[ SECRET POST #1625 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #1625 ⌋


Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.


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Notes:

Sorry it's late. Half of tinypic being down = I have to go through manually and replace the ones that aren't working. Hopefully it'll be back by tomorrow

Secrets Left to Post: 05 pages, 110 secrets from Secret Submission Post #232.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - hit/ship/spiration ], [ 0 - omgiknowthem ], [ 0 - take it to comments ], [ 0 - repeats ]
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments and concerns should go here.

Comments

[fscom.livejournal.com]

14. http://img861.imageshack.us/img861/7906/secret33.jpg

[gethenian.livejournal.com]

Well, I'd advise you to get un-embarassed, because the trick is it works differently from game to game. You have to find a game you want to join and then, as often as not, they'll have a "how to" or style guide posted on their profile page or at the top of their forum, and then you can lurk and watch other players before you jump in. Most people who are new to any game, even if they're seasoned RPers elsewhere, aren't expected to know how to do it right as soon as they join.

At least, that's how it's worked in pretty much every RP I've ever been part of.

[wldcatsprstr-14.livejournal.com]

YANA, anon.

I really don't have a clue how it even works online. LARPing I kinda understand but online? My brain is baffled.

[(Anonymous)]

totally agree with you, anon. I always see those opportunities as well but am too afraid to actually ask how its done. :(

[ivanolix.livejournal.com]

It differs from group to group. I've been part of a few, all of them very different. I still feel awkward. You just have to jump in and ask questions of the mods.

[(Anonymous)]

I've been reading along with 3 different LJ RPs for more than a year now but I still don't feel that I can find the way to get into them.

Writing an App feels like doing a thesis with secret guidelines arbitrated by mods who know what they want but aren't telling.

How much headcanon does an app need if a character has a non-existent backstory? What tone? How much meta? What if the character has an inconsistent canon personality?

Seriously? Is there a guide or something out there?

[dofaye.livejournal.com]

I've never seen a app-writing guide that would answer those questions, but that's probably because the answers vary a lot from game to game. A good FAQ would answer at least some of them, and if not there should be a post to contact the mods with questions. Looking at the applications of existing characters can help a lot, too.

(But as best as I can answer:
- Some games let you submit headcanon-heavy apps; some won't even let you app a character with no backstory. You'd definitely have to ask about that one.
- Most mods don't seem very picky about tone as long or meta levles as the necessary info is there.
- You generally have to find some patterns and reason in their personalities for your app, whether that means going through a lot of analysis or just ignoring that one weird sidestory. After all, you're going to need it when you actually start playing.)

[(Anonymous)]

You're not alone anon, I really have no clue how to RP either. Some friends have tried to teach me but its never worked... Guess it just isn't for me. :/

[(Anonymous)]

I hope you enjoy wank

[tamabonotchi.livejournal.com]

Me too, OP I feel slightly empty always reading about people doing so much roleplay and I've never.
I can't understand how people manage to make plots work either.

[lljscrawls.livejournal.com]

From what I understand, there are lots of different types of role plays, OP.

I, for one, have never role played on LiveJournal. I didn't even discover LiveJournal fandom until I discovered FandomSecrets (and I don't even remember how I discovered FandomSecrets, only that it was during my freshman year of college sometime), and through that I discovered LJ role playing. And to be honest, I found it . . . strange. I still find it strange. From what I understand, everyone takes one character and then acts as that character, making in-character posts along to a storyline. And that just . . . feels odd to me. So I've never touched that.

The type of role playing I've always participated in, however, is more of a round-robin storytelling kind of role playing. The role players involved each take some characters -- depending on the number of people involved, the number of characters each person has to take either increases or decreases -- and then they follow a storyline with each person taking turns writing the narrative. It's all third person, and each post is like something you'd find in a fic. If the role players involved all know each other's writing style well enough, it can actually come off quite nicely.

So . . . I'd say it really does vary, though round-robin narrative style really is my preferred RP method of choice. Anyway, good luck finding something that suits you (if you're interested), OP.

[dark-puck.livejournal.com]

And that is exactly how I do it! :D Glad to find someone outside my circle who round-robins!

[lljscrawls.livejournal.com]

It's the only way to go, as far as I'm concerned! Haha, you're lucky to have a circle, though; I used to have a few different people I role played with, but over the years it has dwindled down to just one, and we role play fairly infrequently. xD I miss the days when I RPed all the time, haha.

[(Anonymous)]

This. This, this, this!

I've rped for years - and like you, I've mostly done it in a round robin set up on forums/e-mails/ims. But the biggest part I don't get it is how a lot of lj rpers refuse to do prose style, and claim it's because they 'don't like to read'. And that just...rping is writing, albeit it perhaps an odd sort, but writing none-the-less. So why are you doing it if you don't like to read? [Not that I'm knocking them, it's just that the logic of it still baffles me.] /ramble

[lljscrawls.livejournal.com]

They . . . don't like to . . .

Yeah, my brain is kind of . . . I can't even . . . o_O;

[(Anonymous)]

Yeeeeah, melts my brain too. Even using comment spam style [which, admittedly, I'm not fond of] it doesn't really...make sense.

replying to this with a RP account seemed appropriate

[dofaye.livejournal.com]

I see these kinds of secrets every so often, so you're certainly not alone! The best advice I have to give you is to find an understanding friend to guide you and have them introduce you to a game that they're a part of. It's a million times easier to get used to the rules and standards of one game than it is to try to absorb how every RP works and how they differ. (And it might be embarrassing, but a lot of RPers are more than happy to enable their friends to start playing; having more people into RPing your fandom is awesome.)

