A New Form of Writing

    When we were children, a common game in English class was for each student to start a story, before passing it to the next student who would write an addition to the story. The story would continue around the table, each student adding what they think should go next, before arriving back to the original student. This unique form of creating a story has blossomed on the internet under multiple names: Role Playing Stories, Post to Play Games, and others. In the end they all have one common theme, people adding to a story with their own unique character, all in the effort of creating a larger masterpiece.

     Yet just as with any form of writing, how they write and conduct their character and story differs from writer to writer. As such this blog will cover some of the main issues and differences that are created from these Role Playing Games:

• ·         The hated Mary Sue characters [1]
• ·         Preplanned stories vs free flow
• ·         Allowing others to take control of the story
• ·         How to handle writers that leave mid way
• ·         Creating a story bible [2]
• ·         Sexual situations in Role Playing Games
• ·         How to handle difficult players/characters
• ·         Word limits to posts
• ·         First person vs Third Person
• ·         Chat rooms vs Message Boards
• ·         Original characters vs Premade characters
• ·         How to end your story

          However while I will not be able to cover every conceivable obstacle that presents itself to this form of writing, I believe I can cover some of the main specifics, that would prepare a novice to engage in this type of writing on the internet. I also hope to provide a insightful discussion about the different forms of writing when it comes to this style and to compare and contrast each form. 

         I was drawn into this form of writing over a decade ago, and immediately made it a hobby in which I devoted countless man hours into. I have gone from a mere novice to moderating a RPG board, I have created characters, created stories, and helped others produce their stories, all while expanding my knowledge and experience in this form of writing. Yet this blog will not merely just be about my knowledge and experience, other than a guest blogger, I hope to have interviews posted at the end of some of my posts. These interviews will be conducted with fellow members of the RPG community, who will graciously explain some of their own views on the topic of the day.

         In the end I do hope that this blog is a enjoyable and informative experience, for those that already write in this format I hope it gives you new ideas to try out. For those that do not I hope it opens up a new door to a imaginative form of writing.

Thank You

David Ryan Lutz  

[1] Merlin, Missy (01/07/2007); Mary Sue, Who Are You; Retrieved From: http://firefox.org/news/articles/6/1/Mary-Sue-Who-Are-You/Page1.html

[2] Espenson, Jane; (04/08/2009); How to Give Maris Hives; Retrieved From http://www.janeespenson.com/archives/00000550.php