Internet Etiquette AKA Netiquette

There was a time when I was I was roleplaying with a chick who was younger than me. It was pretty chill at first since we weren't doing much OOC posts. She wasn't my favorite on the forum to roleplay with because she forced me to decide ideas and keep the plot going. However, I never really complained because it wasn't a big deal. But she ruined my "like-meter" scale for her whenever I made a new character. Some of you may have already figured this out. Some of you haven't yet, and for those of you who haven't, let me explain more thoroughly. I would make a new character, have no relationship plans for this character, and then get an message. What was the message you ask? The message was about how one of her many, many characters would be the perfect match for my newly made character.

She did it roughly 8 times on that forum, and then 3 other times on a different one. That's crossing a line, not just for me but for anyone. And if you're a sucker like I am, then you go along with their request and ruin your brand new charrie because they technically don't interact with others when in an relationship thread. If you're a person who has dealt with something like that, or has done it before, then you may want to use/share this lesson on etiquette for RPing and even on interaction through the internet.

INTRODUCTION:

Internet etiquette, also known as netiquette, is majorly important if you're going to roleplay. You will be roleplaying with people, and people like to be respected. Would you roleplay with someone if they were harassing you and continually giving you negative feedback about the stupidest things? No, you wouldn't. And if you answered yes to that, then find yourself a sadist because you're obviously a masochist. When interacting with people, be sure to be polite. Especially when roleplaying with others. There is a difference in netiquette and RP-etiquette, but you'll have to know both of them to enjoy yourself, the experience and have people like you. Since this is an important topic, I'll go over netiquette first, and in my next post it will be about RP-etiquette.

Netiquette is like the etiquette you never learned as a child-because public schools have gone downhill- but refers to internet interactions. It focuses more on the private conversations you have with people, the OOC conversations, how you treat others and how others treat you, and being polite/respectful. Hopefully none of you really need to read this, but it never hurts to make sure you're being a courteous RPer.

NETIQUETTE:

Being Polite and Respectful:

First thing you have to be is respectful. You'll find that the people you will be RPing with will be from all different kinds of background, cultures, religions, ethnicity, sexual orientations and so much more. There may be a controversy between what you like and what they like, and arguments could arise. If you allow them to. All you got to do is accept the fact that they're not exactly like you and respect their opinions. This may involve you having an open mind. Sounds difficult, I'm sure, but it really isn't. Try to respect and understand their opinion to show that you respect them.

There are some topics that you should try to stray away from if this is the first time talking to the person out of RP or if you know you can't keep an open mind. These topics are politics, religion, immigration, homosexuality and stereotypes. If you and the person are comfortable with one another, and have plenty of private messages or OOC chats, you probably know what you two can debate or talk about. Every once in awhile, you may have to be the open person to joke about stuff, because everyone loves humor, and if they joke about it with you then most likely that's a safe topic to discuss. As your RP relationship grows with them, so will your personal relationship with them.

Being polite is different than being respectful. To be polite, you have to be nice to the other person. You can criticize them on their roleplaying skills, but you cannot be brutally honest. Do the constructive criticism "sandwiching" method, or don't be harsh with your words. Sometimes to be polite all you gotta do is greet them.

Greetings/OOC Conversations:

To begin roleplaying with someone, you gotta greet and ask them to RP with you. Believe it or not, there's actually a right way to do this. If you want to roleplay with someone, and make sure it's not an inconvenience if they go into a new roleplay, you're going to have to stalk them. Perhaps "stalk" is a bit strong for a word, but it's basically what you have to do. Stalk the roleplays they are in. Read about their characters. Then think if it would benefit them if they RPed with you. Are you online when they are? Can you match their skill or are you a fast learner? Do you write in the same POV as them? Are you creative and can keep the plot going? Do you have a really interesting character that is a parallel or character foil to one of their characters? Are they asking random strangers to RP with them? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then hit them up because they would most likely say yes to your request.

First off, when sending them a message, don't make the topic sound like you're insecure. Your message should not look like this:

Topic: umm i have a question to ask you....

Body: um hi. i was just wonderin if you would rp with me because

your really good at rping and i really like your character

zackary and think hed be good with my character

bethany cuz she kinda needs a bf and yeah......

so if you can rp with me please message me back

and if you cant well then thats ok i guess......

What was that load of crap? You sound insecure and unsure, and cliche since you're just trying to find your character a date. Never write messages like that. If they have any maturity then they will quickly dismiss you as a newb and will most likely recline your request, or pity you and do a half-hearted RP with you. You want to impress whoever you're asking to RP with you, and to do that you have to sound confident but not too intimidating. Here's a good example to try out and give your own flare:

Topic: Hey!

