[Advice/Guide] Emmalia's RP Guides: The Basics

[EmmaliaChan]

Welcome!
This is the first in a series of guides to help you improve and sharpen your RolePlaying style, as well as learning some of the tricks, tips, and terminology of the trade along the way. Hopefully you'll enjoy this guide, and hopefully you'll walk away from it having learned something! I'd like to give a special shout-out to MolnarSisters from DeviantArt for the great stock image I used in the banner, and also to MR AZ for helping me edit and refine the guide's information.

The focus of this particular guide is The Basics of RolePlaying. This covers the universal rules, terms, and guidelines that most all RPs follow - or should follow! Still, not everything is set in stone, and certain things, which I will try my hardest to outline, are completely a matter of personal preference.

Last updated: 3/6/2015

1. What Is RolePlaying?
You can't title a thread 'The Basics' and not get down to the nitty-gritty and literally start at the most basic of basic definitions.

RolePlaying (rarely called 'Simming', though not generally on AotK) is an activity that requires two or more people, in which you take on the role of a character that is not yourself to play through a storyline through that character's eyes. These can take place through forums, instant messengers, chat rooms, e-mail, or any other device through which a person can communicate with another person. This guide - as well as future guides in this series - will focus mainly on the forum-based style, though certain rules and dynamics will no doubt apply across multiple platforms.


2. Terminology
Before delving into detailed information, it's important that I go over possible terms that may show up throughout the guides to clear up any misunderstanding. These terms are used by the wider RolePlaying community, and thus are generally universal, and they're sorted in order of importance - terms that I may need to use in future definitions are defined prior to said definitions.

For examples within definitions to further explain what those words mean, I'll be using two generic names ('Melanie' and 'Jacob'), whose roles, ages, and personalities will change as I need them to. You're not paying me to be creative, remember.


RolePlay Types

● 1x1 RolePlay
These are private RolePlays with two players. Any RP with more than one person involved is called a 'group' RolePlay instead.

● Private RolePlay
A RolePlay reserved for two or more individuals, and that is not accepting new members into it. If unspecified, always assume that any threads currently in the RolePlay forum are private and aren't open for new members.

● Open RolePlay
A group RolePlay that is willing to accept new characters into the plot and isn't predefined as being specifically for two or more invited people. This does not mean you can just drop into that thread and begin posting! You should always PM the creator of the thread in question and explain your ideas to them before you join. It also doesn't mean that you will definitely be accepted in.

● One-Liner
A post consisting of one or two sentences, usually of simple actions and dialogue. They do little to further the plot, but they can be effective if you prefer posting speed over story progression.

● Para-Posts/Paragraph-Style
Detailed posts that usually consist of multiple paragraphs, though they are also often a single paragraph, as well.

● Mirroring
An easygoing posting style, mirroring is when a player 'mirrors' the length and level of detail of their partner's posts. For example, if their partner posts a detailed paragraph, the person mirroring will do the same, whereas if their partner posts line or two, this person will respond with a one-liner in return.

Universal Literary Terms

● Protagonist
The main character(s) of a story. This will usually be you and your partner's characters, unless one of you plays a villain.

● Antagonist
The protagonist's adversary. Anyone who actively opposes the main character(s) in a story is an antagonist.

● Character Development
Character development occurs as time goes on. Development can be small bits of background information, such as revealing something about a character's past, or it can effect the future, when a character's personality changes from the goings-on of the plot. A protagonist who gains wisdom over time from a mentor figure would be an example of this type of character development.

● Dynamic Character
Dynamic characters change continuously depending on events that occur during the course of the story. Distant characters might become more friendly, or friendly characters may harden their temperament over time.

● Static Character
The opposite of dynamic characters, these characters stay stagnant throughout the story. They don't undergo any character development, and they react similarly throughout the entire story.

● Round Character
These characters have plenty of depth to them. Their personality is multi-faceted, they have their own unique quirks and reactions, and their background is fully fleshed out. They are detailed in every way, from their thought patterns to their social interactions.

