(Note: This is not related to work done in class, but is related to writing in general.)
One of the biggest things I do that involves writing is a thing called text-style roleplaying in persistent, fictional, player constructed worlds. It is largely collaborative. The players come together and describe literally everything in words. The game saves every description we've ever made whenever we tell it to, this quite literally allows us to construct our fantasies from the ground up and live them through the eyes of our imagined personas.
Okay, so now that I've provided you with some background I'll get straight to my point.
Today, I was in the process of describing my character's airship (for those unfamiliar with the term, just think of it as a personal plane and you'll do just fine). I was, admittedly, frustrated. I am great at describing my characters personal details but for some reason describing scenery that looks and feels good is hard for me. I kept writing, and erasing, and writing again...
Finally, I was ready to give up. My room descs (short term for description) sucked. Then I had an epiphany. Why not plan it out first? Up to this point, there was no analysis or thought being put into it really. I figured I'd try the approach we were being taught in class, where we ask ourselves questions about what we're writing, and apply it to this project. I asked myself questions like:
What's the theme?
What is the purpose of this room? What function does it serve?
What do the other rooms have or need that this one doesn't?
What do I want people to think about this room when they walk into it?
Am I trying to set a certain mood?
How can I achieve these things?
What does my character like?
What impressions do others characters have of mine, and how will that affect what they expect to see here?
When I started thinking about and answering these questions, bit by bit I started to find my rooms coming together in my head. As my rooms came together, so did my ship. In the end, after doing this it took me an hour to describe everything. It took me eight hours just to get to that point.
I'm amazed. :D
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2 comments:
This is an interesting post, Stephen! Your questions get to the heart of what your room is about and what you want it to convey to others.
By the way, this roleplaying game sounds like a text-based MMORPG. If you can do this sort of thing effectively, the experience should not only help you with writing but communicating in general. Very informative post!
Stephen
Nice post. I always like personal experiences because many times I can relate and apply another's solution to my own road blocks.
While your steps may seem simple, I'm sure you cant judge the book by its cover. You are a very effective communicator, and your line of work proves it.
BTW, your comments on my work are a great help. I appreciate it!
Keep up the good work and I look forward to reading your essay(s).
Josh
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