Body: Hey, I was just wondering if sometime we could do an 

RP together. I have a new character I'd like to try out

named Bethany (she's a shape-shifter) and was thinking

that your supernatural hunter Zackary might be a cool

character for her to brawl with. If you're not too busy

with your other RPs, I'd like to discuss plot ideas

with you and see where we could go with these two

characters or others. Thanks for reading this, have 

a great day. (:

See how friendly and open that is compared to the first one? Writing something like that makes you sound confident about your RP skills and creativity. You also suggest a preference who you want your character to be in an plot with, but then add in that if they want to use a different character they are more than welcomed to. Also, adding in a discussion of plot can give the two of you some interaction and maybe have an OOC conversation.

OOC conversations are important. Getting to know people and have others know you will help you RP with others. People talk about who's good and who isn't, and if you're buddies with someone who is good then you will be known as a good roleplayer. It's sad to say, but roleplaying has it's own cliques. Which is why in my intro to roleplaying I gave you advice and examples on how to RP the best way possible without daunting people. You're going to want to have OOC conversations, and you can talk about a number of things.

Does one of the person's characters remind you of another character from a book/movie/TV series? If so, just ask them if they've ever read/seen whatever you think their character is based on. This helps you guys share interests and other things like dislikes. Sometimes having a major OOC conversation during an RP discussion/post/thread can be distracting or infuriate the person. Try to have OOC conversations through messages, or during your roleplay you can mention/comment something OOC here and there.

Replying To Messages/Giving Out Notices:

It's rude to not reply back to a message. Even if you don't want to RP with the person, just tell them. Having them wait a few days for an answer is a bit harsh. If you don't want to tell them no flat out, then make up an excuse. I hate to be teaching you guys how to lie, but sometimes excuses soften their fall. If they want to have a relationship between their character (which you just hate for some off reason) with your character (who happens to be your favorite), just tell them you have other plans for that character with someone else. Or say that you're currently in too many RPs and you won't be using that character for a while, or just say you're on a hiatus with that character. It's a nice way of telling them no, and they won't think of you as jerk when you reject them.

Also, if you're going to be gone a few days, let someone know. You don't have to make a big deal out of it, but don't let them think you got abducted by aliens or something crazy like that. If you're bored with roleplaying then tell them you're taking a break from it and currently your RPs will be postponed. If you're going on vacation, then say how many days you'll be gone. It's just the polite thing to do so people aren't waiting for you to reply. It will also keep a bunch of people from messaging you or commenting on your stuff to figure out what's wrong or where you are. And trust me, you don't need that kind of spam when you come back from your vacation/hiatus.

Favoritism/Corrections:

Favoritism will cause jealousy. I've had a situation where two RPers literally fought over my love. It was beautiful- I felt so needed, and enthralled that I was so special to them. And then I became extremely annoyed with their constant bickering and did a Gandhi and had a major RP hiatus. It taught them a lesson and they actually became RP buddies after I forced-- I mean asked them to play nicely with one another. Now imagine if I had picked one over the other. The one I picked would get a big head, and the one I didn't pick would hate the one I picked even more. I've seen it happen plenty of times. It causes lots of drama and hate groups. Showing open favoritism is bad. I mentioned the RPing cliques, and yeah you want to be in the big kid group, but when they pick RPers over you, it's gonna hurt. So don't show favoritism. Show friendships instead, and try to keep away from statements like: These are my favorite RPers because yada yada yada.

Corrections will also cause drama. If you correct someone nicely they won't be butt hurt, but many times people will get butt hurt- even if you have a point or if you're right and they're wrong! So if you can, don't correct others if you're on their level. You can offer suggestions of improvement but don't actually say what they do wrong. If they ask you how they can improve, then give them a list of their flaws, but give them a list of their abilities as well. And even if you are above them in rank, try not to correct people who are trying their best. If you want them to improve, sometimes RPing with them is all they need to realize how to RP well.

Drama/Not Being Afraid To Block:

Moderators and administrators can help eliminate drama between some users. However, cyber bullying is a big problem in America. There's a big search going on in my school about a facebook group with obvious fake accounts that were cyber bullying the students. Cyber bullying is disgusting, and if anyone is doing it to you, let someone know. Save the messages they send you, or have witnesses defend you, and get them banned. Do whatever you have to so that you're safe- but don't overreact if they're rude to you or cold. Moderators and administrators are sort of like a biased judge who pities the victim, so you already have a lot on your side if you're actually being bullied, but don't try to abuse it. If it's serious, affecting your self esteem or giving you depression, then get them banned. But if they just occasionally piss you off, then ignore it or ignore them.

