Hi there! I completely understand how you feel. I experience some form of performance anxiety in every post - here or in-game, and in my job, too, where I regularly have to 'perform' to a bunch of teens in the classroom everyday. So I know what pressure is. Especially since we might be perfectionists.Â
I am terribly self-conscious - and nervousness makes it even harder to think on my feet - this fear, I think, has led me to avoid rp-ing in crowded places. Which has inevitably lost me quite a bit of rp opportunity. (And I'm working on that.) I also often have major "l'esprit de l'escalier " moments - ESPECIALLY if my character was created to be A Certain Way and absolutely did not deliver.Â
I am one of those who actually tend towards paragraphing because it helps me to get into my character more, and also because it's good writing practice. I agree with Edvyn, though, that quantity is NOT quality; this also means that when you regularly construct paragraphs within the span of five minutes, the practice actually helps you get better at knowing how to avoid purple prose when you put the pen to the paper in other contexts. That said, I've also learnt to 'sync' with the other player. I appreciate BOTH quick, plain dialogue RP and taking time to work with words because it see them both as invaluable instruction. (for the latter, it also definitely helps to have a buddy who doesn't mind you taking ten minutes to churn out replies. My point: whatever works for you, and with whom, and when )Â
And finally, I don't think we Go To Shit all the time. This is writing we're talking about. There're some days where we produce gems and others when everything we type is just clumsy. We need to let it go when the latter happens. The problem with RP in-game is that there's no editing - but it's definitely good training. That perspective has helped me to really enjoy the process and I really do hope you do, too!
I am terribly self-conscious - and nervousness makes it even harder to think on my feet - this fear, I think, has led me to avoid rp-ing in crowded places. Which has inevitably lost me quite a bit of rp opportunity. (And I'm working on that.) I also often have major "l'esprit de l'escalier " moments - ESPECIALLY if my character was created to be A Certain Way and absolutely did not deliver.Â
I am one of those who actually tend towards paragraphing because it helps me to get into my character more, and also because it's good writing practice. I agree with Edvyn, though, that quantity is NOT quality; this also means that when you regularly construct paragraphs within the span of five minutes, the practice actually helps you get better at knowing how to avoid purple prose when you put the pen to the paper in other contexts. That said, I've also learnt to 'sync' with the other player. I appreciate BOTH quick, plain dialogue RP and taking time to work with words because it see them both as invaluable instruction. (for the latter, it also definitely helps to have a buddy who doesn't mind you taking ten minutes to churn out replies. My point: whatever works for you, and with whom, and when )Â
And finally, I don't think we Go To Shit all the time. This is writing we're talking about. There're some days where we produce gems and others when everything we type is just clumsy. We need to let it go when the latter happens. The problem with RP in-game is that there's no editing - but it's definitely good training. That perspective has helped me to really enjoy the process and I really do hope you do, too!
[sub]Avis Inkwood | Qara Qalli
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