Forums » RP Discussion » Have you ever felt you lost your spark??

How's it going RPR!

So, as the topic has asked... Have you ever lost your spark with writing?
I mean... not just the occasional writers block that holds up an RP for a few hours, or a day or two. Im talking about the burnt out flames that keeps you out of RP's for weeks at a time, or even months.

Ive felt this way for a while and i just cant put my finger down on it. I love all my characters and i put time and heart into all of them. Sometimes i cant help but feel ive lost my connection with a lot of them. Over the weeks i created and deleted numerous characters without even having the urge to use them. Its like their personalities and lives just pop into my head, desire to be written down somewhere, but then that is that. They do not call for the RP. They dont nag constantly in my head to get a post out and up onto the forums like they used to.

Out of what characters i have left, only 2 of them still seem to have that spark, and i certainly feel it is because i have the most time and effort put into their creation, and there lives here on RPR and various other RPing sites from the past. Leon and Blair are those two, and i guess i feel worst of all losing this spark because now i feel like i am robbing them of the lives they should be living here among the forums and countless numbers of other characters with all you fellow RPers!

I know im probably not alone here in this matter, but its been bugging me and i felt i had to rant about it. Im sure any RPer would support me in saying that we live the lives of our characters as much as we live our own IRL. It hurts to feel ones alternate-life, as fictional as it is, slow to a stop.

Ive had a long and lonely month with practically little - no RPs... I miss my spark...
Comment or share stories of your own if you'd like. Or just chat with me! haha

I know what you mean! I went through a period where I wrote nothing. Well, maybe just snippets here and there, but nothing that really stuck out to me.

What helped me through those times was to go on a reading-binge. Pick up your favorite books and re-read them again. Find new books, and read those. Read Sherlock Holmes and The Three Musketeers, explore, and find out how other authors/writers write their characters. Pick out your favorites and least favorites and ask yourself why you love or hate them.

And then, if necessary, take a break. I took a two-month hiatus simply because RPR was running my life. (And it's starting to get there again.) But it helped me refocus on my priorities and then get back into the swing of RPing again.

Or maybe it's just time to have a little fun. Create a fun, crazy character or see if anyone has an idea that catches your fancy. Some sparks are just waiting hidden, waiting to find the right kind of story or character (tinder) to burst into flame.

Weeks? Months? Ha. Hahahaha.

Try years.

I steadily found myself practically incapable of writing stories, and kept to RP as my creative outlet. Over time, I felt I had less to do with that, as well, and I'd just watch the unfolding of stories between people I'd play with, or else the slow deaths of threads and entire forums. I still kept trying to figure out something to do, though, enough that most of my days were wasted.

Eventually, I decided it was too much, and I stopped cold to focus on finishing college. It actually helped a lot. I've been able to write stories again, and although they're pretty infrequent, the quality is much better. It also helps having a fresh, friendly place to RP in.

Concerning the characters you've been creating and deleting - I sincerely hope you're at least keeping a record of them. You may find them useful at some point later on, be it as is or as scraps, as a PC or NPC.

I never make a character without saving him/her/it/the onto a word file first haha
Ive got such a huge collection of characters. I could throw darts if i wanted to just to randomize who i'd like to mix up in a story.

I am in the middle of a college semester so maybe that is just one of the driving factors. Ive been a bit swamped with work, but usually i have RPing and writing in general to help me just cool off and relax. Just hasnt seemed that way though. I guess ill see how i feel come the end of the semester, or at least when an period of rest finally comes my way.

Ive never really felt that RPing was running my life. Its only ever something i do during the evening hours for the most part, or when im between classes with nothing to do at that moment. (The latter of the two happens a bit less now) Ive done RP hiatus' before and it has worked in the past, but i only ever did it because i wanted the break. In this case... I WANT the RP haha. Ill just have to see how it goes in the coming days/weeks.

Part of it too, then, may be finding the right kind of RP, one that interests you and gets your blood pumping because of the...action/excitement/whats-gonna-happen-next factor.

I've been in a few RPs that are solely character development--which are nice, but they don't actually accomplish much PLOT-wise/excitement wise, unless you're building relationships between characters.

I've also been in a few RPs that have included some action and horror elements and those are a blast.

The best RPs I've been in, have combined BOTH. I'd also recommend looking up plot generators if you need help with coming up with a plot.

I lost my spark a while back mainly because the drama between players was eating away all my energy at some point. I also keep running into starting things up with people, going great for a few posts, but then finding that what I'm getting from the player in their posts becomes difficult to reply to. Not because they're bad at roleplaying, but because I felt in order to keep the story going, my character had to do something completely out of the ordinary for them.