● Flat Character
Flat characters are boring to write and boring to read. They have little to no background development, their personalities are one-toned and nothing about them is revealed to the reader. Flat characters are usually side characters, but for inexperienced, lazy, or poor writers, they might also end up as protagonists.

● Internal/External Conflict
Conflict is the driving force of any story. Ranging from Tolkien epics to slice-of-life anime, conflict is what keeps us reading and watching.

Internal conflicts are a struggle between a character and something in that character's mind. A character struggling to cope with a choice that s/he made in the past is one example of this.

External conflicts are struggles between a character and an outside force. Taking a much larger variety of roles than internal conflicts, external conflicts range from squabbles with siblings to impending catastrophic natural disasters.

● Continuity
Continuity is, arguably, one of the most important factors in both stories and RolePlay. Continuity is the consistency of details and rules within a given universe. While in one world everyone has cell phones, in another, such technology might never have been developed. In another, maybe they're unneeded as people have the ability to speak telepathically.

When something has been established in continuity, it can't be changed lightly. If someone's using a cell phone in a world that doesn't have them, it should be seen as abnormal, and the person should be seen as strange or maybe even a threat. In a world where catgirls aren't known to exist, nekomimi girls would be seen as freaks of nature, and would likely be taken by scientists to be dissected. I'm sorry, this is just the harsh truth.

To give a specific example, Super Mutants in the Fallout series are sterile. In fact, they're so sterile that they don't even have genitals. An original character in the Fallout universe who is the child of a post-transformation Super Mutant doesn't make sense, and causes a glaring, and confusing, continuity error.

● Setting
The setting is the location in which the RolePlay is taking place. It can be 'a destroyed city in the future', or 'a thriving farming town in the Wild West'. It can even be 'the ocean of modern-day Earth' or 'a steampunk-style 1960s America'. The setting of a standard high fantasy RP might be 'a medieval castle town where mages aren't uncommon'. The setting also includes the rules of a given universe, such as if magic is considered normal, or if it's strange for humans not to have wings.

This isn't limited to original worlds. In the Pokémon universe, making your pets fight until they faint is normal and completely legal. Wherever your characters are, whatever time period they're in, whatever continuity they're in, that's the setting.

Terms Specific to RolePlaying

● GM
The GM, or 'Game Master', is usually the person who created the plot and started the thread. They moderate activities between players and lead the other characters along plots through their created world. A good GM is fair and honest and doesn't favor any characters over others - including their own. The traditional GM doesn't often show up in 1x1 RolePlays, with this role instead being shared between both players.

● IC/OoC
IC stands for 'In-Character' and 'OoC' stands for 'Out of Character'.

In-character interactions are between the characters in the story. When Melanie speaks to Jacob, that's an in-character interaction.
In-character can also refer to plausible actions for a character; for example, if Melanie is a gentle soul, it would be in-character for her to donate to charity. Staying in-character in IC posts is an extremely important aspect of RolePlay - character personalities should never change with your own mood, only their own!

Out of Character interactions are between the players who control characters within an RP. If Melanie is my character, and Jacob is your character, us taking time to speak about the plot between one another would be OoC interaction.
Like 'IC', this is also when a character does something that isn't plausible for that character to do. For example, unless he's gone through long-term and dramatic character development, it's an OOC action for Jacob to rescue a kitten if he's typically a baby-punching villain. This is widely considered bad RolePlaying.

● Canon Universe/Canon Character
A canon universe is a pre-created world with its own set of rules and regulations from an outside source, such as a book, movie, TV show, anime, or other type of media. This term is also used outside of RolePlaying.

A canon character is a pre-made character from an outside source, such as a book, movie, TV show, anime, or other type of media. This term, too, is also used outside of RolePlaying.

● OC
OC, or 'Original Character', is the term for any character created by an individual, whether it's one based off of a canon universe (such as a new ninja in the Naruto universe, created by a normal person) or it's a made up one for a simple RolePlay in an original universe/setting.

● Character Bio/Biography
A character biography, which is frequently shortened to 'bio', is a recounting of a character's details. Bios often include at least one of the following, but are not limited to: the character's history, skills, likes, dislikes, interests, hobbies, personality traits, age, height, and/or weight.

