The RP School-Tutors Needed-Learn past the basics of RPing

[.:OboeLove:.]

Almost everyone's been called a n00b once in their RPing career. Or posted a one-liner next to a glorious five paragraph post with organization, bolds, italics, and impeccable literature. Many people have been ignored for their small posts, unable to roleplay with the best of the best. If you've felt drowned in writer's block and unable to find a cure, these classes could help cure your muse lack, make you a better writer, and give you a more exciting role-playing experience!

Among other things, this RP School has been made to help you improve the quality of not only your posts, but your characters as well, and bring you back from the tempting "Don'ts" of role playing and lead you towards the "Dos". By the end of your lessons, you should be able to make long posts, improve your writing skills, and help carry on the plot so you meet fewer of those annoying one liners and dead-end posts.

Table of Contents
First post- Introduction and Banners... You are here
Second post- About the Program
Third post- About the Classes
Fourth post- How to enroll in the school, how to become a staff member
Fifth post- "Dos" and "Don'ts" of Role Playing and posting
Sixth post- Creating Your Character with ease and without annoyance
Seventh post- Novice/n00b vs. Advanced Posts
Eighth post- Graduates and tutors
Ninth post- Certificates
Tenth post- Current Classes open

Link to the original school found Here

[.:OboeLove:.]

Table of Contents
First post- Introduction and Banners
Second post- About the Program... You are here
Third post- About the Classes
Fourth post- How to enroll in the school, how to become a staff member
Fifth post- "Dos" and "Don'ts" of Role Playing and posting
Sixth post- Creating Your Character with ease and without annoyance
Seventh post- Novice/n00b vs. Advanced Posts
Eighth post- Graduates and tutors
Ninth post- Certificates
Tenth post- Current Classes open

How did it start?

It was envisioned by GreenStreet, who posted a topic about it on the suggestions board. Tess said she could make her own if she wanted to. RedBlueGreen saw the topic and thought it was a good idea. She pm'd GreenStreet, and after an hour or so of pm'ing back and forth, the School was born! However, Greenstreet had to close the school due to problems in real life and opened it up for anyone to remake. When I saw this, I PMed my friend, Teacup, who was also thinking of starting such a school. The creation had begun!

What You Will Learn in the RP School:
There are several things we'll be focusing on in the School. The main points are:

•Quality of the post, remember, quality over quantity!
•Length of the post. Sure, quality is the focus, but quantity is good with quality
•Grammar, punctuation, and spelling, as well as spell check.
•Appealing to the senses, sight, sound, taste, touch and smell.
•Details, recognizing your environment, giving precise hints.
•Insight of one's character and it's thoughts.
•Carrying on and encouraging the plot.

[.:OboeLove:.]

Table of Contents
First post- Introduction and Banners
Second post- About the Program
Third post- About the Classes... You are here
Fourth post- How to enroll in the school, how to become a staff member
Fifth post- "Dos" and "Don'ts" of Role Playing and posting
Sixth post- Creating Your Character with ease and without annoyance
Seventh post- Novice/n00b vs. Advanced Posts
Eighth post- Graduates and tutors
Ninth post- Certificates
Tenth post- Current Classes open


Starting Out: The Normal Process
1) The first thing you do is submit your application into the school as a student or tutor.

2) Then we set you up in groups of three or four and start a thread for you based on what you like to role-play and your timezone. Each thread will be headed by one of the School's tutors.

3) You will post information and details about your character in your test thread using the form provided in the RP.

4) The tutor, who has made the thread for you, will also set you up with a plot to play out, based on what you and your fellow students have chosen in your application forms. They will then start off the role play with a few simple sentences and boring one-liners about the situation you are in and what situation you are to role play.

You're at the mall with your friends when a siren goes off. Within seconds a voice goes over the intercom, an earthquake has struck the town and everything is crumbling.

5) You will begin your role play.

