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DISCLAIMER:
First off I'd like to make it clear that this isn't meant as criticism on the quality of your posts.
Secondly this is just a list of tips that you might or might not find useful, and is by no means comprehensive (And me being a teacher student MIGHT have something to do with me wanting to post this...)
Thirdly I readily admit that my post are far, far, faaaaaar away from perfect, and are by no means to be used as examples. But I try to improve my posts, and take pride in this.
The last RPG I was in awarded points to good posts, the better the post the more points you got. Points could be used to buy new gear. Simple conversation posts, no matter how well written, were always awarded a low score. Posts that drive the story forward is the way to go (as long as it's possible).
The main goal here will be to add depth and detail to your story. You are writing fiction here, not just an account of an event. I've decided to split this post into several parts, each focusing on a different aspect of your story.
Character:
A good story needs a good character. So what does a good character have? Well, it needs just that: character. Give your character a personality. This can be your own personality, or you can make one up. Is he the “strictly business” kind of guy, or does he joke around? Does he have any hobbies? Pet peeves? Does he hate it when his partner starts whistling some random song while they're on patrol, or does he join in? Keep this in mind when writing your posts. What would my character do, how would he react to this situation?
A persons personality is shaped by his background. What kind of background does your character have? Why did he decide to do the work he does? Strictly for the pay check, or are there some deeper reasons behind it? What kind of home did he grow up in? Is he local, or did he move here? Is there something in his background that makes him hate a certain type of criminals more than others? Did someone in his family die from a heart attack, so he decided to become a EMT/Paramedic to prevent this happening to others? Or was his father a firefighter, and he's following a family tradition?
One tip on the background is to write a post about it. Either just for yourself, or post it for others to see. It sometimes jogs the imagination when you get your thoughts written down.
Your character is human. This means that it has feelings and emotions. Try to describe these in your posts! When your character is chasing a rape/murder suspect, does he pray that the suspect resists arrest so can use force? Or once he catches him and he doesn't resist, does your character have to fight to hold back an almost uncontrollable urge to just pull out the night stick and beat the living crap out of the bastard? Does your character become sad when someone under his care dies? Happy when they survive? Is his adrenaline pumping on the way to a call, while he's going through the procedures he has to perform when he arrives in his head?
What is your character thinking? What is the reasoning behind his actions? We have the luxury of being able to make that available to everyone who reads. And we can slow time to ultra slow motion, where thoughts that run though your characters head in a split second in real time can be described. Use that opportunity!
This is all about adding depth to your character, making him a much more exciting person to read about, and much more believable as a person. We are writing about human beings here, not machines. They are humans with human emotions, with human backgrounds, who do human, make human errors and have human flaws. I find it much more interesting to read about these people, then to read about a bunch of unfeeling superheroes. That wasn't meant as a jab at anyone here by the way.
Story:
So now you've got a character that can pass for a human being. What more can you do to beef up your posts? They say the devil's in the details, but that's also where you find a good story!
Describe the environment. The sights, sounds, and smells. Is it cold, hot, wet, windy? (And does your character like that?) You're responding Code 3 to a call, how is the traffic? Are you silently (or loudly) cursing all the shit poor drivers out there? Be specific about what you see, as specific as you can. Let the others see what you are seeing, to the best of your ability.
Realism, both in what a person is humanly capable of, and in the procedures you use (both medically and tactically). Is it realistic that you would hit that target at that range in those conditions? Is it realistic that you defib a flat lined (asystole) patient back to life? Would there really be enough in that fire extinguisher to put out a fire of that size? Here research is your friend. I'm not a doctor, but I can come of as a reasonably realistic one if I research things well enough. Again, don't be the superman with x-ray vision and super hearing that can shoot the wings of a fly, blindfolded, 500 meters away. I hate those.
This is a work in progress, and I'll add more things as a come up with them, or you guys come up with them.
You aren't good at RPing if you don't RP. The more you post, the better you get at it. Well, generally at least. Also, feel free to steal ideas from elsewhere. Themes, phrases, etc etc. And read a book! I know that sounds like that standard teacher thing to say, but if you want to write good, you should read.
One final tip, is there a game or a series you're a huge fan of? Many of them have fan sites, where people write fan fiction. You might find it more interesting to read about the adventures of Marcus from Gears of War. Plus you can join in too, giving you even more experience.
If anybody wants feedback on their posts and tips on how to improve, feel free to drop me a line. You can do it here, or via PM, and I'll answer as soon as I can.
Hope you guys find this helpful!
