Syd's guide to role-playing!

[ian]

I hope you're okay with me posting this here, Sel. It seemed like the most practical place to put it. You can move it if you wish though.

Well folks! This is your simple guide to role-playing! And I, Sydrael, will be your host this fine morning/noon/afternoon/evening/midnight! This guide could be helpful to some of you, and for others, it will simply be an enjoyable read that you may agree with or disagree with! I advise you to read the whole thing once you’ve started, as you could pick up something you didn’t even know about! Wouldn’t that be a nice treat? I think it would be, but that’s just me, and this is my guide. So… let’s get started, shall we?

Each subsequent post will cover a specific topic to make it easier to navigate.

[ian]

GRAMMAR AND SPELLING!

First let’s talk about our basic grammar and spelling mishaps, before we get into anything big about role-playing and whatnot. Words are the human’s most powerful tools, they can start and prevent wars, they can bring about love, or destroy it. Words can save a life, or take it. It all depends on how you use them, so it’s important that we use them correctly! Everyone needs a little help in this area (including myself) so here are some common things to watch out for.

COMMONLY MISUSED WORDS

Then vs. Than

This is one I see mixed up a lot. The biggest thing here is to remember what each is used for. Generally, “then” is used for a passage of time between two events. “Than” is used more for comparison. For example:

We went to the movies, and then we went home.

Vs.

I play games better than you ever could.

See the difference? Just keep this in mind while you’re posting, and it could save a life. Just kidding.


Lose vs. Loose

This pair of words is a less common mix up that I see less often, but that still seems to show up. The difference here is more obvious. Lose means that you didn’t win, or you can’t find your way, and loose means that something is not tight. For example:

You just lost the game. Or I’m lost and I don’t know where I am.

Vs.

This rope is loose; I think I can get out of it.

The difference here is easy, it’s all about simply using the right one and making sure you spell it right.


It’s vs. Its

This one is a very common grammar mistake I see all of the time, and it needs to be written down and addressed right away. It’s is the contraction “it is” while, on the other hand, its is the possessive form for it. For example:

It’s going to be a nice day out today! (note you can replace it’s with it is)

Vs.

That is its mother over there.

Here you just have to watch out for it, it’s not too hard, but you still need to make sure you get it right.


They’re vs. There vs. Their

This one isn’t hard to remember once you have it down, but it is important to make sure you know the difference. If you don’t know the difference these three are VERY easy to mix up, and I see it happen all of the time. They’re means “they are” again, this is a contraction. There is usually referring to a place. And “their” is the possessive form of they. For example:

They’re going to go to the movies later; would you like to join them? (note they’re can be replaced with they are)

Vs.

Yes, the movie theater is over there.

Vs.

That television you saw was theirs.

This stuff is all pretty simple isn’t it? Keep your eye out though, everyone makes mistakes.


Effect vs. Affect

I have trouble with this pair myself, but I’m going to try and explain it the best that I can’t. Usually, affect is a verb, and effect is a noun. That’s the easiest way to remember it. For example:

The meteor shouldn’t have any effect on the people.

Vs.

The meteor shouldn’t affect the people.

Make sense? Sounds easy enough doesn’t it? The only problem is that on occasions effect can be used as a verb, but the situation will probably never come up while you’re role-playing, so I wouldn’t worry about it. Another note is impact is not a verb, so any time you would use impact, you can use effect.


You’re vs. Your

This is simply an easy pair to mix up, and there isn’t anything more to it. You’re means “you are” it’s another one of those nifty contractions again. Your is the possessive form of you. For example:

You’re going to the park this afternoon, aren’t you?

Vs.

Your dog tried to bite me yesterday!

It’s fairly simple, but easy to forget, so again just watch out for the mistakes and correct them as you see them.


Too vs. To

Some people like to include the word “two” as well, but I’m going to presume you all know that two is a number, and these two words are not. To is generally used in any situation that too isn’t. Too is used in situations where you’re ADDING to something. For example:

I’m going to the mall this afternoon.

Vs.

Would you like to come to the movies too?

Make sense? I hope so.


Lie vs Lay

This mistake is easily forgivable because so many people make it so I wouldn't be too worried if you do. Now everyone knows the obvious meaning of lie is to tell something that isn't the truth. However, when in regards to the word "lay" it means something very similar. Generally when you say lay you're talking about putting something down. If you're using the word lie, you're talking about somebody putting themselves down... okay that didn't really make sense so here's the example.

"I laid down the remote on the table over there." (sounds awkward but it's proper. Laid is the past tense form of lay)

vs.

"I'm going to go lie down on my bed for a little while."




Those are the common word mistakes… now let’s move on to some awesome grammar ideas!




COMMAS

One of the most overused punctuation marks is the comma. I see it used way too much. It’s important not to overuse it, as it can make your post seem choppy and dull. Use commas in the following situations:

1. When you’re naming a list of more than three. A comma SHOULD come before the and (which comes before the last item in the list).

2. Use it with a conjunction to add together two independent clauses.

3. Use it to set off introductory elements. “Running to third base, etc.”

4. Use it to separate a part of the sentence that can be removed WITHOUT changing the meaning of the sentence. E.g. Denver, which is in Colorado, is a nice city.

5. Use it to separate multiple adjectives, you don’t need to have “and” in this type of list. If you can put an and or a but between the adjectives, a comma probably belongs there instead.