6) After each post, you will be given constructive criticism(please do not take these as insults, but help) on how to improve, lengthen, and strengthen your posts, with emphasis on what the instructor thinks is your weakness.

7) Once the instructor deems an individual ready for graduation, you will be moved to your examination thread. Not everyone will graduate at the same time.

Examinations:
1) After each level you will be set up with a test thread, which you have to pass in order to get your certificate and move on to the next level.

2) You will be PMed a set of questions sent by your tutor which you must answer in order to continue. To pass, you need to answer at least seven questions correctly.

3) If you pass the 'quiz', you will need to answer one last simple situation to graduate.

4) Once you graduate, post the link to you exam thread here. Your thread will be approved and you will receive a certificate saying you have passed.

5.1) You will be set up with the next level of the program as soon as the class and tutor is available, and you will be PMed the link to that thread as well.

5.2) If you have completed your first two courses, you will receive your diploma.

Please keep in mind that no matter what level you consider yourself, you will be started out as a novice. If you are more than a novice, you will move through quickly into the next level =D

[.:OboeLove:.]

Table of Contents
First post- Introduction and Banners
Second post- About the Program
Third post- About the Classes
Fourth post- How to enroll in the school, how to become a staff member... You are here
Fifth post- "Dos" and "Don'ts" of Role Playing and posting
Sixth post- Creating Your Character with ease and without annoyance
Seventh post- Novice/n00b vs. Advanced Posts
Eighth post- Graduates and tutors
Ninth post- Certificates
Tenth post- Current Classes open

Enrolling:

Fill up this form and if you are approved you will be put into the next available class.

Code: Select all

[b]Username:[/b]
[b]How long have you been role-playing?:[/b]
[b]Favourite type of RP:[/b]
[b]Timezone:[/b]
[b]Do you agree to not take the criticism personally and do as your mentor says?:[/b]
[b]What level of role-playing do you consider yourself?:[/b]
[b]Are there any certain times you cannot be on?:[/b]

Applying for a job:
There are two occupations you can be hired for here at the RP school. You may be a tutor, or you can be a forum mod. Tutors need to be literate, well-behaved, experienced role-players, and moderators must be calm, level-headed, and fair.

Tutor form:

Code: Select all

[b]Username:[/b]
[b]Favourite type of role-play:[/b]
[b]How long have you been role-paying?:[/b]
[b]Timezone:[/b]
[b]Literacy Example:[/b]
[b]Do you agree to be fair and kind, only to help your classes?:[/b]
[b]Are there any certain times or days you cannot be on?:[/b]

Moderator form:

Code: Select all

[b]Username:[/b]
[b]Timezone:[/b]
[b]Do you agree to be fair and calm?:[/b]
[b]Are there any certain times you cannot be on?:[/b]

[.:OboeLove:.]

Table of Contents
First post- Introduction and Banners
Second post- About the Program
Third post- About the Classes
Fourth post- How to enroll in the school, how to become a staff member
Fifth post- "Dos" and "Don'ts" of Role Playing and posting... You are here
Sixth post- Creating Your Character with ease and without annoyance
Seventh post- Novice/n00b vs. Advanced Posts
Eighth post- Graduates and tutors
Ninth post- Certificates
Tenth post- Current Classes open

"Do's" and "Don'ts" of role-playing:

"Dos"
Do be descriptive
Do add details
Do interact with your surroundings
Do carry on and encourage the plot
Do appeal to the senses
Do make longer posts
Do create complex characters
Do give your characters in depth backgrounds and descriptions
Do give your characters flaws
Do give your characters unique personalities
Do explore your character's psyche and inner thoughts, feelings, etc.
Do reveal them through your posts
Do use good grammar and spelling
Do try and make your posts fluid and easy to read
Do be polite to those you are rping with
Do stick to the plot!

