Spacesword
New Member
I have a hard time knowing what to write in longer detailed paragraphs. Any suggestions?
how to write more than one or two lines
- Thread starter Spacesword
- Start date
Idea
The Pun Tyrant
Well, there is a lot to pick from. I`ll put up some suggestions, but might come back to edit and add more, cause this won`t nearly be all:
*Description of scenery
*Description of characters (visual, auditory)
*show, not tell (as in, "he bumped his first into the table" instead of "he was angry")
*description of the unfamiliar ("he felt something he had never felt before...it was like he was being eaten up inside by a swamp mosquito...it felt good, yet bad")
*showing conflict ("on one hand [...] on the other [...]")
*flashbacks
*many, mnay more
*Description of scenery
*Description of characters (visual, auditory)
*show, not tell (as in, "he bumped his first into the table" instead of "he was angry")
*description of the unfamiliar ("he felt something he had never felt before...it was like he was being eaten up inside by a swamp mosquito...it felt good, yet bad")
*showing conflict ("on one hand [...] on the other [...]")
*flashbacks
*many, mnay more
Feuver
Junior Member
I'd recommend, if you have a character in an RP, to often voice his thoughts in one way or the other. It's often very interesting to see what a character thinks versus what he does or how he acts, and can help you make a much larger post. Unless you have a character that acts on a whim and never think things through, then switch the internal thoughts for expressive actions. Move around the table, be expressive about how you interact with the environment or other characters, make sure that you use the environment to your advantage. Describe what your character is doing during dialogue, as it's rare people will just look at each other and talk like in those old fallout games. Often, there is body language you can express that adds to a discussion, and might expose when a character is uncomfortable or when he's happy to talk about something. Things like speaking more loudly, smiling, and showing gestures to present what he's talking about or express it, while the opposite can be his eyes avoiding the discussed character, crossing his arms, standing back, or even trying to put some distance to close the discussion. Think of real life when you have a conversation with someone, and process everything that's going on, and you might find yourself a more perceptive person in general.
When describing the environment as a DM, or describing a situation, make sure that you give details or interesting things to see and inspect from your characters. Instead of having a talk happen at a boring table in a Mcdonald, go eat in the middle of the city, sat around a round table outside as people walk by, music plays around, and other NPCs act around or talk about various subject that you might be listening to.
Those are general guidelines. Of course, I'd recommend making sure that your post contains useful data, and not just filled in data to add to the word count. If you write 34 lines of description for a simple action like sitting down, it might bore the other posters before they even start replying.
When describing the environment as a DM, or describing a situation, make sure that you give details or interesting things to see and inspect from your characters. Instead of having a talk happen at a boring table in a Mcdonald, go eat in the middle of the city, sat around a round table outside as people walk by, music plays around, and other NPCs act around or talk about various subject that you might be listening to.
Those are general guidelines. Of course, I'd recommend making sure that your post contains useful data, and not just filled in data to add to the word count. If you write 34 lines of description for a simple action like sitting down, it might bore the other posters before they even start replying.
Soviet Panda
Red Panda Commanda.
Coherent rambling, that's what I call it. As the above said, say your mind. I often show what my characters are thinking and what they're doing. But don't go off and just ramble away about any ol' thing. It has to make sense to the surrounding and situation, though this shouldn't have to be said. Describe how your character thinks of another, or of a race entirely. Yes, your character can be racist on this site. Hell, I have a character that's a crow that can transform into a human, not the other way around mind you, and he's calling them all stupid because all the humans are giving him food. Ramble, but make sense out of it. Much like what I'm doing now, come to think of it.
WeissOnReiss
Junior Member
I believe the posts above pretty much covered the main points. One tactic that has worked for me over the years is to place yourself in your character's position and consider a few major things: their 5 senses, their thoughts, and their actions. How would you react to their environment? What might you be thinking were you in their shoes? It also helps to really consider a full background and life for the character that might build out their personality and instincts in different ways: events that might affect how they would react to different situations.
Also keep in mind that developed writing doesn't happen overnight. It often takes multiple tactics and dozens of attempts before you begin to realize what connects with and inspires you. I also often listen to music when I'm writing to help me visualize scenes, emotions, and events. If you keep trying and push yourself to write a little more each time, you will likely find that it comes easier to you.
