[Gallagher]

Getting super awesome at rping/writing in general is a lot being like a game character.

Different people start out different ways. Some without a clue, some with a fairly good idea of what they want, and some just get lucky.

To get good, you have to work at it. There are basic skills that everyone needs (though some can later be passed over by very advanced players).

It isn't enough to just do it a lot (though getting that exp IS important!), you have to actually SPEND those skill points you get. And your research is what that goes towards.

You can specialize in certain kinds of characters/stories (Espy is really good at the kind Espy does, but once out of that element, things get a little awkward), or you can learn about a lot of different things (then take the blow when you can't make someone as hardcore as Suze or Salone do).

No matter what way you go about it, it'll take time and thought. Feel out what works for you. There's no level cap, so if your build isn't working, don't look for the restat option, just add to your skill pool. You never know what will come in handy.

And again, I'll encourage you to look up proper research articles and forum discussions between real people. Figure out how to google well, that will help a lot. Break it down, be specific and smart about what you need, and if you're not sure yet, start with the basics and work out from there.

[Lawtan]

*Admits right now to being highly frustrated, but will keep working*

[Suzerain of Sheol]

I used to spend a lot of time on TVtropes and Spacebattles. Tons of information on TVtropes in simple to absorb formats, just don't... talk to anyone there. Really. Don't. Spacebattles is one of the biggest sf/fantasy boards iirc, tons of really smart people there who talk about everything under the sun. Just kind of absorb stuff by osmosis. (Lots of really stupid people, too...)

Other than that, lots and lots of reading. I have an entire bookshelf of "research" for the kinds of writing I do, plus I go to university for classical and medieval literature and poetry, so I've gotten a lot from there too. (With some postmodern thrown in for good measure...)

Beyond that... I can honestly recommend Youtube. There are some really good documentaries you can find on this sort of stuff if you have the time to watch them. (I usually game and watch something in the background, while playing another game on my phone, while posting on Tris, while talking on Skype...)

And finally, just reading really good writers can help your actual prose a lot. I look at my stuff from a few years ago, before I read Erikson, Bakker, Donaldson, and others (all fantasy authors), and after, and the difference in quality is striking.

Studying film can help too in learning how to properly (and how NOT to) pace stories, since you can absorb an entire plot in a relatively short amount of time. Learning how to apply the basics to the written format, and then what can be added to enrich it in the available space of a novel, is essential.

Basically, the more knowledge you absorb, the more your imagination can draw on, combining things in new ways to make engaging stories and characters.

[Espy]

Originally Posted by Gallagher

[SIZE="2"]You can specialize in certain kinds of characters/stories (Espy is really good at the kind Espy does, but once out of that element, things get a little awkward), or you can learn about a lot of different things (then take the blow when you can't make someone as hardcore as Suze or Salone do)./SIZE]

Yeah, I'm good at writing rather masochistic action-y or thought stuff. And occasionally smut. But everything else is just /what am I doing/.

[Lawtan]

...I may have to storm out for a while...
I am just so very frustrated with myself right now.

[Suzerain of Sheol]

Oh, some more general advice:

Know who your audience is, and know how to take criticism (I don't mean just don't take it personally). You have to have a clear idea of what you're trying to do with your writing, and what kind of person will enjoy it. And you need to be able to parse out good critiques from bad ones. If someone just doesn't get your writing and is telling you to change almost everything... they probably aren't the kind of person you're writing for. (Though good readers will be able to separate the difference between bad writing and something not being to their taste.)

Basically, just don't blindly take all the advice you're given. Question, doubt, and above all: LEARN HOW TO CRITIQUE! It's really important to know what NOT to do, and the best way to is to find what works and what doesn't in other people's writing. Not to mention, being able to see the flaws in your own work lets you have a clearer idea of what you're trying to achieve, what's lacking, and you'll know when you finally get it perfect.

[Gallagher]

I'm sorry this is so frustrating. Trust me, I know the feeling. I'm not as good as spewing out words like Suze over there. I often need half an hour to make just three sentences. We just want to help, though, because we DO see really good potential in your work. If we didn't, we would mostly just ignore you. We're kind of jerks like that.

Originally Posted by Suzerain of Sheol

Studying film can help too in learning how to properly (and how NOT to) pace stories, since you can absorb an entire plot in a relatively short amount of time. Learning how to apply the basics to the written format, and then what can be added to enrich it in the available space of a novel, is essential.

This. Learning how to do proper pacing will help A LOT. This is one of THE biggest differences between a good story and a shit story, and people rarely have it click to point out "hey your pacing is weird". The most you'll hear is "Well it sort of dragged..." or "it was hard to follow" or some other nonsense that, really, we all know doesn't help at all.

