Since this is a play by post site as opposed to using voice chat or meeting up in person, being a good writer goes hand in hand with being a good writer. Here are a few helpful tips I have found for those that want to improve their craft:
-Read books regularly. Those that don't read struggle with writing.
-Work to improve your vocabulary. So many writers have a limited range of words. A great way to develop your vocabulary is to sign up for dictionary.com's "word of the day" and get a new word sent to your email on a regular basis.
-Look for synonyms when writing and avoid using the same word repeatedly.
-Ask others for feedback, both positive and negative. Find out what you do well and ask other writers what you need to improve on.
-Use spellcheck. If possible, get an advanced proofreader such as Grammarly or Ginger. It will not only correct your mistakes but help you avoid redundancy and work on things like keeping your voice and point of view consistent.
-Read your writing out loud to see how it sounds. Even better, if you have a friend or family member that will do it and you aren't too shy, ask them to read your work aloud to you. Have them read it verbatim so you can hear how it sounds.
-Lurk and read other games you are not participating in. Think about what you like and don't like and why.
-Join writers groups online to get feedback. If you can write a great story, you can be a great roleplayer.
-Spend time researching your character the way an actor researches a role. If you're playing a character that has a hobby or job you have no real life experience with, read up on it. Learn some common terms of the trade to work into your writing. The same goes for the game's setting. If it is set in a place you've never been to, watch some videos and read up so you can write about it in a believable way.
-Read books regularly. Those that don't read struggle with writing.
-Work to improve your vocabulary. So many writers have a limited range of words. A great way to develop your vocabulary is to sign up for dictionary.com's "word of the day" and get a new word sent to your email on a regular basis.
-Look for synonyms when writing and avoid using the same word repeatedly.
-Ask others for feedback, both positive and negative. Find out what you do well and ask other writers what you need to improve on.
-Use spellcheck. If possible, get an advanced proofreader such as Grammarly or Ginger. It will not only correct your mistakes but help you avoid redundancy and work on things like keeping your voice and point of view consistent.
-Read your writing out loud to see how it sounds. Even better, if you have a friend or family member that will do it and you aren't too shy, ask them to read your work aloud to you. Have them read it verbatim so you can hear how it sounds.
-Lurk and read other games you are not participating in. Think about what you like and don't like and why.
-Join writers groups online to get feedback. If you can write a great story, you can be a great roleplayer.
-Spend time researching your character the way an actor researches a role. If you're playing a character that has a hobby or job you have no real life experience with, read up on it. Learn some common terms of the trade to work into your writing. The same goes for the game's setting. If it is set in a place you've never been to, watch some videos and read up so you can write about it in a believable way.
AgentMilkshake wrote:
Since this is a play by post site as opposed to using voice chat or meeting up in person, being a good writer goes hand and hand with being a good writer.
Just so you know, I believe the expression is "hand in hand."
Gregory Greenwood wrote:
AgentMilkshake wrote:
Since this is a play by post site as opposed to using voice chat or meeting up in person, being a good writer goes hand and hand with being a good writer.
Just so you know, I believe the expression is "hand in hand."
Good catch! I missed that typo. Fixed.
AgentMilkshake wrote:
- Spend time researching your character the way an actor researches a role. If you're playing a character that has a hobby or job you have no real life experience with, read up on it. Learn some common terms of the trade to work into your writing. The same goes for the game's setting. If it is set in a place you've never been to, watch some videos and read up so you can write about it in a believable way.
This is worth doing! Getting a grip on what subjects your character is to portray adds to their believability. No need to do a full-scale essay, just a few minutes doing a bit of summary research really helps.
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