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"Hijacking" is the act of controlling other characters in a roleplay that weren't created by you or that aren't typically played by you. This can be a subject of controversy among roleplayers, so I would like to talk a bit about hijacking, its merits and downfalls, as well as ways to make sure you are doing it well!
What is Hijacking?
9483EE
As mentioned above, hijacking is the process of posting for another character in a matter that is not a collaborative post. For an excellent and in-depth guide on collaborative posting, check out @Jorick's Collaborative Posts guide in the Institute!
In a collab, two or more players work together to create a post in a roleplay involving their characters. In a hijack, however, the player writes for the other characters often with little to no input from the characters' creators or players.
In a collab, two or more players work together to create a post in a roleplay involving their characters. In a hijack, however, the player writes for the other characters often with little to no input from the characters' creators or players.
What are the pros and cons to hijacking?
4983EE
Hijacking is something that a lot of people have very mixed feelings about. Many players have the mindset of, "my character is my own, why would I ever allow someone else to play my character for me?"
Well, there can be several benefits to allowing another player to take control of your character for a post or two. Potential benefits are:
Well, there can be several benefits to allowing another player to take control of your character for a post or two. Potential benefits are:
- It speeds up the storytelling process. By having one player able to control the fate of multiple characters in one post, scenes that would ordinarily be very dialogue-heavy or response-heavy can be taken care of quickly.
- Seeing your character portrayed from another person's point of view gives you perspective on how your character is perceived.
- Alternately, it also gives you the unique challenge of having to think for other characters, which can in turn affect not only how you perceive the character, but perhaps even how that character's normal player perceives his or her own character!
- Having your character be totally misrepresented. This means, getting their dialogue wrong, not understanding the character's motivations, getting their personality wrong, etc. This seems to be one of the biggest fears that people have in general, and I will address it momentarily.
- The hijacking player might accidentally do something that conflicts with the owner's plans for the character.
- The hijacker abuses the privilege by having the hijacked character mortally wounded or used as a meatshield for the hijacker's own character.
- Sometimes, people just get offended that their character was hijacked at all.
How can I avoid these problems and hijack well?
94EE83
The first thing to do in these cases is to ask for permission! It's easy, it's quick, and there is virtually no way of misunderstanding someone if you ask them straight-up if it's okay for you to act for their character.
The next thing you need to do is communicate. If there is something you are not sure you're getting right about someone else's character, ask! This will not only help you write a better scene, but also improve your understanding of the character.
Be observant! Every writer has his or her own style that ends up getting injected into the character. Where you can, try to take note of the character's body language and speech habits. Do they speak a lot, or are they very concise? Do they use a lot of metaphors, or are they more direct? Are they blunt? Are they sarcastic? What is their sense of humor like? If you can pinpoint these little traits about a character, you are more likely to write a faithful representation of them.
Lastly, be respectful! Don't do anything drastic with someone else's characters unless you have specific permission from them to do so! Be willing to work with them in case they're not happy with how you've portrayed the character, and don't be afraid to go back and edit something so that it fits! There is a lot of trust involved in someone placing their character in your hands, so don't abuse that trust. Don't do something to betray that trust, and you can not only make a great post, but cultivate a great level of trust and partnership with your partners!
The next thing you need to do is communicate. If there is something you are not sure you're getting right about someone else's character, ask! This will not only help you write a better scene, but also improve your understanding of the character.
Be observant! Every writer has his or her own style that ends up getting injected into the character. Where you can, try to take note of the character's body language and speech habits. Do they speak a lot, or are they very concise? Do they use a lot of metaphors, or are they more direct? Are they blunt? Are they sarcastic? What is their sense of humor like? If you can pinpoint these little traits about a character, you are more likely to write a faithful representation of them.
Lastly, be respectful! Don't do anything drastic with someone else's characters unless you have specific permission from them to do so! Be willing to work with them in case they're not happy with how you've portrayed the character, and don't be afraid to go back and edit something so that it fits! There is a lot of trust involved in someone placing their character in your hands, so don't abuse that trust. Don't do something to betray that trust, and you can not only make a great post, but cultivate a great level of trust and partnership with your partners!