Workshop for the SRP Writer's Craft

[VampiricTouch]

I adore collaboration. Absolutely love it. I find myself almost cornered without given that possibility at times. I like having the option to collaborate if a conversation is needed. Of course that brings up the situation of how well I can actually work with another cowriter into the picture as well.

Collaboration for me is a way to get to know my cowriter. I personally write a portion of myself into a character and I think that most people (maybe wrong here) do so as well. I hope to find some portion of a character's drive and motivation behind a cowriter, and ultimately know what makes them tick.

At times the collaboration works like a charm (Marauder's mention of Scarlet Spring is an example of it) but it takes a helluva lot of time and effort put in to clean up discussions. I remember when I recruited Marauder's help for Scarlet Spring, a lot of his own threads suffered because he spent a lot of time collaborating with Chgris and I as opposed to posting on threads he was getting behind on (which he has a LOT of)

Of course collaboration also means that the other has to be able to accommodate your own writing/online time, which with time zone differences and work can be extremely difficult to do. Is it necessary for a thread to work? No. There are threads which have worked perfectly fine without collaboration on any part of the story. For me it just happens to be a preference.

 

[Fira]

I find that for a true STORY, some collaboration is necessary. For a less intense RP, not so much. All you are doing in an RP is responding to each other, rather than furthering both (or more) characters at the same time. There may be some need for collaboration in an RP if there is a specific goal in mind, but usually it is minimal and is taken care of during the phase of getting someone to go along with your idea (or vice versa). eg: This is my idea and here is how I see it playing out...are you interested?

So for me, it is a useful tool when called for, and I enjoy using it when it is. It gives me and my co-writer a chance to make sure we are both still on the same page and still headed in the direction we wish to go.

 

[The_gladiator]

Hi all, I've been absent from lit for quite a while. I saw this thread in the creater's sig line, and saw its not been posted to in a while. I felt in reading this thread it was extremely valuable. Mostly for myself because I can see how others handle issues I have worked out myself, and its great to hear other's thoughts on certain issues. However, I see its value to new members, I wish there'd been something like this when I got started rather than just having to learn by trial and error.
I don't know if there's a lot I can add to what has already been said, but I do wish to bring up another issue that has been touched on, and I think is crutial, especially to someone like me who comes from a background of playing under A DM or GM.

So the issue I put forth to all of you is, what are people's thoughts on what I call RP etiquette. That is respect for the other player.
Things I define as against etiquette would be things like god-modding, or powergaming.
god-modding has been mentioned, that is the intensional moving, or speaking the thoughts or words of another character.
Powergaming I would define is when a character is all powerful, has no faults. This is more prevalent in like a D&D setting. We've all seen this character, he always has an answer, he's always one step ahead of you. Everyone tries to be Drizzd (stealing from Salvatore on that one) Although this is not as common in SRPing, it still happens. There are people who's characters are "Perfect"

how do you handle these issues and others you would consider under RP Etiquette and respect.
I can share my views on these issues, and if any remember me, some might remember some of my views about them because I am rather vocal about them. However I would like to know other writer's thoughts. Do you politely correct the other person, do you just stop posting, etc.
Thanks,
Gladiator

 

[VampiricTouch]

I think god-modding varies from person to person. The general consensus being it's a bad thing. However, I have seen several threads where one writer handling another character to move a story forward being perfectly fine. In those situations, I think it usually contributes a lot more to preserving the flow of the story.

Personally, I don't mind another person god-modding my characters nearly as much as what it seems to be made out to be. If a co-writer decides they want to god-mode, they should also be ready to edit the post if I feel the character was mis-represented or not written the way I would have preferred. Of course it generally is nicer if I get a PM before the post goes up.

