Post by Shortyyyy on Apr 14, 2009 20:01:42 GMT -6
What is your average word count for your posts? 100? 250?
This is a quick and easy guide to getting a 400+ post count, because there aren't really any tricks to get any higher than that!
1. Do you describe the scenery?
Every can interacts with the environment, and its always great to set the stage, especially in the first few posts of the thread. This should get you about 25-50 extra words in there. If you are being really elaborate, you may get 100-200 words. This would be a good example of describing scenery:
It had been breezy all day on the moor. Not much different from an average day. There were clouds in the sky, light and fluffy, but never threatening. Now, the sun was falling below the wind-blown fields of barley and wild wheat, turning the sky all shades of purple, red, pink, and orange. Looking about, one could only see as far as the earth extended. There wasn't a large tree for miles, and on the harsh days in green-leaf, shade was a blessing from the stars. Under paw, the ground is always hard and cracked, or soft and sandy. When it rained, the earth would soak it up like a ball of moss, leaving very little for the cats that lived around here, but they managed. The ground was only ever sandy while it was raining. Those were the days that every one wanted to come out from hiding and rejoice.
That was a total of 154 words. By the way, please don't take any of my descriptions, I wrote them myself, and I'd appreciate it if they stayed in my personal use.
2. How does your character feel?
All characters have feelings, so it is important to describe what they are. When you have decided on how your character feelings about a certain something, you want to tell that it is, and then go into detail to tell exactly how this affected them. How it effects them, will eventually lead onto a reaction, which should be the meat of your post. This would be a good example of describing how a character feels:
Caramel was slightly let down. She had hoped with all her heart to be the next deputy of the Night Tribe. Instead of her, they had chosen the brute cat, Stalk. The beginnings of a deep whole, began to tear through her heart, leaving the wound open for whatever blood pleased to poor. The very claw that was Harpers, the ruthless leader, had just torn out everything she had ever lived for....
Its a bit difficult not to begin the reactions [thats my next point] but you get the general idea of how it works. That was 72 words, bringing a total of 226 words, if you include the scenery. Already, you can see the numbers going up. Notice that as I described the feelings, I added in short descriptions of the things around Caramel, such as how Stalk was a brute cat, and Harper was a ruthless leader. I could have easily elaborated more on each of these characters just to add the extra bulk in there, or to give a reader a better understanding of how Caramel sees these other cats, it would be another quick 50-100 words.
3. How does your character react?
Your characters reaction is a key part in your post. This should be the bulk of your post. It includes, how your cat moves, to its responses, and even its thoughts, and how it forms a plan in the future. For instance, in this next episode with Caramel, she will have harsh feelings towards Stalk and Harper, and form an angry plan, to help her become deputy.
'Harper only chose Stalk because he is strong, everyone knows she has secretly been in love with him for the longest time.' Caramel hissed in her head. She was completely crushed because of Stalk's new rank. Her eyes narrowed into an evil hiss, and a passion of hate began to burn in her heart.
Caramel shook her head, "Sorry Fang, I was thinking to myself." she began, Fang had come with her, so that she could vent. Fang was a senior warrior of the Night Tribe. His bulk was obvious, and if Caramel ever went into a rage about the whole deputy ordeal, he could obviously put her back in her place. She hated those two love birds. She wanted to kill them, so much.
She ran towards the open field, with each step, her muscles were obviously outlined, so giving her the appearance of an awkward tom. Her long claws began scratching at the ground, ripping and tearing grass, wheat, and barley as she went on. It was obvious that Caramel was dangerous, and it wasn't your lucky day if you chose to be on her bad side. Despite so, she was smart, cunning, and practical. She knew what to do, and when to stop, and this was what made her believe, she could be deputy better than the fowl, Stalk. Oh how she hated him, with such a passion now, she had only disliked him before.
I cut that one off short, only because I could have gone on and on forever on Caramels reaction to her lack of support for the new deputy. Already, in this single post, that was cut off short, you have 469 words. And you still have another part to address! Geez! You'd think someone was crazy by now, when they were saying they could only reach 50 words!
4. What does your character look like?
Is your character invisible or something? Get some detail in there! Tell me about what your character looks like! Is it... short? Tabby? Gray? Blue eyes? Purple claws? Come on! Tell me! and tell me in detail! Below are two descriptions as to what Caramel looks like, you tell me which one you like better.
Caramel has amber eyes, and a short coat. The color is that of caramel. Her tail is long, as are her claws. She is one fierce looking creature.
Caramels eyes glimmer in the sun of mid-day, they sparkle and shine like a mother looking at her kits. Her short fur has a caramel color coat, that her muscles bulge through. Her long, wispy tail, allows her to have excellent balancing skills, great for saying in trees, that her thick and sharp claws help her climb. Her overall appearance is fierce, one might never be able to tell that she was a she-cat, no more than 16 moons.'
The second one obviously provides a better understanding of what Caramel looks like. This is all very important when posting, because it helps the person you are role playing with, to visualize what is going on, even better. In the end, this will benefit you, because it will give you more to reply to, since, the long posts, are like a chain reaction. Nobody hates a long post, except for a jealous and or lazy person.
Helpful Hints
- Use correct spelling, it makes you look more mature!
- Don't forget your grammar, using it, will almost force you to write more
- Try to incorporate some good literary devices [metaphor, simile, onomatopoeia, etc.]
- A good rule of thumb, when trying to judge when you have written enough, is to expand the text box [to the left under the box itself] and then make sure that you can't see your first few lines when you are done.
** I will continue this later, I'm just tired, and its late
***steal and face my glock***