Dont Be A Dullard!! Everything You Need To Know about Posting
From USS Andronicus: System X
How to write like Oscar Wilde. …Or perhaps not.
"The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think." - Edwin Schlossberg
Though this series of posts is interminably long, I promise it’s not intended as a torture device for incoming ensigns. It’s here to help you understand the USS Andronicus and how we work. It contains ‘how to post’ info for newcomers as well as updated information on the things we learn while writing together. It will also catalogue summaries of our past missions.
Postcrafting 101
If you’ve never posted before, it can be a bit intimidating to look at some of the Andronicus’ writers who do these immense 4-page-on-Word monstrosities. No one expects that of you in the beginning. Or even the end, for that matter. Some of the more interesting writers are the short but sweet type, who say everything they want to in three or four paragraphs.
If you’re here on the Andronicus, it’s because the writing in your application ranked somewhere between good and excellent. The Andronicus administration and its crew have very high standards. Many of us are insane book readers so when we see someone good, we know it. So, again, if you’re here, you’re already talented, you just have to sit down at your computer and hash out something.
Contrary to the newest fad in the Star Trek SIMM world, a good post involves the other characters. Being in an RPG means you wanted to write with other people, so be sure to include others in your writing. Staying in your quarters all day and writing only your character’s thoughts will not be very exciting, even if they have the most spectacular of backstories. That said, it can be difficult to use others at first since you don’t know them well, but just make an effort to include them a little at a time. Don’t worry, people are forgiving, and if you get something wrong, they’ll just let you know nicely and ask you not to do it again. However, do try to avoid doing something completely against their characters… like having Thera Davidson get drunk or making Yemi Kendar (gasp) be nice to someone. Not happening.
A good post combines elements of description, action, and dialogue. A post with nothing but description turns into a Thoreau story. A post with nothing but action and no description whatsoever generally makes no sense. A post with only dialogue can occasionally be interesting, but it has to be really good dialogue – and you’d better not do it all the time.
I’ve learned a few things in my fiction writing classes, and occasionally my professors have said completely contradictory things – according to their own styles, of course, and each style has its own merit. One of the things they agreed on, however, is that strong nouns and verbs are always better than adjectives or adverbs. It might take a little extra time, and it might seem like you’re cutting out something important, but believe me, the fewer adjectives and adverbs, the better your writing will be. Sure, it’s more painstaking to come up with ‘Braden tasted the soup, savoring its aroma,’ than to say, ‘Braden quickly ate his good smelling soup,’ but which is better, hmm?
Do’s and Don’ts of Posting
Posting is writing your side of the USS Andronicus story – like all good writing, it has to have some cohesion, some flow. To help this, we have a few easy guidelines to keep the story readable.
- Grammar is oh, so important. I know it’s hardly the most exciting thing to think about when you have an awesome idea for a story and want to write it, but the better your grammar, the more other writers can enjoy your ideas. A post might look absolutely smashing to you, but when another reads it, the quality of your grammatical eye will make all the difference in the world. So punctuate and capitalize, watch out for run-ons and such. Of course, in creative writing, obsessive compulsive grammar-checking is not always the way – a good novelist always knows when to hedge on a rule if it makes the writing read better. So, occasionally, a fragment here and there or a sentence begun with ‘But’ can be acceptable.
- Along the same lines, spelling is vital. I beg and implore you to write your post in Word or an equivalent – something, anything with a spell check. Even more than atrocious grammar, foul spelling makes the reader cringe.
- Internet abbreviations. Resist them. ttyl, lol, j/k, - avoid these. Again, this is a short story, not a chat room. Write accordingly.
- Important No-No’s. The USS Andronicus will not tolerate the use of extreme or unnecessarily frequent expletives in her story. I realize that in real life, people curse, and that your character may be one of those, but really good writers can find ways of writing it that are more creative and actually sound better than excessive, continuous, and needless swearing.
- There will also be nothing sexually explicit. Keep it clean, people. I know you have difficulty with this one, Commander Davidson, but make an effort, please.
- A final thing to remember: Always write in story form. This is a function of synchronicity, not because we think script form is only for pissants. Well, actually, Thera does think that script form is only for pissants, but I, being possessed of greater tolerance, think that script form is a completely acceptable form of writing for RPG’s. That being said, I will allow Commander Davidson to do terrible things to you if she sees you using script form on the Andronicus. Terrible things.
Let me give you an example.
Script Form Example One:
Thera: Lets arrange the daffodils on my desk. One, two, three.
Thera arranges daffodils on desk*
Thera: Ah, now they’re perfectly arranged. Wait, I sense some misalignmentitude.
Thera re-arranges daffodils*
Tristan: Commander Davidson, your daily report? I have been waiting several hours.
Tristan walks through door, demanding report*
Thera: When I’m ready! These daffodils must be aligned!
