I'm having problems with writing and creating starters.

[Momoe]

I'm having trouble typing, what little ideas I have, out for starters. I can't seem to find the right words to make it sound good, instead of short and to the point. I want it to be detailed and for people to be able to understand what I'm trying to write.. I just can't seem to put it all down together. I'm also having trouble creating starters and having writers block all the time. I can't seem to come up with plots and settings well, and when I do I can't put them down in words.

Can someone please help me with this?

 

[Cammeh]

Do you have any of your ideas written down anywhere at all? I wouldn't mind taking a look and giving you some help.

One thing I can say, especially with getting ideas down, is starting with the base idea. A lot of times I put down one sentence or phrase and then ask myself a ton of questions to help me develop an idea. Sometimes I just write them in note form, and sometimes I make mind maps to connect the ideas together.

 

[Momoe]

I'm not really good with coming up with ideas, but I have a few in the liberteen one-x-one forum.

But I'm not good at coming up with ideas on my own, so I usually let my partner state a few and we decide which one would be more interesting to do. I'd like to be more out there with ideas, but I just can't seem to get good ones.. When I do, I can't seem to put them down correctly.

 

[Aine]

Well, when I have problems with writing a starter, it's either because I don't know my character that well yet or I'm not sure what I want to do in the roleplay. The first problem is solved by filling out a character sheet, the second is solved by discussing it with your partner extensively. Though reading your reactions, perhaps low self-confidence is part of the problem? Don't be so hard on yourself, I'm sure you have some good ideas. Just relax, listen to some good music, cast away your fears and write without worrying if it's good or not.

 

[Zen]

Here's a first tips on overcoming writer's block, along with generating some ideas:

• Make a Pinterest account and start collecting images for characters, settings, symbols, etc. It's a great place to find artwork. Devianart is also a good visual aid.
• Find writing prompts. There's a ton of these sort of writing sites all over the internet, and these will definitely help you find some sort of idea.
• Make a Photobucket account and start keeping folds of certain settings you like to use in future roleplays. It's a lot nicer than Pinterest because it's stuff only you can see, and it's much more organized.
• Make sure the environment you're writing is conducive. If you're writing in an environment that makes you distracted then you aren't going to get anything done.
• If you're having trouble finding words to describe things I suggest you do what I do. Keep a journal, and every day/week you find a new word you haven't heard of before. Write it in this journal several times until you can spell it, along with its meaning, and write several sentences with it. It's greatly improved my vocabulary.
• READ. You cannot be a good writer unless you read.
• Sit down and write. Sometimes you have to bite the bullet and do it even if you aren't in the mood. If nothing is coming to mind, do something else for five minutes and return back to your posts.

 

[Asena]

FANDOM. I'm not even kidding. I know a lot of places/people kind of look down on fanfic and fandom RPGs and stuff, but no joke it is a great way to get started creatively because you're building off of someone else's ideas, so you get a jump start. And just because it starts in fandom doesn't mean it has to stay there, either. Look at 50 Shades of Grey. That was a Twilight fanfiction that's now coming to theatres at some point! A lot of my plot ideas were generated as fanfic ideas. It's a good place to start if you feel super uncreative.

Also Zen's idea about writing prompts is really good. Sometimes I feel like I don't have any ideas for plots, but I have ideas for characters! So I'll make a character, find some writing prompts, and see what comes of it. Look for inspiration literally everywhere. Anything can be a story. If you're bored in class, think about your character being bored in class, and how to solve their boredom. Maybe there's graffiti on your desk. Maybe it could mean something.

Getting the ideas can be hard, and explaining the ideas are even harder, but once you have a plot in mind, the only way to get better at describing it is to practice. If you post a plot idea and it's unclear, people will ask questions that you will then answer, which will clarify things for them and also let you know what you can improve on in your descriptions.

Also, just because you don't think it's a good idea doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad idea. If you can write about it, it's viable. You can develop it more on your own and make it more player-friendly if you're so inclined, but don't immediately give up on something because it doesn't seem like a good idea at first. :)

 

[Prisk]

First, buy The Elements of Style by William Strunk. It is the Bible for any writer on this planet.

Second, realize that "writer's block" or "artist's block" is not real. Stephen King addresses this in his On Writing. You have to understand that writing or any other art is a craftsmanship, not magic. Ideas and inspiration comes from practicing the art, not from the stars or your subconscious.

If you have vocabulary troubles, then read more. Study a thesaurus.

Literary Devices is a bookmark worthy website. And, even though extremely generalizing and silly, TVTropes has its useful moments.

 

[Kestrel]

Well I obviously can't help with liberteen RP's, but what I generally try to keep in mind is trying to figure out what purpose my post should have. Long, detailed posts are best used to convey a setting; creating an environment for your co-player to interact with. Visualise what you are trying to say and forge relevant details. Did your character just get interrupted while writing a letter? Maybe they got up in a hurry and knocked over a bottle of ink; staining either the floor or their clothes. This will give off an impression when your co-players enter the room or meet your character. Think "What happens if I do X, how does that effect Y and how is that relevant to my co-players?" If you have trouble with playing this out in your head, draw it before you describe it. You can use paper and pencil to sketch out and order your thoughts; they don't have to be pretty sketches but they have to help you visualise a scene. Heck, make a storyboard of events and movements if it helps you. The more experience with this you get, the easier it will come to you.

The trick to managing content is organising it.