QUICK RP ADVICE
I feel like there’s a lot of anxiety about quality of RP posts and getting involved in RP, and I want to give the best advice that works for me (based off of a conversation I had recently on discord). This isn’t just the obvious “don’t god-mode” that we all know and love.
Basic rules for a good RP post:
Make it understandable. More important than special formatting or styling, make it easy to read. Break things up into paragraphs. If it’s easy to read, it’s easier to reply to.
Make sure you engage the other character. Make sure your rp partner (or prospective rp partners) have something to do in response to your post or your open starter. Don’t put the impetus on them to approach or care. And the easiest way to get a character to care about yours is to care about theirs first. Show you’re paying attention, and give them opportunities to interact that don’t rely specifically on them caring about your character or divining their internal monologue.
Sub-rule for this one: don’t do too many things in one post if you haven’t plotted it out with someone else, because otherwise you’re forcing your partner to try and address each individual thing you did in their post before they can even get to their own actions. Try to limit what your character does in a post to 1-2 consequential things.
The other way to try and ease anxiety: accept there’s no such thing as perfection and learn to let your posts go. The worst thing you post will get more attention than the best thing you never post.
Not everyone will want to RP with you. If you’re new, getting others to interact will take time. Focus on those who do, try to expand your circle if you can, and otherwise just remember this is for fun.
These aren’t hard-and-fast rules, obviously (except the understandable one, and there’s leeway in there–especially if you’re writing in a language that isn’t your first). But this is how I approach my posts, and how I try to keep this hobby from transforming into a scary prospect instead of a fun story-building opportunity.
♥
