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Getting out of the "One-liner"

This is the real subject of importance for RPing, and it will mostly come down to your personality and preferences. But, there are some basic guidelines that can help you get out of the "one-liner" if you feel like you don't know what to do.

Describing yourself : This is -critical- for an RP to go smoothly. You need to give your playmate a good image of who they are roleplaying with and how you are taking part in the RP. Let's look at a generic one-liner.

*walks into the room and takes a seat at the bar*

There you are! Sitting at a bar. But who -are- you? If you really want someone to take notice, or if you want to provide a good image of your presence, you'll probably need to tell people what you look like.

*Walks into the room, tufted ears turning toward the various sounds and sandy-toned fur shimmering in the low light. He takes a seat at the bar*

Well now we know you are a male, you have tannish fur, and like to take notice of sounds with your tufted ears. That's better! This might even be enough for some, but let's take it a step farther, shall we? Let's inject a little personality as well.

*The smiling feline bounces his way into the low-lit room, tufted ears turning interestedly towards the various sounds and sandy-toned fur shimmering in the subtle atmosphere. He slides into a seat at the bar with a grin and orders his favorite drink before resting against the counter with a casual lean*

That is still only a modicum of what you could describe about yourself! What's your species? What is your tail doing? Are you waiting for someone? Do you say "hi" to people along the way? What are you wearing? These are all questions that you could use as a basis for extending your post, but don't be afraid to leave some for later! If you jabber on with a wall of text, it won't leave any mystery or reason to approach you to find out more (not to mention it will be difficult to read). And the key is to get someone talking to you; whether you are trying to find a partner or this takes place in a scene you are playing out within an RP.

Describing your feelings and reactions : This is the dramatic meat (read: theater ham) of your character: how do you feel about what is going on? If someone sits next to you, do you engage them directly, or do you shyly wait for them to make the first move? If someone threatens you; do you stand up to them or fall vulnerable before the aggression? Those are just some extremes, though. Your reactions will be specific to your character, and learning how to present your emotional response is a vital aspect of RPing. Let's take the "someone sits down next to you," scenario and let's say you are shy and want to be won over by someone who is more assertive. Here's the one-liner.

*blushes and turns away, shyly stirring his drink*

This leaves far too much up to interpretation! Someone won't know if you are playing hard to get, or if they are invading your personal space and have made you uncomfortable! You'll need to give more clues as to how you are feeling.

*Blushes as the other patron sits down next to him, feeling a little vulnerable in crowds. He turns away to hide his embarrassment, shyly stirring his drink to keep himself busy.*

There we go! Now at least your potential playmate knows that they are not explicitly the cause of your turning away; it's just because you don't want them to see you blushing! But of course, you -do- want them to see you doing so. You want them to comfort you and press a little to bring you out of your shell. Why not give them a little more prompting then?

*Blushes as the other patron sits down next to him, the well-dressed feline having always felt a little vulnerable in crowds. But that's not to say that he didn't want company now, even though he quickly turns away to hide his embarrassment. He shyly stirs his drink to keep himself from seeming too awkward, glancing back occasionally as he tries to work up the courage to introduce himself*

If you wanted to really paint it out for them, you could add something like, "though he hopes that the other will make the first move." That kind of thing will depend on yourself; whether you think that it's too obvious and directive, or whether it's more important to get the reaction you want. It's your style and your character; have fun thinking about these kinds of things and working them into your RPing! This is doubly necessary if you are choosing to be the pursuer instead, you'll want to give the other person a view of what you find attractive about them. And this will be discussed next!

One thing to note, if someone approaches you in the lobby, you should refer to them at least by their species in the RP. I personally find saying things like, "the other" to be too impersonal, though for these purposes it's necessary. Take an interest in your pursuer; they took one in you after all! At least glance at their profile to get an idea of who they are so you can start making them a part of your side of the story.

Describing others : This is probably the greatest potential stumbling block of all the things that make up an RP, but it is also -extremely- critical. If you do not take time to acknowledge another person's contributions, you risk letting the RP become disjointed. If someone describes their eyes, say how pretty they are! If someone describes the layout of a room, use the furniture they put in it to your advantage (interpret this suggestion how you will). But, there is such a thing as too much; and you should never just "parrot" what another person is doing or saying. For instance, if your playmate says, "*giggles and turns away, blushing shyly*" and you think your character would do something similar, at least give the courtesy of changing up the wording to acknowledge that they got there first. E.g. "*giggles back during a similar, coy turn with his cheeks flushed*".

