A lot of good replies in this thread thus far. I find the advice, encouragement and personal experiences to be very valuable. So, thank you. It's certainly a relief to know I'm not alone in this and I'm glad I started this topic.
A few ideas that I've taken out of everyone's responses so far:
-The next time I RP, especially in a group setting, I'll try to spend a little less time panicking and a little more time observing other people's writing techniques.
-I do frequently get bogged down with descriptions. Not in a way that I want it to sound pretty, but sometimes I visualize a certain gesture or a subtle but meaningful shift in body language, and I want my response to adequately describe exactly what I'm seeing in my head. I feel like this ties into the previous point where learning how other people handle things will help. But I'll also try to give myself the occasional reminder not to fuss over it too much. And of course, to keep it concise and easy to read.
-Also in line with the learning thing, it wouldn't be a bad idea, next time I RP with someone new, to just be like, "so, I'm a newb. Pls to give critical feedback if anything comes to mind."
-I also liked Erik Mynhier's idea of RPing just to practice and not counting as anything that actually happens IC. Wonder if there's a linkshell for this... if not, I bet it'd be well received.
A few ideas that I've taken out of everyone's responses so far:
-The next time I RP, especially in a group setting, I'll try to spend a little less time panicking and a little more time observing other people's writing techniques.
-I do frequently get bogged down with descriptions. Not in a way that I want it to sound pretty, but sometimes I visualize a certain gesture or a subtle but meaningful shift in body language, and I want my response to adequately describe exactly what I'm seeing in my head. I feel like this ties into the previous point where learning how other people handle things will help. But I'll also try to give myself the occasional reminder not to fuss over it too much. And of course, to keep it concise and easy to read.
-Also in line with the learning thing, it wouldn't be a bad idea, next time I RP with someone new, to just be like, "so, I'm a newb. Pls to give critical feedback if anything comes to mind."
-I also liked Erik Mynhier's idea of RPing just to practice and not counting as anything that actually happens IC. Wonder if there's a linkshell for this... if not, I bet it'd be well received.