Post by •╬Clever╬• on Feb 5, 2014 12:19:54 GMT -5
Now, I'm going to try to make this as short and sweet as possible.~
This collaborative writing story is awfully defined by unique characters. I say, over everything, the characters have to mix together in a way that is interesting, believable, conflicted, and works out in chemistry and balance. When you are making a character, you are responsible for keeping the role play alive and interesting.
First of all, before you even define what you are going to make, I encourage to the fullest extent that you read over other character forms. This is very important. Look at what makes them unique, their problems, their pasts, and their execution on how they filled out the form. Don't sit there and stare for hours, but read enough to admire the characters that others have made, and respect the aspects put before you to build off from.
Yes, I said build off from.
A key aspect of a good plotline is to find a good melting pot of characters that each have interesting and quirky relationships.
Think of a character that isn't like the others, and do not use other character's unique traits, but also think of how that character could interact with others, who they would admire, who they would hate, who they would love. Think of the future in how your character will play a part, a part that isn't already taken. Make it realistic and fine, and remember that every character is important. There is no main characters in this collaborative work.
A little note: Repeats happen. If a dad dies in both of two character's families, it's not the end of the world. That's okay. Just don't make the characters react the same way and don't have the dad die in the same way. Does that make sense?
But don't be cliche.~
Many people, when they think mental, think along the lines of smirking, killing, or being afraid. It doesn't all have to be insanity. Don't be cliche. Don't think of cliche characters. If something is evil it's evil for a reason, not. . .just. . . evil. If someone's passionate, why? Don't make them vain without having a quirk or some kind of thing that will make them different. Just don't be cliche. The best way to avoid this is to find links with everything. If someones mean and cruel, maybe 'quirk' they like flowers or they like girls who look like their sister? If someones shy all the time maybe 'quirk' they get really exited and blasty about animals? Just avoid doing the norm. I usually start a character by thinking of a very strange trait.
Mental disabilities, not super powers.~
Oh gosh, this is one of the worst. Let's say there's a kid named Bob. Bob can read peoples minds without a problem and can raise the dead. The creator of Bob says that's a disability.
BOB SHOULD BE IN AREA 51.
Mental disabilities, for the most part, aren't gifts! And if they are you have to have a bad side to it that covers the good. It just makes no sense. Now let's fix Bob's situation.
"Bob believes he can read people's minds, but he can't concentrate on one in crowds. He's ugly, and so he always hears the people's comments in their thoughts, making him angry, and insane. He doesn't want this power. He also thinks that he can read the thoughts of the dead, and he can't explain why because the dead can't think."
Still a little out there I presume, but it's no longer a super power. Yes, I will take a little out there things, because Rosecreek is a 'last resort' sanitarium, but that doesn't mean blessed children roam the halls! Being mental is tragic, and it's just a crying shame that people think life is a bowl of chocolate covered cherries and that if you jump into an acid vat you'll come out clean and get the power to fly. No, most psychics aren't that strong, except a few who are probably in hiding. Most people with out of body experiences or trips to heaven are close to death. Ever heard the term 'It's a blessing and a curse?'
A lot of Asylum Roleplays have this problem where blessings count as disabilities.
Get with it, and get out of it.
Do not believe in love at first sight all the time.~
Your characters do not need to fall in love. That's just that. So, if Billy-Bob and Sally-Sue are locked in a room together for five minutes, don't make one of them just be nice so they fall in love in the future. Sally-Sue and Billy-Bob can tolerate each other, yes, but not everything is meant to be. I mean, if you were locked in an elevator with an old man, would you kiss him goodbye when you're saved?
I love to see relationships that start out in anger and rage! Gosh, when my mom first met my dad, she thought he was obnoxious!
Just make relationships interesting. You've seen movies do it, the whole, 'I hate you' 'I hate you too' and then they make out sort of thing? Not exactly that but isn't that interesting? Makes you say "gol-ee what are they smokin'?"
Every character gets a chance.~
Every character should have a shining moment. Don't have yours? Speak up! It isn't that bad. I know sometimes people get so anxious that during a climax, they add more climax by making their character run out crying while the killer is holding a boy to gunshot, and it just doesn't make sense. Someone's gonna die! It isn't about you right now. If it's never about you then speak up. The bad guy can go after you next.
Now no groupies! Even I have problems with this! Yes, the group can split up into smaller groups, but include every rper somehow.
Keep the hype but don't hype it so much!~
You need a ripple of a plot. Don't always call for action. Have some time for characters to heal. Calm down, then build up, calm down, then build up. If you think of a television series that's what I'm talking about. They have a lot of episodes that have nothing to do with the main plot. Don't those episodes just make you sigh happily? Just a break from it all? Well that's good in writing too.
Another thing. Making characters are like having children! Don't just fill a form out just to have a new character! It needs development! Don't be sloppy. Trust me, I can tell a good form from a bad one. Now it doesn't have to be long, just make it good. I think long forms are not too needed. Forms are really just for you to line out your thoughts. If you want it long, you might have a better view of your character.
