The Next Level #1: To Fill A Paper
“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.”
― William Wordsworth
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again in the future, and I’m saying it right now - I have no interest in roleplaying. Before you get any further in this understand that my perspective is only that of a writer thrilled by the challenges presented in the creative writing environment of Boards RPs. I desire the immediate difficulties with scenarios thrown your way and you, as a writer, have to write the story with no personal interjection - your merit and skill as an author either carries the day or sinks the whole ship. And that’s what I’m here to talk about.
In fact, that’s the premise of this entire series of haranguing prose. (I used the BIG WORDS, that means I’m smart, right?) To instruct on how to write better, think more creatively, and actually care about what you put in your posts. To me that’s important - when I write a story I want my fellow authors to care about what they compose because when it’s terse and empty, the quality of the story drops. More is more, not less.
To perhaps finally get me off my high horse on the topic, I’m putting all my woes into the first chapter of the next level of How-Tos. It’ll probably show up later anyway though.
Never Write Less when You can Write More
“A word after a word after a word is power.”
― Margaret Atwood
Without getting into flowery palaver, let me first say you have a post with a ridiculously high character count here on the Boards. Use it. Never settle for less than a paragraph no matter the circumstance, the scenario, or the character. Is your character in a coma? There are ways to fill a paragraph of text in relation to your character being completely incapable of providing any feedback.
Kyle lay motionless and still, completely unresponsive after all this time. At the minimum, he appeared peaceful, and the steady rhythm of his heart rang out the proclamation that for now, at least, he was alive. One could only hope he did not remain that way for long.
Why a paragraph minimum? Why not simply say things quickly and be done?
Kyle remained in the coma still.
Because this provides absolutely nothing for anyone else to work off of. If I’m the next player, what the heck am I supposed to do with this? I’m more likely to ignore the post for having nothing and move on to other events.
Paragraph-size posts have another advantage which you as a player, whether you like roleplaying or writing more, will require to get anywhere in the game: Attention. The GM is less likely to care about your post if it’s a sentence long or conveys the information in the most basic and banal manner possible. Good writing is honored with good prompts; bad writing is ignored even if there isn’t a writing focus.
If you don’t like that, then you really shouldn’t be RPing. Is that a bit rude to say? It is the only appropriate response to actively ruining the experience for others, especially if it is done intentionally.
Love, Laugh, Cry, and Cut to the Bone
“Tears are words that need to be written.”
― Paulo Coelho
In the heart of a waterfall, Matoro fell.
These are the words which begin the most emotionally investing moment in Bionicle literature - and that’s hardly confined to just my opinion. The Death of Matoro is almost universally considered a shocking and dramatic twist which nothing in Bionicle has come close to before or since, and even years after reading it I still have difficulty finding a sacrifice sequence which brings such a heavy feeling to my chest as that one did.
But why? Why does the death of Matoro work so well? It’s quite clear the writing quality is the acceptable level for children investing in an action figure line, so there’s no induction into literary fame for the author coming out of this. And yet in spite of the simplicity, the emotional pangs are there. So why does this - a work with mediocre delivery and a basic plot - not only invest in our emotions, but builds upon them to the point that one action figure dying twists a knife in your heart?
The universe is a riddle, thought Matoro. Turaga Nuju often said that. It hints at the path you are meant to walk, but never makes its message clear. You have to figure that out for yourself . . . and maybe I just did.
Because we as readers like to care. And compelling dialogue doesn’t have to be written well to elicit an emotional response of some kind. Read about a character’s thought process revealing itself as unnecessarily cruel? You’re more likely to detest that character now, or more than you did before. See the sympathetic pangs of sorrow illustrated on a page? It might be inhuman to take it all with a dry eye and a hard lip.
And when bringing the personality of your character forefront, you want to do exactly that. A good way to tell if your audience will find emotional investment in your writing is if you do. So always seek to stab at the heart of the reader and at your own if you can. Aldous Huxley said that words can be like x-rays if used properly - they go through anything. Read and you’re pierced.
Once before, long ago, a Toa had donned the Ignika and lost his life to complete his mission. That Toa had tried to be brave, but there was fear in his heart and he met his end with grief and regret. The Ignika sensed none of this in Matoro ― only a will and determination that rivaled even that of Mata Nui himself.
Much like the grapefruit you received on thanksgiving from your estranged uncle who smells of cigars and car exhaust and ends every sentence with “ya know”, your characters will only show what’s inside under pressure. A good GM will invent scenarios where just this occurs, and the opportunities for writing in that scenario are bountiful, but so often this is ruined by the players muffing through like it’s potato salad. When these opportunities occur, and you are willing to take advantage of them, you can generate the same visible emotional pulls Matoro’s death accomplishes - negative or positive.
And above all else, don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you feel your writing isn’t bringing about your intent, or isn’t detailed enough, or too detailed perhaps, just ask the other players for feedback and advice. It’ll be their fault if you don’t receive it.
Just as countless beings had sensed the death of Mata Nui, so did they now feel life return to him. And in the sky above the city of Metru Nui, the stars shone brightly once more…
Nowhere to go but Up
“A blank piece of paper is God’s way of telling us how hard it is to be God.”
― Sidney Sheldon
Ultimately, though, it doesn’t really matter how many times I reiterate that good writing and more writing directly equals higher quality RPs and stories, and that less always makes things worse. If you aren’t willing to put it into practice, nothing will change, and you’ll probably end up being not that fun to write with.
But for those trying to improve, who want to improve as writers and look forward to the possibility of authoring your very own novel, please give my advice a try. I’ve said many times that those who do not push themselves to be better never will be, because encouraging the casual monotony of post-by-post responding to actions not only stifles creativity, but stifles the creativity of those around you. At the minimum amount of concern, you want them to have a good time, right?
And that’s about all I can really reiterate on the topic without getting into mulish maundering about how the ineffective nature of writing classes and whatnot. Your post is a storytelling tool. Go tell a story with it.
“There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story.”
― Frank Herbert