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Searching for Advanced Writers ( 4+ paragraphs )

Started by Reservation at Dorsia, August 24, 2010, 03:21:16 AM

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Reservation at Dorsia



I have a confession to make.
Writing doesn't come easily to me.  I've tried the whole journaling/blogging scene several times in an attempt to force my thoughts into words.  I've tried exercises, compiling notes of my dreams or ideas, and I've tried forcing characters into short stories that--at this very moment--are collecting dust in the back of my PC boxed away in the garage.  You see, over the years I've come to realize that despite my love for writing (I really do love it), I can't just do it for myself.  As much as I hate to admit it, I'm a people-pleaser.  That, or I'm just incredibly vain.  The only way to motivate me to actually harness my inspiration is if I know I'll get some sort of response or interaction.  I can't handle writing as a solo-project.  I'm weak.

That's where you come in.

I need someone who can coax the story right out of me.  Someone who pushes me beyond these imaginary limitations I've set for myself.  Someone who is willing to put in the effort and check, double-check, triple-check to make sure their posts are nearly void of error and compelling enough to ensnare me.  Our role-play should have the equivalent amount of a best-selling novel!  I'm not trying to sound like an elitist because I'm really not (though, I'm sure there are plenty of other writers that would disagree and label me as some kind of "RP Nazi") but I want to make sure I don' waste my time on people that I just won't be able to get along with.  Meaning, I need someone who is on the same or a higher level of writing than me.  We also have to have a sort of connection--and I don't mean that in a romantic or even friendly way (though, getting along in and out of character would be a huge bonus).  Our styles should fall into some sort of pattern so that if a lurker ever came across it, there wouldn't be much difficulty  transitioning from post to post.

Now here comes the part I hate the most: rules.  They're agonizing to write, and even more agonizing to read but it has to be done.  Hopefully this will clear up any misconceptions about what my more literal requirements are. 
Post length is just as important to me as the content.  I understand if you run into the occasional rut, it happens to the best of us, but generally I'm asking for a hefty amount.  If you're incapable of producing at least four, decent sized paragraphs than I really doubt we'll get along all too well.  There have been partners in the past that, after knowing each other for a year or so, been able to convince me into a sort of "IM" prose play where everything flows nicely into one another but our respective parts were only a paragraph long.  I wouldn't really recommend asking me to lower my minimum, though. 
Please, please, please keep your posts nice and clean.  I hate having to stare at tacky pictures that you spend more time manipulating than you do on your actual post.  Try to stay clear of coloring your text and no asterisks to indicate actions. 
Do not harass me to post faster.  I have had people in the past who would send me a message everyday asking where my post was.  Sometimes, people just have a writer's block or are busy with their real lives!  I'll always have to courtesy to tell you what's up and if I'm going to be too busy or gone for a period of time.  I expect the same from you.  It's the polite thing to do.  Basically, don't be tacky in all forms of the word.
I will role-play with people of any gender or orientation, but all my characters are heterosexual, so that means if there is going to be any sexual relationship/romance within the story your character would have to like girls…or sometimes boys.  Although, lately I haven't been playing many male characters, if you ask nicely and impress me with your "rad skills" we can definitely work something out. 
Lastly, I prefer roleplaying over e-mail because it's easier on my nerves.  It means I can respond much faster, since I'll be able to access it in public settings (generally I'll read/respond on my iPhone or when I'm in the library).  I'm always paranoid that someone, roommate included, will look over my shoulder and wonder what the hell I'm doing on a roleplaying forum.  If you have a problem with this, I don't mind posting on threads or through PMs, but that's just not my preference.  I will not role-play over IMs unless we have role-played in the past and I know you'll still be putting in an effort instead of sending me one-liners.  Chatting over IM is fine since that makes it much easier to plan things.

Hurray, the boring part is over!  Now for something completely different (except, not really).

