Post by emily ! on Mar 18, 2009 20:01:04 GMT -5
Be more descriptive.I know four hundred and fifty words might seem like a scary amount, but with a little practice and by being descriptive, you can hit three hundred without a problem. Still having trouble? Read on! :)
So, this is something I've noticed a lot on the different RPGs I've been on. People aren't quite sure how to make their posts longer, so they're afraid to join sites with a larger word count requirements. Well, here are some things I've noticed that have helped me.
How did your character do something? If you say something like "Sally sat down in her desk and looked around the class," you can add a lot more to it to explain how she sat down and how she looked around, maybe something like "Sally slowly sat down in her desk and looked around her new class shyly, unsure of her new surroundings."
And on the topic of surroundings, go into detail about that too. Or add in people as background noise. Paint a picture with your words. That's what writing is all about.
Add your character's thoughts.
Maybe your character's saying one thing but they're thinking something completely different. Maybe their mind is wandering. Don't just say "Jack's mind started to wander." Say something like "Jack's mind slowly started to drift away to his private yacht and the warm waters it was sitting in instead of the chilly town he was stuck in."
What's the weather like?
Bring the weather into your post! If it's midwinter and your character is sitting by the fireplace, glaring out at the snow that's floating down, say so! If you want to know what the weather is currently like, it's located on the left side of the page, second box from the top.
What about their past?
My character, Jason, was in a car accident, so if he hears glass break or squealing tires, he's not going to take it the same way someone who doesn't have that experience would. Maybe your character was abused or maybe they were spoiled rotton. You can add a paragraph into your post about something that happened, it doesn't have to be something going on right then and there.
What are they wearing?
I love Polyvore, because it makes things easier for a visual, but when all else fails add a description of clothing. Or talk about their hair or piercings. It can really extend a post, and can also help to describe the mood.
Read another thread!
If you're still not sure how to make your post longer, try reading another member's post. Any of the admins posts are usually longer, so if you're having trouble, go check out what we put in our posts.
Break it up.
What's that mean? Simply write three-one hundred word paragraphs. Or, write a little bit in Microsoft Word or notepad or a similar writing program on your computer, save it, and come back to it a little while later. One, your mind will be off of what you're replying, so when you re-read it, you can edit what you don't like about it. Two, you can see where things can be added to make your post even longer!
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