● Timeskip
A timeskip is when you fast-forward the story to a more interesting scene, to save yourself from having to play out boring, day-to-day actions that might not even include interacting with other characters. They can range any amount of time, from an hour to a week, to even years if it suits your situation.
(See 'Timeskips' under 'Etiquette' for more information.)

● Retcon
A retcon (short for 'retroactive continuity') is when a player undoes a previous action for the sake of placing things back in the favor of their character. Once something in-game is done, it's done, and going back on it without consent of your partner is 'retconning'.

  「Melanie slapped Jacob across the face. As she ran from the room, she shouted, "I hate you and I never want to see you again!"」

  「Confused and hurt by her actions, Jacob sulked. Such an about-face of her personality... He'd never trust her again.」

  「Melanie suddenly ran into the room. "Jacob! Did you know I have a twin?! Oh hey, what happened to your face?"」

If it wasn't previously established that Melanie had a twin, and it's something Melanie's player is throwing in to try to undo losing Jacob's trust, that's retconning. If, at any point in time, someone mentioned that she had a twin who might like to cause trouble, then this wouldn't be retconning. Don't retcon something another player did, either, even if you don't like it - the only exception where retconning is allowed is if something was done to/said about your character, without former planning or obtaining permission, that you dislike.


● Metagaming
Metagaming is a common newbie mistake that most people do unintentionally, and often without even realizing it. Metagaming is when information that only you (the player) have, but not your character, leaks into your character's knowledge. For example:

   「Melanie, who loved chocolate-coated strawberries, headed to the store to purchase herself a box of them.」

   「Jacob saw the female stranger approaching, and handed her his box of chocolate-coated strawberries. "You like these, right?"」

Does this make sense? Logically, there's no way that Jacob should have this information about a stranger. Even if they were friends, if she never told him about the strawberries, Jacob shouldn't know. The sole exception is for characters that have the ability to read minds, of course. Then, by all means, have him know about that pretty stranger's desires.

This holds true for 'I know what you're thinking' situations, too. Unless a player specifically states that a character's face is showing their emotions and thoughts, your character should not 'know what they're thinking'. Information gained through a character's inner thoughts or actions are for your eyes only, not those of the character you play. Keep your knowledge and your character's knowledge separate!


● Powerplaying
Powerplaying (called 'bunnying' in some communities) is when you take control of another person's character, or perform actions with another person's character. This is never okay! You don't know exactly what that player would have their character do, and what are they supposed to respond to if you're performing their actions for them? However, there are a few exceptions.

Times that it is okay to 'powerplay' are in simple situations where you can easily deduce basic actions, i.e. having the other person's character follow yours (a safer alternative is to 'lead' them and allow the other player to decide if they follow). If there is a child character, it's generally fine to pick them up and move them as needed. Moving an unconscious character with whom your character already has a pre-established relationship is usually all right, too, but don't go scooping up K.O.'d strangers unless you've talked to your partner about it, first.

Lastly, and most obviously, spankings are generally an exception, too. Just, if it's not obvious, be sure your partner is okay with their character getting punished.

Sometimes powerplaying is subtle and, in turn, inadvertent.

   「Melanie frowned at her feet. The mention of the neighbor's cat reminded her that she'd lost her own pet just a week before.」

   「Jacob, seeing his girlfriend's frown, kissed her forehead, bringing a smile to her face.」

No! Maybe she's deeply upset, maybe a simple kiss wouldn't make her smile and forget Mr. Cuddles' untimely demise. It's fine if you say 'in an attempt to bring a smile to her face', but assuming that it'll happen isn't. That's for Melanie's player to decide.

Another situation is where a player purportedly 'misreads' what the other player wrote that their character did. These are likely, by far, the most annoying type of powerplaying.

