Post by Bishimi on Mar 3, 2008 15:18:50 GMT -5
For many years I have listened to GL scream and yell, rant and rave about how Stories and OOC Media destry the IG experience.
When misused, I agree completely.
STORIES...Fact and Fiction
I got started in this whole rp thing by writing stories way back when about anyone who would trust me with their character. Everyone loved it and my confidence as a writer shot sky high. I got so confident I started writing about the deaths of characters who werent even my own!
The BALLS on me, eh?
I did this because one frame of mind I established early on with regards to justifying what was fact and what was ficton. Then I had to slap myself in the face a few times. Its all fiction!
I then subscribed to the notion that no one can play this game at all times, be in-character at ALL times. For one thing, we'd all be pretty dumb about our enviroment because in-game books are sort of a rarity. I then said to myself "Is it conceivable that the stories I write could be simply construed as bar gossip? Farmers chatting by the henhouse as my mage waters his horse near them? The absent ravings of some loon by the docks?
Why yes I can.
I killed Rath Stonesoul off in a story I wrote. Did he really die? Apparently not! Hell, as I recall he didnt die in the story either, but I digress...
What I did was take a scenario that DID exist in game...the continued abscense of Rath. I then whipped up one hell of a tale and it spread to the four corners of the globe. It drew praise and condemnation. The praise came from the folks on the side of the plotline we were attempting to launch, and the jibes came in the form of "You have no right to write about the death of another character."
Stories are the windspun rumors of the shard, my friends. Some may be based in complete fact, as some gossip is. Some aspects of that fact get manipulated, either by carelessness or by deliberate need.
So we need to establish that stories should never never never be treated as gospel.
WHEN AND WHERE TO USE THEM
Much the same way you shouldnt use the HC to sell your initial plotline, you shouldn't depend on your stories to convey the more intricate aspects of your plot.
Example:
Right now there is a plotline (and from what I understand, a subsquent quest) with regards to a race of beings calling themselves the Vadan'myr. The tone is pretty sinister, and the stories are written very well, in my opinion.
The problem seems to stem from the fact that a lot of work went into these stories (from several authors, it seems) and the roleplay was supposed to take off from them. Its ok to preamble your roleplay with an intro, but you must always go under the assumption that no one is reading them. Clues to some of the snags were in those stories...even not playing I could see that.
But you cant force homework on people (reading) to propel your plot.
I tend to use stories to describe certain parts of the game that are somewhat mundane, i.e. Rydmathias sailing up north in the charge of the Temple. Riding on a boat in UO is boring, and the ships suck. So I try to make the concept of life on the high seas a bit more engaging.
OMG THATS OOC INFO YOUR CHARACTER CANT READ STORIES WTFOMG
Stories should also be used to set up a potential meeting, as I eluded to in my previous post. Thats all UO is, a series of meetings. By Nosfentor hinting in a story that she plans to blow up the Civic Center, if Oona comes across her two days before and bold face yells "I KNOW YOUR GOING TO BLOW IT UP?"
What should Nosfentors response be?
Well he could do what seems to happen most often (and I am not accusing either Oona or Nos, just used them as an example)...people run into IRC and yell and scream that you know OOC info.
Negative.
If Nosfentor leaks in a story his intent, we must assume responsibility for the all-encompassing axiom: "No secret is ever safe." Does Oona have proof? No, she heard a 'rumor'. Nosfentor can deny it, cant he? She still needs PROOF...but it gets the wheels going.
Nosfentor shouldn't include anything in a story he doesnt want someone to know. And if someone ELSE writes that Nosfentor is blowing up a building...well, something tells me that wont be the first time the seedy wench got slandered.
Tough! Roleplay your way out of it.
FORMAT
Stories are alot like candidates on an interview for a job. Before I even read the first line, I know whether or not I am even going to read it, period.
Im not asking for amazing sentence structure or stellar grammar...just three simple things.
1. End a paragraph after six sentences, max!
2. Utilize periods...run on sentences just kill a head.
3. Leave the novels to those who get paid, and keep the board stories short.
Its not being picky, people. It's about being easy on the eyes. Reading does require a bit of effort for some and you want it to be as comfortable as you can make it.
If you have a super-long story...break it into parts and try to end it on a kind of cliffhanger. Thats the BEST way to garner whether or not interest is building.
