I know this is primarily a R.P. site but I pose a question.

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Do you ever wonder if the title of "roleplayer" is disingenuous to your craft? Not saying there is anything wrong with just that. I simply mean, do you ever feel like what you want to do is sit down and write, draw, create, etc. with like minded individuals and that sites like these are the only way to do that? I certainly do... I haven't called myself "roleplayer" in ages. Although I do lurk and like watching what y'all create. I, myself, am a writer. At least I try to be. Creation brings me joy, it has since I was a teen, and I hope you all still get that same enjoyment even when you're 20+. Keep at it fellow artists of literature. I root for you everyday. -A local mischievious ghost- c:<
 
Like you I consider myself a writer. Extending that I consider writing the primary activity that can be sort of transformed into different shapes depending on the medium. On a roleplay site that means I'm a roleplayer. When I'm writing longform fiction then I'm being a novelist. If I'm writing a comic script or a game story I'm a comic writer and a creative game developer respectively. By that same reasoning I'm also a roleplayer even when I'm not doing any writing depending on the roleplay medium involved, which could be a video game, a tabletop game, etc.
 
I don't have this issue at all. I think in large part because I don't ascribe the label of "roleplayer" as a thing that defines me so much as describes a thing that I do. Same with "writer." It's not a thing that I am, it's a short way to tell people writing is something I do. I do like to write, roleplay, worldbuild, badly draw things related to my writing, sing, write music, including for characters. Creation definitely brings me joy, but doing that in collaboration with others is not what makes me a roleplayer. I think of roleplay and writing as fundamentally different for me (not necessarily everyone), because roleplay for me is really about most faithfully embodying (PLAYING if you will) specific characters. It's not that writing isn't involved, but that I see it as doing something functionally fundamentally different. Forum roleplay imo is more similar to acting than writing a novel or poem. So I'm happy to say I'm an RPer AND a writer. Neither of those words are in any capacity restrictive or diminishing, imo.
 
Oh! I appreciate this question! <3

I rarely use "roleplayer" anymore. Now when I'm talking about me and other RPers, I call them my "Co-Authors" or "Co-Writers" because I more look at us as a classy duo writing a story together. Not only that but I do less actual "roleplaying" these days. I do more just regular author-ing and writing on my own.
On this note, "Poet" is another title I like to wear. Poetry is another language for me, perhaps even the easiest way for me to convey my thoughts and feelings. Literally, I will rap or write about things that I can't speak with regular words. :]
 
I don't have this issue at all. I think in large part because I don't ascribe the label of "roleplayer" as a thing that defines me so much as describes a thing that I do. Same with "writer." It's not a thing that I am, it's a short way to tell people writing is something I do. I do like to write, roleplay, worldbuild, badly draw things related to my writing, sing, write music, including for characters. Creation definitely brings me joy, but doing that in collaboration with others is not what makes me a roleplayer. I think of roleplay and writing as fundamentally different for me (not necessarily everyone), because roleplay for me is really about most faithfully embodying (PLAYING if you will) specific characters. It's not that writing isn't involved, but that I see it as doing something functionally fundamentally different. Forum roleplay imo is more similar to acting than writing a novel or poem. So I'm happy to say I'm an RPer AND a writer. Neither of those words are in any capacity restrictive or diminishing, imo.

Thank you for bringing up acting in this regard. @firejay1 I agree especially when doing your own rendition of a media driven character for a cross world event or fandom.
 
Poetry is something I can get behind as a supporter but not as a term I could call myself. You will have to share some of your works when you have the time. I would read it with delight, I'm sure, @Fluffy
 
I always call myself a writer first and foremost, as roleplaying is just one of the many ways I like to write! 8D Everyone else has already perfectly described all my own thoughts and feelings about it. O:
 
@Diana I've ghosted this site for a few weeks before making an account. I always see you being a goofy yet down to earth person when you speak. I get it and in truth I wondered when you would turn your head 180 to grace this thread. From an outside perspective the title you should be most proud of is community caretaker. You've done a damn good job of supporting and nurturing your fellow writers young and old. "Mother of Owls" befitting you. Owlets we may be but all owls are considered powerful creatures in art for their wisdom and mystery. Making you the most powerful of all. The based Owl Lady.
 
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Ò◇Ó YOUR COMPLIMENTS ONLY PROVE TO MAKE ME EMBARRASSED AND SCREECHY but i am presently losing my voice and cannot screech so I just say thank you


also I am so old I still am not sure what based means
 
You're welcome.
 
I try to avoid the word 'roleplaying' these days too. Maybe it's just my perspective, but these days I feel like it has a closer association to ERP or basic chat roleplay in, say, MMOs and diminutizes the actual quality writing that's happening in most roleplays. If the fact that I roleplay ever comes up in conversation, I prefer to call it collaborative writing or a play-by-post game, like D&D, depending on who I'm speaking to!
 
I try to avoid the word 'roleplaying' these days too. Maybe it's just my perspective, but these days I feel like it has a closer association to ERP or basic chat roleplay in, say, MMOs and diminutizes the actual quality writing that's happening in most roleplays. If the fact that I roleplay ever comes up in conversation, I prefer to call it collaborative writing or a play-by-post game, like D&D, depending on who I'm speaking to!
With regular ppl, I definitely describe it as collaborative writing, bc I've always been told (not recently, like almost 10 years ago now) that ppl think of sexual stuff when you say roleplay without proper context.

But it does make me kind of sad that even this thread is suggesting there's something almost kind of pathetic implied in the word "roleplayer" that it almost feels like we perpetuate by wanting to be thought of as "writers" instead, as if roleplays are inherently lesser somehow than traditional forms of writing? Iono. I'll admit in general I'm kind of quick to ascribe implications in how ppl interact with words.
 
To be frank, I tell people I enjoy writing, but I doubt I could tell them what I write, let alone show them, without dying of shame. It's more dignified to call yourself a writer than it is to say "I roleplay with random strangers online!", that's for sure. Sometimes I describe it as like, tabletop games without the paper and dice to people who aren't in the know, because it sounds at least a little better than saying the word roleplay, which as Astoria mentioned, sounds like I'm doing something sexual.

Which, I mean, for most of my writing career, that really wouldn't be far off, I've written so many scenes of people fucking, but If I just admitted that to someone, I think my soul would depart from me instantly.
 
I get it, but trust when I say. "There's no judgement." Admission of written smut or not. There still isn't any. Something I'm not proud of is I'm 30 years old and still watch cartoons. Truth be told one of the things I want to write is a script for some sort of animated pitch. One of a science modern fantasy with horror elements.

Don't bottle it.

Work from the heart and fans will follow. That's how I look at it. It doesn't have to be perfect to gain a backing. It just has to be shown. I don't use the term Roleplayer to define what I do because I simply don't feel it is roleplaying that I'm doing. Roleplaying is strict and usually done within a very specific set of rules. In that sense both it and common world building are the same...

Where they differ? Catching that is the trick.

The trick in question. Is getting a good power system that at least feels unique even if it isn't completely. Characters that don't feel like they are carbon copies of someone else. The common edge tropes can be offset by some comically dumb thuggish behavior, you get me? Blood lusty violent power houses can also be offset by someone who is the sweetest cinnamon roll. Someone has a trope they hate and characters they like that have em.

Everything has a place and time. A time for everything in it's place.

My ted talk is done.

c:<
 
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Everyone else has already expressed what I was going to say but will still answer the question. 😊 I identify myself as a writer but when I first started roleplaying, I was of course a roleplayer although growing over the years and coming to the forums, I realize that I am more of a writer than anything.

Just a little tidbit from me ✨
 
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