A few tips on RPing, grammar and punctuation

[Elgee]

Role playing is done in third person, past tense. (For example, "She walked down the street and was lost in thought.") Your writing should only contain your character's thoughts - you will not be able to know what other people are thinking.

 

Thoughts/Speech are the only exception. They should be present tense and first person. Thought should be indicated with italics, speech within quotation marks.

 

When writing, think of the way a book is written:

 

- use standard font and colour

 

- break it up into paragraphs

 

- try to write understandably, in other words spell and grammar check

 

- use punctuation

 

Comma, Comma, Comma! There are all sorts of rules about commas, semi-colons, full stops, etc (see a few notes at the bottom), but there’s a simple way to at least make your post readable to others:

 

Read what you have written, out loud. Do not pause or take a breath unless there is a comma, semicolon or full stop.

Ran out of breath halfway through? Then for heaven’s sake use punctuation!

 

- avoid OVERUSE of the comma, though.

 

For example:

 

Maeldryn quickly, and thoroughly, glanced around, and seeing his friend, rushed forward to meet him.

 

Instead write:

 

Maeldryn quickly, and thoroughly, glanced around. Seeing his friend, he rushed forward to meet him.

 

 

- use:

   - quotation marks (“”) for you speech: "That is Esther," she interjected in a hard tone.

   - italics for marking thought or dreams: How can one person succeed in being so rude in such a short time? she wondered.

 

Example:

 

How can one person succeed in being so rude in such a short time? she wondered, wincing a little at the orders being flung at Esther who looked like she was about to explode. The girl said something about being her roommate and Kiyi's face stilled in horror. Her chin lifted and she did something that was rare for her. Even sitting amongst rumpled sheets, she was suddenly every inch the noble woman.

 

"That is Esther," she interjected in a hard tone, looking down her nose at the new arrival. "She's not a maid, she's my room mate. All novices have to keep their own rooms clean. And you would be?"

 

Surely there has to be a mistake? This... creature... can't possibly be assigned to our room!!

 

- quotation marks (“”) for speech by others (ie what you hear)

 

This can sometimes be confusing, so if you want to make a further distinction for others, you could put it in italics or colour (not recommended) too.

 

Example:

 

“Come!” Larindhra rose and walked around her desk when she saw who her visitor was. “Terias! This is a pleasant surprise.” Larindhra smiled warmly at the Yellow Sister. What brings you to my neck of the woods?” Her eye caught sight of the girl hovering outside, and her smile widened. “Brought me a new one, did you? Well, let her come in. I presume you’ve tested her?”

 

“I did indeed, Larindhra. Serien, come in and introduce yourself.”

Or

“I did indeed, Larindhra. Serien, come in and introduce yourself.”

Or

“I did indeed, Larindhra. Serien, come in and introduce yourself.”

 

Larindhra greeted the child with a warm smile. “Welcome to the Tower, Serien. Have a seat so long – I’ll be with you shortly.” She could see that Terias looked quite travel weary, so she wasn’t surprised when the Yellow excused herself.

 

- Give your character name

 

To make it easier for people to know who you are posting as (especially if you have more than one character), give your character name and position (and faction, if that might need to be in there) at the beginning or end of your post, for instance:

 

Larindhra Rayne

Mistress of Novices

 

- OOC and IC

 

If you need to say something out of Character, then precede the comment/question/remark with OOC; then when you type your In Character post precede it with IC. This way it keeps the two separate and removes confusion.

 

 

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Claire is teaching some classes on RP, and she has kindly let me use a bit of it here:

 

Using Details:   While simplicity is a virtue, it is more interesting to write (and read!) RPs that use details effectively.  This means using good basic detailing of your character's actions and the world around them. 

 

Unique words add variety (strolled for walked, etc) to the line.  Try using a thesaurus to come up with synonyms for words you find yourself using over and over in your posts. 

 

It is important for you to give the other participants something to work off of when they post.  You want to be as descriptive as possible in your character's posts so that the other's can make their posts as insightful as possible when it comes to your character's thoughts and motivations.  For example, a new novice might post upon entering the WT:

 

  She waited outside the door.  The Aes Sedai opened the door and looked at her.  The girl looked up at her and said,

  "I have come to be tested to become a Novice."