In closing, authors need to take responsibility for what they write, and not make what they write the responsibility of their fellow players.
Next topic will cover confidence.
>=E
When misused, I agree completely.
STORIES...Fact and Fiction
I got started in this whole rp thing by writing stories way back when about anyone who would trust me with their character. Everyone loved it and my confidence as a writer shot sky high. I got so confident I started writing about the deaths of characters who werent even my own!
The BALLS on me, eh?
I did this because one frame of mind I established early on with regards to justifying what was fact and what was ficton. Then I had to slap myself in the face a few times. Its all fiction!
I then subscribed to the notion that no one can play this game at all times, be in-character at ALL times. For one thing, we'd all be pretty dumb about our enviroment because in-game books are sort of a rarity. I then said to myself "Is it conceivable that the stories I write could be simply construed as bar gossip? Farmers chatting by the henhouse as my mage waters his horse near them? The absent ravings of some loon by the docks?
Why yes I can.
I killed Rath Stonesoul off in a story I wrote. Did he really die? Apparently not! Hell, as I recall he didnt die in the story either, but I digress...
What I did was take a scenario that DID exist in game...the continued abscense of Rath. I then whipped up one hell of a tale and it spread to the four corners of the globe. It drew praise and condemnation. The praise came from the folks on the side of the plotline we were attempting to launch, and the jibes came in the form of "You have no right to write about the death of another character."
Stories are the windspun rumors of the shard, my friends. Some may be based in complete fact, as some gossip is. Some aspects of that fact get manipulated, either by carelessness or by deliberate need.
So we need to establish that stories should never never never be treated as gospel.
WHEN AND WHERE TO USE THEM
Much the same way you shouldnt use the HC to sell your initial plotline, you shouldn't depend on your stories to convey the more intricate aspects of your plot.
Example:
Right now there is a plotline (and from what I understand, a subsquent quest) with regards to a race of beings calling themselves the Vadan'myr. The tone is pretty sinister, and the stories are written very well, in my opinion.
The problem seems to stem from the fact that a lot of work went into these stories (from several authors, it seems) and the roleplay was supposed to take off from them. Its ok to preamble your roleplay with an intro, but you must always go under the assumption that no one is reading them. Clues to some of the snags were in those stories...even not playing I could see that.
But you cant force homework on people (reading) to propel your plot.
I tend to use stories to describe certain parts of the game that are somewhat mundane, i.e. Rydmathias sailing up north in the charge of the Temple. Riding on a boat in UO is boring, and the ships suck. So I try to make the concept of life on the high seas a bit more engaging.
OMG THATS OOC INFO YOUR CHARACTER CANT READ STORIES WTFOMG
Stories should also be used to set up a potential meeting, as I eluded to in my previous post. Thats all UO is, a series of meetings. By Nosfentor hinting in a story that she plans to blow up the Civic Center, if Oona comes across her two days before and bold face yells "I KNOW YOUR GOING TO BLOW IT UP?"
What should Nosfentors response be?
Well he could do what seems to happen most often (and I am not accusing either Oona or Nos, just used them as an example)...people run into IRC and yell and scream that you know OOC info.
Negative.
If Nosfentor leaks in a story his intent, we must assume responsibility for the all-encompassing axiom: "No secret is ever safe." Does Oona have proof? No, she heard a 'rumor'. Nosfentor can deny it, cant he? She still needs PROOF...but it gets the wheels going.
Nosfentor shouldn't include anything in a story he doesnt want someone to know. And if someone ELSE writes that Nosfentor is blowing up a building...well, something tells me that wont be the first time the seedy wench got slandered.
Tough! Roleplay your way out of it.
FORMAT
Stories are alot like candidates on an interview for a job. Before I even read the first line, I know whether or not I am even going to read it, period.
Im not asking for amazing sentence structure or stellar grammar...just three simple things.
1. End a paragraph after six sentences, max!
2. Utilize periods...run on sentences just kill a head.
3. Leave the novels to those who get paid, and keep the board stories short.
Its not being picky, people. It's about being easy on the eyes. Reading does require a bit of effort for some and you want it to be as comfortable as you can make it.
If you have a super-long story...break it into parts and try to end it on a kind of cliffhanger. Thats the BEST way to garner whether or not interest is building.
In closing, authors need to take responsibility for what they write, and not make what they write the responsibility of their fellow players.
Next topic will cover confidence.
>=E
