hello all ! at the request of a friend , i’ve decided to write up some tips & tricks for writing effective replies .
- i start off by reading the starter / my partner’s reply at least twice , to make sure i didn’t miss anything & to take stock of the information they’re providing . my general strategy for an effective reply follows this equation : acknowledge everything my partner has given me + take the next steps forward that make sense for my character = post reply , congrats - woohoo !
- i try to treat rp like improv . the goal is to work off of what my partner has generously provided - to ‘yes , and’ them . it’s difficult to work off someone’s reply when they are shooting down your new ideas , ignoring them , or change the subject rapidly .
- something i have noticed , is some writers will add a new idea that makes my character look stupid or makes what they just said/did out of character for them . PLEASE BE CONSCIOUS OF THIS . it can seem like lowkey godmodding & make people reluctant to respond . never change something in this way without first communicating with your partner . it’s ok if your character thinks my character is stupid , or if they treat them as such - but if something you , as the writer is adding makes their actions not align with their character ? that’s a problem .
- when i’m settling down to do a reply a strategy i use often is the ‘A to B’ approach . i think about how my character would initially react to what has been said / done to them ( A ) . then , i think about what i want them to end up saying / doing ( B ) . & as i write my reply i figure out how to connect point A & point B smoothly . you could just state A & B but it is much more rewarding to see how your character got there . it makes the reply feel fleshed out & thought through .
- when writing starters / replies it is SO IMPORTANT to fully acknowledge the other character . if you write a starter that could have gone to any character . . . it’s probably not going to feel very exciting for the recipient . try to personalize them - yes , guys . . . this means if you’re writing a starter for an oc you’re gonna have to read their pages . or ask the mun ! us oc parents love to talk about our babies , don’t be afraid ! this goes for everyone . & if your reply / starter involves making an assumption always reach out & check that it’s okay .
- really obvious , but - um . . . proofread ? please ? at least read through it once before posting . i’m much more lenient on those whose first language isn’t english , but sometimes it is just extremely clear that someone didn’t even reread once . personally i spend 10 - 30 min re-reading & editing my replies . this isn’t an expectation , i just have anxiety & only want to post work i’m proud of - but it’s important to show your partners that you care ! it makes people excited to reply when you’re clearly invested . along with this , try to vary your word choices . if i see the word ‘lips’ or ‘eyes’ three times in the same paragraph . . . i’m gonna switch stuff up .
okay , that’s all for now . just wanted to throw my two cents into the void since i’ve been doing this for a while . my goal here in the rpc is to have fun while i learn & grow into a better writer . i just hope some of this helps somebody !
