Note

I've been noticing quite a few new RP threads lately, however none of them seem to be very developed. So, I've decided to write this article in hopes of convincing people to double check their work and put some more thought into their roleplays.

Constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated.

Titles Honestly, the first thing that grabs my attention when I'm scrolling through the roleplaying forum, is the titles. It supplies the potential player with a little information about the roleplay and, hopefully, grabs their attention. The title of your roleplay is the first thing everyone sees and you know what they say about first impressions.

Try and think of something witty, or eye catching. For instance, use song lyrics, or a well known quote. For instance, if you're making a horror/romance roleplay use a title like, "I'll Fight Away All Your Fears" Choose appropriate titles for your roleplays.

The Subject bar doesn't go through spellcheck, so it's important to make sure everything is spelled correctly. I often don't even bother clicking on the thread if I see that the title is misspelled.

Plot Every good roleplay needs a plot. Try and avoid plots which only revolve around one or two different characters. Also, a little imagination goes a long way. If you see three high school roleplays, DON'T MAKE ANOTHER ONE. Chances are, anyone who's looking to roleplay that genera, has already joined and you may not get many participants.

Read over your work carefully! Check for both spelling and grammar mistakes. It bothers me so much when people don't spellcheck their work. It's not too hard. Download Firefox, which is better than IE anyway, and if something is misspelled, it will be underlined by a red line. If you can't download an internet browser with spellcheck, find a spellchecker online. It takes about all of ten seconds.

Character Skellys Normally, Skellys are created according to personal taste. Some like pictures for appearances, while others like typed descriptions better. The thing with Skellys is, to try and be specific. Some like a nice thick paragraph about personalities, while some just leave it out completely.

Do you want first and last names? Nicknames? What's the range of ages that you'll allow? Anime pictures, or photographs?

The more specific you are, the easier it will be for the players to fill out the skelly. (Also, try and keep them short and sweet. It gets rather tiring if you have to read fifteen skellys, which each have at least two paragraphs per sentence.)

Rules Rules may vary depending on who creates the RP. I am completely fine with whatever pairings, (MxM, MxF, FxF) but I know that some creators are not. Be sure write down what you will and will not allow. It's also nice if you're not a buttface about it.

If you want to make sure they've read the rules, it's also helpful to put something along the lines of, "Put a smiley face in your post to prove you've read the rules" in the list.

Turning People Away I've actually only had to do this once, or twice, but sometimes you put down LIT RP and someone sends you a writing sample with three sentences. Be nice about it. Use euphemisms. Maybe recommend some other RPs for them, so they don't feel so put out.

Be Responsible! If it says in your rules, "No flooding" make sure it doesn't happen! Give out warnings and if flooding is, for some reason, unavoidable, then offer to write summaries for people.

Also, you can't quit your own RP. If something comes up and you can't post for awhile, make sure you tell the group. It's also nice if you have a co-creator, or friend you can put in charge while you're away.

Hopefully this guide was helpful, or gave you something to do while waiting for someone to reply. =)

Thanks for reading!

Jinxed

That's pretty helpful, especially for those who are just beginning to roleplay. c:

Hrm.. I'm trying to think about if you were missing anything, but I can't come up with anything at the moment. I fail. I've never turned anyone away.. .-. I'm too passive. It's time to be assertive! >D

Haha, and I hate those kinds of threads where the creator is like; 'okay, I gave you a topic, now roleplay while I go eat some cherries, and not care anymore'

Ohh, snap, I think I'm rambling. Well, my post didn't help you at all, so.. Shutting up now. ;3