The other potential problem is "taking control" of your playmate; something that should almost never occur except in very specific or obvious circumstances (e.g. they swoon so you have to carry them to a convenient divan). If you engage in the RP sphere for any length of time, you will probably come across the term "god moding." Though the term is generally used in "fighting RPs" (a type of RPing I do not engage in personally, though my mate has and explained to me the ins and outs), I believe it applies to any situation where you overstep your authority in an RP, usually by trying to make someone act a certain way rather than hinting at it. The best way to explain this will be an example.

Let's say you are chatting up a girl and you want to appear charming. The easiest way to do this is -obviously- to just tell the other person to be charmed, right?

Porterjoe: *glances over at you with his drink in paw, giving a smile that charms you right out of your panties*

Oh dear! That wasn't charming at all! And what's worse is it -tells- the partner how they react. Why, one might even say silly ol' Porterjoe doesn't even -need- a partner to play out his RP! Which is a good thing, because if he keeps that sort of thing up he's not apt to keep playmates around for very long. Let's amend his faux-pas slightly.

Porterjoe: *glances over at you with his drink in paw, giving a charming smile that has won him many conquests in the past*

Well, at least Porterjoe gives the -option- of his charms falling flat at this point. A smile can indeed be charming, but as they say: you can charm some of the people some of the time, but you can't charm all of the people all of the time. Now, this is indeed an acceptable work around to try to make oneself appear charming, but to borrow a filmography term, "show, don't tell."

Porterjoe: *glances over at you with his eyes trained on yours, giving a wide, cheerful smile with his teeth glittering white. He can't deny his interest in the new acquaintance before him, and shows it with the most subtle sigh of contentment he can from being in her presence; thinking of how wonderful her clothes are and yet how eager he is to see the amazing form beneath*

Well that's sure to get the panties dropping! But in all seriousness, the difference between these three examples -should- be apparent now, and you should be able to see how this can apply to -every- type of interaction between you and your playmate. A good partner will pick up on your attempts at being charming and respond accordingly, and as long as you are not "god moding" like in the first example that reaction will give you a chance to get to know their character more. Maybe they are indeed charmed right away, or maybe they pick up on your more carnal intentions and react poorly! But if you just try to -tell- people how to act around you, be prepared for the number of responses you receive to dwindle rapidly. This is especially true when it comes to *drumroll!* describing sexual activities!

Giving your playmate the business : Ah yes, the good old erotic RP! You've found yourself a playmate, won his/her/hir heart and all that's left to do is...

*fucks you till you cum and he cums too* ahhh... *falls asleep*

NO. NO. NO. Obviously! You've got to make this experience enjoyable and sexy; you're essentially writing erotica in real-time. But not to worry! If you're doing this you've hopefully had sex--or at the very least, masturbated--before, and erotic RPing is all about describing how you are imagining the intercourse in your mind's eye.

Now, nobody can tell you how your cybersexing should be structured; it should be as personal to you as your character is. Many people are of the opinion that cybersex just comes down to the same actions repeated ad nauseam. This is NOT so! I have done many, many sex scenes and erotic RPs, and they all feel different and unique to me; even ones that include the same positions and kinks! Here are some of the things that one can describe during such scenes.

Physical Action : This is your bread-and-butter *puts his cock in her pussy, flicks his tongue over her nipple* type things. These are your thrusts, your swirls; your "tools of the trade" (if you'll pardon the vague pun). But the key to make these more than repetitious one-liners is to say -how- you are doing these actions. Are you thrusting in rapidly, or taking your time? Are you licking in one direction, or are you circling around the target of your tongue? The more adjectives and detail you can put in without becoming tiresome, the less likely you are to be a boring cyber-lover.

Other common actions are things like vocalizations and breathing (moans, purrs, gasps), touching (tickling, teasing, groping), olfactory use (smelling, inhaling, wafting); you get the idea. You're exploring with your senses, don't just limit it to "*thrusts in and out. Pumps his cock in your pussy. Gives you the business*" There is an entire realm of sensual experience to take in: don't be afraid to really dig into your partner's body! (as long as they are into that kind of thing. Har har)