Also keep in mind that developed writing doesn't happen overnight. It often takes multiple tactics and dozens of attempts before you begin to realize what connects with and inspires you. I also often listen to music when I'm writing to help me visualize scenes, emotions, and events. If you keep trying and push yourself to write a little more each time, you will likely find that it comes easier to you.
call me rae
Closing this account
I highly recommend this guide - Roleplay - Meeting Post Requirements (With an Interesting Post)
Fantasy does an excellent job of showing way you can turn a shorter post into a longer one. Being as I'm a rambler by nature so I tend to describe things without thinking about them. So my problem tends to be the opposite end of yours.
I guess my best advice is to think of your post like a scene in a movie. When your watching a TV show you're not just watching a group of people in front of a white wall doing random actions.
Your watching people move and interact with the scenery, their costars, sometimes flash back to their past. Etc.
Fantasy does an excellent job of showing way you can turn a shorter post into a longer one. Being as I'm a rambler by nature so I tend to describe things without thinking about them. So my problem tends to be the opposite end of yours.
I guess my best advice is to think of your post like a scene in a movie. When your watching a TV show you're not just watching a group of people in front of a white wall doing random actions.
Your watching people move and interact with the scenery, their costars, sometimes flash back to their past. Etc.
Despite what some people will say, more is not always better. Quality over quantity- meaning that you shouldn't fill a post with meaningless fluff.
Personally I try to write with a theme in mind, aiming for a certain interpretation of my character. Show don't tell is usually good advice.
Do you want to imply your character is angry but not outright say it? Think of what kinds of things angry people do, your character's own personality and habits, and describe what they'd DO to express their anger. Are they shouting? Perhaps describe their furious gesturing, or how they can feel their face starting to burn. Are they angry but quiet about it? Maybe their brows furrow a bit, or they clench their fingers, cross their arms, or tense their shoulders.
When you imply instead of state, it allows roleplaying to be more realistic too. Someone's shoulders are sloped and they're avoiding eye contact? Their mood is less obvious than if you declared, "so and so is sad because she said she liked Kyle" so it forces characters and partners to respond to body language. Maybe you'll get a response like "she wondered why he was acting strange, and approached him to ask about it" rather than "you're sad because I like Kyle aren't you?" when the other character isn't supposed to know that yet.
Once you get better at this, you can start thinking about things like subtext, symbolism, and meaning too. You can steer other players in a misleading direction for the sake of plot.
On the other hand don't add details that don't matter. Describing things characters need to interact with or are interacting with can be important, but don't talk about things that won't come up later or affect the story. Your character is helping another cook, so why describe the color and pattern of the wallpaper, or go on about how nice it is outside?
Personally I try to write with a theme in mind, aiming for a certain interpretation of my character. Show don't tell is usually good advice.
Do you want to imply your character is angry but not outright say it? Think of what kinds of things angry people do, your character's own personality and habits, and describe what they'd DO to express their anger. Are they shouting? Perhaps describe their furious gesturing, or how they can feel their face starting to burn. Are they angry but quiet about it? Maybe their brows furrow a bit, or they clench their fingers, cross their arms, or tense their shoulders.
When you imply instead of state, it allows roleplaying to be more realistic too. Someone's shoulders are sloped and they're avoiding eye contact? Their mood is less obvious than if you declared, "so and so is sad because she said she liked Kyle" so it forces characters and partners to respond to body language. Maybe you'll get a response like "she wondered why he was acting strange, and approached him to ask about it" rather than "you're sad because I like Kyle aren't you?" when the other character isn't supposed to know that yet.
Once you get better at this, you can start thinking about things like subtext, symbolism, and meaning too. You can steer other players in a misleading direction for the sake of plot.
On the other hand don't add details that don't matter. Describing things characters need to interact with or are interacting with can be important, but don't talk about things that won't come up later or affect the story. Your character is helping another cook, so why describe the color and pattern of the wallpaper, or go on about how nice it is outside?
Kaz
"Doc"
I think it's more of just finding out how you would react in that situation and then taking it and putting it through your character's mind. How would they act? Think? Feel? I'd suggest trying to listen to music while you write; I usually go run whenever I'm having a block and it helps a lot, just find something you enjoy doing that may not be RPing.
Sleipnir
The Eight-Legged Norse Horse
This is kind of a trial and error thing for me. I've been role playing something like eight years now and I'm just now starting to get to two paragraphs. It's kind of a learning experience on how to do it. I'd suggest reading some detailed roleplays and try and pay attention to what they do; try and emulate it.
Aylin
kaatuneet - listening for star staic
All excellent advice. Thanks for asking and sharing. 
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