Conclusion.~
I hope you found this summary very enticing. Even I, while writing this, gathered my thoughts together. Let's make this role-play successful!
This collaborative writing story is awfully defined by unique characters. I say, over everything, the characters have to mix together in a way that is interesting, believable, conflicted, and works out in chemistry and balance. When you are making a character, you are responsible for keeping the role play alive and interesting.
First of all, before you even define what you are going to make, I encourage to the fullest extent that you read over other character forms. This is very important. Look at what makes them unique, their problems, their pasts, and their execution on how they filled out the form. Don't sit there and stare for hours, but read enough to admire the characters that others have made, and respect the aspects put before you to build off from.
Yes, I said build off from.
A key aspect of a good plotline is to find a good melting pot of characters that each have interesting and quirky relationships.
Think of a character that isn't like the others, and do not use other character's unique traits, but also think of how that character could interact with others, who they would admire, who they would hate, who they would love. Think of the future in how your character will play a part, a part that isn't already taken. Make it realistic and fine, and remember that every character is important. There is no main characters in this collaborative work.
A little note: Repeats happen. If a dad dies in both of two character's families, it's not the end of the world. That's okay. Just don't make the characters react the same way and don't have the dad die in the same way. Does that make sense?
But don't be cliche.~
Many people, when they think mental, think along the lines of smirking, killing, or being afraid. It doesn't all have to be insanity. Don't be cliche. Don't think of cliche characters. If something is evil it's evil for a reason, not. . .just. . . evil. If someone's passionate, why? Don't make them vain without having a quirk or some kind of thing that will make them different. Just don't be cliche. The best way to avoid this is to find links with everything. If someones mean and cruel, maybe 'quirk' they like flowers or they like girls who look like their sister? If someones shy all the time maybe 'quirk' they get really exited and blasty about animals? Just avoid doing the norm. I usually start a character by thinking of a very strange trait.
Mental disabilities, not super powers.~
Oh gosh, this is one of the worst. Let's say there's a kid named Bob. Bob can read peoples minds without a problem and can raise the dead. The creator of Bob says that's a disability.
BOB SHOULD BE IN AREA 51.
Mental disabilities, for the most part, aren't gifts! And if they are you have to have a bad side to it that covers the good. It just makes no sense. Now let's fix Bob's situation.
"Bob believes he can read people's minds, but he can't concentrate on one in crowds. He's ugly, and so he always hears the people's comments in their thoughts, making him angry, and insane. He doesn't want this power. He also thinks that he can read the thoughts of the dead, and he can't explain why because the dead can't think."
Still a little out there I presume, but it's no longer a super power. Yes, I will take a little out there things, because Rosecreek is a 'last resort' sanitarium, but that doesn't mean blessed children roam the halls! Being mental is tragic, and it's just a crying shame that people think life is a bowl of chocolate covered cherries and that if you jump into an acid vat you'll come out clean and get the power to fly. No, most psychics aren't that strong, except a few who are probably in hiding. Most people with out of body experiences or trips to heaven are close to death. Ever heard the term 'It's a blessing and a curse?'
A lot of Asylum Roleplays have this problem where blessings count as disabilities.
Get with it, and get out of it.
Do not believe in love at first sight all the time.~
Your characters do not need to fall in love. That's just that. So, if Billy-Bob and Sally-Sue are locked in a room together for five minutes, don't make one of them just be nice so they fall in love in the future. Sally-Sue and Billy-Bob can tolerate each other, yes, but not everything is meant to be. I mean, if you were locked in an elevator with an old man, would you kiss him goodbye when you're saved?
I love to see relationships that start out in anger and rage! Gosh, when my mom first met my dad, she thought he was obnoxious!
Just make relationships interesting. You've seen movies do it, the whole, 'I hate you' 'I hate you too' and then they make out sort of thing? Not exactly that but isn't that interesting? Makes you say "gol-ee what are they smokin'?"
Every character gets a chance.~
Every character should have a shining moment. Don't have yours? Speak up! It isn't that bad. I know sometimes people get so anxious that during a climax, they add more climax by making their character run out crying while the killer is holding a boy to gunshot, and it just doesn't make sense. Someone's gonna die! It isn't about you right now. If it's never about you then speak up. The bad guy can go after you next.
Now no groupies! Even I have problems with this! Yes, the group can split up into smaller groups, but include every rper somehow.
Keep the hype but don't hype it so much!~
You need a ripple of a plot. Don't always call for action. Have some time for characters to heal. Calm down, then build up, calm down, then build up. If you think of a television series that's what I'm talking about. They have a lot of episodes that have nothing to do with the main plot. Don't those episodes just make you sigh happily? Just a break from it all? Well that's good in writing too.
Another thing. Making characters are like having children! Don't just fill a form out just to have a new character! It needs development! Don't be sloppy. Trust me, I can tell a good form from a bad one. Now it doesn't have to be long, just make it good. I think long forms are not too needed. Forms are really just for you to line out your thoughts. If you want it long, you might have a better view of your character.
Conclusion.~
I hope you found this summary very enticing. Even I, while writing this, gathered my thoughts together. Let's make this role-play successful!