Do you write the first post, or leave it to your partner?

[cam]

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When starting a new RP with an RP partner, do you typically find yourself writing the first post, or are you more likely to leave it to the other person? I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Not counting the RPs where people approach me based on my ads and ideas, where obviously I'm more likely to be writing the opener in order to set the scene, I'm frequently asked to go first. I'd say about 95% of the time. So naturally, I'm curious to hear about others' experiences as well, and curious to see what sort of conclusions can be drawn about overall RPer habits and interactions. Is the dreaded first post really so intimidating that a large portion of the community would rather avoid it? Vote and discuss! Looking forward to hearing everyone's insight.


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[LegoLad659]

I don't mind writing the first post, but if there's no solid plot or world involved I don't mind not writing it either. In any given RP where the plot isn't set in stone, I'll always ask if my partner wants to make the first post, 100% of the time. That way, if they don't want to, I can take up the responsibility, and if they do then I'm not intruding on that.

 

[Mishka]

Typically it just depends on how busy I am and whether or not I feel comfortable setting the scene. Really I'm about 50-50 on it.

 

[call me rae]

I typically make the thread and also end up starting as well. But then I'm the one that does a lot of the world building so it makes sense.


I am fine with my partners going first as well of course and on occasion I do play second fiddle.

 

[Inner Power]

It depends. For example, if I have a request thread where a partner picks out a premade plot of mine I will make the first post. To get a setting of the scene, etc. If I pick out a plot of my partner's I would want them to write the first post for the introduction of the world they're trying to create. Now, if we come up with a plot on our own it doesn't matter to me who makes the first post.

 

[sakigamis]

I usually ask my partner if they'd rather write the starter or if they'd prefer I do it. I get pretty evenly split answers.


EDIT: If it's a situation where I probably shouldn't start (for example, I recently did a crossover RP that took a character I write and set him in a fandom I was unfamiliar with), I'll ask the other person to write the starter instead, and I've never gotten a complaint. I mean, it's simple logic.

 

[ApfelSeine]

I've been in quite a few one on ones, and about 1/15th of the time the other person will start. I always say "will you start or do you want me to do it?" And most of the time they'll tell me to do it, regardless of the fact that it's their idea. I don't really mind starting, especially when we've structured it enough for me to have a strong sense of where to begin, but sometimes it's annoying. Often I will find that they haven't very clearly decided how the world of the rp should be (how it looks like, how it works, it even what time period/setting it's supposed to be). I'll ask and they just don't know, so I'll have to make something up that seems close enough to what they might want.


All that had resulted in my being reluctant to rp one on one lately. I've started feeling annoyed at being expected to start when given nothing to work with (in contrast to being given a clearly defined setting, in which case I often enjoy it).


I think a lot of people don't like posting first. It can be intimidating. But it's for that very reason that I think the person who's idea it is should be one to start it. If someone agrees to rp your idea, you shouldn't giving them all the hard work. At the very least, you should back then up with enough knowledge of the setting to start things properly. It's not rude to prefer not to start, but it does seem a little rude to insist that the other person start. (Obviously the exception to that being that the other person's character is in a better position to have the introduction focused around them, which does happen)


I think that I'm probably asked to start a lot because the fact that I ask if I should start makes people assume that I'm not intimidated by starting posts. As long as I don't feel that the majority of the responsibility is being foisted on me, it's not really that big a deal. I think players should be careful not to make others do all the hard stuff though, since there should always be a sense of give and take.

 

[yaint]

generally i try to convince myself that i'm a control freak by creating the thread and deciding on the opening scene with my partner, but then i just end up panicking and writing a shitty intro so they can get the ball rolling in-character. ahaha. yes. this is what it means to be a bad rper.


@ApfelSeine you seem pretty confident about this whole thing. how do you normally go about a first post? the same way you might start a novel, exceptionally flowery writing, anything like that? i'm interested...

 

[Chachalotte]

Well,i choose 50-50.


From all the people i start a roleplay with,90% of them did the first post after i ask them.In fact i'm a little scare by doing the intro post but after some minutes i feel totally ok about that.

 

[glowbug]

generally one of will ask "would you like to start us off or shall i?" or something along those lines, and usually if i ask my partner, they'll ask me to. but if they ask, i'll ask them to. personally i hate writing starters b/c i'm scared the person won't find it interesting enough, but i'll do it if someone asks me to.

 

[ApfelSeine]

generally i try to convince myself that i'm a control freak by creating the thread and deciding on the opening scene with my partner, but then i just end up panicking and writing a shitty intro so they can get the ball rolling in-character. ahaha. yes. this is what it means to be a bad rper.
@ApfelSeine you seem pretty confident about this whole thing. how do you normally go about a first post? the same way you might start a novel, exceptionally flowery writing, anything like that? i'm interested...

It's sort of the same as starting a novel, but not exactly. With a novel characters don't have to meet right away, but in an rp intro, your main goal should making it as easy as possible for characters to start interacting. It hardly matters how descriptive you are as long as you accomplish that.


The first paragraph I use will set up the scene. Partly out of habit, and partly so that the other player can begin forming an idea of why their character might go there. I'll pick a scene based upon where characters are most likely to meet. If characters are already established, I'll cater towards where their character is the most likely to go, and where my character might go under certain circumstances. That makes it the easiest for them. And if characters aren't already established, I'll pick some generic location where people in general are likely to meet for the first time. Bars/restaurants, shops, libraries, etc.


Subsequent paragraphs I'll use to introduce my character and explain why they're there. How long this goes on depends on how much seems to make sense. I'll also flesh out the setting a bit more by elaborating on the position of my character.


I round things off by setting up something for the other person's character to respond to. Usually I accomplish this via mini conflict. My character knocks something over, drink orders got switched up accidentally, a fight breaks out, the venue where my character set to perform is double booked with their character, a thief steals something and my character calls out for help, the spaceship is crashing, etc. I don't always do that but it is the easiest way of engaging someone.


The easiest scenario to do an intro for is a college dorm since people are automatically looking for friends around the lounge or wherever. Also classroom settings since my character can just turn and ask their character something. But it's interesting sometimes to try to come up with a unique reason for what leads two characters to meet. As long as you set people up for an easy follow up post, that's what they remember more than how objectively good your writing is.

 

[call me rae]

Well,i choose 50-50.
From all the people i start a roleplay with,90% of them did the first post after i ask them.In fact i'm a little scare by doing the intro post but after some minutes i feel totally ok about that.

To further expand on @ApfelSeine I usually make my intro a response to whatever my partner and I have agreed will be the opening of the roleplay.


Example - the roleplay opens with one character dying. I'll have my character react to that death and put them in a situation where they'll run into my partner's character so the plot can start off.

 

[Saccharine Cyanide]

If my partner insists that I write the first post, I make them create the thread and write a small introduction. : P

 

[MatchaMint]

I ask unless it's been clearly posted either in the original forum or on the other roleplayers preferences/profile somewhere

 

[melliex]

I normally let the other person decide. That way it's fair, and normally it's about 50/50 since some people don't like to start.

 

[Detective Rascal]

I think for me it depends on who proposed the whole rp idea in the first place. If it's a 1x1, and my partner was the one who posted the interest thread first, then they would usually pick up the first post. If it was the other way around, and I was the one originally looking for partners, then I would do it.


It's different of course in group rps, because then the first post should really be done by the Gm.