Some moments are naturally slow, when nothing much is happening. When there isn't quick action going on, and characters have time to breathe. This is when your writing should breathe, too. Take this time to fill in details and fill in the surroundings for your reader.

Other moments are not. Other moments need blood, and action, impulse, reaction. Make it happen. No time for flowery nonsense when you're about to be gutted, or decapitated, or the one thing you need is going to be gone in just about ten seconds that you keep trying to waste on explaining how this is just like that one time when you were a kid! This would be the time to say fuck the rules, get a little run-on-y, get a few fragments. You ain't got time for that shit! Things are HAPPENING!

(okay so maybe don't actually just make a mass of run-on sentences, a bit not good.)

...

So I guess, all in all, get the details right, and know when to show it off.

[Lawtan]

I can't really explain, but I need help handling taking on too much, and there is always more to add to the pile. Taking on less is not an option.

[Salone]

Originally Posted by Espy

Yeah, I'm good at writing rather masochistic action-y or thought stuff. And occasionally smut. But everything else is just /what am I doing/.

Espy? Smut? ...Really?

[Gallagher]

When too much happens, I usually just make a blanket burrito and roll around until I can brain things again.

DON'T YOU JUDGE ESPY, ESPY CAN SMUT IF ESPY WANTS!

[Espy]

Well, smut usually happens by way of drawing, but I haven't done smut in a /really/ long time.

EDIT: ALSO, SAYS THE PERSON WHO SOMEHOW MANAGED TO PAIR LEV UP WITH DANTE.

[Lawtan]

I am sorry...
I am sincerely trying to match up with you all.

[Gallagher]

Oh god, you're breaking my heart here.

Bbydoll, all of us are from different levels from one another, too. You don't need to match up, so long as your posts are enjoyable, and save for a few worries I've had that we might not be able to wiggle your character out of DOOM BECAUSE SHE IS SUCH A REBEL OMG WHYYY, I really enjoy your posts. We don't expect you to absorb everything we say overnight and become super amazing at it. I, for one, have been working on my rp skills for 9 years, and you're as good as I was with, pffft, even just a couple years ago omg.

[Espy]

...Have you seem the very first few Esch RP posts I ever made? /Those/ were shitty as hell. And that was only, what...uh...two or three years ago? You're doing way better than me when I first started. Stop worrying. Also, stop apologizing.

[Salone]

Originally Posted by Lawtan

I am sorry...
I am sincerely trying to match up with you all.

Aye, no worries mate. You had some large hurdles in front of you coming in, and your quickly adapting style in the face of never before encountered challenges is a testament to your willingness to overcome and grow. Mature stuff.

To Espy: Yes, but I am a manwhore. As far as I know I don't think I can recall you ever mentioning any sort of charged or "spirited" writing and/or images.

I am intrigued.

[Quiet Man Cometh]

Random IV and needle info! (From the perspective of a patient)

Okay, so here's what I know from dealing with needles and gunk. The speed of an IV flow is determined in parts by the pump that you have as well as the gauge (size) of the needle. A needle will only allow so much fluid to pass through it at one time, so bigger needle means faster IV run. If you don't have an IV pump, you can hang the bag and use gravity drip (not always safe depending on what you are infusing) or you can squish the bag to get stuff to move faster.

What you are infusing also needs to be taken into account. Infusing certain vitamins and such (eg. Potassium) can shock your system badly if infused too fast so it needs to be done over time, several hours in some cases. Normal saline you can run pretty fast without danger, so long as the vein can support the IV speed.

How fast you can run an IV and how big a needle you can use is determined as well by the veins you are dealing with. I have a vascular disease, so my veins can get inflamed and bruise easily so I usually have a smaller needle used when I get a blood test. I was on hemodialysis for several years. This meant several large gauge needles a week and in order to support the needle size they have to surgically implant a special tube or create a larger vein called an AV fistula (takes time to develop). I had a fistula and it was normal to use 15 gauge needles. These are slightly larger than what you would use for a lip piercing (I asked when a relative was getting a lip ring ;)). I think a standard blood work needle size is around 22 gauge, but I'm not positive.

Large veins can support larger needles but they are more exposed to damage, and can cause a lot bigger problems if they get bruised or burst.

You have to be careful with putting in an IV because if you damage the vein going in, the vein can/will swell and the IV won't work. (This happened to me in hospital). Yes, going through the bottom of a vein sucks. You can back the needle up and not hurt things too much, but it's an ugly feeling.

That's what comes to mind right now, just for general information. ;)