There's also a handy guide here (http://netherworld-rpg.livejournal.com/49784.html) if you're having trouble with terminology and such, at least if you want to play on LJ.

[judo-creature.livejournal.com]

Welp, I've been RPing for quite a while and am familiar with a number of different styles, so if you'd like, you can PM me [preferably with a link to the comm(s) you're considering joining so I can see their actual style] and I will try to explain it to you.

It's really pretty simple once you've figured it out, but I still remember the soul-clenching panic I experienced while trying to join my first RP, so don't feel like you're the only one who experiences this; you aren't. If it weren't for my friend holding my hand through my first game, I might never have survived.

[strike-you-out.livejournal.com]

I think every role playing community kind of has its own unique "culture". For a beginner, I guess I would suggest maybe choosing a character you like and know well, then try role playing as that character one-on-one with someone you trust (in aim or via e-mail, somewhere private). The difference between rp and fanfiction is that you are only in control of the actions/voice of ONE character.

If you're interested in playing on LJ, another thing you could do is create an LJ account for the character and then try playing in "dressing room" games. You do not need applications for these types of games and players often come and go as they please.

As someone who has played in LJRPs for a few years, I can definitely see how it would be overwhelming for someone who's never tried it before. But it can be really fun once you get a feel for it also, addicting. As far as wank goes, it can be avoided so long as you're careful. If you're interested, you can pm me for some tips/info. Good luck!

[oxymoronic3.livejournal.com]

Here's a short guide to RP, anon! It's very fun once you get into it as long as you remember not to take everything so seriously and not to get swallowed in wank.

STEP ONE: Make a character journal, upload icons and visit a dressing room if you can find one. They all have their own formats, but you should be able to find one to practice in. If you have a friend that has a musebox, use that! If you're really nervous, mention OOCly that you're a first timer and I'm sure people will be understanding. There are two main methods of RPing. One is essentially writing a fanfic with other people, so that's easy enough. The second is often called an action log, where you write [actions in brackets] and dialogue in plain text.

STEP TWO: Are you comfortable with RPing now? If you are, try out a more serious game! Most games are public, so you can check how it all works out before you app, and if you like the premise and the people, take a leap! First off, check if they have app cycles, which means that you have to wait for a certain window to submit your app. If you have any questions about your application, mods are usually happy to help answer them and many games have sample applications linked so you know exactly what they're looking for. Oh, and make sure your character isn't taken already.

STEP THREE: Have you been accepted to the game? If not, try again somewhere else. If so, congratulations! Your RPing journey has now begun! There are generally two venues for RPing: one is where you log, which is when characters meet face to face. The other is generally some sort of communication system, a bit like your character is on a forum much like LJ, but city/game-wide. Make your own posts, and remember to keep them open so that other people have something to respond you. And of course, tag other people. That's the way to make friends and gain interactions! Tag, tag, tag away!

Other things to keep in mind is that it's important to have a way for other players to contact you. Plurk and AIM are both very popular, though the former is starting to overshadow the latter in some games.

Anyway, I hope this helped and that you manage to get a break into RP! If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Good luck!

[(Anonymous)]

YANA, anon. I had a couple RP characters somewhere, to fit in with my friends who are heavily into RP, but I never really knew what to do. I didn't know how long to keep a thread going, I didn't know if it would be rude to respond to one character while not responding to someone else whose comment to me I had nothing to say to. And I never knew what everyone else wanted from my characters and it was just awkward for me, so I pulled them. :/

[ecoerrante.livejournal.com]

Your not alone, OP, and it's not just newbie rpers that get confused by the lj-styles of rping. I've been rping for around 11 years [mostly on forums], and some aspects of lj rp confuse me a little too.

The best advice I can say is to give it a try, and once you get into the game, ask someone, the mods perhaps, about the points that confuse you. Most of the rpers I've met are willing to take a little time to explain things to someone whose just starting out. Then, if it turns out you don't like/you'd rather try one x one rping, there are comms where you can look for partners for that, both pan-fandom and single fandom comms.

Whatever happens, I hope you find the courage to give it a try and have a blast OP!

[you-speak-lies.livejournal.com]

The best way to learn is by playing. Just read all the rules carefully and pay close attention to what everyone else is doing. It's a sort of a "fake it 'til you make it" thing.

[semi-subtle.livejournal.com]

If you see a specific game you're interested in, I highly recommend watching it for a while to get a feel for the play. Are people posting a thousand times a day, do threads finish within a few days or as long as a month, how much detail do posters use, etc. Then, when you've found one you're interested in AND think would fit your comfort level in terms of speed, depth, and content, pick a character and apply. Best thing to do in this case is see what other accepted members have done for their applications and do something similar. If you're intimidated by how much detail is in the applications, it's probably not the game for you anyway.

I also recommend that you start with a smallish game rather than some massive panfandom one so you don't get overwhelmed and can go at your own pace until you're used to things. The fact of the matter is that everyone was new at some point, and luckily (at least in my experience) most people remember what it was like. Don't stress too much, it's all about having fun.

[ivavros.livejournal.com]

I've seen people randomly join and be noobs all the time. The plurk one I'm in, sure, I have the idea of rping, but it's not that hard, especially if you start in a simple format. I didn't know anyone when I started, just popped in randomly. Not everyone's expecting you to know 100% right away. We all learned by going in and trying.

Just saying. Also. Anyone can feel free to message me or something too, I'll RP with about anyone, it's not too hard when you get the hang of it. /o/