Thera leaps out window, screaming*
As you can see, script form is the devil. *laughs at cleverness.* An example of good story form might be…
Story Form Example One:
Thera Davidson leaned over her desk, examining the arrangement of her flowers from every possible angle. She blew a strand of hair from her mouth. Something wasn’t right. She had spent the last two hours arranging the daffodils Blake Shepard had sent her from his garden, watching every droplet coalesce in its proper place, placing each crisp petal in perfect alignment with its cousins. Still, something nagged at her. She began rustling the stems about.
Captain Errland entered her room. He did not look happy. “Commander,” he demanded, “Did we or did we not have an agreement about daffodils? Now you must be punished.”
“Fie!” Thera cried, as the window shattered, sucking her body into space.
You see how much easier that reads? And how much better the storyline? The idea behind our posts is that when we put them all together, they read as one complete short story. Writing in story form helps that. And remember the little things that matter – use a space between each paragraph, don’t use ‘said’ for every piece of dialogue, and put effort into using interesting, delicious words.
Dirty Little Secrets of Posting
Write your posts in Word. It heals most writing wounds. Really.
When you are first getting into the Andronicus, the reply button sends you to a page that forces you to use actual scripting stuff in order to do anything formatted with your posts… like put a [i][i/] command in if you want italics – the painstaking Standard Editor. It’s much easier to use the Rich Text Editor, which is a white box with many of the options of your standard Word document already included. Well, perhaps Wordpad. But it’s much easier. To change your reply option to Rich Text Editor, head to the main forum page, click the ‘My Controls’ button at the top of the page, it’s right next to the ‘View New Posts/My Assistant/New Messages’ buttons. On the page that the ‘My Controls’ button opens, there is an option that says ‘Type of text editor to use when posting’. Switch the box to ‘Rich Text Editor’, and you’ll be set. Be sure to click the ‘Change My Account Options’ immediately beneath that.
When copying from Word to the Rich Text reply box, many times the program will cause your paragraphs to have multiple spaces instead of the single space you were hoping for. If this happens, you can do one of two things. Edit it, taking out the extra space, or, if you’re not someone who needs to use the extras that the normal reply box gives you, you can use the Fast Reply box at the bottom of the topic – this opens up a section immediately below the topic into which you can Paste your Word written post. Remember, though, that any italics or bold won’t carry over if you use Fast Reply.
The better your biography, the better other people can use your character in their posts.
By the same rule, use other people’s bios and info to write their characters. When I write my posts, I generally have four or five browsers open to different pages – one for bios, one to the NPC page, one to the current story, and one for miscellaneous needs – message center or whatnot. That may be a bit obsessive compulsive, but I find it helps me get my story straight. Whatever works for you.
Remember that the story is not just about what your character is doing, it’s about how your character is growing and changing. If your character is always the same… well, who likes stagnant people?
Take the Mary-Sue Test. A Mary-Sue character is a character that is written to glorify its writer’s ego, to make one’s self look cool and be as powerful or attractive as possible. Mary-Sueing is bad. Avoid it. A security-tactical officer with a broadsword strapped to his back, who gets all the women (or men) and/or has flaming red hair will be keelhauled. Of course, having some things about you that smack of Mary-Sueness isn’t necessarily bad, but if you score a 42, talk to me and we’ll figure out what needs to be fixed and what doesn’t. The website is:
http://www.springhole.net/quizzes/marysue.htm
Talk to the others out of character (OOC), in PMs or emails. Commander Davidson and I are here to chat about all things Andronicus. Talk to the other writers as well, plan ideas, romances, personal discoveries, particle synthesis games, ship activities, story advances, whatever.
Chain of Command
This is fairly simple. The Chain of Command is here to keep order and sanity for all. Admiralty, Captain, Executive Officer, Department Head, you. I am always here for you if you need me, but I prefer you to take anything that does not need my direct attention to Commander Davidson. She knows everything I do, and everything you tell her (unless you ask her specifically otherwise) will get back to me. The XO bridges the gap between crew and captain, and also keeps little children off the bridge. Any question as to procedure, assistance, or history should be taken to the Commander.
So what do you talk to me about? Like I said, if you need something and you need it now and you just can’t get Commander Davidson, I’m here for you. We are co-writers for the Andronicus’ story, and if I choose my crew well, you’ll all be better writers than I. I can be reached by PM. I check them psychopathically – my computer alerts me immediately whenever I get one.
What I am interested in is character development. Anything having to do with the story itself, brainstorming about plans, ideas for what we could do – these are things I would love to hear about. In this area, we are all on the same level, and a good writing team works best by discussing ideas OOC. So, if you ever want to chat about creating a romance between Ensign Hazzard and your character, or how Tristan and you would get along, please drop me a PM!
Captain’s Prerogatives – Policies of the Andronicus’ CO
This section is a heinous steal directly from Sarah Cosmo’s ‘Life’s A Show: All the Stuff You Need To Know’. Well, the questions are, that is. My answers might be different. Hopefully she’ll either never read this or she’ll forgive me accidentally.
How often should I post?