When drama is happening on a forum or in a chatroom, it's because two RPers got fed up with each other. Sometimes they'll try to drag other people into it. If that is happening, then STAY OUT OF IT! You probably get enough drama on social media, school, and at home- so why would you want drama on your RP site that is probably your escape to leave those other dramas? Having drama in a community makes things uncomfortable and can create rifts between people, especially if people are picking sides. Staying neutral is your best bet to not piss someone off. Then again, most RPers are females and it's very easy to piss them off.

If a user is constantly creating drama or trolling you or others, don't be afraid to block them. Blocking them is the polite thing to do. You don't want to be in an internet war. I was once, and it lasted 7 months. SEVEN FRICKIN MONTHS! That is too long to be fighting with someone, and then you can stalk them and get angry for the dumbest things like if they used the same picture as one of your characters, used the same name was one of your characters, or create an exact replica of your character. Or vice versa. Anything they do will make you angry, and whatever you do will make them angry. Which is why you should just block them. If the solution is as easy as blocking them then there is no need to inform a moderator or administrator. You may think that blocking them means they win, but that's not true. You win because you became the mature one and decided to not let it drag out for 7 months or more. If it's a petty fight, try to make a friend instead of an enemy, but if the fight seems like it'll never end then just block them. It may be the best decision you ever make in your RPing career.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

That's it for netiquette that relates to roleplaying. I'll go over over roleplaying etiquette because that goes with the rules of roleplaying, god-modding, power playing and all that other good stuff. Hopefully this is helpful to you, and wasn't too long. I tried adding pictures to break up the block of text, so I'm hoping my posts are getting easier on the eyes. It's my first blog guys, I'm figuring it out bit by bit. 

Anyhow, if this was helpful to you or could be helpful to someone else, share this blog. Subscribe to it. Read it. Or at least keep checking it out. I'm going into a wide range or topics, and you never know which one will be useful to you. Give me suggestions, comments, questions, complaints or suggest an RP community for me to look at. On weekends, I've decided to do one critique of a certain website, and try to post 2 to 3 information topics. But since I'm on a roll this week, there will be 5 topics. After the roleplaying etiquette I'm thinking about going into a comparison of small communities and large communities.

So remember all you TL;DR (which is actually very rude to write on someone's post), be polite, respective others and their opinion/culture/whatever else, block people if necessary, if you are being bullied inform the site administrator or moderator, reply to your messages, let people know if you're taking a break from RPing, greet people, write confident messages, don't pick favorites, correct people if they ask for it, and stay out of community drama. 

And with that, I'm out!

             -SC

Comparison of First and Third POV in Roleplaying

Second post. Dang, I'm going strong here, aren't I? Well, for me I am. I just kept thinking about this blog all day, and I was trying to figure out what I should I post next. What would be useful after my post in basic RP styles, terminology, forum vs chat room, and some skill examples? I read over my first post and realized that I didn't explain what exactly 1st and 3rd POV was- and that really affects how you roleplay! So that's what this post will be about: The Pros and Cons of 1st POV Compared to the Pros and Cons of 3rd POV. So, let's get started, shall we?

INTRODUCTION:

Okay, first off, POV stands for point of view. It's not an important RP term because you should have learned what it meant when you began learning true literature-- so around 6th grade. Point of view is the perspective in which the story is told; an exact definition from one of my old literature books! When roleplaying, you are basically creating a story right there on the spot. Sometimes you already think up a plot, while other times you're just going with the flow. Which is why roleplaying is such a great way to boost your writing skills and English scores.

Here's a little factoid:
There are five viewpoints employed in literature;

• dramatic or objective: A viewpoint wherein we are not conscious of a narrator, for the author does not comment on the action but simply describes the scene, telling us what happens and what the characters say, so we get a feeling of being there, observing the scene as we would in a play.
• first person: An eyewitness gives a firsthand account of what happened as well as his or her response to it.
• omniscient narrator, third person: An all-seeing, all-knowing narrator, capable of reading the thoughts of all the characters and capable of being in several places at once if need be, tells the story.
• stream of consciousness or interior monologue: A third-person narrative that seems to incorporate the first-person form, although the participant in the action is not consciously telling the story. It is a unique inner view, as though a microphone and movie camera in the character's mind were recording every thought, image, and impression that passes through, without the conscious acts of organization, selectivity, or narration.
• third-person selective or limited: The narrator is omniscient except for the fact that his or her powers of mind reading are limited to or at least focused on a single character, who becomes the central figure through whom we view the action.

I got this lovely little set of definitions from (here) and you can check out other definitions if need be. Anyhow, the POVs that you will be using in RPs is the First Person and Third-Person Selective or Limited. Before I give you the pros and cons for those two (with some examples, of course), I'll just blatantly state why you don't use the other three POVs.