   「When she got out of her chair and tried to skip dinner, Jacob picked up his daughter Melanie and set her back down in the chair once again.」

   「Melanie screeched loudly after her father, Jacob, slammed her down in the chair. "That huuuuurt!"」

What!? I don't think I need to say much with this one. Maybe Jacob's player prefers him to be a gentle and patient man. Maybe physically hurting his daughter in this way is not something he'd ever do. Maybe someone needs to do a little reading up on 'connotation'. *cough*Melanie's player*cough*


● Auto-Hitting
Auto-Hitting is a somewhat self-explanatory term. Any time when, during a fight scene, your character hits another player's character without giving a chance to dodge, you're auto-hitting. This doesn't apply to slaps across the face between characters who likely don't have the reflexes to stop it, however. It's fine if you choose to describe potential damage, or the area that your character is aiming for, however.

   「Melanie launched a ball of fire at her nemesis, Jacob, burning his face and permanently marring the flesh there.」

This is obviously harsh, and Jacob's player probably doesn't want his character walking around looking like the next Phantom of the Opera. Melanie's player stepped over a line here.

   「Melanie used her spells to launch a ball of fire at her nemesis, Jacob, hoping to scorch his hands enough to prevent their use.」

This is great! It describes her intent as well as where she's aiming. It's always important to explain your character's intent through inner-thoughts, else, even if something was originally intended, you may later be accused of retconning. Always, always, always state intent beforehand.


● Mary Sue/Gary Stu
An overly perfect, overly tragic, and/or overpowered character with an extensive (often unbelievable) perfected skill set. Sometimes players will differentiate by gender, calling females 'Mary Sue' and males 'Gary Stu', but the term Mary Sue itself is mostly gender neutral. The exact traits of a Mary Sue will be addressed in a later guide; this isn't a 100% 'basic' concept, and not everyone cares if their or their partner's character is a Mary Sue.


● Godmoding* (God + Mode)
Not to be confused with 'godmodding'! Godmoding is when a character is untouchable, unbeatable, and significantly overpowered compared to other characters. A character who repeatedly dodges every single attack thrown at him/her is an example of godmode.


● Godmodding* (God + Modify/Moderate)
Not to be confused with 'godmoding'! This is a blanket term that describes one or more instances of retconning, auto-hitting, powerplaying, metagaming, and godmoding. Rather than describing what a character is doing like the above terms do, this describes what the player is doing by having the character do one of these things.

* - The meaning of these terms is greatly differentiated between different communities. These are simply my definitions, but they might not be the same elsewhere!

3. What is a Plot?
The direct definition of a plot in regards to storytelling is 'the main events of a play, novel, movie, or similar work, devised and presented by the writer as an interrelated sequence.' Whether the plot is about two pirates trying to become rich from stealin' yer booty, or about a corrupt government agent handing over secrets to the bad guys, whatever the storyline of your RolePlay is, that's the plot. However, a plot in itself has many different definitions and types.

● Active Plot
An active plot is one in which there is an ultimate 'end goal' that will resolve the story and end the RolePlay. For Mario, it's saving the princess. For Link, it's saving the princess. For Shrek, it's saving the princess who is sometimes an ogre. Hopefully your RP has a more interesting goal than that, but it certainly doesn't have to!


● Inactive Plot
Not every RolePlay has an end point. Others, most often 'domestic' storylines, just go with the flow. There's no end goal to work towards, they're more like a slice-of-life storyline where the plots are taken day by day.


● Side Plot/Sub-Plot
These are plots that divert from the active plot of the RolePlay. These can be character plots that lead to character development, or plots to lighten up the mood and give the characters a chance to rest, a bit like a sidequest in a video game. Because they require diversion from an active plot, any 'plot' within an inactive plot is simply an extension of the inactive plot and is not a side plot/sub-plot.

4. Etiquette
Like anything, anywhere, RolePlaying has its own unique set of etiquette rules that, while they don't necessarily need to be followed, it's considered rude and disrespectful to ignore them. Just as with social etiquette, some rules are 'worse' to break than others, but it varies between people as to which things upset them and which don't bother them. This list goes over the basic rules of etiquette in no particular order.