If I ever feel the need to control another character, I will PM or IM the writer in question to ask for permission, or to work out the post in a joint effort to preserve their character and/or writing style. (And yes it has happened before.)

~~~~****~~~~​

Powergaming is something that has to be caught before the thread starts. I would think this is probably a more prevalent problem in a group thread if things are not monitored. (I don't have much experience with this though.)

Also if this crops up mid-thread, such as a character gaining more powers etc, a polite PM to point out the problem usually will suffice. If a PM doesn't work, then chances are the lifetime of the thread won't last much longer.

 

[The_gladiator]

I do Agree with much of what you said, thanks for responding.

I am very against god-modding in most instances. I have written with partners who I was so intune with or colaborated with OOC that it was acceptible, but I generally am against it.
How it was often handled elsewhere is you can state what your character does to another and leave it up to the other player to respond. I.E. I can say I punch joseph in the face, which I wouldn't considder god-modding. However if I then said that Joseph fell to the ground crying for his mama, that would be god-modding in my opinion.
I also like to work from the rule of thumb if it is small reactions its ok, like if a character takes my character's hand I don't mind them writing that entire reaction. Meaning I don't mind if they wrote Kari took John's hand, rather than a d&D type Kari tries to take John's hand. If that makes sense. If I did not want John to hold Kari's hand I can just react to it in my next post maybe saying something like John pulls his hand away to scratch his nose pulling it from Kari's hand.
However I draw the line about other players stating deliborate actions of my character, or making my character speak (without prior permission)
The reason I'm so against god-modding is, if someone moves my character then why am I even playing? if I can't decide my own character's actions?

I've sometimes handled it through PMs, tried mentioning it VIA ooc comment at the bottom of the post. Eventually if it persists I just stop playing unless I'm bored.

Powergaming, all I can really say is, let your character have faults. Your character should not be all powerful, you should be able to take a fall so to speak. Some of the saddest times in RPing is when a character dies. I mean again this is more prevalent in like a PLay by post D&D game, but still, it happens.

As for both issues I think it is most important to feed off your partner, if they are ok with a little god-modding here and there, that's fine. Communicate with he or she.

I have had successful threads where I've never said anything ooc to my co-writer, but some of the best deal with colaboration as talked about earlier, it helps to know where the other person wants the thread to go. Although spontaneous things are great too.

Another thing that I have had more trouble with in D&D and such, but have encountered in SRPing as well is, when players take the game too seriously, and get hurt feelings because of the way another character treats theirs. That is mix IC and OOC up.
If I call VT (sorry used you cause your post was above mine)'s character stupid, This does not mean that I remotely think that VT the person behind the character is stupid.
I Typically try to remind the person it is just a game, and that IC and OOC have nothing to do with one another. But typically I have been at a loss as to how to handle these situations other than just stop playing. For there are times especially in a group thread where your PC isn't going to get along with another person's PC, its not personal, just a twist of the story, but some in my experience have often taken this animosity to heart.


I know I brought up a whole other issue than the one I started out with, but was just poring out some of my thoughts.

thanks for reading, lol.

 

[Veroe]

The new topic is the first post of a new RP. Everyone has to do this so everyone should be able to comment on it. It's the post that sets up the world of the thread, the tone, and the scenario you and your partner will explore. What's your criteria when writing that first post? What about when you're still trying to recruit a partner for it? Is there any differences in how you write that first post if you have no idea if anyone will be interested in it as opposed to having recruited a partner already for the thread?

 

[VampiricTouch]

The first post for my threads has always carried the same criteria no matter if a partner is available for it, or if it is still open for a partner.

I -strive- to make the opening 3 lines be eye catching and interesting. Set up in a way where (I hope) people will consider what would be the result of those three lines. Why do I say three lines? because when you mouse over a thread, you get a preview of the first post, which is about 3 lines. If a reader is browsing the site for a good read, those first three lines will determine whether they stop and click or move on.

I care about reply/view count. As a writer, beyond writing for a hobby, I want to be able to interest people with my writing. I want to be able to entertain, seduce, and captivate an audience with my words and that starts with the opening post.

Keep in mind that I try to do this, it doesn't always happen.

Also, I dislike putting 'closed' or 'private' in my title. I feel like those words exclude a reader from reading. If it's closed, why should I bother looking inside? If it's private, shouldn't I give the writers their desired privacy? So the threads I start tend to not have those words in it because I find them a bit distracting. If a thread is open, I will usually indicate the status at the end of the opening post.

 

[Lady_Mornington]

This thread is for the discussion of topics concerning the craft of SRP writing.

First topic:
Description: how much do you prefer to use when you write? How much do you like from your co-writers? How much is too little for you? Is there such a thing as too much description?

Hmm it's probably a bit rude to butt in but I guess I could offer my pennies worth of thoughts. I'll gladly admit to being quite useless as far as roleplaying goes. My motivation for trying my hand at writing here is just that, the dynamics of shared creative writing. This works for me but not necessary for anyone else so I don't claim to be the custodian of the absolute truth.

How much text do I prefer? As much as it takes, I realise that being as vague as that doesn't really answer the question, but that is really what it's about. I like to try and build a plausible charachter as well as a setting for the post. Usually a post on a thread of mine counts around 2000 words, mainly because I never know when to stop or what detail to omitt.

As for collaboration, I've found that in one-on-one threads I usually send my co-writer a draft before posting it on the board. That way you don't have to place the other person in a situation which s7he doesn't feel comfortable with, be it a sexual such or any other kind of interaction. Once more, I realise that this is a rather cumbersome way to go about writing a thread but I am quite pleased with the it and it seems to work for my current co-writers as well. In addition to playing with open cards so to speak there is also the constant flow of ideas and thoughts as the post grows and I at least feel more dedicated to the writing.

