Kerry's Tips For Adding Content to a Roleplay Post.
Important Note: You don't need to do everything here every time, but numbers 1 & 3 are a definate must with every post you write.
Important Note 2: Always use your best judgement. This is a guideline more than anything. An attempt at helping others improve.
1. Read every new post thouroughly.
2. Every time another character says or does something, ask yourself a few questions.
-----What would my character do in response to this?
-----What would my character say in response to this?
-----What would my character think toward this?
-----What would my character feel about this?
---Sometimes the answer may be nothing, but that's alright because there should be enough points that he/she would respond to, that make up for it.
3. Check back to the post you are responding to to make sure you've remembered everything they typed properly. The recent posts section on Gaia's new post screen is very useful for this.
4. It doesn't hurt to reference things directly from another person's post. You can even refer to something you did or said before, or to something/someone in the character's past.
-----For example: If someone sits in a chair you could say "When she sat down he" -then continue with whatever your character did. Or if a persons words or actions may remind them of someone they knew when they were younger, then *show that they are thinking about that*. People shouldn't hate you for a character flashback if you make it interesting.
5. If someone asks a question that can be perfect for adding material to a post as they're directly giving you something to respond on.
Extra tip: Adverbs are your friends. Did he walk, or did he walk quickly with his eyes scanning the area for danger? Did she speak, or did she speak loudly and with confidence? See how these underlined examples also paint a clearer picture of the character's mood? Watch how many you use though. You don't want to overwhelm your reader, but one or two extra descriptives every few sentances should be a help.
Extra Tip number two: You don't need to only focus on your character. What about their surroundings? What is the atmosphere like? Are the hairs on their arms standing on end from the chill? Can they hear the wind blowing through a nearby tree? Maybe there's a construction site nearby that's making it difficult for them to hear a companion's words. Just be careful that what you say doesn't contradict with what another roleplayer has described. If someone says their character is shivering from the cold, don't turn around and be basking in the warmth of the afternoon sun. (Suggested by: Kitkatamii )
Extra Tip number three: Don't just say what your character is feeling, show it. Don't just say "He was happy." Tell us what his body language is like, what his facial expressions are, his tone of voice when he speaks.
*This can also have the added effect of giving your character some depth, and helping with character development in the future.*