Dramatic/Objective is not used because either your character is the narrator or you are the narrator. There is no bias so you cannot use words like profound beauty or express the character's thoughts. You could use it, but it'd be more like a Shakespearean play- if done right. Omniscient Narrator Third Person is considered god-modding. You're roleplaying with other people, not just yourself so you can't be the all-powerful, perfect, invincible person we all wish we were. Stream Of Consciousness/Interior Monologue won't work while roleplaying, just like Dramatic/Objective. It's a style that really only works if you're writing a story/play but not creating a story with someone else.

Now that we're done with those POVs, let's go onto the POVs you'll actually be using. First thing is first: First Point Of View~

1ST POV

Books that you have read that were in 1st POV were either the Twilight Saga or The Hunger Games. Those are probably the biggest examples I could give in literature, since what I read is probably what you all scurry away from. So what did you notice about those books? Did they seem more emotional to you? Showed greater main protagonist character development? You probably noticed all the "I's, Me's, Myself's, Mine's" inside these great stories. There were lots of thoughts from the main character, and the main character was the narrator. Here's a small roleplay example of this POV:

"I walked down the small trail inside the quiet forest leisurely. It was early in the morning, and the air was moist from all the rain the day before. My boots left soft prints in the dark, loose soil as I continued my trek to the center of the forest. It had been so long since I had been there last, and I missed the Black Dove. I wondered if the bird had survived through the rains, and I remembered how it didn't seem to have a nest. Nest or no nest, the dove still must have gotten drenched. The trees of this forest weren't known for their ability to shelter someone out of the rain. Black Dove, I thought solemnly as I neared my destination, please be there. I need to see you."

Short little excerpt, but you get the point. Now, what's good about roleplaying like this? You get to describe your character's purpose easier, and describe their thoughts better as well. You describe actions when needed, and can describe scenery less and go further into your character's thoughts. What's also great about this that it's easier to transition into a flashback with having to actually write it's a flashback.

Now, what's bad? It may harder for you to differentiate between the past and present tense words. You could start out with: I walk down the small trail... I was missing the Black Dove; but it wouldn't make sense if you had done I walk down the small trail... I missed the Black Dove. It will take some experience and can take some time if you aren't use to the style. Also, when roleplaying with another person, if they're not using that style then it may be difficult to read. It's also suggested that you don't try roleplaying two characters at the same time because it can be extremely confusing.

Technically, this style is to your preference.  I've only met a few who actually RPed like this, but hey, if you like it, then there are communities out there for you.

3RD POV

The main way to roleplay is through 3rd POV, and many writers write in 3rd. Books like Harry Potter, the Warrior cat series and Lord of the Rings write in this style. What was amazing in these books were that you got other character's thoughts and there was a smoother transition to how the character's interact and their emotions. You can use either their name or the he/she or their's and such to describe what belongs to them or what they are doing. You've probably read this from many books, but here is an RP example:

"'Fascinating' Gilan spoke, almost coldly, knowing that many elves were connected with animals due to the fact that they can speak with their minds. He absentmindedly played with the marble once again, swirling it between the fingers of his right hand silently and he looked up as a droplet of water fell on his shoulder. He had known that it was only a matter of time before it started raining, due to the fact that the sky was blanketed with dark grey clouds. He then saw a flash of lightning, but there was no boom of sound that followed, meaning that it was merely heat lightning from the warm front and the cold front coming together. The rain then started to come down faster, "Unless the little one gets shelter, he may fall sick" he spoke of the colt, whose fluffy pelt was being pierced by the cold rain. He pulled his cloaks' hood over his head, his face now hidden in a shadow. "If you don't want to make the journey home, there is an abandoned cottage about two minutes away, I had found it last night" Gilan told her, knowing that the cottage had a lean to. No, he wasn't saying it because he cared about the horse, he was merely helping out, strangely enough."

Not an introductory paragraph, somewhere in the middle, but it gets the job done. So what's good? If another person roleplays like this, then it's like reading a story. You can differentiate between characters easier when posting, and you can go into character thought or motive. With the character's actions you can describe it more profoundly and explain how'd look like to other characters your character is interacting with. It's more fluid, and basically the universal and preferred POV when roleplaying, especially on forums or advanced chat room RPs. You can also RP two or more characters at the same time without making it too dreadfully confusing for your RP buddy.

What's bad about it? If you're inexperienced with roleplaying, you can really mess up by your inexperience. If you can't describe setting and detail then this POV can fall apart. Also, it closes you off from someone who RPs in 1st POV. There's also an issue if you can't keep track of your present/past-tense words.

ENDING WORDS AND THOUGHTS:

Overall, you're gonna want to stay with 3rd POV. But if you really love 1st POV, then don't worry. There's so many forums and chat rooms with users who adore roleplaying that way. If you're a beginner, try out both. And try out which way you like it. You want to be more in touch with your character and express emotion, flash back, and personal experiences more then go with 1st POV. You want to describe setting, actions and RP two+ characters at the same time then use 3rd POV. Each POV has it's pros and cons, and it's mainly just up to you pick and choose and try.