 

This isn't very descriptive, and it leaves a lot of burden on the other player's shoulders to figure out what to write in response.  You haven't let them know how your character is feeling, what they look like, or any background information about them.  Instead, the writer could give them something to work with by posting like this:

 

  Patiently, Egwene waited outside the heavy oak door.  Finally, it was pulled open by an Aes Sedai, who stared down at her quizically.  Egwene assumed that it must be the Mistress of Novices who was regarding her like a hawk regards a mouse. 

 

Timidly, Egwene curtsied to the woman then followed her inside when she beckoned her to do so.  After a few minutes left squirming while the Aes Sedai looked over some paper or another on the desk, finally Egwene was allowed to speak. 

 

She smoothed her chestnut hair over her shoulder, and tried to collect herself.  After traveling this far, she didn't want to be turned away.  Her family was counting on her.  After what seemed like forever, Egwene felt calm enough to speak what had been on her mind the whole time she was following the Accepted to this room.

 

"I have come to be tested as a Novice, if it please the Light.  I have dreamed of nothing else since I met a Blue sister as a child.  My family was attacked by darkfriends recently; everyone survived and I vowed to serve the Light as an Aes Sedai in thankfulness for that.  Please do not turn me away."

 

In this example, the writer gives the other player (in this case the Mistress of Novices) a lot to work with.  She now knows that the novice has brown hair, that she is feeling rather insecure, and that she has some traumatic times in her recent past.  This will allow her to write a better post in response.

 

 

Common RP Mistakes

 

  In brief, I will just cover a few of the common RP mistakes that people occasionally make at DM.  If you have done one of these things in the past, don’t fret…it happens.  Just use this as a guideline to make yourself a better RPer.

 

  Avoid Godding:  Plain and simple, this means don’t RP your character doing anything they should *not* be able to do (cast Balefire, Dreamwalk, generally be amazing in every way possible). 

  Don’t be a Mary Sue:  A Mary Sue (also sometimes called a Betty) is a character who is not quite Godding, but still has it pretty good in every way.  Nothing goes wrong for these characters, they always have every hair in place, are never taken aback or unpleasantly surprised.  As we have discussed before, a balance of good and bad in your character’s experiences is a GOOD thing.

  Hands to yourself!:  Don’t RP other character’s actions.  Try to remember that the other characters are being played by real people too.  If you are RPing that you blew up a house next to an Aes Sedai, don’t put in your post that she ran away screaming like a harridan afterwards.  Let the person playing them decide how their character reacts.  If it is small things, like somebody nodding or waving hello to you, you generally can go ahead and write that in your plot.  Just make sure that you discuss anything else with the people you are RPing with.

  Enough is enough!:  Know when to end a thread.  I know it is tempting sometimes to get caught up in endless threads about dancing with women in taverns, or pulling a prank on an Aes Sedai…but use your discretion.  At some point, there is no new drama, no new material that can really add anything to a thread, and you are stuck RP spamming about how your dance partner’s bosom bounces or something.

  Plan it out!  Be aware that most failed threads (IE those that die out before completion) are due to poor planning on the part of the participants.

 

 

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COMMA

 

TIP:

 

ONLY USE A COMMA FOR AN INTRODUCTION

 

Words that "set the scene" do not always start the sentence; they could appear at the back or in the middle. You only need a comma when these words appear at the front of the sentence. This is very handy to know. Look the examples below:

 

At 4 o'clock, the new manager, David Bain, will visit. (correct, but too many commas)

 

The new manager, David Bain, will visit at 4 o'clock.  (correct - much tidier)

 

It is common for a sentence to start with an introduction. An introduction can be anything from just one word to a long clause. In general, an introduction is used to state a time, a place, a condition, a frequency or a fact before the main part of the sentence. (Introductions vary hugely.)

 

Examples:

 

In the centre of London, the number of people who fell victim to pickpockets rose by 30 per cent in a month.  correct (sets a place)

 

As soon as the cake is golden-brown, take it out of the oven.  correct (sets a time)

 

Yesterday, the manager visited the stables.  correct (sets a time)

 

On Tuesday 4th July a band played carols in the park for 8 hours.  X

("On Tuesday 4th July" sets a time. It is an introduction and should be followed by a comma.)

 

Having spoken to John, I can confirm that the meeting is definitely off. correct

(states a fact)

 

As you are well aware, the latest figures do not look promising. correct

(states a fact)

 

After the secretary had read the minutes of the meeting, the chairman asked for the financial report. correct

 

A band played in the park for 8 hours on Tuesday 4th July. correct

 

On Tuesday 4th July, a band played in the park for 8 hours. correct

 

 

SEMICOLON

 

DEFINITELY NOT A COMMA

 

Transitional phrases are common. Most of the time, a transitional phrase will start a new sentence. However, you can use a semicolon if you wish to bring it closer to the original sentence. You cannot do this with a comma. This is a very common mistake.