"Don'ts"
Do not reply with one word/one sentence posts
Do not write a post with only the bare bones
Do not ignore the setting
Do not make dead end posts
Do not create cookie cutter characters
Do not make your characters perfect!
Do not kill other people's characters
Do not role play other people's characters for them
Do not go into a role play knowing nothing about your character except his/her name
Do not be minimalistic in your descriptions
Do not use chat/text speak when rping
Do not make an out of character post without making mention of it
Do not wander too much from what is happening
Do not spam the topic! This is very important, as the plot can get lost
Do not ignore other players' posts!!!!!! unless of course they...
Do not stick entirely to the plot! Sometimes players create dead ends for themselves. At which point, it would be polite to steer them in the right direction (see the "Novice vs. Advanced" section)

[.:OboeLove:.]

Table of Contents
First post- Introduction and Banners
Second post- About the Program
Third post- About the Classes
Fourth post- How to enroll in the school, how to become a staff member
Fifth post- "Dos" and "Don'ts" of Role Playing and posting
Sixth post- Creating Your Character with ease and without annoyance... You are here
Seventh post- Novice/n00b vs. Advanced Posts
Eighth post- Graduates and tutors
Ninth post- Certificates
Tenth post- Current Classes open


The Kind of Characters Not to Create:
The most commonly complained about character is the so-called Mary Sue. A Mary Sue is a girl who's beauty dulls and pales everyone around her, who has long, bouncing hair and eyes that sparkle like gemstones or stars. Everyone she meets either wants to be best friends with her or falls in love with her and fights over her. She has no weaknesses, no dlaws. She's the most popular girl around and never makes a mistake. Yet somehow, through all this she maintains a perfectly sweet, bubbly, kind personality, always saying the right things. She also has many hidden skills, from being an Olympic swimmer to a lion tamer, which appear as necessary.

Now, does a Mary Sue sound like a real person to you? No, she doesn't. No one is perfect, no one is near, which is how a Mary Sue is portrayed. One more thing about Mary Sues: They're flat-out boring. Perfect characters never create drama or cause things to happen; they are simply along for the ride. It is very important you do not make a Mary Sue, or the male equivalent, a Gary Sue. Perfect characters are no fun for the other RPers, and an RP full of them will cause it to die.

Oddly, Gary Sues are not nearly as popular as Mary Sues. Instead, the male character that dominates the RP board is the emo, punk, goth, floppy-black-haired, ear-lip-and-tongue-ring-wearing, mopey, cool-but-somehow-still-a-misfit guy with a tragic past. The same picture is often used, in fact. A female emo characters is sometimes used, also.

Along with Mary/Gary Sues and the emo teenagers, there are several other stereotypical characters that are sometimes used. Such as: The snobby rich girl, the athletic but stupid guy, the quiet but smart girl/guy, the brave guy, the shy girl, etc. etc. Sometimes building layers onto stereotypes can be fun, but unique characters are the best.

Unique characters are the ones to make:
You want to create a character with flaws, one that messes up and embarrass themselves, a character that has their own style and personality. These are vital to keep the role-play alive. Here's a good RP form to start out with:

Code: Select all

[b]Username:[/b]

[i][b]Into the Mirror;[/b][/i]
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Hair colour:[/b]
[b]Eye colour:[/b]
[b]Height:[/b]
[b]Frame:[/b]
[b]Personality:[/b]
[b]Likes:[/b]
[b]Dislikes:[/b]
[b]Strengths:[/b]
[b]Weaknesses:[/b]
[b]Greatest Fear:[/b]
[b]Greatest Goals:[/b]
[b]History:[/b]
[b]Kin:[/b]
[b]Mate/Crush:[/b]
[b]Description:[/b]
[b]Picture:[/b]

Name:
What should you name your character? Try for something that matches their personality or gives an effect. Don't choose something that someone else has already named their character. Also, try not to choose common, boring names.

