Writing Style-RPG Board

Dyluck · Post by **Dyluck** » Sun Mar 09, 2003 12:10 am

Here are a few guidelines to better writing style on the rpg board that I wrote after noticing some problems with some recent posts.

1) Italics are usually used in a short descriptive action in a rpg board post where the rest of the text is a message from the character. Italics are NOT used to indicate ALL descriptive actions, so don't italicize everything in a HUGE narrative post. It is NOT necessary to italicize your ENTIRE post if you're describing a story or a scene. Excessive use of italics doesn't help at all. Reading paragraph upon paragraph of italicized text is not kind to the eyes of the readers. Notice that the majority of text in almost all text documents are NOT italicized and only a small portion of it is.

2) Try not to go more than 10 lines of text without starting a new paragraph. You do NOT have to try and encompass an entire scene of a story into a single paragraph. Try to start a new line when a new significant action is take or when an action is taken by another character other than the previous one. I'm not saying start a new line for every single action, but use your judgement to portion out significant paragraphs of few lines each. 4 paragraphs of 10 lines each is easier to read than 2 paragraphs of 20 lines each.

3) If you've read books and novels, you'd notice that there are usually no multiple quotations from multiple characters in a single paragraph. A conversation where multiple characters talk back an forth multiple times is NOT compacted into a single paragraph. In fact, an entirely new paragraph/line is started for every single quotation. Usually only two quotations from a single character is used at most in a single paragraph. For example:

Dyluck trudged on towards the pier with various bags and chests on his shoulders. As the beach came into view, he noticed a fruit stand nearby and remembered that they hadn't packed enough food.

"Wait for me!" Dyluck exclaimed. "I have to go get a few things first!"

"Hurry up or we'll miss the boat!" replied Sabrina.

"I'll be right back!" replied Dyluck, smiling.

He put the bags and chests down and jogged over to the fruit merchant who looked up at him with squinted eyes under the gleaming sun.

Of course there's still a lot more to a good piece of writing, but these are just a few guidelines to improve some of the writing on the RPG board recently. Try and follow these guidelines if you don't want the quality of your story to be undermined by the quality of your writing and the strain on the readers' eyes.

Brendan Mason · Post by **Brendan Mason** » Sun Mar 09, 2003 12:56 am

Maybe this should be made a sticky?

Korwin · Post by **Korwin** » Sun Mar 09, 2003 2:37 am

Yes, and please for the love of all that is holy use punctuation. Anyone found not using punctuation shall be taken out back and shot.

Vindigan · Post by **Vindigan** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 8:16 pm

another thing about the RPG board. Wouldn't it be better if we pretend that getting killed is realy getting KO'd?

One post I read that realy showed this was one that said somthing like "he has been killed already for this and he gave the stuff back"

Peoples opinions on this?

Roke · Post by **Roke** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 9:48 pm

Thank you Dyluck, perhaps I will try writing a good story one of these days, when I get an idea. Your suggestions will be helpful to myself and many other players.

Dyluck · Post by **Dyluck** » Thu Mar 13, 2003 1:58 am

I definately agree Vindigan. It makes completely no sense to me when I keep hearing people say "You killed me already" or "You killed me 3 times yesterday".

GMcFly · Post by **GMcFly** » Thu Mar 13, 2003 2:14 am

and pls, if a chr is writing, he dont write

hello you are dumb

and the answer is

you insult me

Have you ever write a letter?

Dear xyz

i have heared you have insulted me.
If you cant explain why it can have consequences for you and you friends. But i hope i become soon a good explaining why.

yours xyz

also why i read so much like you talk?
The board is a message board where all can read.
Talking you can in the game.

Thx for reading

Fieps · Post by **Fieps** » Mon Mar 24, 2003 9:58 am

Because of the newest events in the RPG Board, I must say something. ( again? )
In my opinion you can ingame the RPG Board describe with a letter or note
"board" or "wall".
This mean, you can left there short messages or long storys ( how everybody want )
for the citizen from Trollsbane.

But explain me please where is the sense of one-sentence-posts and the content
is about "How somebody walks in the Shop"?

It´s not possible to react to such posts.

We regard a few examples:

post 1:"The ghost of Paul Laffing floats into the library."

post 2: "Paul Laffing walks out of the library. Paul Laffing looks very pale, and his eyes are clouded and grey, whereas they used to be blue."

post 3: "Paul Laffing looks down at his finger which has a glowing blackstone ring on it. Paul Laffing smirks evilly."

So; what´s that? How should fit this in the description from the rpg board???
Have you guys never learned to write a story?
That go on my nerves and i lost my pleasure to read those ...... post´s.

And again. Write in a story or let a person tell what she saw as he/she walked
in the shop, or something else but in the manner of the RPG board!

But please not more such ...... *arg*.

martin · Post by **martin** » Mon Mar 24, 2003 10:37 am

@GMcfly:
And don't use colors.
I can read "You are dumb". The rest of the colored part of his posting is not readable for me. Dark blue on a black background -- I don't know what *you* see, but i don't see anything. It simply hurts my eyes.

Furthermore, here is another hint: Don't write 5 pages of text without any action taking place (e.g. only describing a boring landscape or something). Make clear statements and try to find out if it is possible for someone who didn't write the text (in most cases: the rest of the world out there) to understand what you wanted to say. Use a dictionary if you need it (I always have an electronic one running in the background). Don't try to bore people. Don't state the obvious. Don't lose yourself in unnecessary details ("and then he made a 40-inch-step with his right foot, covering a little stone and a injured ant next to a blade of gras, ..." -- no one is interested in that kind of stuff). Make the reader curious about what is going to happen next. etc.

Martin

paul laffing · Post by **paul laffing** » Mon Mar 24, 2003 10:47 pm

Dear Fieps,

Commenting on your recent post, i would have to ask you what the post what have been if i had been speaking it instead?

"I walked into the library as a ghost and came out as a human. It was amazing! I can't tell you what happened inside, though, to help with suspense."

I mean, come on! You have to post your actions just as background information even.

Your best friend in the whole world,
Paul Laffing

Niniane · Post by **Niniane** » Mon Mar 24, 2003 11:01 pm

Paul,

What I think Fieps was trying to say is that the posts you made were unnecessary. Actions that take place in the game are not something that has to be acted out on the boards again. Only the people who witnessed the action in town should know about them. If they take place on the boards instead of in the town where you say they did, then everyone who reads knows this happens when they shouldn't. Only the ones in the library at the time saw you so why would this be written on a board by you? If it’s going to appear on the rpg board it should be written by those who saw you and not by you yourself (in words not actions). If there are actions that take place outside of the illarion community (such as the quest for Sevious) then these actions or rp stories can be carried out on the rpg boards but only if done so properly.

If you have to post such things at least condense them into a single post. There are three or four one-line posts that could have been given in one post if they had to be given at all. You should talk or write as your character would on the rpg board and not describe every little thing that your character does in the first person unless of course they are not in town. Then a letter could be sent back that others could find and post on the boards or if the story runs the coarse of A Letter in Blood then interaction among characters outside the town is acted out in such a way.

These are my interpretations of Fieps’ words mingled with my own views. I hope this helps and I’m not as wrong as I could be.

paul laffing · Post by **paul laffing** » Tue Mar 25, 2003 4:28 am

(just between me and you, these didn't happen in the game. They're just background information for why i am alive. At least people will know i am alive and won't think i am still dead.)