I'm having problems with writing my replies

[Isho13]

I don't know what's happening with me. I don't even have that many roleplays. Let me explain: Most of my roleplays are one on ones. Right now I have one that I have going on since 2014 where I'm some kind of GM to my partner. I have another one where my partner is the most active player, like a GM to me, and I'm the passive player. With another person I have two roleplays, where we're equal regarding how passive or aggressive we are. Then I have a group roleplay with two other players. Those are five roleplays, not counting a sixth one because it's very recent, and my partner appears and disappears and I don't know if that roleplay will go on.

My problem: I can reply just fine to the one from 2014. I could reply to it all day if I had to. Since I have so much time poured into that roleplay, I really know my character, I know the world, I know where I want to take the story, the replies just flow out of me. The only really long posts are for advancing plots but I don't have to force myself to reach that length, and I can turn to shorter posts if I want to.

For the other roleplays: I'm stuggling SO MUCH for writing replies. For the one on ones, I sought advanced roleplayers because that's how I was roleplaying at the moment and what I liked to read. I could write long posts without problems to match my partners' post length, the story went forward and everything was right. But now I'm having quite the writer's block, and I procrastinate forever on writing them, because it takes me time to write long posts, time I don't have now.

Not only that, but I can't even seem to get into these characters. The excitement I had for these roleplays faded. I'm not adoring my or my partners' characters, I'm not impatient to see how the story will unfold, nothing. And I feel like shit, because when I started my roleplay with them I offered myself as an advanced roleplayer, now I can't go back to replying with a handful of lines, and since I was so excited at the beginning, I don't want to drop them just like that. I'll be an awful partner if I drop them and immediately go searching for new roleplays, in the hopes that I'll find other roleplays that are exciting for me.

Any advice on how can I work through this?

 

[Sidhe]

Have you talked to your partners about it? It's fully possible they wouldn't mind at all if your replies are shorter. I consider myself an advanced role-player, too, and length is generally the least of my concern. I do enjoy writing longer posts, of course, but sometimes they're not necessary, and if my partner only writes one or two paragraphs, that's fine with me. I'm sure there are other 'advanced' role-players that feel the same way, especially if you explain to them that you're having a really hard time. I've learned that people are usually a lot more understanding that I give them credit for when I panic about things in my head.

I also don't think you would be an awful partner or role-player if you needed to drop a certain role-play and then went out in search of a new one. I wouldn't be offended at all if a partner did that. This is a hobby and people deserve to have fun. If they aren't having fun in our role-play, I wouldn't expect them to stick around. Sometimes you just can't continue a role-play, and while that can be really sad, it happens and you just need to move on.

I'm personally trying to learn how to tell partners that I'm no longer interested when it happens, and being a people pleaser with low self esteem and social anxiety it's really hard. However, I always feel so relieved (and proud) when I do manage to do so, and so far everyone has been really understanding.

I have two role-plays that have been going on since 2014 here on Iwaku and I'm still just as excited about them, because they're amazing stories with an amazing partner. Incredibly they have stuck with me despite quite a few breaks on my part - even a nearly one year break! But not all role-plays can be like that. It happens. Remember that you should be here to have fun first and foremost. :)

 

[Isho13]

Have you talked to your partners about it? It's fully possible they wouldn't mind at all if your replies are shorter. I consider myself an advanced role-player, too, and length is generally the least of my concern. I do enjoy writing longer posts, of course, but sometimes they're not necessary, and if my partner only writes one or two paragraphs, that's fine with me. I'm sure there are other 'advanced' role-players that feel the same way, especially if you explain to them that you're having a really hard time. I've learned that people are usually a lot more understanding that I give them credit for when I panic about things in my head.

I also don't think you would be an awful partner or role-player if you needed to drop a certain role-play and then went out in search of a new one. I wouldn't be offended at all if a partner did that. This is a hobby and people deserve to have fun. If they aren't having fun in our role-play, I wouldn't expect them to stick around. Sometimes you just can't continue a role-play, and while that can be really sad, it happens and you just need to move on.

I'm personally trying to learn how to tell partners that I'm no longer interested when it happens, and being a people pleaser with low self esteem and social anxiety it's really hard. However, I always feel so relieved (and proud) when I do manage to do so, and so far everyone has been really understanding.

I have two role-plays that have been going on since 2014 here on Iwaku and I'm still just as excited about them, because they're amazing stories with an amazing partner. Incredibly they have stuck with me despite quite a few breaks on my part - even a nearly one year break! But not all role-plays can be like that. It happens. Remember that you should be here to have fun first and foremost. :)

I haven't talked about it, but I'm afraid to for a variety of reasons: before starting the roleplay, getting to know each other, we both said we're having the worst luck finding partners, and everyone just drops or leaves. Or they said their preferences lied in long descriptive posts, and while at the moment I could provide that naturally, now it's a major burden. I'm a bit of a people pleaser too, so it's hard. And I really don't want to drop them, since before I had them I was having the worst luck finding partners. I want to go back to my prime as a roleplayer, but I'm at loss about how.