● 'Reminders'/Asking for or Demanding Replies
I do hate to contradict the 'RolePlay ~ RULES ~' thread in this same sub-forum, but I have to. It is not okay to pester someone for a post after a single day has passed! Most people will become irritated or offended by this, and hey, no one likes to feel pressured! I bet you probably don't either, right? The method I use to tell if I should prod a person is a step-by-step method:

1. Check to see if the person has been online; if they haven't, don't bother them, as they're obviously too busy to get on, and that's clearly why their post is a little slow to arrive.

2. Have they been online? Okay. That still doesn't mean they're ignoring you! Give a quick glance at your post and see if you left it off at a spot that might be difficult for them to reply to. If that's the case, give them a bit more time. If not, give them more time anyway.

3. Day three: you see that they're online, your post seems okay, and you're getting worried. No problems, just scan over the first page or two of the RolePlay Realm sub-forum. If they haven't posted at all, resume waiting. Real life gets in the way sometimes, and always takes priority.

If they are posting elsewhere, politely ask if your post left enough room to respond. This is much more appropriate than asking if/when they're going to post or 'reminding' them that it's their turn!

4. After five days, if your partner has been online, but hasn't been posting anywhere, send a message asking if you left room to respond, and/or if they need a bit of help getting it moving again. Alternatively, you could ask if they're bored. Just be polite! Never ask when they're going to post or why they haven't, and don't tell them it's their turn.

If you don't get a response to your PM within three days (and they've been online), you can probably safely consider the RP dead. You shouldn't send another message - they'll approach you if they want to continue later. It's not fun, no, but it happens sometimes.

● Ditching
Ditching is, sadly, something that happens very commonly in the AotK community. Ditching is when you leave a RolePlay without a word, without telling your partner why, without even dropping a line to them to say that you're not going to reply anymore. It's rude, and it's often hurtful, as the other person might've been enjoying the RolePlay and probably won't understand what they did wrong.

This is very important, though. Remember that no one can force you to continue an RP that you don't want to do. They can certainly try to get you to come back to it, but if you're truly determined to quit, and they keep trying to convince you, you don't owe them a hyper-detailed explanation! Telling them you're bored or you've lost your inspiration is okay, just so long as you tell them something, and so long as that 'something' is an honest reason.

● Timeskips
A handy-dandy tool to keep the RolePlay interesting, timeskips are helpful if you want to avoid things getting dull. Still, when you do them out of the blue without warning, it can mess up another person's plans. Whether you're in a 1x1 RP or a group RP, check with anyone else involved to make sure a timeskip doesn't interfere with any plots they might wish to incorporate.

It's also important to remember to briefly summarize important events that occurred during the timeskip. For short timeskips, it's usually a handful of simple actions, but if the timeskip extends over months, a few choice important events will suffice.

In timeskips spanning a year or longer, remember to take into consideration that your character/s will have aged. This means that their personality will have been shaped and altered by their experiences over time, experiences you need to include in your summary, and alterations you need to factor into the posts you make for them.


● Spelling and Grammar
It's alright if you're not a native English speaker, and no one thinks any less of you for that. It's pretty cool that you're multilingual, actually! But, no matter where your origins are, try your hardest to use proper spelling and grammar in your posts. It's not a matter of intelligence or superiority, it's simply a matter of clarity and readability. It's difficult to enjoy a RolePlay if you can't understand what your partner is trying to say, or if there are frequent misunderstandings because something was unreadable or mistyped and it was thought to have an entirely different meaning as a result.


● Suggestions
I want to emphasize that this particular guideline is rarely something you need to worry about on AotK. Still, as it's universal and drives me, and a sparse few of the RolePlayers I've met here, completely bonkers, I wanted to include it.

Suggestions for future plots/activities are a great way amp up the fun factor. In fact, I encourage you to share as many ideas as possible with your partner! However, don't suggest things that directly affect your partner's character. Suggesting family members or details in their backgrounds can be insulting to your partner, especially if they already determined those details and you're trying to alter them when it's not yours to change.

