Haunting Academy of the Magical Arts - The Explanatory Post

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Nov 20, 2009, 9:07pm

Haunting Academy of the Magical Arts :: Out-of-Character RP Discussion :: Getting Started :: The Explanatory Post - START READING HERE

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Professor Gayle Aberdeen
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The Explanatory Post - START READING HERE
« Thread Started on Aug 27, 2007, 8:00pm »

The Explanatory Post
How to Participate in the Haunting Academy Roleplay

So, you want to participate in the Interactive Fanfiction, do you? That's great! You're in the right place. This thread will explain everything you need to know about participating – if it's not listed in this post, you'll find a link to the post you need to read. And don't worry – it may seem like alot, but a lot of it is really just common sense once you read it. Still, these things have to be said to ensure that everyone's operating on the same level, and that all our participants have a fair and fun time.

“So,” you're probably wondering, “Where do I start?” Well, you should start at the same point you would for any other RP, Interactive Fanfiction, or even a game: The Rules. Please remember that by participating in the RP, you agree to abide by its rules – which you can find here.

Once you've read the rules, the next places you need to look are our Setting and History threads. Skipping these threads can leave you lost and confused – and will take a tremendous toll on your character creation. In fact, most people who try to create a character without reading these threads end up creating a character that doesn't fit in with the storyline at all and must be rebuilt from the ground up. In order to avoid the stress and extra work, head over here to read all about the setting of our Roleplay, and here to read about the history of the School itself.

At long last, it's time to create a character. Like any other RP or IF, we have rules for how to create a character – and how not to. The Biography Creation Guide has everything you need to know about the do's and don'ts when creating a character for our IF. That thread can be found here.

Once your character's biography has been approved, you're almost ready to go! “But just where do I begin?” you may be asking. “There are so many threads, and a lot of them look like they're full of people already.”

But ah, not so fast! There's still more to be said. Before we delve into where to start, we must first look at how to participate. The RP has a rather specific format, which is designed to improve the participants' writing abilities and to be easy to read. First, let's look at an example of a good way to post in the RP:

”’Crap! I’m late!’ she shouted as she ran down the hallway. ‘The Professor is going to kill me!’ She ran as fast as she could, hoping she would make it to Class before long, but she failed to see the stranger in front of her until it was too late. She crashed into him at full speed and landed in a heap on the ground.”

In this example, Character A is a Haunting Academy student who was running late, and, in her hurry, didn’t look where she was going and therefore ran right into someone – Character B. Author B could have Character B react in several different ways. For example, Character B could get angry at the girl for running into him, he could help her up and see if she’s okay, or he could even walk her to the Academy. In the next post, Character A would respond to Character B’s actions, and in the next, Character B would respond; etc, etc. This continues until whatever is being played out has been played from beginning to end. In our example, it would probably end once Character A reached his or her classroom and, if applicable, was scolded for being late. Anything else that happens in class would better fit in its own section.

Now, the selection above is an ideal post for our RP format. It is well-written from the third-person perspective in a narrative style, in the past tense.It also allows for other characters to interact, without limiting their options or taking over their character.

Now let's look at how notto write for Haunting Academy. Some online RPs, even on forums, follow an IM-style format. In the case of our young academy student, it would look something like this:

Crap! I'm late!

*runs down the hallway*

The Professor is going to kill me!

*crashes into a stranger ahead of her at full speed, landing in a heap on the ground*

This is the prime example of how not to write for the RP. Not only is it awkward to read, it provides little to no expression in the post. Did she notice the stranger at all? Or did she purposely barrel into him at top speed? Was she shouting, speaking, or thinking to herself? There aren't even any quotation marks to let the reader know for certain that she was even speaking aloud. What were her feelings at the time? When posting in the RP, stay away from this style of writing. The only exception would be the Silly Boards, but even then, please use quotation marks.

In short, here are a few basic guidelines for posting:

1) Posts should be in the narrative style.
--YES: “He put the cup on the table.”
--NO: *Puts the cup on the table*

2) Posts should be in the past tense.
--YES: “He picked the cup up again.”
--NO: “He picks the cup up again.”

3) Posts should be from the third-person perspective.
--YES: “He looked at the glass, noting that it was dirty.”
--NO: “I looked at the glass, noting that it was dirty.”

—NOTE ON RULE 3: While posting from the first-person perspective isn't allowed, posting your character's thoughts is perfectly acceptable – and even encouraged.
--EX: “This cup is dirty, he thought as he examined it in the light of the kitchen lamp. I'd better wash it.”

So, now you know how the rules and story of the RP, you know how to create a character, and you know how to write your posts. What's next? Well, you're now good to go! But before you dash off to post, have a look at these helpful tips:

Tips for Participating in the RP

These are just some quickie notes that are good to know before you begin:

~ When in doubt, ask. It won’t hurt and besides, it’s always best to be on the safe side.

~Be realistic. A first-year isn’t going to be doing advanced magic, and will know way less about the magical world than an adult or even an upperclassman. This means no casting Patronus charms as a first-year student, etc. Upperclassmen and more experienced adults will also be likely to be more mature than the kids, as well.

~If you really want to flesh out your character's past, try writing a “flashback” style post on our Retro/Flashback boards. This can either be a solo thread – written by only you – or an interactive thread – co-written by multiple people just as any RP thread would be. Take a look through some of the threads on this board* – both types exist as good examples for you to learn from.

~Traditions and clubs are a great way to get your character involved. Click Here to read up on what we have to offer.

That's everything you need to know. Good luck, and happy RPing!

*Konoha Village – this is a site I have owned and operated for a number of years now and therefore have full rights to link to it.

« Last Edit: May 17, 2009, 11:02pm by Professor Gayle Aberdeen »

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