6. Use it to set off quoted elements that come in the middle of a sentence.

7. Use commas to set off contrasting elements.

8. Use commas to avoid confusion with certain phrases.

9. Grammar English's Famous Rule of Punctuation: Never use only one comma between a subject and its verb.

10. BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR USE OF COMMAS. If there’s a pause while reading, it doesn’t necessarily mean you need a comma. Try not to use them unless the situation falls under one of these scenarios.




SEMI-COLONS

Somebody requested that I explain the use of semi-colons, so that’s what I’ll be doing now. I don’t know how often this will come up in your role-playing adventures, but it’s always good to know. Use them for the following reasons:

1. Use them to connect independent clauses that are in compound sentences which do NOT use words like or, and, or but.

2. Use them to separate items in a list which already uses comma (for example if you’re listing people with what they majored in, you would put a comma between the people and their major, and semi-colons between the people. I.E. sally, biology; James, English; Jody, Calculus; and John, music.)

3. Use them to separate two independent clauses that have words like or, and, or but IF AND ONLY IF confusion would result from the use of commas elsewhere in the sentence.



THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF MAKING YOUR POST IS AFTER YOU'RE DONE WITH IT!

Make sure you use spell check and re-read what you've just written. You may catch yourself making dumb mistakes you normally wouldn't make. Read it out loud too, or your mind may pass right over it.


Okay that’s everything. Happy grammar! Next: Getting into your character!

[ian]

GETTING INTO YOUR CHARACTER!

This can be one of the hardest parts of role-playing, but it’s also the most fun. Understanding your character is difficult at teams, and very easy at others. I don’t suggest living out real life situations as if you were your character, but sometimes it may be interesting to think back on your day and wonder what your character might have done in any given situation you experienced.


Often times, people try to role-play as characters that aren’t necessarily exact replicas of themselves. This being the case don’t be afraid to put a little bit of yourself into your character. Is your character a cold person usually? Are you a very open bubbly person? It’s okay to make your character a little bit more open than they would normally be, that’s what role-playing is all about! Taking a character and making it your own is what you are supposed to do! Have fun with it. It will be a lot easier for you to role-play if you pick a character you like. Often, people talk about having muse for a character. It’s important that you enjoy your character so you can really be out there and have fun with it.


The following are ways various people get into character. Whether you get it or not I hope you understand the gist.


From Kaz:

“I add a bit of myself to every character but still keep their core elements. Like I said it depends on the subject. You have to read the theme and atmosphere. Reading the post before. It all depends on the other writer's reactions to your posts and yours to theirs.”

So what can you take from what Kaz here is saying? You can see that to get into character, you need to think about your character. Take their personality into account. What’s the situation? What’s going on? How’s the mood? Is the air charged with negativity? Are people in the area hostile? These are all things you can think about to bring yourself into your character, and again, don’t be afraid to add a little bit of yourself to your character.


From Lala:

“I watch AMVs of my characters on youtube or read some fanfiction of my character.”

Well this is something I hadn’t thought of at all. It’s quite brilliant really. Sometimes just watching your favorite video of a character will help you get right into remembering what they’re like and how they act. Doing this can really help you out, so you might try it, though everyone has their style.


From Sel/Ciel:

“You get into character by getting to know the one you pick, read up on them, or if you've seen the anime or manga they come from.”

This is also a good thing to think about. It’s important to remember the character you’re playing probably comes from somewhere, and if they do, you can find that place. Watching the anime or reading the manga they come from is an excellent way to get into your character, it helps everyone understand who they’re trying to portray just a little bit better.


From Gypsy:

"Well. I uhm... -coughs all uncomfortable- Well Bob! I try to think like my characters and push all my own thoughts out of the way. Music seems to help to &_&"

As you can see... some people like to push all of their thoughts out of the way, SO DON'T BE AFRAID IF YOU DO THAT! Like I said before, everyone has their own style. It's been agreed upon that music is a great way to help you concentrate and think like your characters.


From Kumi:
"I get into my character by picking a character I know I can see myself being, getting into. I read up on the personalities of each character and I see if I can see myself being the same way or having the same personality traits, because I feel the more of the same personality traits I share with the character the more I feel like they are me."

This is certainly something everyone wants to do. You need to read up on your character. But this can be especially true. I, for example, could never play a cold character like Sephiroth, because, well, I'm not cold like he is. Sometimes all it takes is envisioning yourself as a character to get into them.



Getting into character can be done in many different ways, depending on the kind of person you are. It's important you find what way works best for you, but there are still techniques that help, when even your normal ways don't work.

Sometimes you just need to sit back and think about your day. What would your character have done if he was in those situations? That could always help. If you've role-played with your character you may want to go back and read some of those previous role-plays. Just think about it. You may want to go over the environment in your head, that will give you an edge that can help you understand what your character might be feeling. For example, if there's a cool breeze, is your character cold? Does he/she enjoy the breeze? Do they even notice? Does the rustling of the leaves in the trees make your character feel peaceful? All of these things can factor into getting into character. Sometimes, you may just want to set your posts up in a way that's easy for you.



Have anything else to add? Definitely let me know. This section is still a work in progress.

Next Time: Making the post.

[ian]

Post Reserved.

[ian]

Post reserved.

[ian]

When the guide is finished you can make corrections/suggestions/requests about what should be added or changed. Each part can be critiqued separately was well.