 

It is extremely foggy, nevertheless, the game will be played.   X

 

MAIN CULPRIT IS "HOWEVER"

 

The error described above is called a "comma fault". This error is most commonly seen with the word "however".

 

I am leaving on Tuesday, however, I will be back on Wednesday to collect my wages.  X

I am leaving on Tuesday; however, I will be back on Wednesday to collect my wages. correct

I am leaving on Tuesday.  However, I will be back on Wednesday to collect my wages. correct

 

COMMA AFTER "SO"

 

When the word "so" is used to mean "therefore", it is a transitional phrase and should be followed by a comma.

 

We are not in a position to fund the changes. So, the current system will remain until at least April when it will be reviewed again. correct

 

 

APOSTROPHE

 

Examples:

 

The weather's bad. correct

(Written in full: The weather is bad. In this example, the apostrophe replaces the letter 'i'.)

 

Don't think about it. correct

(In full: Do not)

 

I c'ant stand in the rain for too long.?  X

(The apostrophe is in the wrong place.)

(Should be: can't)

(In full: cannot)

 

 

DON'T CONFUSE YOU'RE & YOUR

 

"You're" is short for "you are".

 

You're a naughty boy. correct

 

"Your" is not short for "you are". It is used to show possession.

 

This is your PC.  correct

This is you're PC.  X

Your a star.  X

 

DON'T CONFUSE IT'S AND ITS

 

"It's" is short for "it has" or "it is". (There are no other uses.)

 

It's stopped raining, and it's sunny.

 

"Its", on the other hand, is similar to "his" and "her" and is used to show possession.

 

I'm near the whale. I can see its tail.  correct

This is it's fourth journey.  X

(its would be correct)

Its as easy as falling off a log.  X

(it's would be correct)

 

DON'T WRITE SHOULD OF

 

"Should've" sounds like "should of", but it is short for "should have". (This is the same for "could've" and "would've".)

 

should of  X, could of  X, would of  X

 

WRITE 'CANNOT' AS ONE WORD

 

"Cannot" is one word.

 

I can not stand in the rain for too long.  X

 

Although rare, it is possible to see "can" and "not" as two separate words. However, this is never an expansion of "can't".

 

She can NOT only sing BUT dance too.  correct

 

NO APOSTROPHE IN OURS

 

Words like "ours", "theirs", "yours" and "hers" do not have apostrophes in them.

 

These books are ours.  correct

You can use our's.  X

I saw theirs'.  X

 

 

DASH

 

 

Confused about colons, semicolons and three dots? Use a dash.  The dash performs all the functions of the colon, the semicolon and three dots mentioned above.

 

Examples:

 

He blamed his divorce on one thing - beer.  correct

(replaces a colon)

 

The sales team meet on Tuesdays - unlike the floor managers who meet on Wednesdays.   correct

(replaces a semicolon)

 

The team requires another person - namely, Adam Richards.    correct

(replaces a semicolon)

 

No one was hurt - the only injury was a broken finger.    correct

 

As I moved the bushes, I was not confronted by the deer I had been tracking for two days, but - a Bengal tiger.    correct  (replaces three dots)

 

A credit card stolen from a woman in Devon was used to pay for a Chinese meal 18 hours later - in Hong Kong.   correct

 

 

[Jaydena]

Wow girl, this is amazing, great job on it hun and something we very much needed.

[Elgee]

*blushes* ... thanks  :D

 

I pulled most of that off various grammar sites, so not all my own work. Many of these things I have to look up myself, so I eventually thought of putting it all up here as easy reference. Hope others also find it useful! 

[Talavin]

What horse c'ant you ride?  X

(The apostrophe is in the wrong place.)

(Should be: isn't)

(In full: is not)

 

I believe what you meant to put here is -

 

What horse c'ant you ride?  X

(The apostrophe is in the wrong place.)

(Should be: can't)

(In full: can not)

 

;D

[Elgee]

Thanks, Talavin  :D

 

I changed it for one less confusing, while I was at it. (And it's "cannot", btw, not "can not" ... *grins*)

[Talavin]

Lol yeah. In my defense I wrote that at 12 midnight while I was preoccupied with studying for physics :)

[Elgee]

I suck at defence ... but I'm very good at degate  ;D