Gender and Age:
Both of these seem to be completely obvious, but before deciding, look at the number of males and females and the ages of characters already in the RP. If their are, for example, three sixteen-and-fifteen-year-old girls, don't make one of those. Try making an eighteen year old guy, so it's more balanced.

Personality:
Personality is much the most important part of the RP character. It is what makes them unique, and controls what happens much of the time. Be careful to not create an obvious or stereotypical character. Try to make one that feels real and is different than others.

History:
Most of the time, history is optional. I like to leave it blank so that if I see an opportunity to fit my character in somewhere, I can.

Picture/Description:
What does your character look like? I'd recommend a description because it's more accurate. Also, if you do use a picture, try to find one on a totally free site like morguefile.com, so you don't violate copyrights and such.

Other:
"Other" is basically anything that doesn't fit in the above catagories. Also, this is often used as a place to put code words, sometimes contained in the RP creators rules. Make sure to look for one carefully.

More In-depth:
Try to get into your characters head. Really think about their motives. People don't do things just because, most of the time. Why do they wear the type of clothes they do? Because they're comfortable in them? Because they want to make a statement? Because they want to hide behind them? Why would they want to hide, because they know they'll be moving soon? Create a realistic character that is three-dimensional, not a cardboard cutout. There really is no way to tell you how to come up with your character. You'll have to find the inspiration, which can be difficult at times. It also might take awhile, but the results in the end will be worth it.

Finishing Up:
Once you have this done, you're good to go! Try to get inside your characters head, so you understand them better; this usually results in more complex and better posts.

[.:OboeLove:.]

Table of Contents
First post- Introduction and Banners
Second post- About the Program
Third post- About the Classes
Fourth post- How to enroll in the school, how to become a staff member
Fifth post- "Dos" and "Don'ts" of Role Playing and posting
Sixth post- Creating Your Character with ease and without annoyance
Seventh post- Novice/n00b vs. Advanced Posts... You are here
Eighth post- Graduates and tutors
Ninth post- Certificates
Tenth post- Current Classes open

Novice Post:

Summers tummy hurt so she took a walk. Soon she was hungry so she caught a warthog and ate it.

Advanced Post:

Summer had woken up with pretty bad pains. Her due date was nearing, every day her stomach swelled, and every day the pains worsened. She was also almost continuously hungry and thirsty, which is what had led her to the watering hole in the first place. Her smooth tongue dabbed at the still water, breaking it's calm, serene, ice-like appearance shattering like glass, the ripples carrying out everytime her fleshy tongue touched the smooth, cool water. After her stomach was full and she was hydrated, that was when she went to lay in the shallow waters on the edge of the pond. The water came up little past her elbows when she laid down, but it was refreshing all the same. Gently her eye lids closed over her soft, amber eyes, drifting into a light sleep. She was being careless, opening herself up to any attack by a lion or leopard. There was a quiet swoosh... Her ears flicked. Then another came and Summer was awake, alert now to whatever had been moving. She felt watched, hunted almost, but there were no creatures around, and no where for them to hide except the water. "The water!" Summer hissed and jumped back, realizing what had made the noise. Her eyes scanned the water until they met their target. A scaley head disguised as a log was facing her, two yellow orbs bearing into her, seeing straight, it's gaze unwavering. Staring back, the cheetah was calm now. She was out of the water, back in her element and out of the crocodile's. Even if it decided to try to hunt her on land, she could out run it. Crocodiles were fast, but she was a cheetah. Her eyes held the creature's until it dipped it's head under water, disappearing to who-knows where. Now that the danger was gone, she sat down, her soft tongue running over her silk-like fur.