Well, that's the end of this post. A lot shorter than my first one, huh? Anyways, I may as well just tell you all that my next post will be about roleplaying etiquette. Internet and RP etiquette go hand in hand, but there are some things you'll just have to know to be courteous and knowledgeable  so other RPers will respect you more and will like to RP with you more.

If this blog is helping you in any way by giving you ideas or just refreshing stuff inside your head, then share it, follow it, or just read it. I want the blog to go big, not just for brag rights, but because there's a lot of people who would find it useful. Since I'm going from how to roleplay to roleplay ideas and character design/development, I'll be posting regularly. If this is information that you need, then great. If it isn't, then give me suggestions on how I could make the blog better for you and others. Give me ideas, share this, and even give me websites that I can help critic and analyze and advertise for you. I read any and all comments and am ready to serve you.

Well, enough rambling. Don't procrastinate people, and roleplay long and well.

Yours truly,

              SC~

ignore this: <a href="http://www.hypersmash.com">HyperSmash.com</a>

Introduction to Roleplaying and Roleplaying Terms, Styles, and Skills.

INTRODUCTION

First Post. Wow. So since this is my first post, I'm going into the basics of roleplaying.

When roleplaying, you're gonna have to know the lingo. There may be phrases that you don't know or understand, and they're the fundamentals of roleplaying. I'll go through a few of the basic ones, but later on in my posts, I'll describe more complex ones. Terms are important to know, especially when you are describing your character from head to toe, or when you interact with those advanced roleplayers. This blog is all about helping you become the best roleplayer as quickly as possible by minimizing your "newb phase".

ROLEPLAY TERMS

• RPer = roleplayer. 
• RP = roleplay
• RL = Real Life
• OOC = Out Of Character
• BIC = Back In Character
• Charrie = Character
• God-modding = Taking control of some one's character, events, having your character be perfect/invisible (like a God), and basically being  a jerk.
• Shipping = fantasizing about two characters having a relationship with one another
• Fan Fiction = a fiction story based off a favorite character of yours from either a roleplay, movie, or book, magazine, TV show, etc.
• IG = Instagram, website with roleplaying communities that uses a picture for RP posts and can also be used for saving and sharing character photos.
• VS = Virtual Space, a app for iPad/iPhone/iPod specifically for roleplaying or meeting strangers online.
• PB = Photobucket, website to upload and share pictures of characters.
• Yaoi = Japanese term that is a genre for manga about manXman
• Yuri = Japanese term for a manga genre of womanXwoman
• Tsundere = a personality type that represents a person who is outwardly cold/harsh but can slowly show their warm/lovey-dovey side to a special person.
• Yandere = a personality type for a person who is psychotic/violent yet develops deep feelings for their significant other.

These are extremely basic. You probably knew all of them, except the Japanese terms. These will be important to know because many times, RPers are obsessed with anime. Knowing these terms will just make your roleplay experience easier, and help you interact with others better. If you have some knowledge about the yandere or tsundere characters out there, then you can protect your own character through specific traits. There will be later posts about this, since I haven't even gone into character development yet.

ROLEPLAY STYLES

1. Fast-Chat RPs

If any of you are between the ages of 10 to 13, you're roleplaying skills are crappy. Why? Because most likely you have been introduced to roleplaying like this:

Person 1: *claps*
Person 2: yayyyyyayayayayayayyayyyy
Person 3: ...............................
Person 1: aw wuts wrong?
Person 3: ...... ........ .....
Person 2: *gets pie and throws pie at people and laughs cuz its funny*

Horrid isn't it? Now, you may be wondering what is wrong with this form of roleplaying, and I will explain why. Good roleplaying is considered to be in either 1st or 3rd person, although 3rd is always preferred when roleplaying with a large group because some RPers may be confused when reading posts. Good roleplaying also has to have detail, not dialogue. Many times, people express their skill through extreme detail, and being able to use that detail. The style you have just witnessed above is considered a fast-chat style. People who RP like this are looking for quick and easy RPs. There's not a good plot or character development, and the RP is mainly executed through dialogue.

I've roleplayed like this for about 6 years, while also doing advanced RPs. The difference is the experience. Spelling isn't an issue, and neither is grammar in most cases. Actions are portrayed through *'s or -'s, and are short, simple and to the point. So what's so bad about this style?

