Writing In Character For Role-playing
D&D Related
Name: Patty
Comments: I'm not a good writer so how do I write really well in character for role-playing? The others who post their character are like pros and I feel like such an amateur.
This all depends on the GM but for me I always try to tell the story in old English... At least where the NPCs are concerned and I try not to make it so difficult where they do not understand what is being said. For Players I think you can just go with the flow, if anyone would ridicule you for acting your character's part in plain grammatically correct modern English then they are not worthy of playing with you.
For me being in character is the best part about role-playing specially if you're not shy about it. What's the point of actually role playing if all you do is say things like OK we go left, roll dice, oh I got hit, I hit him back and more of that again and again. I have a character now called Lady Godiva and I love to toy with her. Right now she is feeling out the men at arms in her group.
I too think the best part is the "role" play and not so much as the "roll" play.
I like to immerse myself in a character and with Play By Post it gives you a bit of time to think out your characters actions, thoughts and words. If you get stuck trying to reply to the events going on around you, stand up and picture yourself in that scene.
If you are interacting with someone, practice what you would say to them a few times then write down what you just practiced. Once you get use to doing that you can start throwing in accents/speech anomalies and body language.
For example, if you have a character that is brutish and stupid and paying for a drink in a tavern here is what might progress.
Basic: Igor pays for his drink.
Obviously this is not role playing, so lets stand up and place yourself in Igor's shoes. He is a nasty brute, doesnt care much for social environments, isn't very smart about things. There you are standing there while the inn keeper wants his money...ok...go with it...
Brutish: Igor eyes the beverage placed before him as the nervous inn keeper asks for payment. Igor puts a beefy hand around the flagon of ale, takes a long pull of the frothy liquid. After wiping the foam of the drink off his lips with the back of his hand, Igor squints at the panicing man, leans in close and belches loudly into his face. With a sour look on his face, Igor slaps down a copper on the bar and turns away from the man with a scowl.
So to put it basically you are playing a role, act it out in your head, then write down those actions and you will be a great poster!
Hope that helps some.
That's cool dude and just what we try to do in medieval at least the GM does that for his games and sometimes I think we like go into too much out of character talk but that's because there is so much issues to resolve like the party leader forgetting things important to your character. Lancelot does have an adventurous personality and when he gets chance to be in character he goes for it but I'm not as good at writing like some of you but I am active.