 

[Sidhe]

I haven't talked about it, but I'm afraid to for a variety of reasons: before starting the roleplay, getting to know each other, we both said we're having the worst luck finding partners, and everyone just drops or leaves. Or they said their preferences lied in long descriptive posts, and while at the moment I could provide that naturally, now it's a major burden. I'm a bit of a people pleaser too, so it's hard. And I really don't want to drop them, since before I had them I was having the worst luck finding partners. I want to go back to my prime as a roleplayer, but I'm at loss about how.

In that case I would try really hard to be honest with your partners and say that you're currently having a lot of trouble getting out longer posts. You might be able to work something out with them, because I've been learning from experience that folks are usually a lot more flexible than I worry they are! You can mention that you would love to continue your role-play, but right now you are finding it difficult to write as much as you used to. You can ask if it would be all right for you to write shorter posts for the time being. Perhaps if you start writing in a way that you are more comfortable with, eventually you'll get back into the groove of things and find that you're able to write longer posts again. I know that in my case, the longer I don't write, the harder it is for me to get back into it. Starting easy with short posts and/or role-plays that I am very comfortable with has always been the best way for me to ease myself back into the swing of things.

I know it's really scary to be honest about this kind of thing - believe me, I know - but sometimes it's just something you have to do! Plop yourself in front of a mirror and pump yourself up. Kiss your guns and say, "I can do it! D:<" The worst that can happen is that what you're proposing won't work for your partner, and though that doesn't sound nice, it's really quite insignificant in the long run. And I bet you that in most cases, that won't even happen, and your partner will be happy that you were honest with them and want to work something out with you! I think everyone would rather the honesty than just nothing at all.

 

[Kagayours]

You shouldn't feel guilty about wanting to drop out. You are not a bad person if you decide to drop out.

It sounds to me like you're struggling with lack of interest, and... that happens sometimes. And I wouldn't feel bad about it. The two most important things to remember are: 1) don't force yourself to continue an RP that you're no longer enjoying and 2) communicate with your partner/GM. And as a GM, I can't even begin to explain how important #2 is. Communicate. Tell them you're having problems. If you're thinking of dropping, say so. If you don't want to drop but you're still having writer's block for the time being, say so. I know I would always much rather my players tell me these things than to suffer in silence. o_o

Now that that's all said: step 1 is to just be honest and say that you're having troubles, and that you're not feeling super inspired or motivated for these roleplays anymore. At this point, there might be things that your partners/GMs can do to help you -- they might be ok with you making your replies shorter, if that's all you can manage, or they might know how to toss some ideas back-and-forth to try to get you motivated again (I know I have a variety of strategies I like to use with players who say they need an inspiration boost). After that, who knows, you might be feeling motivated and dedicated again! If not, though... you should continue to be honest, and tell your partners/GM's that you aren't feeling interested anymore and that you think you should drop out. I know it can be hard, especially if you thought you were a dedicated player, but, you can't force yourself to maintain interest -- and you shouldn't force yourself to maintain interest. RPing is supposed to be a hobby. It's supposed to be fun. And forcing yourself to continue an RP for no other reason than the fact that you feel obligated to, well... all of that is going to be much more draining than the brief, ripping-off-a-bandaid pain of telling your partners/GM's that you'll be dropping out. And, yes, if you decide to drop out, then you should definitely tell your partners/GM's about it. I know you're worried they might not want to hear it, but I can nearly guarantee that they would all be so much happier knowing that you're leaving than for you to suddenly stop replying to them.

Edit: I should clarify, though, that I'm not saying you should drop out anytime you're having writer's block. If you don't know what to do with your characters, but you're still interested in the RP overall and want to continue playing in it, then I would say it's worth sticking with it (but I would still definitely reach out to your partner/GM). I wasn't trying to say that there's never a good time to stick it through -- only that you shouldn't be tying yourself down to a roleplay solely because you'd feel guilty about leaving. Because staying in a roleplay for no other reason than because you'd feel guilty if you left is just... not a good situation to be in. :/ Like I said, RPing is supposed to be fun, and you should be getting fun out of it -- you shouldn't have to force yourself to stay in a situation like that.

 

[The Mood is Write]

Hi! Oh my lord, I feel this issue hard sometimes. I had to deal with a lot at the tail end of last year, so I have a few suggestions that have kept this problem away a bit.

First, don't fear communication. It's hard as hell to tell a person you're done or to get with them and start a discussion to rekindle the passion for the play. It always is. Sometimes, you just have to let go of your empathy and do it, though. I'm not saying be rude about it: be hella polite. Just don't hold back on telling them what you feel needs to be done for you to enjoy yourself. You could also ask those same partners if they'd like to RP something different with you, if you enjoy them as a partner, but aren't attached to the plot. I've done that in the past, and it's worked out fantastically!

Second, start a google document or something and start brainstorming the RPs you want to keep, even if they're hard to reply to. Look into possible conflicts and twists and other crazy things. Also, browse the internet for images that bring the RP to mind and share them with your partner. "Oh, I found a faceclaim for X!" or "This is totally something X would do." will help revive a lost spark.

I forgot what else I was going to say, but don't be afraid to pursue your enjoyment. Just be sure to keep honest and polite.