Post by elliot lee parnell on Dec 20, 2008 15:14:53 GMT -5
red's guide to superiority not being a bustard !
[/font]Because, face it, literacy will get you nowhere if you suck. (No, I'm not about to phrase that lightly, kids.)
1. Having excellent grammar is not all there is to it.
2. Having a long post is not all there is to it.
3. Having an amazing character is not all there is to it.
Why?
Well, for one, grammar doesn't make it interesting. For two, if it's too long then, guess what, nobody's gonna wanna read it. (Of course it can't be too short either.) And lastly, what's the point of a great character if you don't know how to use it?
So, I'm gonna tell you about literacy and grammar (when to use it, when to use it, what rules you're allowed to break, et cetera), the Goldilocks Paradox, and characterization.
Beware, lot's of reading. I got carried away. Continue at your own risk.
breaking rules, yay !
[/font][/size][/blockquote]Okay, so your teachers have told you for years about grammar and literacy, that you don't start a sentence with a "FANBOY" (for, and, nor, but, or, yet), blahblahblah. But that doesn't exactly matter in the wide world of Role Playing.
Again, why?
Well sure, grammar and literacy matter (I won't do it with illiterate tits, will you?), but sometimes rules are meant to be broken. Not starting sentences with FANBOYS, for instance. That's a good rule to break.
Simply because (in my not so humble opinion) posts are meant to be third person versions of stream of conscious. You, the writer, are an omnipresent force that is there to let us know what your character is thinking, elaborate on the "what if's," know exactly what's going on with everyone involved, and still manage to get stuff done. Don't know what stream of conscious is? Think Catcher in the Rye, maybe even Fight Club or a Clockwork Orange (all amazing books by the way).
In "proper" works, the FANBOYS are second thoughts and technically incomplete, and thus should not be used to start a sentence. However, since you're letting us in on what the character is thinking, it's okay to do. "Why--" Are you even listening to me? Because it's not about what you think, not about what the teacher thinks, it's about what the character thinks! It's stream of conscious, in a sense, so second thoughts and other added things are okay.
Now, an amazing teacher once told me not to use the same word twice (obviously referring to real words, not little ones like "it" or "they"). I believe this is true. In a block of five sentences, no more than one ought to start with he or she. Otherwise it's just boring.
"But Red, you do that all the time."
True that bro.
Because of repetition. If you're repeating words and phrases, you're getting a point across or adding emphasis.
Bad: He walked down the hall and grabbed the hat he'd dropped. He walked back to the dorm. He shut the door and started studying.
Good: He was not going down that tunnel. He just wasn't. He wasn't stupid. He didn't want to die. He wasn't going--end of story.
Also, all grammatical rules are free to be broken when a character is speaking. If a character is rambling, feel free to eliminate commas. If a character's a hick, feel free to fuck literacy up the ass. But that relates to characterization and that comes later.
In short, don't believe everything your teacher tells you, break some rules once in a while, watch out for repetition, and repetition also adds emphasis.
goldilocks paradox !
[/font]Post length is a tricky thing.
Too long and who you're working with may want to kill you. Too short and they may want to kill you.
Too long and anything important (such as dialogue and actions) might get lost in the vast wall of text, thus leaving your partner nothing to work with. Too short and you give your partner nothing to work with.
Do you see where I'm going with this?
It is a PARADOX! (Much like Puppy Robot.)
Basically, I think there ought to be a rule of thumb. For one, plan it out. Make sure they know what's important in your post. Lead into it, blahblahblah. And NEVER sacrifice quality for quantity.
My rule of thumb?
Expand the input box. Make the scroll bar appear. Push it down a little (but hey, not too much little Miss Novella), and make sure your signature has been pushed down a little too. The preview button is your friend.
Anywhere from two to four paragraphs (all the while bearing in mind to make it interesting) is key.
characterization !
[/font]I could go on all day about this. About how the character should be like yourself (otherwise you can't relate, and if you can't relate you can't portray), but not too like yourself or it'll become bland and dull.
Also, stuff like consistent inconsistencies. If there's a limp, a quirk, an accent, make sure you bear them in mind so you don't lose things that make them them. Take any high school drama class if you want to learn more.
I'm not going to waste my time if I can't get everything out like I want to.
disclaimer !
[/font]I love food.
Oh, and no animals were harmed in the making of this thing.
Also, this wasn't really meant to offend anyone. I just felt like it. So, if it does offend you, get over it.
Will fix shit/edit shit later when I'm not feeling so dry.