It's immature. Have you ever read a book that had an author writing like that? No, never. Chat rooms are your gateway to more advanced roleplays, but sticking in this style will hinder you in the long run if you aren't exercising your skill. You'll find that people will have multiple characters, with very similar personalities, terrifying pasts, plenty of sexual activities, and are always looking for their significant other. The drama never ends with this style and it's an exaggeration of life. It's fun though if you can't roleplay long but will demand you are on a computer since most chat rooms can only be accessed with flash- which androids/iPods/iPhones don't have.

But never fear. If you truly love roleplaying and want to get a better experience, then you'll leave this style and explore a better one. You can always roleplay like this if you don't have time, but trust me, you'll deeply fall in love with forum RPing.

2. Less Than 3

Less than 3 isn't an actual style. But it's how most 12 to 14 year old's roleplay. This type definitely describes your skill level. I'll give you a few examples below:

"But I love him!" Sara shouted, tears coming to her eyes.
"I know... but... Sara..." John said slowly, "He was cheating on you."
"How do you know?!" She screamed. Her hands turned to fists and she glared at her brother evilly.
"I saw him. Why don't you believe me?"
Sara started crying. "Because you lie to me.... Everyone always lies to me!"
"But..."
"But what?" She looked at him.
"This time I'm not. I promise." He smiles at her.
She looks down.
"..... Sara."
She ignores John and walks away.

There's not much difference between this style and the first one I showed you. Yeah, the people aren't using the symbols to describe their actions, but it's mostly dialogue. I'll say this many times throughout my roleplaying career: lots of dialogue is not good in roleplay. Now I don't mean a paragraph of text is bad. Sometimes your character will have to describe things to someone else's character and to do that, you'll have to write a lot. But look at the example! This isn't a script for the play, no one is going to act this act so someone can visualize exactly what you mean.

What I find usually in these rps is that it's centered around relationships. Lots of drama, pregnancies, deaths, and crying. It focuses around teens doing adult things. It's a giant soap opera, but it's a start to get to be where you wanna be.

Now, to improve yourself from this style, all you gotta do is a few things:

1. First off, don't start your post with dialogue. Describe an action first- fluidly.
2. Secondly, try to use your character's name at least 2 to 3 times in your replies. The whole he/she thing is amateur.
3. Thrice- Stop using all the ".........." to show emotion! ........ is not something you're going to see in an actual book. Use only THREE dots sparingly in the middle of a dialogue sentence and FOUR at the end of a dialogue sentence. But don't just keep on doing your ...........'s, because it's not accurate or mature.
4. Lastly, describe some setting or how the person is moving. Describe how (this) looks when (this) is happening. Give yourself more sentences, and try making complex sentences.

If you try your best and follow these rules, you'll realize that your style will evolve to something like the next one.

3. Out Of The Noob Zone

Yep. If you use the last two RP styles, members of the roleplaying site/chatroom will instantly label you as a newb unless they all RP the same way. Now that you aren't a newb, you probably roleplay something like this:

->Hollycloud rushed out of camp, her white tail fluffed up as she ran through the forest. She was going to the river and at the rate she was going she'd be there in no time. Running up a grassy hill, Hollycloud felt a breeze go through her pelt, and then she raced down the hill. She could see the blue waters of the river just ahead. With excitement coursing through her, she was able to get another burst of speed and then she was there. "Finally!" She breathed.
->Bramblemoss raised his head as he heard a cat meow. Turning his head into the direction of the voice, he spotted a young she-cat. Quickly, he sat up and padded over to the warrior. He tried not looking like he had been sleeping, but it was obvious that he had.
->Hollycloud saw Bramblemoss and smiled, her whiskers twitching. "Oh, hi Bramblemoss!" She mewed nicely, raising her tail and giving a soft friendly purr.
->Bramblemoss's whiskers twitched and his tail twitched as well. "Hey, Hollycloud," Bramblemoss mewed back, staring at her before smiling.

Now this isn't bad. Let's see, what was good about this piece that distinguishes it from the previous two? There was detail, there wasn't a glob amount of dialogue, it expressed movement and thought of characters and was saying the character's name more than he/she. However, this isn't perfect. Reason numero uno: technically it's a mediocre introductory, but 13 to 15 year old wise, it's pretty good. There was 6 sentences, and you need at least 5 sentences for a full paragraph. There were some complex sentences, and they used proper spelling and grammar. There was also description of the cat and of the setting, and then an ambiguous purpose. It allows someone to post knowing the character the person is using and the setting of the environment. Yet, the person could have done better in describing the scene. The RPer of Hollycloud could have mentioned temperature, season, sounds, thoughts/reason of the cat or some information about why the cat was running. This would have made the post much longer but given much more information for the other RPer.

