Forums » RP Discussion » Required to write

Alright, alright. I think everyone has had an rp partner or two who has had extremely simple, or extremely complicated writing style. I, myself, fall somewhere in the middle.

I hate that feeling I get when I'm presented with some seven paragraph message and am expected to respond in the same fashion. I usually don't think about every fabric on each piece of a character's clothing and where the fabrics were spun. I don't care what year a car was made.

"she wore a form fitting green dress. Its lowest point resting at the back of her knee. There was a low V cut that showed off everything she had to display." THAT is detailed enough. ANy more than that feels seriously forced and affects my writing as a whole.

For the people who write one-liners, I encourage you to read more. Writing at least half a paragraph at a time can really make a story advance quickly and not have those awkward moments where you and your partner don't have a clear picture of what's going on.


How do we fix this? This feeling of being obligated to write in ways we aren't capable is leeching on our rp community. how do we stop it?

I try to be flexible with people. If someone says they write 'para' and the paras are two or three sentences, I try to encourage the co-writer maybe try to add a bit more detail. I tend to use wordcount vs the para/multi para description.

for those who get quite verbose in their posts, I don't mind the amount of description they put in, but I may not match their enthusiasm. I have difficulty writing large posts for just my character, and the restraint on moving things along when the second I mention the other character, then I'm 'god-modding'. So I write shorter, more interactive posts, and I get told I didn't give them anything to go off of to write.

A lot of time its a lose-lose situation, and to find writers that you hit it off in that 'sweet spot' is always a glorious thing.

I’m one of those people who out of habit, writes anywhere from 500-1000 words. But I’m telling you it’s fine to just have 2-3 paragraphs if that’s your max. And if you need less, go for it. Most multi paragraph writers try to match the length of their partners. And I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes it’s nice to have an rp that doesn’t take me hours to compose a reply to. I’m fond of those rps because they feel like a respite in between intense writing that often gives me anxiety.

If someone doesn’t understand or accept the length you write at, that’s their own issue, not yours. There will be plenty who do.

That's a difficult question to answer, because we feel what we feel, and our feelings are ultimately our own responsibility to deal with. It's not really another's person task to ensure I don't feel pressured by someone else's performance (provided they aren't doing anything to pressure me of course). If I'm confronted by a post that makes me feel intimidated just because it's longer than I expect or feel comfortable writing, it doesn't mean the other person is doing anything wrong or should change their post style.

Maybe the question should be rephrased into "How can we find a good balance in RP post length between different people with different preferences?" because that's definitely a question I can answer!

For me, that answer is: communicate with potential RP partners about what you're looking for. Encourage newbies to communicate their preferences as well so they get started with a good foundation. Set the example for both new and old players by learning, growing and evolving your writing, and have empathy for people who haven't made that growth yet and helping them grow too.

Roleplaying is a community effort. If we set our boundaries clearly, then everyone else knows what's up and can act and behave accordingly. Communicating what we like and don't like helps us find partners who match with us, and gives everyone the room to grow at their own pace. It's always good to encourage people to try new things, or try things they tried before just to see if they still do or don't like it, but everyone does this in different ways so it's good to be mindful of that as well.

If we don't communicate well with others, then they can't really be blamed for doing what they always do, which may or may not be a good match with us.

Hmm.... in light of commentary made in a current RP I am in with one of your characters, this is a very enlightening read.

there is NOTHING wrong with writing, however, you so choose and expanding yourself to your full potential. I was explaining the feeling i felt personally about this level of detail.

don't get me wrong, i'm in love with your writing style. I do feel pressured though. Not by you, and not by anything you've said or done.

being presented with something of such level of writing is a lot for me to handle and i feel as if i need to match that. im actually really glad that i made this post as it's opened my eyes to the fact that the feeling i get lies in myself, and not in anybody else

you are correct, i was referencing your starter message. I felt really daunted and i was so unsure that my writing would be up to par

i think this pressure i feel is coming from the number of people who throw out ideas of wonderful rps, while requiring the people interested to commit to writing several paragraphs at a time

that might not work for everyone. some people like to write mostly in dialogue, and others like to set the mood with detailed descriptions of the setting.

those are all just different preferences of different people. There's nothing wrong with that.

The thing is that large posts may not have very much descriptive fluff in them at all. In this one rp I am in, my last two posts have been over a page long each, but they contain very little fluff. What is going on is that my character is giving a magic lecture to another character as his teacher. I have put a huge amount of thought as to how I want magic to function in this rp and this has translated into some very long and detailed lectures.

Just because a post is long, doesn't necessarily mean it has been padded with unnecessary descriptions. Sometimes it's just pure content.

im not talking about filler. honestly, i have little experience with getting filler. The problem, in my opinion, is when a single item that is simple is stretched out into something that can be too descriptive, like what specific fabric someting might be

explaining background information is necessary, and not overdoing it at all.