Coming Soon: A Guide to Forum Based Role-Play

Our hardworking PR&M manager had a wonderful idea, and after having tried in vain to free up some free time in my schedule to follow up with it, I have decided to start pushing things aside as I am able rather than find wiggle room. Some who join our community are those who have years of online role-playing experience under their belt, and find writing out posts and crafting evocative writing to be second nature, a time honed skill they no longer need to consciously think about as they weave you outstanding pieces of writing. On the other side of that, we have had a countless number of people come in admitting that they have little to no experience within the Play by Post world, and would love some pointers.

Well crowd number one, chances are, nothing in this soon approaching series is going to be news to you, but if you can take something from it, I shall be pleased nonetheless. Crowd number two, on the other hand, this upcoming set of installments will be crafted, tailored, and specially designed to help you- an aspiring writer, role-player, storyteller- learn tricks of the trade ranging from simple aesthetics to ways to methods to improve the quality of your writing. I cannot promise to make the most mundane writer the next New York Times bestseller (if I could do that, do you think I’d be working nonstop overtime and fighting with my schedule to squeeze blog posts in? Heck no, I’d be writing my own books and doing educative seminars on the side!), but I can offer you some valuable insight that just might be that nudge you need to start seeing some positive gains in your writing.

Now, as I have already emphasized forty times over, I am pressed for time and this very moment approaches me no differently- I cannot begin working on the first of this series which might run anywhere from half a dozen to a score, all depending on how the material gets covered, at this present time. Perhaps over the weekend, perhaps into mid next week, but soon, you will have the first of many nuggets of information for you to throw in your writer’s toolbox. By the end of this series, I hope to see not a group of people with one or two tools apiece, some trying to fix things only with a hammer or others with a monkey wrench nearly as large as them- nay! I want to see a group of master craftsman with scores of tools available to them.

Well, I’ve rambled enough, so until next time.

-          Acies

Beware of the man who works hard to learn something, learns it, and finds himself no wiser than before.

-Kurt Vonnegut

Home by Nox

Wow. It is hard to believe that it had been over a year since I first joined Valucre. And let me tell you, it has been an interesting ride so far. Now I am the first to admit, I was brought to Valucre by a friend kicking, screaming and clawing at the floor if you really must know. I would in a very short time come to realize that my reticence was completely unwarranted, having come from a larger, much more commercial site with cutesie avatars, lots of items to purchase and a wide variety of role plays.

Sadly, over the years, even such variety proved to be lack luster. It was the same anime being played out again and again. Unfortunately my own efforts, not fitting nearly into the anime motif, went largely ignored, but for the occasional misguided cyber invite. Even my age, which is considerably greater than your average collaborative writer, was an issue. It was at this time that I found my drive to role play waning.

Ready to retire from collaborative writing altogether, my friend began pressing me to join this new sure that he had found. He swore that it was different, that the atmosphere was not one of pretentious back biting and characters that defy even the liberal parameters of suspended disbelief. This is a nurturing environment that values creativity as opposed to a stifling site that rejects anything that does not fit comfortably into preexisting molds.

I was of course, quite skeptical. But after perusing the site and jumping back into collaborative writing with both feet, I found his words to be quite true.

I have come to know Valucre to be a vivid and well organized and inviting world that has a place for almost any kind of character. Creativity abounds here without infantile judgments. If one cannot find a place in the main forums, there is an alternative forum were one can explore the outer reaches of one's imagination.

At last, I have found a place where my writing skills can develop and grow. At last I have come home.

Nox