Whenever you can. Though quantity in no way means quality, as several overeager cadets have evidenced. The more you get on the Andronicus and read and post, the more active you become, the more connected you are with the ship and crew and, interestingly, the more control you have over the storyline. I suggest you post two or even three times a week, occasionally posting in Clint’s and other places as well. I also suggest you read the boards three or four times during the week. I do keep track of how often you post, and it does affect medals, promotions, and good karma. At the bare minimum, you should be posting once a week, or you’ll miss out on the story. Of course, it is perfectly fine to post twice a day… but I don’t expect that.
How long should my posts be?
Like I’ve said before, no one expects four typed pages from an ensign. A paragraph or two is good – until you are comfortable with it. When you become more involved with the ship, generally, a paragraph or two simply doesn’t advance the story. Three or more is necessary. It can be as long as you like, however. There is no limit to length. Now, don’t any of you clever ensigns write me a twenty page thesis just to spite me. For my example of an insufficient post, I shall draw upon the following post made by one of our former officers:
“Krog sat down and aet a cheseburger.”
Not acceptable.
How do I deal with other characters in my posts?
Use them, certainly. Include them, but pay attention to both their biographies and their pasts – don’t post them saying something they obviously wouldn’t say, or they’ll hunt you down. That said, you may not maim, kill, marry, or cause a serious event in that character’s life unless you’ve gotten their permission first. # What if I want to develop my character more?</b> The best thing to do is to cleverly work it into the mission. The best way to do *that* is to discuss it with your other ship-mates, including me, if you like. If the mission is not the place for it, then wait until our Intermissions – the period between missions, where we will do non-mission related things. That’s the time for stuff and nonsense.
Who do I go to if I need help or assistance or don’t know what to do in a mission?
Commander Davidson is always there for you, and delightfully prompt. Everything I know, she knows, and everything she knows, I will know. If you need help with something, go to her first, and if it needs to come to me, I’ll hear about it. In all likelihood, I’ll hear about it regardless from her. If you don’t know what to do in a mission, she’ll set you on the right path, or she’ll ask me and I’ll pm you with ideas. Everything that isn’t either life, death, or character development - or something I decide to meddle in - should go to her first.
What if I can’t post?
Not a problem. Life has priorities. Especially around May and EXAMS, there will be many people needing breaks. If you can’t post, the only thing you need to do is LET COMMANDER DAVIDSON KNOW. If you don’t, and we don’t hear from you, and we don’t know that you’re actually in Trinidad, then we’ll assume you’re just not posting because you hate us and didn’t really want that promotion anyway. So let us know. That’s an order.
How much control do I have over the story?
Many captains have a plan for their missions, a specific layout for when things will happen and who will do what. My policy is much less strict. I do not create a plan for the mission and for it’s conclusion. I have ideas for how it might come together, but I assume that they will be changed – I do not have a strict intention for the story. As long as you’re participating in the story, you may do anything you like (except, of course, for maiming or killing another player character). You may advance the plot in any way you choose, besides concluding it, of course. I get to conclude it. Or else, what’s a captain to do? My only injunction is that you must avoid centering the story around yourself – a good story includes all characters, and any good story tangent includes at least two. Also, please avoid writing command decisions for me – if you need to write an Errland decision in your post, just pm me and ask what I would do.
What if I have a problem with the way the Captain does things?
If there’s something you think I should be doing, should not be doing, or should be doing better… tell me. Not Commander Davidson, but me. If you have a problem, let me know. If I say something that bugs you, or I consistently misuse your character, please, tell me. I can’t get better without constructive criticism, just as you can’t. I’ll be nice and polite.
What if I have a problem with the way another character does things?
If it has something to do with the way they wrote your character, pm them. If it is criticism on their style, ability, or technique, you need to pm me. Assisting a writer’s growth is my job, not yours, and if I discover that you’ve been criticizing your crewmates to other people, I will not be happy. Not at all.
NPC’s and You
NPC stands for Non-Player Character – they’re the 913 other crewmembers aboard the Andronicus, assuming every position that can be filled by a writer is filled. That’s a whole lot of other players in our story. Included with the name of the NPC is the name of the player who created them, or Commander Davidson, if the person who created them is no longer around – if you want to kill or seriously change one of the NPC’s, you must first ask this person. Any new NPC’s will be added to this list, and as we learn more about them, this list will be updated. Please take time to get to know these characters, as they are important to the Andronicus story. Use them lots!
Medals and Promotions
I expect a great deal of skill and effort from my crew. After several missions, if you impress me, you will be promoted. If you ever have any questions about why you were or were not promoted, be sure to ask. It will not be assumed that you’re power-hungry… ambition with hard work is good.
Medals are given out at discretion of the CO. Again, impress me. If your character does something to merit one of the medals with specific prerequisites (such as the purple heart) and I fail to consider you, be sure to tell the XO.
Don't Be A Dullard
Edited from Original by
and special thanks to
Revok