   Unacceptable: 「What if your character killed the family dog when they were little?」
   Acceptable: 「What if someone told my character that your character killed the family dog when they were little?」

The second one is much safer! It provides the same general outcome and also allows for your partner to decide if their character did, indeed, kill the family dog.

   Unacceptable: 「My character's going to go into your character's room and find it messy, okay?」
   Acceptable: 「Is your character a messy person? Is their room clean?」

Sometimes it's better to ask if something is plausible than to simply assume and say 'this is going to happen'. Not everyone is messy, and perhaps your partner's character is neat and tidy.


● Consent
Just like in real life, consent is crucial. Consent is the foundation of all relationships, whether a friendship, a romantic relationship, or even a RolePlaying partnership. If there is anything, ever, you're unsure as to whether or not it's okay with your partner(s), ask.

It doesn't matter if it's about a timeskip.

It doesn't matter if it's about whether or not it's okay for your character to roughly grab theirs and kiss them passionately out of the blue.

It doesn't matter if it's regarding a specific spanking implement, position, or other punishment.

Ask! RolePlaying is, primarily, meant to be fun! It's never enjoyable when your partner does something that makes you uncomfortable, messes up your plans, offends your beliefs, or maybe even scares you. Sometimes things might be sensitive topics even if you don't realize that they would be. Maybe you don't think anything of a plot where a character self-harms, but you never know how your partner will feel about it - unless you ask. We're all human beings, and we all bear different types, colors, and sizes of scars. Keep that in mind.

5. Beginning a RolePlay
Now that you know the details, it's time to launch yourself into the world of RolePlaying. Step-by-step, this final section of the guide will go into detail on how to get a partner that meshes well with you, how to start a thread, and how to write a good introduction.

Finding a Partner/Group
You won't get very far without a partner or two to write with. After you determine whether you'd prefer a more personal, 1x1 RolePlay, or a free-for-all with many people posting at once, it's time to find people who work well with you. Just like real-life relationships, not every set of RolePlayers will work well together. It's important to keep in mind a few factors.

● Style
If you tend to stick more to a one-liner style, you probably won't get along well with a RolePlayer who prefers to write, and receive, paragraphs. Likewise, if you're not into baby play and your partner is, then you'll probably run into some problems down the line. Writing a detailed resumé can be very helpful at this stage, but how to write a good resumé is a topic for a future guide.

● Personality
More serious-types might not get along well with a playful or bubbly sort of RolePlayer, but that's definitely not always the case. Because interpersonal communication is such a large part of plotting and discussing the RolePlay's progression, it's important you feel comfortable talking to your partner/s, and that you get along and communicate well.

If you frequently find yourselves arguing about the RolePlay, for whatever reason, you're probably just not a good match! If you often worry that you're bothering them too often, or that you're not communicating enough with them, it'll severely dampen your enjoyment. Find a balance, and if you're on the receiving end, it's okay to tell your partner that they're messaging you a little too often or infrequently.

Something to remember is never to take it personally when someone argues about your style. I've had people call me the best they've ever played with, and I've had others tell me I'm awful or that I take RolePlaying too seriously. I've been both praised and criticized on my level of posting detail. There's no such thing as one-size-fits-all, and that's especially true when it comes to people.

● Searching
The next step is to actually locate a partner. Once you've figured out all of your details, what type of RolePlay you want and what your preferences are, post a search thread in the RolePlay Recruitment and Discussion forum! If you're clear about the ideas you have, you'll have takers in no time.

I would like to mention that you should never message someone to simply ask them if they would like to RolePlay with you. Don't message them to ask if they want to hear your ideas, either - it's annoying, and it wastes time and inbox space! Be clear about what you're looking for and why you're contacting them.

   Unacceptable: 「Do you want to do an RP?」
   Acceptable: 「Would you like to do a goo-girl RP with me?」

Why give more information? Because it's frustrating to have to give someone the go-ahead, wait for their response, and then find out it's nothing you ever would have agreed to do. The second option gives them the chance to say 'no', without wasting their time saying yes in the first place!

