As said in the title, Role playing is an art as well as a skill. When a RP story has been completed it can be really cool, and it can be fun to make. RPing is not that much different than writing a story book. Each RP has the same elements of a story(AKA a narrative). Also remember, your RP should be kept serious for the most part. Now to begin the lesson.
1. Plot : The sequence of events in a story
Exposition - Writing that provides information about:
a) Setting
b) Some main characters
c) Hint at conflict
Complication - Single event that begins the rising action
Rising Action - Events that lead up to the Climax
Climax - (AKA Turning Point/Crisis) Crucial moment when the hero's fate hangs in the balance
Falling Action - All events that follow the turning point
Resolution - Outcome of the conflict (the end)
2. Conflict : A struggle between two opposing forces (Normally Protagonist vs. Antagonist)
Internal Conflict - Struggle within the Character's mind.
There is only one type of Internal Conflict : Man vs. Self
External Conflict - Struggle between a character and an outside force
There are 4 types of External Conflict:
a)Man vs. Man
b)Man vs. Nature
c)Man vs. Society/Group
d)Man vs. Technology/Machine
*Note : Type D won't appear much here... save maybe with Diminish*
Protagonist - Main character, normally the "Good Guy"
Antagonist - Character who opposes protagonist
3. Suspense : Quality that makes readers eager to know what happens next (to build interest).
4. Foreshadowing : The planting of clues that hint at what events will come later in the story.
5. Setting : Time and Place in which a narrative is set. The setting contains:
a)Time
b)Place
c)Mood
*Mood - Feeling, or atmosphere, created in a narrative.
6. Irony - Irony comes in three types:
a) Verbal Irony : A discrepancy between what is stated and what is meant.
IE : "It's perfect fairness was obvious" (Referring to a Corrupted Court)
b)Irony of a Situation : A contrast between what is expected and what really happens.
IE : A soldier catches an enemy scout off guard getting water, and spares him. Later on that soldier is killed by the very same scout.
c)Dramatic Irony : When ready knows something the character doesn't.
IE: There was a tiger behind the right door, and the correct passage was behind the left door. The hero decided to take his chances with the right door.
7. Characterization - Personality a character displays also the means by which the author displays that personality
Indirect Characterization - The author allows the reader to discover what the character is like through:
a)The character's own actions and words
b)Through the character's thoughts
c)What other characters say about that character
Direct Characterization - When the author tells the reader directly what the character is like.
8. Types of Characters - There are two sets of characteristics for characters in stories. I call them "Shape" and "Dimension". A character can not be both parts of a set, but each character is one from each set.
The "Shape" set consists of:
a) Static - A character who remains the same through the whole story. Keeps his views on something/everything.
b) Round - A character who undergoes a large change through the story. Changes his views on something/everything.
The "Dimension" set consists of:
a) Flat - Character who has one side to its personality
b) Round - Character that has many sides or dimensions to its personality
9. Theme - Main idea in a work of literature.
10. Allusion - Reference to history, myth, music, figure from the bible, or any other work of literature.
11. Symbol - Something that has meaning in itself while at the same time represents something larger.
12. Point of View - (P.O.V. for short)The vantage point from which a story is told. There are three types of P.O.V.s used for story telling:
a)1st Person P.O.V. - When the narrator is one of the characters. Uses words like "I" and "We".
b)Third Person Limited - Outside narrator; can see into the heart and mind of one character
c)Omniscience - "All Knowing" narrator. ('omni' = all, 'science' = knowledge); Outside narrator - can see into the heart and mind of all characters
1. Plot : The sequence of events in a story
Exposition - Writing that provides information about:
a) Setting
b) Some main characters
c) Hint at conflict
Complication - Single event that begins the rising action
Rising Action - Events that lead up to the Climax
Climax - (AKA Turning Point/Crisis) Crucial moment when the hero's fate hangs in the balance
Falling Action - All events that follow the turning point
Resolution - Outcome of the conflict (the end)
2. Conflict : A struggle between two opposing forces (Normally Protagonist vs. Antagonist)
Internal Conflict - Struggle within the Character's mind.
There is only one type of Internal Conflict : Man vs. Self
External Conflict - Struggle between a character and an outside force
There are 4 types of External Conflict:
a)Man vs. Man
b)Man vs. Nature
c)Man vs. Society/Group
d)Man vs. Technology/Machine
*Note : Type D won't appear much here... save maybe with Diminish*
Protagonist - Main character, normally the "Good Guy"
Antagonist - Character who opposes protagonist
3. Suspense : Quality that makes readers eager to know what happens next (to build interest).
4. Foreshadowing : The planting of clues that hint at what events will come later in the story.
5. Setting : Time and Place in which a narrative is set. The setting contains:
a)Time
b)Place
c)Mood
*Mood - Feeling, or atmosphere, created in a narrative.
6. Irony - Irony comes in three types:
a) Verbal Irony : A discrepancy between what is stated and what is meant.
IE : "It's perfect fairness was obvious" (Referring to a Corrupted Court)
b)Irony of a Situation : A contrast between what is expected and what really happens.
IE : A soldier catches an enemy scout off guard getting water, and spares him. Later on that soldier is killed by the very same scout.
c)Dramatic Irony : When ready knows something the character doesn't.
IE: There was a tiger behind the right door, and the correct passage was behind the left door. The hero decided to take his chances with the right door.
7. Characterization - Personality a character displays also the means by which the author displays that personality
Indirect Characterization - The author allows the reader to discover what the character is like through:
a)The character's own actions and words
b)Through the character's thoughts
c)What other characters say about that character
Direct Characterization - When the author tells the reader directly what the character is like.
8. Types of Characters - There are two sets of characteristics for characters in stories. I call them "Shape" and "Dimension". A character can not be both parts of a set, but each character is one from each set.
The "Shape" set consists of:
a) Static - A character who remains the same through the whole story. Keeps his views on something/everything.
b) Round - A character who undergoes a large change through the story. Changes his views on something/everything.
The "Dimension" set consists of:
a) Flat - Character who has one side to its personality
b) Round - Character that has many sides or dimensions to its personality
9. Theme - Main idea in a work of literature.
10. Allusion - Reference to history, myth, music, figure from the bible, or any other work of literature.
11. Symbol - Something that has meaning in itself while at the same time represents something larger.
12. Point of View - (P.O.V. for short)The vantage point from which a story is told. There are three types of P.O.V.s used for story telling:
a)1st Person P.O.V. - When the narrator is one of the characters. Uses words like "I" and "We".
b)Third Person Limited - Outside narrator; can see into the heart and mind of one character
c)Omniscience - "All Knowing" narrator. ('omni' = all, 'science' = knowledge); Outside narrator - can see into the heart and mind of all characters