Absolute no-no's? Assigning dialogue to another charachter and moving another writer's charachter around without asking permission first. Still the worst in my book is the dialogue part.

Well that's my thoughts. Veroe - an excellent idea for a thread. Much obliged

 

[VampiricTouch]

So I'm reviving an old thread because it seemed like a good place to ask these questions. As I'm contemplating the start of a group story and I have zero GM experience, I thought to throw out a few questions and see where people stand on these things.

Group threads:
1. Invite or Open?
Obviously if you limit it to invite only, you know exactly who you're getting, which is a nice control for writing style and knowing whether your crew will mesh and play well. On the other hand, open allows a lot of diversity and perhaps point of view. It expands the potential of the group, whether good or bad, beyond the people and writing styles you know.

2a. Superpower Ability Balance?
How do you keep all players on the same general level and progression of ability? Obviously there are spectrums since abilities can be so diverse but, is it necessary to bust out the dice and start making character stats for this? If so how, if not how?

2b. Newbie Meets Powerful Enemy
Players discover and learn how to use their unique and budding powers. And then comes the bad guy who's had his abilities for years with tons of experience. How does one handle the huge power discrepancy? Who wins? If a player is playing the enemy, where do you decide player A wins and player B loses the fight? Even if the enemy is on par with the heroes, how do you decide who ends up kicking butt?

3. Villain NPC?
Should a cast be built for the side of evil? If the villain were an NPC by the GM then the hero meets villain moment can be rigged with set outcomes. But then the plans for world domination now fall on the poor GMs hands to sort out. Of course, even if a cast was built for the side of evil the plans of world domination might still fall in the GMs hands...

4. Dialogue?
We already have discussed how hard it is to build dialogue in a one on one, now we have more than 2 people in the conversation! What now?

5. Stalling Sex
Alright. Sex happens. We are in the SRP section. However many times the story will slow down while two characters flirt and play and court each other. So while everyone else is twiddling their thumbs waiting for the story to move on, we need to wait for Romeo and Juliet to finish smooching, or groping, or fucking. How do you pace story without foregoing player relations?

6. How many players?

**Dinner is ready and I'm pecking on my iPad. Will come back and elaborate later if needed

 

[VampiricTouch]

Found this in my dusty subscription box, and thought to give it a kick for some discussion

New topic!!! Writer’s block!! We all get it from time to time. How do you overcome it?

 

[The_gladiator]

Found this in my dusty subscription box, and thought to give it a kick for some discussion

New topic!!! Writer’s block!! We all get it from time to time. How do you overcome it?

Discussion with my cowriter, plotting, planning, things of that nature. Sometimes reminding myself that I can still write if that’s a fear of mine as it is sometimes. Discussing with a partner if the story is just no longer grabbing me, and if it is time to move on to write something else as mor of a last result. I find I am much more able to pick up stories I’ve not written to in a long time the older I get. In the past I would be more likely if I had gone so long without posting to a thread to just abandon it and start something new, yet now I have a thread I adore thas 30 something posts in 6 years, and I’m ok with that, it is well worth the wait every time I get a post from a cowriter and I find i am still able to reclaim that voice, where when I first joined lit, I would have never been able to conceive of this I would have had writers block, unable to find the voice and just moved on.

 

[Veroe]

Found this in my dusty subscription box, and thought to give it a kick for some discussion

New topic!!! Writer’s block!! We all get it from time to time. How do you overcome it?

Ah yes this thread. Seeing this pop up when I logged in today brought a smile on a very hard day for me. So thank you for that VT.

As for the never to be sufficiently cursed writers block I find there's two causes of it. It's either because you don't know what to do next or you do know but you have no idea how you are going to make the characters do what you want them to do. Without that giving you confidence and that confidence giving you drive to write it its like pulling teeth to get it done. Then the unanswered posts just loom like insurmountable dragons blocking your path forward and holding your intrepid cowriter hostage until you just pick up a pen and start conquering them one post, one word at a time. And then before you know it, lo and behold, the last dragon falls and you hit submit reply on the last unanswered post you needed to do.

 

[Obuzeti]

Happened to glance over the Lounge today and saw a couple threads about writing, couldn't help dropping my two cents in.

Writer's block can be circumvented in a couple of ways, depending on what causes it.

Sometimes you just write too fucking much, relative to what you're used to, and the flexibility of your thought just sort of petrifies. All the neat ways turns of phrases you used to produce, all your little quips and bits of literary magic, they just dry up. I find flash fiction to be a great fix for this; go write something completely different, a scene from a different point in time, a different location, focusing on a different character. What's happened is that your causative strings have snapped; you don't know how to write Thing A causing Result B that you want. Refamiliarize yourself with the setting, with your characters, and see if you can't get a jumpstart that way.

Sometimes you make a mistake, and the character does something that's out of character, or does something you didn't like - living characters do that sometimes, and it'll freak the best of us out. That said, it's not that it's wrong to have the character do something like that; you just need to write them responding appropriately to it. If your character had a sudden angry fit, are they regretful? Does that sentiment still linger, spitefully? Did it make them realize that they can't tolerate whatever's happening to provoke them anymore? Use that break in normalcy to reveal more about what's happening inside your character's brain.

Sometimes you're just not enjoying yourself, and this is a tough one to fix, because it's less a problem of inspiration. Be open to doing timeskips in the thread, passing over boring or painful sections of plot you don't want to deal with. Consider contributing some deus ex machina event to shake things up. Most importantly, talk with your cowriter, let them know it's just not fun. Involve them and make a decision together.