How to Deal With Writer's Block

"Ugh, not this again..."

Oh boy. Another so called "expert" telling you how to deal with writer's block. Cue the eye rolling.

I know, I know. There are a million and one articles out there on the subject. Trust me. I've read them. But for a while, I couldn't figure out why they never seemed to click with me. Perhaps you are faced with the same dilemma. The advice is sound, and the authors appear to have experience enough to provide such. But where does the disconnect come in?

It's quite simple really. Professionals are just that: professionals. Their writing is tied down to deadlines and rewards in business and actually getting their weekly paycheck.

But us? We're not professionals! Okay maybe you are, but I sure am not. I write because I love to write. I roleplay because I love to roleplay. It's my escapism, it's my hobby, it's my vacation from reality.

But then the old writer's block creeps up. Cause guess what: even if it is an escapism or hobby or fun activity, it's still mental work. And like any muscle in the body, the brain burns out too.

So how do we deal with writer's block? Keep reading to find out.

ATTACK!!! : How to Roleplay Fight Scenes

So, you've finally joined that Battle Royale Samurai Ninja Mecha Warrior Magical Girl roleplay that everyone has been raving about. Unfortunately, you have no idea how to roleplay a fight scene. Or maybe you do, but they just come out looking dry and uninspired. 

So here are the mechanics of fight scenes and make your writing go from 0 to 100!

Let's begin!

Do Re Mi: A Guide to RP Site Scales

"So.... many.... decisions...." *internally screaming*

Did you ever wonder how big your rp should be?
Is your rp dying because it's too large to handle right now?
Are you not sure how to start choosing your site host?

Consider first, the scale of your roleplay. Not every roleplay needs a home page. Not every roleplay needs a million pages. But some do. So before sitting down to begin, first consider what site type you are going to need.

Here are the six scales of sites that are most commonly found in the rp community.

JUMPER CABLES TO THE HEART! Restart Your RP

It finally happened. Your site is DYYYIIIING! Only one person checks back regularly and keeps asking where everyone went. That other guy pops in now and again to say hi then leaves. You don't know what to do. All those members say they'll be back, but they don't actually show up. A bunch of them fell off the edge of the earth. Some just plain old won't come back. Too busy or whatever (probably rping on that shiny new site that's more popular than yours >. > ).
How do you get life back into your site?

Storytellers and Marshals: A New Way to Staff Your Site

I have some rather interesting ideas concerning how to staff your roleplay site, and they came from LARPing.

What is LARPing? LARPing stands for Live Action Role Playing. It is rather hard to explain to (oftentimes judgmental) non-nerds what a LARP is, but for you all, simply put, LARP is exactly as it says: a roleplay but you act it out live.

I love LARPing. It is a wide and varied social community that breeds creativity, imagination, and adventure. You get lots of physical activity and real-world skills (such as deal making, communication, and more) at the same time. There are so many benefits to LARPing...

Okay, I need to stop there. I could really go on all day about it.

Now, no LARP is perfect. Nothing is perfect really. But I did learn a lot from LARP that can be used in the online setting. After all, they are pretty much the same thing. Just that one is acted out by you in person rather than typed out on a keyboard.

My current most frequented LARP is a post-apocalypse, zombie, horror, survival LARP called "Dystopia Rising" (DR). One of the things I took away from it is the construction of their staff. This is something that I believe can be easily translated to online roleplay.

So let's talk staff!

Site-wide Plot and How It Will Kill You Slowly

Every time I go to a site, I always see a site plot.
Either advertised on the main page, a sidebar, or a little spot all its own.
A big, main, all encompassing plot is fine and dandy if you're writing a book, but it is cancer for an rp site.
Here is How Site-Wide Plot Will Kill You Slowly and What You Can Do to Avoid It

Start an RP for Dummies

SHOULD YOU?

You have ideas. You have passion. You have time. You have resources. You want to take the next logical step and make your roleplay. But is it right for you?