that gave him a new life, with a hidden gift deep within himself. And as such, he was cast out on his own. No teachings under him, so he had nothing more than his own instincts to carry him through the night. Just thinking back to that night, it brought up his own disgust at how easily he had been tricked into giving up his own life. But there was also a hidden saddness deep within him that told him that he was truely alone in this world now. How was he to feel anything else other than, fear? Afraid of what could happen if other's of his kind found him out. He would be killed, or worse brought to the council and tortured the rest of his undead life.[/td]

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[NicholiDeSchidor]

6. Thoughts!

 

Everything we've discussed up to this point play into a characters thoughts. Now, this is especially where I would caution people. I have seen people write out literally pages of their characters thoughts and little to nothing else. There is nothing more annoying than reading that, wanting to match the length only to find there is nothing of substance in the post itself. Unless your partner has a psychic character, or the thoughts are obvious in face or action, the thoughts' are virtually useless except to perhaps help guide your partner. Writing out a characters thoughts can be helpful...or just plain annoying. If you start to monologue, try going back through. See what you really want to leave and what looks like a tangent.

 

Thoughts you could include:

-Needs

-Wants

-Desires

-Hates

-Loves

 

How it changes your post:

 

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[td]The night was cooler than most. The cloud moved across the moon, hiding off most of the light that it gave off. The graveyard was clearly not the cleanest of places. A place where the dead were put into sacred ground. The graveyard looked unkept. The grass in some area's was overgrown. Rocks and rubble from fallen tombstones laid across the walkways in between. The bats in the tree's, hung on low branches. Watching for anything for a meal as their wings stayed curled around their bodies. The bat's looked harmless enough, but Nicholi knew that was not so. Those creatures were known to be cold blooded killers. And no one should ever underestimate them. Much like his own kind, they had a reputation for their own food source. Sometimes even killing if they were unable to stop themselves. They may look charming enough, but that was just one of a vampyres quirks. A soft wind whipped through the tree's as he sat on the ground.

 

For most of Nicholi's life, he had been alone. His parents had died of Scarlet Fever before he was old enough to truely remember their faces clearly. The fact that he had been found by a darker creature of night, was something that weighed heavy on his heart. Having trusted the man from the beginning, he lost his humanity to become something more than either of them could believe. He had caused such harm to the one that gave him a new life, with a hidden gift deep within himself. And as such, he was cast out on his own. No teachings under him, so he had nothing more than his own instincts to carry him through the night. Just thinking back to that night, it brought up his own disgust at how easily he had been tricked into giving up his own life. But there was also a hidden saddness deep within him that told him that he was truely alone in this world now. How was he to feel anything else other than, fear? Afraid of what could happen if other's of his kind found him out. He would be killed, or worse brought to the council and tortured the rest of his undead life. It was harder to meet with that reality, No matter how much he hated the thought of dying at the hands of his own kind. Or at the hands of the council itself if he was caught in their grasp. [/td]

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[NicholiDeSchidor]

6. Senses!

 

This is an area that I personally seen thrown away a lot. Possibly because we all take them for granted. Your characters are real people, with senses, so include them! Take a moment and pause.

 

Smell: They are all around us, take a deep breath and chances are that you have never really stopped to think about it. Is someone cooking? Is something on fire? ect ect.

Some ideas can include:

-Foods

-Perfume/deodorant/shampoo/lotion

-Candles

-Blood

-Garbage

-Mold

-Illness

-Laundry

-Sterilization

-Animals

-Rain/water/winds/weather

-Medication

-Plants/flowers

-Machinery/metals

 

Hearing: The same as hearing. Take another moment to listen. Close your eyes and imagine what you hear. Music? Tv? Childen playing in the background?

Here is a list of some sounds:

-Music/TV/Media

-Machinery/cars

-Wind/Rain/Weather

-Electrical sounds

-Creaking/squealing/scratching

-Voices/people moving about

-Jewelry

-Fans

-Pages turning/keys being typed/books closing

-Pulse/Heart beat/Breath

 

Sight: This isn't one I'm going to go into much detail about since it's the easiest to write I think. I merely would like to point out that when writing be aware that how one person sees may not be the same as another.

 

Taste: Another one that is neglected except on what I call situational occasions...usually in smut scenes. Taste isn't limited to sex scenes or even when one is eating. Think about all the times you've smelled something only to end up tasting it too. For example skunk is particularly known well for this.

 

Touch: You've probably a million things today. Even beyond an active touch, things are against your skin. Clothing, hair, metal, plastic, wood. Think about how it feels, and where you're most aware of it.

This can include:

-Clothes

-Hair

-Piercings/jewelry/glasses

-Surfaces

-The ground

-Environments

-Furniture

-Wounds

-Stitches

-Armor

-Weapons

-Leather

 

Also keep in mind of handicaps! Some people enjoy handicap characters. From a lack of hearing, or a lack of speak. From those that are mute, to those whom are deaf.

 

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[NicholiDeSchidor]

How it changes your post:

 

[table=width: 600, class: outer_border, align: center]

[tr]

[td]The night was cooler than most. The cloud moved across the moon, hiding off most of the light that it gave off. The graveyard was clearly not the cleanest of places. A place where the dead were put into sacred ground. The graveyard looked unkept. The grass in some area's was overgrown. Rocks and rubble from fallen tombstones laid across the walkways in between. The bats in the tree's, hung on low branches. Watching for anything for a meal as their wings stayed curled around their bodies. The bat's looked harmless enough, but Nicholi knew that was not so. Those creatures were known to be cold blooded killers. And no one should ever underestimate them. Much like his own kind, they had a reputation for their own food source. Sometimes even killing if they were unable to stop themselves. They may look charming enough, but that was just one of a vampyres quirks. A soft wind whipped through the tree's as he sat on the ground.

 

For most of Nicholi's life, he had been alone. His parents had died of Scarlet Fever before he was old enough to truely remember their faces clearly. The fact that he had been found by a darker creature of night, was something that weighed heavy on his heart. Having trusted the man from the beginning, he lost his humanity to become something more than either of them could believe. He had caused such harm to the one that gave him a new life, with a hidden gift deep within himself. And as such, he was cast out on his own. No teachings under him, so he had nothing more than his own instincts to carry him through the night. Just thinking back to that night, it brought up his own disgust at how easily he had been tricked into giving up his own life. But there was also a hidden saddness deep within him that told him that he was truely alone in this world now. How was he to feel anything else other than, fear? Afraid of what could happen if other's of his kind found him out. He would be killed, or worse brought to the council and tortured the rest of his undead life. It was harder to meet with that reality, No matter how much he hated the thought of dying at the hands of his own kind. Or at the hands of the council itself if he was caught in their grasp.

 

Nicholi hardly expected the sudden sounds of the graveyard returning to him when he snapped out of his own thoughts. The cricket's chirping in and out of the stone beds. To the owl's hooting in their nightly prowls. This was a place of death, the very air itself held a faint smell to it. That reminded the wanderers that this was a sacred place. The grass under him was still dampened by the dew of the rise of the moon. Also glistening from the leaves of the nearby willow tree's that swayed in the light breeze.[/td]

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[NicholiDeSchidor]

Summary/Why it works:

 

Now you might look at this and say 'well great! I wrote three paragraphs (almost an entire page!)'. But, I only have one thing my partner can reply to. WRONG! While some people look at your post and think they can reply only to spoken things, this is not true, or is a problem that most newbies have. Taking a look at the post we just built, There is much more that your partner can reply to!

 

By using these tips you can develop not only your character, but the history, back story, and universe your characters live in. Good luck and happy humpings!