Summer's pant was hot, heavy as she ran, her stomach hanging low. There was no wind, but it felt good to run. It felt good to be free. Suddenly a movement caught her amber eyes. Flicking the star-like orbs to her left, she found what had caught her attention, a baby warthog. He paws made a sharp turn left and she started to gain speed, slowly gaining on the warthog. Her solid black claws lept from their enclosure, gleaming, deadly. She was now about five feet from the warthog, and it was tiring in it's run, it's stubly legs were nothing in comparison to her long ones. Now she was at four feet... Three an a half... Two. Drawing in a breath she made a sharp right turn, following the animal and pounced, her claws tearing into it's soft flesh, ripping into the meat. Beaten, the hog collapsed, and Summer opened her mouth wide, showing her ivory teeth, clamping onto the creature's neck and holding it there, until its struggling seized. Picking up her prize she smiled, slowly walking back to camp, her feet warm on the ground. It took quite a deal of time to get back to camp, between the heavy hog and her heavy stomach, the heat, her thirst. When at last she reached her home she lay the hog in the middle of camp, taking a chunk of it for herself. Carrying her meal she lept onto the rock that towered above her den, laying down in the shade of a tree to eat.

Dreaded dead end posts:
Dead end posts should be avoided always. No excuse. These are posts where the character says nothing, does nothing for the plot, and does not interact with another character or the environment. There are two main types of Dead-Enders: the first is one that is created by you or someone else, which affects those around you by disturbing the plot. The second is one that you create and affects only you, taking you out of the role-play and cutting off any interaction.

[.:OboeLove:.]

Table of Contents
First post- Introduction and Banners
Second post- About the Program
Third post- About the Classes
Fourth post- How to enroll in the school, how to become a staff member
Fifth post- "Dos" and "Don'ts" of Role Playing and posting
Sixth post- Creating Your Character with ease and without annoyance
Seventh post- Novice/n00b vs. Advanced Posts
Eighth post- Graduates and tutors... You are here
Ninth post- Certificates
Tenth post- Current Classes open

Members who have Graduated from our Courses:
None at the moment.

Tutors:
~ .:OboeLove:.
~ Teacup
~ -FireHazard-
~ Popcorns
~ Verdana
~ Cynder-

Moderators:
~ Teacup
~ LessThanThree
~ Cynder-


Founders:
~ Teacup
~ .:OboeLove:.

[.:OboeLove:.]

Table of Contents
First post- Introduction and Banners
Second post- About the Program
Third post- About the Classes
Fourth post- How to enroll in the school, how to become a staff member
Fifth post- "Dos" and "Don'ts" of Role Playing and posting
Sixth post- Creating Your Character with ease and without annoyance
Seventh post- Novice/n00b vs. Advanced Posts
Eighth post- Graduates and tutors
Ninth post- Certificates... You are here
Tenth post- Current Classes open

Available Certificates:

First Graduation:


No one has exceeded this level.

[.:OboeLove:.]

Table of Contents
First post- Introduction and Banners
Second post- About the Program
Third post- About the Classes
Fourth post- How to enroll in the school, how to become a staff member
Fifth post- "Dos" and "Don'ts" of Role Playing and posting
Sixth post- Creating Your Character with ease and without annoyance
Seventh post- Novice/n00b vs. Advanced Posts
Eighth post- Graduates and tutors
Ninth post- Certificates
Tenth post- Current Classes open... You are here

Teacup's Novice Class, Class One:
SilverDoe/gabby-grandchampions/Shai

Teacup's Novice Class, Class Two:
wickedwolfgirl/Voldemorts follower/iBoom

.:OboeLove:.'s Novice Class:
LessThanThree/Eclipse At Heart/The Dungeon Mistress/runufooie

-FireHazard-'s Novice Class:
Yasha/I Ride Horses/koolkatkoolkat123

Verdana's Novice Class:
She-Hound/++hott.cold/Estivel

Popcorns's Novice Class:
ZodiacWolf/TheBarnOwl/FeatherfroomJinx

Cynder-'s Novice Class:
aidiangrimshawrules/Annah71/Darkshadows/Allie Grace

Tutors Needed Quite Badly. We are still accepting students, but there may be a waiting list. Update as of 7:28 PM, 3-1-11.