First off I'd like to make it clear that this isn't meant as criticism on the quality of your posts.
Secondly this is just a list of tips that you might or might not find useful, and is by no means comprehensive (And me being a teacher student MIGHT have something to do with me wanting to post this...)
Thirdly I readily admit that my post are far, far, faaaaaar away from perfect, and are by no means to be used as examples. But I try to improve my posts, and take pride in this.
The last RPG I was in awarded points to good posts, the better the post the more points you got. Points could be used to buy new gear. Simple conversation posts, no matter how well written, were always awarded a low score. Posts that drive the story forward is the way to go (as long as it's possible).
The main goal here will be to add depth and detail to your story. You are writing fiction here, not just an account of an event. I've decided to split this post into several parts, each focusing on a different aspect of your story.
Character:
A good story needs a good character. So what does a good character have? Well, it needs just that: character. Give your character a personality. This can be your own personality, or you can make one up. Is he the “strictly business” kind of guy, or does he joke around? Does he have any hobbies? Pet peeves? Does he hate it when his partner starts whistling some random song while they're on patrol, or does he join in? Keep this in mind when writing your posts. What would my character do, how would he react to this situation?
A persons personality is shaped by his background. What kind of background does your character have? Why did he decide to do the work he does? Strictly for the pay check, or are there some deeper reasons behind it? What kind of home did he grow up in? Is he local, or did he move here? Is there something in his background that makes him hate a certain type of criminals more than others? Did someone in his family die from a heart attack, so he decided to become a EMT/Paramedic to prevent this happening to others? Or was his father a firefighter, and he's following a family tradition?
One tip on the background is to write a post about it. Either just for yourself, or post it for others to see. It sometimes jogs the imagination when you get your thoughts written down.
Your character is human. This means that it has feelings and emotions. Try to describe these in your posts! When your character is chasing a rape/murder suspect, does he pray that the suspect resists arrest so can use force? Or once he catches him and he doesn't resist, does your character have to fight to hold back an almost uncontrollable urge to just pull out the night stick and beat the living crap out of the bastard? Does your character become sad when someone under his care dies? Happy when they survive? Is his adrenaline pumping on the way to a call, while he's going through the procedures he has to perform when he arrives in his head?
What is your character thinking? What is the reasoning behind his actions? We have the luxury of being able to make that available to everyone who reads. And we can slow time to ultra slow motion, where thoughts that run though your characters head in a split second in real time can be described. Use that opportunity!
This is all about adding depth to your character, making him a much more exciting person to read about, and much more believable as a person. We are writing about human beings here, not machines. They are humans with human emotions, with human backgrounds, who do human, make human errors and have human flaws. I find it much more interesting to read about these people, then to read about a bunch of unfeeling superheroes. That wasn't meant as a jab at anyone here by the way.
Story:
So now you've got a character that can pass for a human being. What more can you do to beef up your posts? They say the devil's in the details, but that's also where you find a good story!
Describe the environment. The sights, sounds, and smells. Is it cold, hot, wet, windy? (And does your character like that?) You're responding Code 3 to a call, how is the traffic? Are you silently (or loudly) cursing all the shit poor drivers out there? Be specific about what you see, as specific as you can. Let the others see what you are seeing, to the best of your ability.
Realism, both in what a person is humanly capable of, and in the procedures you use (both medically and tactically). Is it realistic that you would hit that target at that range in those conditions? Is it realistic that you defib a flat lined (asystole) patient back to life? Would there really be enough in that fire extinguisher to put out a fire of that size? Here research is your friend. I'm not a doctor, but I can come of as a reasonably realistic one if I research things well enough. Again, don't be the superman with x-ray vision and super hearing that can shoot the wings of a fly, blindfolded, 500 meters away. I hate those.
This is a work in progress, and I'll add more things as a come up with them, or you guys come up with them.
You aren't good at RPing if you don't RP. The more you post, the better you get at it. Well, generally at least. Also, feel free to steal ideas from elsewhere. Themes, phrases, etc etc. And read a book! I know that sounds like that standard teacher thing to say, but if you want to write good, you should read.
One final tip, is there a game or a series you're a huge fan of? Many of them have fan sites, where people write fan fiction. You might find it more interesting to read about the adventures of Marcus from Gears of War. Plus you can join in too, giving you even more experience.
If anybody wants feedback on their posts and tips on how to improve, feel free to drop me a line. You can do it here, or via PM, and I'll answer as soon as I can.
Hope you guys find this helpful!
I get it now.