Also, after the introductory paragraph, the length of the posts after it just faded away. I'm not saying that more is better (although it usually is, as long as it is done right), but they went back into the 3 sentence mode, because it was quicker or they thought they didn't have to describe much anymore. Doing this usually makes RPs die off because of the lack of inspiration and/or dedication of making a post purposeful. If the first person had made a better introductory paragraph, then perhaps the second person could have accentuated the setting through their character. Say it was a hot day: Bramblemoss could have fell asleep near the water because it was cooler there and Hollycloud was excited about swimming so she ran all the way there; then Hollycloud could ask Bramblemoss to join her and they can become friends. Now, if the RP were to continue as it is, most likely they'll go hunting or on a patrol together and it'll be considered a cliche RP-- or in other words, a BORING RP.

Lastly, my last problem with this RP is that whoever RPed Bramblemoss is copying Hollycloud. Copying how? In the actions of course. Bramblemoss's RPer mentioned the tail, whiskers, greeting and smile after Hollycloud. Bramblemoss's RPer even went as far as "mewed". It's a mistake we all make. Try to not copy someone's actions, especially an advanced RPer's. They notice it. Trust me, they do, because I notice it. It shows your skill level, and of course, you want to seem like you're on top of things, not below things.

4. Advanced Roleplaying

Between style 3 and this one, there's like a puberty stage. Some roleplays will be amazing, while other's will have you go back into a rut. You'll blame it on writers block, but in reality, you're still transitioning into the Advanced stage. Most likely, people from the ages 15+ roleplay like this. Now, let me give you a good example of a truly advanced roleplay:

"Dusk was ending, leaving it's twilight color scheme and turning into the dreary darkness of blues, purples and blacks. The grasslands took on a deep plum hue and as a soft gale blew over them, the grasses brushed together to create a faint whisper from the shadows. It was beautiful in a melancholy way, and quiet. Everleigh moved through the grasses, more silent than the thin stalks were as the wind blew through them. The hybrid girl was wearing all black, as she always did: black tights thoroughly ripped throughout the expanse of her thin legs, with an over sized  plain black t-shirt covering her torso, mid forearm and fell almost to her knees. Everleigh's thick mass of long, wild obsidian black hair blew behind her- looking like a ominous black smoke swirling behind her. She would have looked like a person born from the shadows or the essence of fear manifested in a human form if it weren't for her pale skin that showed she was human.

Everleigh continued her path, holding no expression on her pallid face. Her features were emotionless although her thick bangs covered her large, dark eyes. Any creature in the grasslands, prey or predator, stayed away from her. The animals could sense the lethal aura that Everleigh naturally emitted and knew that she was basically Death itself. It wasn't long before the young woman found her favorite spot: a circle of large rocks with a flat stone in it's unshapely center. Everleigh sat down on the flat stone being completely immersed in the tall grass which was surprisingly due to her height. She slouched over, her legs crossed in front of her, and closed her eyes, focusing on nothing in particular except the atmosphere that surrounded her."

Now, this is just the introductory paragraph of a roleplay, but as you can tell, it's very different from the last three examples. Good spelling, grammar, lots of character description and environment- mentioning time, colors, and area. Whoever was going to reply to this would be able to figure out what type of character this is-obviously someone dark and powerful, antisocial, cold- and could describe how their character enters a scene because they know the time and area of the place, and where the character exactly is. You do NOT have to do something this long. Sometimes I've written beautiful things. And I mean BEAUTIFUL beautiful things. And amateurs wouldn't read them because they were too long. Obviously I was on the wrong forum, but still, it was a lessen I needed to learn. Try not to go over three paragraphs. Think about what is important now and what will be important later. You can always mention things later, like a person's past experience or relationship with a person. You could use dialogue to mention some stuff as well.

FORUM VS CHAT ROOM

This is probably the last section of my introduction. Okay, I've gone through terms and styles, and some skills for you to improve your roleplaying. Now it's time for the comparison of forum RPs and chat room RPs. Whichever one you choose will give you a different experience, both good, and you'll probably prefer one over the other. Each one has it's pros and cons, and I'll go over each one for you.

Forum Roleplaying

This is my favorite way to RP. Just because it's accessible on my iPod or computer. Forum roleplaying is where you RP on a website, blog, or forum and create threads/discussions which allows people to reply to. If that's a bit confusing, it's kinda like this:

Topic: Waiting For Love

Post: Nettie was waiting on bench in central park, looking down at her brown knees. It was hot outside so she was wearing a short white summer dress. Her hair was in braid but she could still feel the nape of neck produce sweat as the sun's hot rays poured down on her dark skin. Although she looked lonesome, Nettie wasn't. She was waiting for her boyfriend, Elliot, to finish up his shift at the local cafe and come over to meet her. It was their three month anniversary today, and Elliot promised her a small surprise. Nettie remembered how she had told him how she didn't want him to do anything special but Elliot was adamant about celebrating their relationship success. Absently, the small girl picked up her cellphone and looked at the time, seeing that Elliot was five minutes late.