Modern:  I don't even know where to begin.  The possibilities.  Probably my favorite since there's so much you can do with it.  We could even add a twist of something else.  Keep in mind that even though it's modern, it doesn't have to be realistic unless we want it too.
Historical: Civil War, World War II, Vietnam War, 19th Century, 1920s-1970s
Future: Anything ranging from full on androids and flying cars to the near future where technology has made phenomenal leaps, but our lifestyles are basically the same.
Apocalyptic: Post or pre.  Nuclear wars, plagues on a national or global scale, World War III…pick your poison.
Macabre:  This includes vampires, werewolves, witches/wiccans and anything supernatural.  The situations should be filled with all sorts of angst.
Steampunk:  I'd prefer to only combine this with either a sort of Medieval or Victorian/Edwardian type setting with technological advancements void of electricity.  Does that make any sense?  Some prime examples of what I'm looking for include: Final Fantasy, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Treasure Planet, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, the His Dark Materials series, Fullmetal Alchemist and Metropolis (just as a side-note, I really dislike anime but there are a few ideas I've seen that I like).
Spin-Offs:  We could either use these settings with our own characters, use the characters that have already been established or even just steal the concept and whip it into something entirely our own.  I'm good with any for the following:  True Blood, Heroes, The Office, Bones, Harry Potter, The Claudi Journals, His Dark Materials, The Redwall Series, The Millennium Trilogy, Never Let Me Go, Lolita, Fight Club, Kill Bill, American Beauty, Cloverfield, District 9, Inception, The Island…I'm sure there's more but I can't think of it right now.


Note; I have temporarily been given my sister's old laptop so I'm back in business!  No more obnoxious iPhone autocorrect for me.

Reservation at Dorsia

Aaaah, I hate writing on the iPhone!  Not only does it auto correct, but it's almost impossible to correct something I've already posted.  I get my laptop soon so this shouldn't be a problem for very long.  Until Wednesday, I suspect.

Starlequin

Hello, R@D. First off, let me just say welcome to E, and congrats on your approval.

The problem you suffer from with your writing sounds suspiciously similar to something I've been going through for a few years now. I know exactly how it feels to struggle through the pains of writing exercises, freewriting drills, character creation, building stories around characters and building characters around stories, all to have it ultimately lead to nowhere just because it feels like you're writing it for no other reason but to see if you can. It's just more fun to write when you have a partner that you can bounce ideas and story paths off of, and I don't know about you but the voices in my head are rarely any help at all.

Maybe we should switch voices?

I'm not going to promise that my skills could be equivalent to a best-seller, but I could probably offer you at least Harlequin paperback quality. I can absolutely guarantee that every post I produce will be pristine in regards to spelling, grammar and general literacy, and I'll probably never waste your time with a picture in my posts (unless it's just the coolest thing I've ever seen in my life in which case I'm going to bother everyone on the planet with it so you won't have to worry about being singled out). Whenever you post, I'll post, so any games/stories that we should happen to collaborate on will move at whatever pace you're most comfortable with, and I'm generally familiar with most of the genres you've specified. I'm not quite as proficient with historical settings, due to a slightly irrational desire for maximum historical accuracy which I sometimes allow to impact my creativity, but that's nothing that can't be worked around.

You're welcome to check out some of my posts to get an idea of what I'm capable of, or just hit me with a few writing prompts. Let me know if I strike your interest at all; I think we could probably work pretty well together.
You live for the fight when it's all that you've got.

Reservation at Dorsia

It's so nice to get a reply this quickly!  I feel appreciated for once.  Judging by your response, I'm going to assume your abilities are up to par with my expectations.  Normally, I would probably skim through your posts but my iPhone is extremely slow and I'm extremely impatient... Not such a good combination.  Whether you have something specific in mind or not, you should still send me a message so that we can flesh things out more!

zefieyuki

I'd love to role play with you, we have a lot in common.

I'm interested in some of the things you've put up.

I've just finished watching the Pacific and Band of Brothers, so a WWII role play would be very interesting.
Harry Potter as well is a big favorite of mine, I wouldn't mind doing something with canon's or originals.

Love your post!

Rocksalt Rockstar

Good golly, you sound like a breath of fresh air! I don't usually write heterosexual pairings, but since you seem like everything I look for in a writing partner otherwise, I'm definitely amenable to making an exception. I've been absent from these forums for a deplorably long time, so I can't remember whether there's anything in my previous posts worth checking if you'd like an idea of my writing capabilities, but you should be able to get an idea of my likes and dislikes from my On/Off page (linked in my signature).

I've had definite cravings for the kind of Historical/Future/Apocalyptic/Macabre settings you mention in your original post lately, and would also be open to playing in the True Blood, Bones or Inception playgrounds with you, if you had any particular leanings. Feel free to message me if I strike your fancy; I'm just excited to find another player who seems to share my exacting standards in terms of writing proficiency, since my experience of that has unfortunately been fairly lacking lately!
For your consideration, my O/O post: https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=42164.0