[ this has been rattling about in my mind a lot recently and since i’m thinking about it, i’m gonna make a post about it now. i’m the type of role player that does really, really long responses. not anything huge, but my regular responses typically range from 3 - 7 paragraphs easily. if it’s anything less, then i’m typically feeling ooc / am having a writing block.
i go for two days responding to things, and then weeks without any responses.
i write a lot in my responses because i love to write. and i want to become an author when i grow up so writing everything i can in every response has been a necessity to me since i’ve role played more and more detailed threads.
but this does not mean you have to match my length. my length is excessive. it’s a huge amount for a lot of role players out there. which is fine, you know, everyone has their styles! if your style doesn’t allow you to have as much detail as mine can, don’t force it upon yourself. if you do, i think it’ll just make you nervous. you’ll want to try to match my length just because you feel it’s a necessity to have as much quantity as i do. but not everyone’s style can spit out 3 - 7 paragraphs every response. and that’s not bad, that’s just who you are.
and i’m not saying people should respond with one-liners to people who do novellas. rather, a paragraph in minimum. that’s what i see most role players doing. you can get just as much out in one paragraph as someone as can in 3, or 5, 22. a lot of people forget that quantity does not equal quality and just because my quantity is high doesn’t mean that your quality comes from excessive quantity.
if you try to respond to someone who writes a lot in their response with as much as they do, and feel yourself struggling, don’t stress yourself out. you’re going to drop the muse for the thread, lose interest, or sit there for weeks not knowing how to add as much as the other person did. if your writing style / muse can’t make you do as much as your partner, don’t try it.
if you’re nervous, just ask. i promise they won’t get angry at you. as long as you respond with a paragraph or two – and really, you asking them shows that you care. your anxiousness shows that you care. your effort to try and ask them if you can respond with less than what they did shows that you care because you’re warning them that your response is going to be less than theirs. they will understand, it’s okay.
and if they don’t, then they don’t realize that not everyone can respond with as much detail or quantity as they can. they shouldn’t expect someone to do as much as them because nobody is the same. especially when it comes to role playing and/or writing styles.
not everyone can write the same. which means not everyone can be as detailed. and that’s okay.
most importantly – don’t stress yourself out.
IF YOU CAN’T MATCH MY LENGTH, DON’T. ]