(now, usually the person will post this and then whoever RPs Elliot would reply. It'd look something like this:)

Topic: RE: Waiting For Love

Post: Elliot was running through central park. He knew he was late. He always seemed to be late whenever he wanted to do something nice for Nettie. If only his boss wasn't such a jerk all the time! For some reason, Mr. Porter was always having private conversations with him right when he wanted to leave. It was annoying but Elliot couldn't do a thing. He needed his bust boy job. (and it continues...) 

(Now the person who is replying to it will post it and then somehow the RPer for Nettie will get a notification or something and can reply back to it.)

What's great about this is that you can go through and revisit the roleplay. Did you forget an important detail that happened 43 posts ago? Never fear, you can just read back and instantly remember what happened exactly. You can also take your time in writing replies because the person is technically not waiting for you to reply right away and give yourself more access in writing a lengthy response. As I mentioned before, you can access a website like wikifoundry (formerly known as wetpaint), blogspot, forum, goodreads, instagram, roleplaygateway, proboards, chickensmoothie, (even email) and many others just on your android, iPod, iPhone, iPad, and computer. You cannot access these sites through your school's wifi, just to inform you all. The topic/discussion/thread will not be deleted unless breaking site rules or something rare like that, and it's always there for you to refer to.

Yet, there's cons to this. If you're in a major RPing mood and your partner is not, then you'll have to wait around for posts. You'll have to wait all day, or two days and sometimes a week. You'll be able to RP with others, sure, but the one RP you're truly excited back could be on hold for who knows how long and you'll never know unless you know the RPer in RL. Also, if you make an open roleplay, forum RPers are always on the website and could attach themselves right into your RP. And if they're not pass Level 3 of roleplaying, then be prepared for some cliche plot coming your way. You could always pick who you want to RP with, but if they take a mental break from the website in general then you may be waiting a long time for a reply.

CHAT ROOM ROLEPLAYING

I used to do quite a lot of these when I had time. If you don't have a lot of time on your hands due to work or school, then you may want to focus more on Forum Roleplaying because it will suit your schedule better. But if you do have a lot of time, then chat room RPing may be perfect for you.

It's similar to what I showed you in the Forum RP. Except you don't write a topic because you are on a chat room. If you just like RPing with one person at a time, then this is easy to do. You can just have your own private chat session with them, when you are both online together. You can RP any style above, from newb to advanced (just like in forum) and create a variety of plots and characters. With chat RPs, you'll most likely have a PB or IG to show what your character's look like or send pictures of links to your RP Buddy. You can quickly RP for about an hour or two, and then get off and schedule a new time with your buddy for the next day of RP or RP throughout the night, pulling on an all-nighter. You can also RP with many others, or do private chats. You'll also communicate a lot easier with the other person, preventing the time gaps of when you and them will RP next.

What's bad is that to RP, you have to be on at the same time as your RPer. It will also be hard to find an RPer that you'd like because your level may be above someone else's, and the other person may not like RPing with you--which is also true for the forum RPs. Finding appropriate chat rooms may be hard since usually there is no moderator to protect you from online harassment  and they can delete the evidence. Or, you can delete the evidence by leaving the chatroom. Chat rooms do not save your past RPs. You'll be loosing your "stories" with the other person. Also, you can't really post a character description.

Websites that hold chat room based RPs are wikifoundry (certain websites though), chattango, IM, XAT, meebo, and a few others. Chattango chat boxes on websites do not save chat data. There's also many different chat boxes that you can use, but none of them ever save chat data or RPs.

FINISHING STATEMENTS

Finally. I'm almost finished. I hope this first post was useful to you. I'm going to try to post at least two or three times a week, and hopefully you'll get plenty out of this blog. In future posts, I'll do website analysis on different websites that you can join and partake in, character descriptions, and give a few more tutorials on how to correctly RP. If I missed anything or you want me to go over something specific, just send me an email or message or comment or something, and I'll go over that topic for you. I've been roleplaying for 7 years, so trust me, I know what I am talking about. I have more knowledge in wikifoundry, instagram, tumblr, roleplaygateway, xat, and chattango but I know lots of stuff about all the other websites and forums out there.

I'll give out more examples, and may even do a small commentary about my RP experiences. I know this post was very long, so I tried splitting it up into sections for all of you. I can assure you that most of my posts won't be this lengthy, and some will actually have a few pictures to brighten up the post. It was just all the examples and the basics. Man... I'm glad I finally got through this.

So remember. Follow this blog if you're new at roleplaying or even an expert, because you might find an amazing community to RP with or figure out how to make your writing skills come to life. Give me comments for praise, hate, or suggestions- I read everything and I consider everything! 

See you next time and happy roleplaying!

                                  -SC