And that stalls me even now. I like to stay true to my character and I hate hate hate it when characters just up and change JUST for the sake of keeping the story going, even when logically it makes no sense for them to be doing it. This probably makes me really uptight about doing it to my own characters.

I mean, if someone asked me to climb on a ladder you wouldn't be able to get me on there unless you pay me maybe 10 million bucks. And even then I'd be super hesitant because I'm terrified of heights. So assuming the only way to keep the story going is for me to climb the ladder, the story would end there. There's no realistic incentive for me to do it in most normal situations.

This happens in RPs a lot and is usually why I lose interest in the RP and the character after a while. Does that make any sense?

It's hard when you get stuck between keeping true to a character and continuing the RP. Closely tied in is needing your character to do something they may not be opposed to, but which they just have no reason to do.

With the latter case, sometimes it's just a matter of finding some convenient prompt to point them the right way, or figuring out how to keep things interesting while you gradually figure out how to give them reason.

In the former case, the one I can remember most clearly was, in large part, to blame on my choice of character. Can't make an overly-cautious, occasionally murderous person who generally hates everyone stay put for others to interact with; can only block their way out so long. But, I've found that, in some cases, throwing NPCs at the problem helps. As a bonus, sometimes you get attached to an NPC and get a new character.

I've been stuck in a rut for a long time. It's hard getting out of it. I've tried taking breaks from rp and joining ones that I normally wouldn't be apart of, just to break from my regular style, but so far, I can't get my spark to light again. I've even tried changing where I rp. I moved from a different site to RPR. I'm not really sure what else to do to get that spark back.

Admittedly, I have been also in this sort of rut as well. It began around the midpoint last year due to displacement issues from moving states. Then I left my old RP circle because it was only getting worse, and I hadn't rped till I joined here which was around 3-4 months. I still can't put my full heart into it; partially because of paragraph RP not being my forte, the leniency and lack of plot and what I can't describe as anything other than crippling lack of communication.

I don't know about you lot, but no one wants to talk to me when we RP! I'm used to actually losing my rps in chat rooms because we just start talking and without that I just don't find myself attached to the RP itself. I guess, my RP partners need to befriend me a little bit? It also makes plotting a log easier because I like to throw Alternate Timelines and all that junk about.

Also I'm new, being new makes everything a pain in the neck.

Full-Moon - Are you actively trying to discuss things with your RP partners, via PM or perhaps a secondary discussion thread? It may simply be that no one mentions anything except when there's something specific they want to discuss. If people have actually been ignoring your attempts to communicate... well, I'm sorry that you've come across rather rude people. That's definitely not nice.

You mention chat and that you're not big on paragraphs, so I'm assuming that you're still very chat RP oriented? I'd offer to play with you, but I'm afraid I'd be lost in a chat RP. I haven't done it since my very beginning, and even that was just me and a friend goofing off, trying to out-kill each other. You could try a call for others who are up to it though, since RPR does have a built-in forum-to-chat feature.

I try, but I may be completely obtuse with my methods. Either way, I usually get a 'yep' or nothing at all. I may of course be overlooking an unspoken rule of this community, which is not entirely impossible. I'm really bad at social cues. I'll try harder!

As for paragraph, I am enjoying it but I just fall behind everyone else size wise. I just feel incompetent and some days I just look at it and just can't do it. Basically Para RP with me is literally just me BSing my way through. I do try, and when I get it right it is definitely worth it! I think I'm just tired and gross from school.

As for chat rps, no one seems to like it. Mostly because the site is predominantly adults, and its not actually all that thrilling admittedly. I mean Hamlet ain't got nothing on LOTR when it comes to fun writing styles.

Well, you could try joining the Characterization Corporation. Part of what we work on is writing in general, since a lot of characterization is based on how things are written. It might help a bit.

If you think you would be up to some paragraph RP with me, I'd be happy to try working something out with you. So long as you're putting in enough that I can tell what's going on, all should be fine; if I'm unsure about something, I'll ask. If you think it wouldn't become bothersome, I could also try pointing out ways you could elaborate on things to puff up your posts a bit more without just throwing in a bunch of useless stuff.

I'll consider joining when I have the time tomorrow morning or some other. It looks engaging and a fun atmosphere so I doubt i'll have oppositions.

As for paragraph RP with thou, I cam certainly try but I don't know how skilled I am. I'll definitely try! Criticism would not be turned down, I'm only really a beginner if I'm honest with myself. It is appreciated !

No problem. So long as I know you're trying, it's fine if your posts come out a little short. Heck, mine get pretty short at times. Sometimes there really is just nothing much to say.

Yeah of course! Some people forget that sometimes