What should a roleplay post actually do? What things should you include in a roleplay post? Well, after this tutorial, you will know. There are three basic elements that each roleplay post should include. Three objectives, you could say. We will be looking at each of those in turn.
Reveal Your Character
Each of your posts should reveal some aspect of your character. Whether it be their thoughts, personality, appearance, attire. Any revelation of developing traits or quirks, or maybe traits and quirks regressing and becoming less and less prominent.
One mistake often made is revealing every little aspect of your character in the first post. What are you going to write about afterwards? An introduction post should be just that; an introduction to your character... Allowing the reader to know that your character exists. Subsequent posts can be used to reveal further aspects of your character.
Elaborate On The Environment
The environment is an essential aspect to any RP, and is constantly changing; it should be alive. The sun moves in the sky, for example, so if you have two characters sat in the sun, a few posts (an hour or so In Character time) later, they may well be sat in shade. Make mention of this fact. A person in a bar shifts off their chair to go to the bathroom, perhaps mention that. It is important to maintain a 'real' feel to the environment.
Also, atmosphere is an important part of the environment... Does going into the next dungeon hall, for example, mean a deathly silence that weighs heavy on the party?
The environment is the world your readers are drawn into. If a city was made entire of still backdrops in a movie, with the main actors the only things moving, it wouldn't be watched by many people.
Move The Plot Forward
Each of your posts should move the plot forward in some way. What methods can be used to do this? Perhaps the easiest ways are through 'Prompts' and 'Reactions'. Examples of each:
A Prompt wrote:As John Smith opened the door he looked to the man he'd been conversing with, cocking his head to indicate the other should follow him.
A Reaction wrote:Dave Johnson noticed the strange fellow who had been sat to him not long ago make some sort of signal to follow. Taking his drink as he stood, Dave made his way towards the door.
Rudimentary, blatantly obvious examples, I agree, but they serve the purpose of demonstration in this case.
Also, a major aspect to consider when thinking of plot development is time. Should a single post cover a minute, a day, a week? It should cover as much as is pertinent. For example: Your party of wonderful heroes spends a day on horseback. There is no need AT ALL, to post every mile. But, also, do you perhaps need to have a post where your party breaks for lunch? To give opportunity to portray the discomfort, complaints, etc etc. Or, do you simply wait until they make camp in the evening? The choice is your own, of course, but is something to consider.
Conclusion
Taking these factors into account, you will be able to write roleplay posts that are not only conducive to the roleplay, but fuller and richer in content. If you are finding that your posts are a little short, try making them at least three paragraphs long. That is a reasonable size, and you could even just focus on a paragraph for each objective.
As always, if you have any questions, or need any help, feel free to ask.