   Unacceptable: 「I have some RP ideas, do you want to hear them?」
   Acceptable: 「I'd like to do an RP about humanized flying squirrels among other things; are you interested?」

Again, this gives your potential partner the opportunity to tell you that what you have in mind isn't to their liking. It prevents annoyance and frustration on both sides, since you won't have to type out your entire idea only to have it get rejected, and they won't have sent several PMs just to have to reject you.

Starting a RolePlay Thread
You may or may not be the one to create the thread for your RolePlay once you've found a partner and decided on ideas you want to use. If you are, there are plenty of key details you need to keep in mind when you start it.

● Character Development
Before you can start a plot, you need to flesh out your character. A name, their general appearance, their background, their likes and dislikes, and most importantly, their personality. We'll go into deeper detail on characterization in a future guide.

● Title
Though the title takes little effort, there are some factors to take into account when you make it. Formatting comes first and foremost. A title should be descriptive, but it should also be memorable. If you have many RolePlays with similar titles, they'll all feel the same to you, and maybe even to your partners.

Formatting is simple. You don't need to specify 'Private' - that's implied. People will know whether or not a RolePlay is for them. You don't just start threads without talking to your potential partner or not first. If you're playing with one other person, you should specify their username, but if you're playing with a group, you can just put 'Group' in the title.

For practice, let's make a title together. We'll start with basics and refine it as we go along. Let's make a title for a Naruto RP about two warring villages, Getsugakure (Village Hidden Under the Moon) and Hoshigakure (Village Hidden Among the Stars), between myself and someone named 'LadyNeckbeard'. My apologies if this username was already used! I'll change it if any problems arise.

   [Private] Naruto: Spank no Jutsu! [for LadyNeckbeard and xEmmalia-chan]

This title is cumbersome. Because my name would be mentioned underneath the thread, I don't need to specify myself in the title. It's also a little pointless to put 'Private', as well, when I've specified a name, don't you think? The word 'for' is unnecessary, as well. It just takes up space.

   Naruto: Spank no Jutsu! [LadyNeckbeard]

Okay, that's much better. This format works fine for RolePlays, just enough information with no extra fluff. But that title... It's awful! Spanking puns are overused and aren't funny or even mildly amusing. Someone has probably done it before. In fact, how about staying away from any words related to it? Punishment, discipline, correction... Etc. What if our title was unique and descriptive? What does 'Spank no Jutsu' have to do with warring villages?

    Ninja Clash: Moon vs. Stars [LadyNeckbeard]

The 'Ninja Clash' denotes the characters of the RP, and might give some of the more hardcore Naruto fans a clue as to the canon involved. Moon vs. Stars is because of the names of the villages involved. It's not a perfect title, of course! It was made quickly, and you're free to put as much or as little effort in as you want.

But, please... Let's end the epidemic of poorly made spanking puns and pages upon pages with titles related to 'punishment', 'discipline', 'trouble', and other synonyms, okay?


● Introduction
The introduction to your RolePlay should outline several basic things:

   - The setting
   - The active plot
   - Your character
   - What your character is doing

Introductions should always be a good deal longer than your average post. If you write one-liners, your introduction should be a minimum of a paragraph and a half. If you write a paragraph per post, you should write five or six for your introduction. If you write an average of five or six paragraphs per post, your introduction should be eight or more.

It should also be very descriptive! Describe the weather, the time of day, the location, everything! You don't need to get down to the cracks in the sidewalk your character's walking on (unless you want to), but you should definitely give as many major details as possible.

Lastly, be sure to leave plenty of room for your partner to respond. Your post should progress it far enough along to where they have an opening to reply.

6. Afterword
That concludes the first guide in this series! Hopefully it's helped you increase your knowledge, or, if you're a newbie, prepared you for your first RolePlay. Keep an eye out for future installments that go into deeper detail on subjects like Mary Sues, how to sharpen your writing style, step-by-step guides on characterization, and more. I hope you enjoyed it, and if you did, feel free to shoot me a PM to tell me so! If you have any suggestions for things to be added to this guide, want something clarified, or have suggestions for future guides, I'm also open to hearing those, as well!

Thanks for reading!