These are tips I keep in mind regularly and feel they really work for me, while I occasionally notice sometimes people haven’t quite grasped the concepts and may be interested in doing so. In no way is anyone roleplaying incorrectly, but these are just ways to make the experience perhaps more enjoyable for you and those you interact with!
1 — Be aware of whether or not you’re actually giving your partner something to respond to. Upon finishing a para or multi-para reply, check if your reply has at least two of these three things: dialogue, action (aside from speaking), or imagery describing the scene or your character’s appearance. This should give your partner a substantial amount of material to base their reply off of. They can have their character speak back to yours, react to the action, or react to/build on the imagery! All three are great, but not always necessary. This tip also may not always apply depending on the kind of interaction you’re having, but in your typical para they will be what keeps the story moving. Note: Your character’s inner thoughts are a fourth element to add in a reply, and while it’s important and interesting to read, keep in mind that sometimes it’s not easy to base a response off of.
2 — Another tip for giving your partner something to respond to when it comes to one-liners or dialogue in general is to avoid saying single statements pertaining to one idea. By this I mean something like, “That’s cool” or, “I wish I could do that.” Instead say something like, “That’s cool. Where did you learn to do that?” or, “I wish I could do that, but I don’t have anyone to teach me.” Adding a question of course never fails to give your partner something to respond to (and therefore can even be written by itself as it’s not a statement). Making a compound statement or more than one statement on a subject essentially gives people two things to work with, and responding to it will feel less restricting. For example: Instead of your partner saying “You never know until you try” to the simple statement (creating another boring statement), by adding to yours you could invite them to say something like, “You never know until you try. I could teach you!” Now there’s something you can easily respond back to!
3 — If you’re anything like me and prefer replies to stay concise so that things move along more quickly, avoid multiple lines of dialogue pertaining to many different ideas and avoid having more than one goal to obtain through action. This is something that happens a lot, and even the most experienced roleplayers do it unintentionally. I am still guilty of it myself. We all go a little overboard sometimes, and you will notice that once someone goes overboard the replies have a tendency to keep expanding. Even if more is happening at once, the story tends to drag. This can be a problem because it’s one of the main reasons we will get bored of a thread, or feel too overwhelmed by it, or both. Try to restrain yourself by finishing the reply after you have responded to the one or two things your partner has given you. Instead of focusing on matching word count, focus on matching ideas. Feel like it’s still not enough? Throw in some imagery or insight to your character’s thoughts.
4 — When writing a starter for an interaction with a character yours has yet to interact with, this should be a given, but read everything the mun has provided about that character. If it’s a canon character and particularly if it’s one you’re not as familiar with, go beyond that and look them up on a fandom wiki, just make sure to recognize where the character may be canon divergent if they’re supposed to be. As you do this, pick out ways this character may relate to your character. Do they have similar or conflicting interests? Are they from the same place or been to the same places? Is there something about them your character finds impressive or something that bothers them? Is your character’s personality one that might clash with theirs? Once you’ve got answers to any of these questions, have your starter comment on or insinuate something you’ve discovered. This gives something for your characters to discuss and jumpstarts the creation of a story to share, which is especially important if it’s their first meeting as those threads are always in danger of feeling redundant and flat from the start.
5 — Find your character’s voice (a.k.a. their way of speaking). As you write their dialogue, ask yourself questions like these: Where/when did they grow up and how did people (of their social class) speak there? What kind of accent do they have? What slang do they use? Do they avoid using contractions? Do they use foul language and how often? Are they articulate with a wide vocabulary? Do they keep things short or are they prone to run-on sentences and long-windedness? Do they have a speech impediment? Are exclamations (!) common for them or do they speak more calmly? Do they address people with pet names/nicknames? And a bonus: If texting/typing applies to them, do they use correct grammar, capitalization, acronyms, emojis, etc? Finding your character’s voice is key if you really want to get to know them and it’s also one good way to be sure you’ve created a solid character. You may feel it comes naturally, but take note of it and make a conscious effort to keep it consistent. It also may evolve over time, but be aware of that, too!
As Sunset walked a few paces behind her she always kept a sharp eye not only on Minerva, but on her surroundings as well. People walking up and down the street, doors opening and closing, along with where the entrances and exits were, marking where they were in her mind in case she needed to make a quick leave with Minerva in tow.
Sunset knew Minerva didn’t trust her. The looks of slight distane and boredom told her that in an instant, and while it did hurt, and the less then stellar way the two meet didn’t help, she had dealt with it before. All she could do was smile and keep her safe. And open a a car door for her as she made her way to it. “Which spa are you going to? I can drive you there.”
The world when the mink moved seemed to be in motion. Her slight bounce to the stride and the remarkably elegance in which she was able to slink and move through and across was quite something. As a toon, a creature that seemed to operate on different laws and logic, the mink was no doubt applying her gift of nature in how the world was to her.
She was to be the bombshell, so she was. Simple as that. Every step was graceful, every sway was alluring. Even the cast and crew of the busy set seemed to part and glide about her not once causing her pause. It was an oddity in some ways yet completely and utterly expected too. It was not out of place for the mink nor any of the fellow toon stars that scattered Warner Studios.
As Sunset opened the door to her car and offered to drive, the mink paused before looking at the professional dressed girl. Arms folding, she leaned back as if to be surprised at the nature of the request. While she may not trust the other as well as being quite capable of driving…. the mink had to admit she didn’t exactly WANT to drive.
“Palm Nut Spa and Hotel. It’s just outside of Hollywood. Take the 101 towards Valley Village.” The mink explained idly before she slid into the the passenger car seat, awaiting the bodyguard to join her.
It was in that moment Susnet was thankful that she took those years of driving lessons, and while she did have a very strong preference for anything with two wheels, she still took a great amount of pride in her driving abilities. The courses and summers spent at a local racetrack behind the wheel of whatever she felt like renting for the day would always cost her a pretty penny, but she could afford it. But then again, driving that one hypercar almost broke her. But in the end, she decided it was worth it.
Sunset gently closed the door behind the mink with a small smile as she climbed into the driver’s seat, idly running her fingertips gently along the inside. The dash, the radio, the steering wheel, the gearshift knob…
Finally, she let out a soft sigh and started the car, giving a slight glance over at Minerva before effortlessly backing out and headed out into town.
Getting tired to have to remind people empathy and compassion are basic human feelings and qualities, not a sign of weakness or a reason to hurt someone.
{~Howdy howdy! Do you wanna interact with the precious princess of Hell? Who may or may not be suppressing her true nature for the safety of others? Then come on down to cheeryhell! We’ve got singing, dancing, and an adorable little demon for all to enjoy! What more could one ask for?~}
TheWanderingSunset2 