Posted by Zepachu on August 12, 2000 at 16:46:59:
In Reply to: My take... posted by Zepachu on August 12, 2000 at 16:44:19:
> I follow a simple formula when writing a role. > My initial entry is usually about three or four pages and is entered at level 1. > This entry includes a lot of background information. > Family life: Any brothers? sisters? parents... alive? where do they live? dead? who killed them? where did they settle down? why? where was I conceived? [usually in the quiet clearing in the Fields north of the crossroads, hehe] where was I born? why? what professions were they? Also, if drow... was it the typical family? Mother dominant, father subservient? Are you embarassed of your father, so now you're no longer the typical drow (hard to pull off) or did you follow in his footsteps? Did your mother force your profession, or did you go off on your own path? there are so many questions that can be answered.. I just tried to do it in 3 or 4 pages. > Then, the next time I make an entry is when I hit "mature"... which usually winds up being around level 25 or 30 at the pace I rank... and that entry describes what has gone on in my life, if the family was alive what changes there were.. if I'm interested in any cabals.. if not.. why? opinions on races/classes? (I start my characters out as non-racists, except in the case of drow VS elf.., but they develop hate/like for certain races through interaction)... > Hmm.. Basically, using that formula and adding 1-3 pages at every stage of life... (i.e. mature, middle-age..etcetc..) you will end up, at Hero, with a 12-20 page role.. which is not long to read at all. > I see the roles on the char board and they just ramble on and on and on.. sometimes that's appropriate, cool and interesting to read, but other times it's just long and drawn out... I seem to think if you write a role, don't look at it for a few hours. Go back to it, edit it.. and you should be able to cut it practically in half. > We see this on the Forum all the time.. people say "well I didn't mean for this to turn into a rant, but it didn't." and it's just because of the lure of the computer. People tend to like the sound of their fingers running over the keyboard, and so they keep typing.. and typing.. and typing. Sort of how I'm doing now. > So, all my advice summed up. > 1) Give background and goals in your first entry, and show how those have been progressing in your next entries at different stages of life.. this prevents you from making an entry every time you login, and you wind up with about 5 or so entries by the time you hero.. bearable for an Imm to read, certainly. Also, any new goals. > 2) Keep it simple! > 3) Keep it simple! > Sorry I rambled,
> Zep.