Tips for RP

[Ana Bravo]

Writer's Block gets to everyone every now and again, even I'm guilty of suffering! (User: You?? Impossibru!! Ana: Yes, dear User, Possibru.) There isn't exactly a minimum length of a post during an RP because, let's face it, sometimes there just isn't a lot to go on in some parts of a plot. But one-liners are boring to say the least! If you're stuck on content for your RP, try some of these tips:

× Fill in environmental detail! This is especially useful in the initial posts of an RP. Nothing is really happening in the beginning when character's have yet to meet, so describing in detail the environment and how the character feels about it is very handy! Plus, it establishes a mood and setting!
ex: "Ana walked into the bar and sat down with a huff, slamming her fists down on the counter in a bit of a pout. "Gimme the strongest thing you've got..." she said in a deep and unhappy voice. The bartender seemed to detect her displeasure in the day and got her her drink with no questions asked." can be turned into...
"Ana trudged into the Drunken Marksman, her feet heavy with the weight of an exhausting and infuriating day. As soon as the door swung open, the smell of sweat and the din of inebriated arguments welcomed her, bombarding her senses. She was beginning to regret the choice of where to get her drink. This was never a good place to go on a weekend evening. It was usually so quiet during the weekdays but this particular Saturday was just one of those days where you couldn't sleep an issue off.
The radiant siren made a b-line for the bar and sat down with a huff, pounding her fist on the counter to get the bartender's attention. He recognized her and handed her the usual. Ana swiped the glass from his hand without a thanks and began to drink earnestly, polishing it off in one guzzle. The slammed the thick glass back down to the counter and looked around, unamused by the clatter of drunken mercenaries and bandits."

× Anecdotes! During a bit of a slump in the RP, inserting a story or memory of the character's past can be helpful in filling in space!
ex: "Ana stood there, looking to Chloe, silence around the two of them. Not since the time they first met was the air so still, so suffocating. The words of their argument lingered in the air like heavy gas, poisoning their friendship. After a few long moments passed, Ana reached out a hand to grab Chloe's hand to reassure her but Chloe ran, never looking back. It was a fact, then, that the words said weren't just cuts. They were wounds, severing the bond between them. Just as it had been before." can become...
"Ana stood there, looking to Chloe, silence around the two of them. Not since the time they first met was the air so still, so suffocating. The words of their argument lingered in the air like heavy gas, poisoning their friendship.
They were no older than 10 when Ana met Chloe in sensitive circumstances. School was abuzz with screaming children and Ana chatted her own set of friends while Chloe, new to the elementary, sat alone along the brick wall of the schoolhouse. Ana's friends had dared her to go talk to the girl and, always up for a new friend, Ana did it. She walked up to Chloe, hands on her hips and looked her over to look for a conversation starter. She noticed her dirty dress and, in a bit of a brash tone, asked "Why you all dirty? You don't play out here, you just sit all by yourself." Chloe looked up to Ana with a look of disgust in the question and stood up, Chloe towering above her, and she ran the other direction as tears pooled in her eyes. Ana had stood there dumbfounded at her reaction, unaware that Chloe had been abused as a child and that dress was dirty because she was forced to sleep outside every night by her parents and could only wear one thing. Once she had learned she apologized to Chloe but things were always tense between the two, even with how close they had become over the years.
But this argument brought upon the two of them a deeper understanding of what hurt and Ana crossed a line she could never come back from. The words lingered in the air "freak" and "useless", volatile to Chloe and her fragile psyche. Ana realized her offense and desperately wanted to come back from it. After a few long moments passed, Ana reached out a hand to grab Chloe's hand to reassure her, to apologize and right her wrongs, but Chloe ran, never looking back. It was a fact, then, that the words said weren't just cuts. They were wounds, severing the bond between them."

× Emotions! Explaining how a character may feel can fill up quite a bit.
Ex: "Ana picked up a photo of her old pet ferret Brody and smiled, looking down and holding it close to her. Cleaning out the garage was sure to hold pleasant surprises, but she never expected to see him again. She sat there, squeezing it to her chest, missing him dearly, before she stood up again and proceeded to hang it up next to her bed to look at it every day, remembering her old best friend." could be...
"After rifling through a box of old belongings, a heavy wave of nostalgia washed over Ana as she caught sight of an old photo of her and her now passed ferret named Brody. She remembered the times they played together when she moved to a new town and all she had was him to be with. Tears formed in her eyes as she slowly and gingerly picked up the photo, her eyes lingering on the fond fur for a while, before she brought it into her chest and held it closely. She never expected to see him again, even if only in a photo. Cleaning out the garage brought her so many happy memories but none this powerful. Brody was her best friend and she was so unbelievably glad to have this immortalized moment. She sat there, holding it tightly to her, for a few minutes before she stood up and walked into her bedroom, hanging the photo next to her bed so she could relive the moment every day."

**By no means are Users requested to follow a certain style of RolePlay. It doesn't matter what style of writing you choose to use, as long as it is understandable! First person, Third person, it's all fair game here!