How to Roleplay

Learning Text-Based Roleplaying

1. How to Roleplay Picture 1
   Choose text-based roleplaying if you like to write fiction or fanfiction. It is essentially the same thing, except that you will be writing the story with at least one other person. When you do text-based roleplaying, you take on the role of a character, and write his or her actions and reactions to other characters and events. Here is an example of what a roleplay might look like:
   
   

   fanfiction4ever:
   Jane was breathless as she hurried to school through the pouring rain. She had forgotten her umbrella at home, and it was too late now to go back and get it. She was soaked and cold.
   
   roleplay_queen:
   John saw Jane dash across the school yard, and ran over to her. "Hey, Jane!" he called, "Wait up!" He then pulled out his umbrella, and held it over both their heads. "Here," he said, "Let's walk to class together.
   
   fanfiction4ever:
   Jane blushed as John stepped closer to her, so that both of them could fit under the umbrella. She had always had a crush on him, but too afraid of rejection to admit it. "T-thank you, John," she said, and slipped her arm through his.

2. How to Roleplay Picture 2
   Find a place to roleplay on and obey its rules. There are many websites that allow roleplaying. Some of them are entire websites dedicated to roleplaying, while others have roleplaying sub-forums, such as GaiaOnline and Neopets. Pick a site that suits your interests the most. You will be prompted to create an account and log in.

   1. Some websites are geared towards only certain types of roleplays, while others allow a broader spectrum. For example, you may find a site that focuses only on vampire-themed roleplays.
   2. You can play with people you already know, or play with people you don't know. Roleplayers often become best friends!
   3. Wherever you choose to roleplay, be sure to read the rules and respect them. Breaking these rules can result in suspension or even banning.
3. How to Roleplay Picture 3
   Learn the terminology in the roleplaying community. The terms might vary depending on where you choose to roleplay, but in general, they are the same. Here are some common terms you might see:

   1. RP: stands for roleplay. You will often see this in search threads.
   2. OC and Canon: "OC" stands for "original character," while "canon" refers to a character from an existing book, game, or movie, such as Harry Potter, Cloud Strife, or Tony Stark.
   3. Pairing: this refers to two characters in an rp; they interact with each other the most, and often end up in a relationship.
   4. OOC: stands for "Out of Character." It is usually followed by a colon to signify the writer him/herself speaking. People use these for comments and questions about the rp.
   5. Literate, Semi-literate, and Advanced-literate: refer the amount of writing expected per post. These terms are arbitrary, as every one has different ideas of what means what. In general, "semi-lit" refers to posts that are less than a paragraph, and "advanced-lit" refers to posts that are several paragraphs long.
4. How to Roleplay Picture 4
   Understand the main types of text-based roleplaying. Besides genre, roleplays fall into different categories: fandom, original, group, and one-on-one. You should choose one that appeals the most to you.

   1. Fandom: an rp based on an existing universe from a book or movie, such as Harry Potter or The Avengers. It can contain both canon and original characters.
      1. AU: stands for "Alternate Universe." It is a sub-category of "Fandom," and usually contains some changes, such as reversed genders or the characters are all cats.
      2. Cross-Over: a sub-category of "Fandom." It is a combination of two or more fandoms. For example: Harry Potter and Hunger Games.
   2. Original: an rp based on a completely original setting that the roleplayers make up. It can be anything: fantasy, historical, real-life, etc.
   3. Group: an rp between a group of three or more people. They can be fast-paced.
   4. One-on-One: an rp between two people. It is often written as 1x1, and may contain 1 to 2 pairings.
5. How to Roleplay Picture 5
   Create your character, if needed. If you are playing a canon character, then you will not need to create a character for the rp; you should be prepared to portray the canon character as accurately as possible, however. When creating an original character, you will need to make them believable; if you are in a group rp, you may need to submit them to the creator for approval. Consider the following when creating your character:

   1. Physical appearance: Describe your character's hair, eye, skin color, and whatever else is most important to you. This will help other writers to visualize your character. You can also use an image instead, if permitted.
   2. Personality: What is your character like, and how do they act around other characters? You should also think about your character's goals, motives, and desires.
   3. Likes and dislikes: What sorts of things does your character like and dislike/fear? It could be as simple as a love for chocolate and a fear of spiders. It could be as complex as having a hobby (ie: painting) and having a fear (ie: being abandoned).
   4. Skills and talents: Everyone is good at something, and your character should too! It might be a good idea to include something your character is bad at in order to make them more believable.
   5. Backstory: This will root your character in the fictional world. You will need to consider your character's history, family life, occupation, and so forth.
6. How to Roleplay Picture 6
   Make your character believable and realistic. In the rp world, flawless characters—called "Mary Sues" or "Gary Stues"—have a notorious reputation and are extremely frowned upon. Create a character with both positive and negative traits. For example: your character is smart but too shy to speak up in class and show off her intelligence.

