Post by The Exodus on Feb 14, 2013 11:40:16 GMT -6
The other day, I was on RPG-D and someone posted a fascinating article about RPs that take place in foreign countries. It's super-applicable to us in a lot of ways, so I urge anyone who is interested to check it out!
That said, it got me thinking about our setting(s) and I'm curious...
How difficult do you think it is to write characters in a country different than your own? Or from a country other than your own?
Do you research when writing your characters in an unfamiliar setting? Why or why not?
How do you communicate setting details to your RP partner(s)?
Feel free to come up with more discussion questions!
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How difficult do you think it is to write characters in a country different than your own? Or from a country other than your own?
I prefer writing non-Americans for the most part. Or at least, for RW purposes I prefer it. Since the RP takes place in France, I have this (sort of) goal to write as many French characters as possible. In my current batch of characters, I have 6 who identify as French, 2 Spaniards, 3 Brits, and an Irishman. Of them, only Tristan has spent any real length of time in the States. The others mostly hang around Europe for practicality's sake. I always worry that I'm not doing my characters' countries of origin justice, but because I research a lot, I think I'm doing an okay job. *knock on wood*
Do you research when writing your characters in an unfamiliar setting? Why or why not?
Of course! I am a HUGE fan of research. I want to know as many sensory details as I can about where my characters are. The one thing I cannot bring myself to do, however, is memorize the street order of Paris. It took me two years to learn NYC's layout... and that's a grid city! XD Geography isn't my strongest suit, but I really do try to get arrondissements and vocabulary right.
How do you communicate setting details to your RP partner(s)?
Usually, I devote a few sentences -- maybe even a paragraph -- do describing setting when I start a scene. Sometimes, I'll include links to pictures, but mostly I let the words do their job. The one exception is with my characters' apartments. If someone adds a hall way to the Moulin Rouge, I don't mind half as much as I do if they tell me that my character has two bedrooms when he or she only has one. Truthfully, I love starting scenes so I can spend time painting the backdrop for my partner. If you let me, I will gladly spend a hundred words describing the weather, the surrounding people, and the smells in the air. I'm trying to give my RP partners more wiggle room, though, by cutting back a little.
---
How about you guys?
That said, it got me thinking about our setting(s) and I'm curious...
How difficult do you think it is to write characters in a country different than your own? Or from a country other than your own?
Do you research when writing your characters in an unfamiliar setting? Why or why not?
How do you communicate setting details to your RP partner(s)?
Feel free to come up with more discussion questions!
--
How difficult do you think it is to write characters in a country different than your own? Or from a country other than your own?
I prefer writing non-Americans for the most part. Or at least, for RW purposes I prefer it. Since the RP takes place in France, I have this (sort of) goal to write as many French characters as possible. In my current batch of characters, I have 6 who identify as French, 2 Spaniards, 3 Brits, and an Irishman. Of them, only Tristan has spent any real length of time in the States. The others mostly hang around Europe for practicality's sake. I always worry that I'm not doing my characters' countries of origin justice, but because I research a lot, I think I'm doing an okay job. *knock on wood*
Do you research when writing your characters in an unfamiliar setting? Why or why not?
Of course! I am a HUGE fan of research. I want to know as many sensory details as I can about where my characters are. The one thing I cannot bring myself to do, however, is memorize the street order of Paris. It took me two years to learn NYC's layout... and that's a grid city! XD Geography isn't my strongest suit, but I really do try to get arrondissements and vocabulary right.
How do you communicate setting details to your RP partner(s)?
Usually, I devote a few sentences -- maybe even a paragraph -- do describing setting when I start a scene. Sometimes, I'll include links to pictures, but mostly I let the words do their job. The one exception is with my characters' apartments. If someone adds a hall way to the Moulin Rouge, I don't mind half as much as I do if they tell me that my character has two bedrooms when he or she only has one. Truthfully, I love starting scenes so I can spend time painting the backdrop for my partner. If you let me, I will gladly spend a hundred words describing the weather, the surrounding people, and the smells in the air. I'm trying to give my RP partners more wiggle room, though, by cutting back a little.
---
How about you guys?