Though I hope to do a full breakdown on "how to hint" in an RP, I will take this time to explain something. Remember how you're not allowed to "god mode" an RP? Well that means that you have to -allude- to what you want from your partner. For instance, I like to take in my playmate's scent; usually during the introductions. But let's say I've waited till I've gotten her clothes off, and now I want to know what her character's personal scent is. The -only- way I can do this is by saying something like, "*presses his nose into her fur, inhaling her scent as he [blah blah blah]*". A good partner needs to recognize that this means I'm interested to know what she smells like! I obviously can't -tell- her what her scent is, but I don't want to ruin the RP with such obvious directives as, "*inhales her scent, wondering what it is*" unless it is well masked in prose or something. The same goes for orgasms. You can't -make- someone cum. If you want them climax with you, you have to start describing your orgasm and let them take the hint to start doing so as well. A couple ways to encourage this are to do things like increase your attempt at stimulating them (e.g. really going to town on a female's g-spot or clitoris), or warn of your own impending orgasm and let them get nice and ready to join you (e.g. "I'm gonna...I'm gonna..." ooh. I'm getting chills just from that! Heh).

Reacting to Physical Stimulation : So your partner is kissing you. Well you had better tell them what you think about that! Maybe you return the kiss passionately, or maybe you are hesitant, and wish they would bite your lip instead. The choice is yours, noble RPer; take advantage. Obviously the same suggestions for all the other types of descriptions apply here. This is also where I like to tell my playmate what is happening in my character's body and mind. Maybe her kiss, "Fills you with affectionate warmth, and elicits a rumbling purr to show it." Or maybe a well-timed roll of her hips, "sends intense, tingling pleasure down your shaft, making the room seem to spin from the powerful stimulation."

But! That is just how -I- write erotica. Maybe you think of sexual pleasure differently and localize the pleasure to nerve endings. There is no wrong way to say how you are enjoying yourself! (There are wrong ways, but let's not get into those. Suffice it to say, know your kinks and make your squicks clear)

Getting out of the "Two-liner"

So! Now you've gotten your RP posts up to around 2 or 3 lines, but they still feel lacking somehow. You sometimes get a particularly long post, but feel like it's only because you keep stacking action after action. This is a common problem, and not one to agonize over! You should take this time to start experimenting with style, structure, tone; only so far as you are continuing to enjoy yourself! This is playtime, but even play can be educational. If you aren't developing and learning from your RPs, then they will quickly become boring.

However, you should come to a point where the generalized RP will not be enough. You want to add more, you want to make it a story! GOOD! That desire and watching other persons RPing should help you on your way to that. Still, here's a few suggestions that can help get you started:

Internal Monologue : You are an active, thinking being. You should have thoughts and intentions that might not always be directed at your playmate. For instance, maybe your character has a troubled past. If you see an opportunity to work this into the context of your roleplay, a little internal monologuing can be a great way to expand your character for your playmate (and as a result, pad out your post length! But that is -not- the goal. Your posts should be MEANINGFUL, not needlessly long!)

playmate: *settles nearby, touching your arm casually as he looks over with a grin*

porterjoe: *Oh the tangled webs woven by these subtle gestures, the touch on his arm reminding him of all the time long lost to these flirtatious nuances. How many years had it been since someone had brushed against his fur like that? Far too long, and yet not long enough. His face shows his discontent, his eyelids falling slightly as he pulls away* Is there something I can help you with? *he utters with the trace of a snarl*

Obviously, that is too melodramatic and doesn't really say anything other than that Porterjoe is a bit of a crabbypants for no good reason. But you should get the idea. The danger of this is that your playmate can't technically acknowledge the things you have revealed, but as long as you give them the appropriate openings (e.g. "his face shows his discontent") they will be able to address them in a natural way. Sometimes this will create flubs where a playmate will accidentally address something that was supposed to be internal. It happens! Make them aware of the mistake and--if absolutely necessary--request that they rewrite their post. No need to get in a tizzy, and if they are at all a decent person they will appreciate your dedication to wanting a cohesive story; it is as much for their benefit as yours, after all.

Metaphor and Simile : Yes, those middle school grammatical tricks are coming out again. But a well placed simile can really bring a post to life. For those who can't remember what these are, they are where you compare something to an unrelated thing of similar quality. It will be easier to explain by example:

*Joe saunters across the barroom floor as if to a funeral dirge, dragging his granite-like legs while trying to find a seat. He slumps into a booth like a sack of potatoes, the music around him a stampeding blare of pounding against his ears*

Once again, this is probably too heavy handed to be the entire post. But as you can see it definitely gives the actions more character and sets a tone to what is otherwise someone "walking to a booth in a bar and sitting down while music plays."

More to come!