   1. Add a fun quirk or two! Characters that have unusual approaches to solving problems, odd habits, or strange mannerisms can make your character compelling and interesting to others.
   2. If you are creating a character for a fandom rp, try to blend them into the fandom's world as much as possible. Don't make them too similar to an existing character, however!
7. How to Roleplay Picture 7
   Choose between a narrative and script style. Some roleplayers prefer to write using a narrative style, which reads like a typical book. It is the most popular style. Others prefer a screenplay style, which reads like a script. It is most suitable for fast-past roleplays. Here's an example of what a screenplay style roleplay might look like:
   
   

   fanfiction4ever:
   Jane: *running breathlessly through the rain*
   
   roleplay_queen:
   John: Hey, Jane! Wait up! *runs over and pulls out umbrella* Here *open umbrella* Let's walk to class together.
   
   fanfiction4ever:
   Jane: *blushes and gets under the umbrella* O-okay!

8. How to Roleplay Picture 8
   Use concrete details and ample description while writing. This will immerse yourself and fellow roleplayers in the fictional world. At the same time, you'll want to avoid rambling, as this can make the other person lose interest.

   1. Use the five senses: sight, touch, smell, hearing, and taste.
   2. Describe the setting: weather, temperature, location, and important surrounding objects.
   3. Use gestures: what are your characters doing/thinking? How do they walk, talk, and position themselves?
9. How to Roleplay Picture 9
   Contribute to the plot. This is especially important when doubling; don't expect your partner to do all the work. Don't just respond to everything he or she writes; add something new to your posts as well. If your partner is doing all the work, eventually he or she will run out of ideas and get tired or drained.

   1. Rps where two people are contributing to the plot are more interesting than rps where one person is doing all the work.
10. How to Roleplay Picture 10
    Read what other people write, wait your turn, and post a replay. In text-based roleplaying, everyone writes out what their character says, thinks, and does, and posts it, usually in a forum. If you are doing a one-on-one roleplay, this may be in an instant messenger or even email. When your turn comes, post your character's part of the story.

    1. Post as soon as you can. If you are unable to post in a timely manner, let your roleplay partner or the group leader know.
    2. Do not pester people for replies. This can be seen as annoying. Wait a week before asking for a reply; sometimes people forget or get busy.
    3. Don't ditch a roleplay without a word. This can be seen as very rude in the roleplay community. If you get tired of the roleplay and don't want to do it anymore, be upfront about it. Politely tell the person you are roleplaying with that you are no longer interested.
11. How to Roleplay Picture 11
    Know what doubling is. Doubling occurs in one-on-one roleplays, where there are two pairings: your pairing and your partner's pairing. These pairings are often romantic. Each person plays their desired character and a character of their partner's choosing. For example, if you were doing an Avenger's rp, the pairings might be: Steve Rogers x your OC, and Tony Stark x your partner's OC. In this case, you'd be playing your OC and Tony Stark. Your partner would be playing their OC and Steve Rogers. Here is an example of what doubling might look like:
    
    

    
    roleplay_queen:
    John grinned as Jane slipped her arm through his, and began to lead her to class. "Hey, Jane," he said at last. "I was wondering if you wanted to come to homecoming this weekend with me." His heart pounded in his chest as he waited for her reply.
    
    Meanwhile, Mary was hurrying through the halls, trying to get to her class. She was running late again, but wasn't her fault. Elizabeth and her gang had stolen her bag earlier that morning. She got to class moments before the first bell and sat down.
    
    fanfiction4ever:
    Jane's eyes widened at John's invitation, and she could hardly believe what she was hearing. This was practically a dream come true! "Oh John!" she said, "I would love to!" And here she thought that John never liked her.
    
    Chris was already sitting at his desk; when he saw Mary enter the classroom, he waved her over, and held up her book bag. He had seen what happened earlier, and managed to get it back from Elizabeth. "Here," he said softly, and gave it to her.

12. How to Roleplay Picture 12
    Maintain good etiquette when doubling. When to roleplaying, fair is fair. You should give the same amount of attention to both characters that you are playing: your character and the character you are playing for your partner. If you write two paragraphs for your original character, you should write two paragraphs for the other character you are playing (ie: Tony Stark). If you only write two sentences for that other character, you would not be fair to your partner. Just imagine if you only got two sentences back for Steve Rogers!