Post by Draco Malfoy on May 30, 2007 20:59:42 GMT
For those of you who have never rped in our house style before, we would like to actively encourage you to adapt your writing style to fit in as best as you can with it. We use the 'Asterisk Roleplaying' style, rather than ParaRP, in general.
If you have been used to paraRPing, you may be in the habit of
writing as if it were text from a book. Since RP here is more in Real Time, it doesn't seem right somehow to post paragraphs as if it was in a book and in past tense rather than present. There is no wrong style and that isn't what I'm saying - it's just style consistency with the rest of the members.
Our house style is as follows.
1. Setting a scene or an introduction to your thread.
Please use either small sized text...
- click this button from the posting tags and write 1 instead of the 2
or italicise the paragraph. If you are quoting from another source like the HPL, please put a link in the same small writing as described as above.
2. Actions and descriptions of your character in asterisks, double or single.
You can use variations on this if you wish to, using a colon or hyphen, for example.
Standard:
*Goes into the en suite*
**Goes into the en suite**
Accepted variations:
-Goes into the en suite-
:Goes into the en suite:
~Goes into the en suite~
Do not use brackets as this suggests it’s in OOC.
3. Speech written as normal.
Please make at least one 'return' (soft return) when you are writing speech, to separate it from your action/descriptions.
Other things:
Thoughts in your head, or thinking out loud
Please mention in your post that you are doing this so that people do not think you are talking to them. Then italicise it.
Example:
*thinks to himself*
Damn, that is one fast broom.
Whispers, talking quietly
Again you have to specify that you are doing this and to whom, and use the small size text.
Example:
*whispers to Harry*
What on earth is she talking about?
Passage of Time
Some threads, like the bars and offices, are continuous and it can get confusing when a new story starts. Try to mention whether a day or however long has passed if possible. Or alternatively you can begin your post with something like a complete line of ~~~~, as a way of signifying that you have drawn a line under the previous post and are now in a different time frame.
Colours in posts
You are welcome to use any colours as long as they are legible against the background.
Images in posts
We encourage use of gifs and pictures in your posts to add interest.
Please do not hotlink.
Please use the icons found in the Smilie Box (or their shortcuts) to enhance your posts.
Writing letters/notes
Ideally be italicised. Use the Owl/note topic icon if you are starting a thread in either post rooms that is a note or a letter.
Please see the Topic icons thread for more info.
Message (topic) Icons
Please use the correct and most appropriate 'Message Icon' when you start a new thread. These can be found in a drop down menu under the Subject title field.
In a 'Live' RP you should take your character out of the thread he/she is in if you have to log off.
Replying to a particular person in a fast thread or a thread where many people have posted after the person you are talking to
Please quote them or specify in your post who you are talking to.
Examples of correct posting style:
Snape
*Snape enters the kitchen, feeling hungry.*
I think I'm going to make a myself a turkey and radish sandwich. Om nom nom.
Sample 1
Sample 2
Greyback
:Hidden in a bush, Greyback spies on the children playing in the park. He mutters to himself.:
I can't wait to sink my teeth into some fresh meat. Om nom nom.
Dumbledore
He holds the bowling ball, studying the lane. Two pins left, a devil's split. He wonders for a moment whether he should use magic to hit both balls. His muggle friends would never know. He finally decides though, that cheating would be unsportsmanlike and after all, it was only a game.
He bowled, and skillfully knocked one pin so that it span towards the other. A near miss, unfortunately, and one pin stayed standing.
He returned to his seat, smiled at the next player and continued to watch the game. A poster caught his eye and he read it silently.
"Quarter Pounder with cheese meal, twenty percent off. I approve. Om nom nom."
Obviously it's not possible for staff to go through every post to make sure the house style is being applied correctly, and we won't do that. So we leave it up to you to try your hardest to stick to it as closely as you can.
Many thanks.
If you have been used to paraRPing, you may be in the habit of
writing as if it were text from a book. Since RP here is more in Real Time, it doesn't seem right somehow to post paragraphs as if it was in a book and in past tense rather than present. There is no wrong style and that isn't what I'm saying - it's just style consistency with the rest of the members.
Our house style is as follows.
1. Setting a scene or an introduction to your thread.
Please use either small sized text...
- click this button from the posting tags and write 1 instead of the 2
or italicise the paragraph. If you are quoting from another source like the HPL, please put a link in the same small writing as described as above.
2. Actions and descriptions of your character in asterisks, double or single.
You can use variations on this if you wish to, using a colon or hyphen, for example.
Standard:
*Goes into the en suite*
**Goes into the en suite**
Accepted variations:
-Goes into the en suite-
:Goes into the en suite:
~Goes into the en suite~
Do not use brackets as this suggests it’s in OOC.
3. Speech written as normal.
Please make at least one 'return' (soft return) when you are writing speech, to separate it from your action/descriptions.
Other things:
Thoughts in your head, or thinking out loud
Please mention in your post that you are doing this so that people do not think you are talking to them. Then italicise it.
Example:
*thinks to himself*
Damn, that is one fast broom.
Whispers, talking quietly
Again you have to specify that you are doing this and to whom, and use the small size text.
Example:
*whispers to Harry*
What on earth is she talking about?
Passage of Time
Some threads, like the bars and offices, are continuous and it can get confusing when a new story starts. Try to mention whether a day or however long has passed if possible. Or alternatively you can begin your post with something like a complete line of ~~~~, as a way of signifying that you have drawn a line under the previous post and are now in a different time frame.
Colours in posts
You are welcome to use any colours as long as they are legible against the background.
Images in posts
We encourage use of gifs and pictures in your posts to add interest.
Please do not hotlink.
Please use the icons found in the Smilie Box (or their shortcuts) to enhance your posts.
Writing letters/notes
Ideally be italicised. Use the Owl/note topic icon if you are starting a thread in either post rooms that is a note or a letter.
Please see the Topic icons thread for more info.
Message (topic) Icons
Please use the correct and most appropriate 'Message Icon' when you start a new thread. These can be found in a drop down menu under the Subject title field.
In a 'Live' RP you should take your character out of the thread he/she is in if you have to log off.
Replying to a particular person in a fast thread or a thread where many people have posted after the person you are talking to
Please quote them or specify in your post who you are talking to.
Examples of correct posting style:
~~~~~~
Snape
*Snape enters the kitchen, feeling hungry.*
I think I'm going to make a myself a turkey and radish sandwich. Om nom nom.
~~~~~~
Sample 1
Sample 2
~~~~~~
Greyback
:Hidden in a bush, Greyback spies on the children playing in the park. He mutters to himself.:
I can't wait to sink my teeth into some fresh meat. Om nom nom.
~~~~~~
Dumbledore
He holds the bowling ball, studying the lane. Two pins left, a devil's split. He wonders for a moment whether he should use magic to hit both balls. His muggle friends would never know. He finally decides though, that cheating would be unsportsmanlike and after all, it was only a game.
He bowled, and skillfully knocked one pin so that it span towards the other. A near miss, unfortunately, and one pin stayed standing.
He returned to his seat, smiled at the next player and continued to watch the game. A poster caught his eye and he read it silently.
"Quarter Pounder with cheese meal, twenty percent off. I approve. Om nom nom."
~~~~~~
Obviously it's not possible for staff to go through every post to make sure the house style is being applied correctly, and we won't do that. So we leave it up to you to try your hardest to stick to it as closely as you can.
Many thanks.
