Do you roleplay? Answer some questions for an essay here! :)

[Meghan]

Hey everyone! I am writing an essay on online writing/roleplay communities for my English class. Well, seeing as every person on this site is a member of that community, I figured I'd post some questions for you guys to answer, if you so desire. This would help me out immensely. You don't have to answer all of them, if you do not wish, I am just trying to gather some data and some insider-perspective on roleplay. Thanks for all of your help, you guys are sweet.

How long have you been roleplaying?
Did you write before you started to roleplay?
Were you a member of any other writing sites before this one?
Were you a member of any other forums before this one?
How did you get into roleplaying?
What is your favorite thing about roleplaying?
What would you say, if any, are some of the benefits of roleplaying?
Would you ever/have you ever published your writing?
Do you think roleplaying can grow a writer? Why or why not?
Do you apply the skills that you have learned on this site into other areas of your life?
Do you think that roleplaying can help a writer become published?
Anything you want to add:

Additional question for staff members, if you are staff here or somewhere else:
Describe how you became staff on your current site:

Here is an easy way to fill this out, if you would like:

[font size="1"][blockquote][b]Name:[/b]
[b]Username:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]How long have you been roleplaying?[/b]
[b]Did you write before you started to roleplay?[/b]
[b]Were you a member of any other writing sites before this one?[/b]
[b]Were you a member of any other forums before this one?[/b]
[b]How did you get into roleplaying?[/b]
[b]What is your favorite thing about roleplaying?[/b]
[b]What would you say, if any, are some of the benefits of roleplaying?[/b]
[b]Would you ever/have you ever published your writing?[/b]
[b]Do you think roleplaying can grow a writer? Why or why not?[/b]
[b]Do you apply the skills that you have learned on this site into other areas of your life?[/b]
[b]Do you think that roleplaying can help a writer become published?[/b]
[b]Anything you want to add:[/b][/blockquote][/font]

Thanks for your help, guys! You can reply with your answers here (or pm if necessary).

[Anatra]

Name: ~
Username: Anatra
Age: 16
How long have you been roleplaying? Around three years.
Did you write before you started to roleplay?
Not within the standards that I would call 'writing', so nay.

Were you a member of any other writing sites before this one?
Yes, but nothing this dedicated.

Were you a member of any other forums before this one?
Yes, many. They were mostly casual and only two were actually around roleplaying.

How did you get into roleplaying?
It started with browser roleplay that was real-time and was mainly for entertainment rather than the more serious reason one would roleplay. From there I slowly grew in my standards as to who and what I RP, and RP with.

What is your favorite thing about roleplaying?
Being able to paint a picture and put it down in writing, to allow others to see the picture in their own way.

What would you say, if any, are some of the benefits of roleplaying?
Absolutely. Not only does it help you associate socially with others, it also helps you develop role models and consistently improve your writing by reading other's work. If one uses face claims, it also allows you to build on imagination as well, which is always helpful. I think there are others, such as a higher standard in literacy but I think they are more obvious because doing anything consistency generally allows you to get better at it. I think it is a much better way to spend your time, and personally, it has helped me with my writing skills which spreads across essays, coursework and all sorts of grades at school.

Would you ever/have you ever published your writing? Nope.

Do you think roleplaying can grow a writer? Why or why not?
In some ways yes, and in others no. Mainly, I think that a writer is somebody who can write original content (or inspired) that is of a quality that can be interpreted in an entertaining / interesting way. I believe that everyone here is a writer in essence yet I also believe that a writer is somebody more than a person behind a face claim writing through feelings and emotions. I believe that roleplay is a lower form of writing, because of the lack of strictness and literal rules. However, I do believe that roleplaying can absolutely improve one's ability to write coherently, especially with constant feedback.

Do you apply the skills that you have learned on this site into other areas of your life?
Yep, as said before; essays, coursework and all kinds of schoolwork. It has immensely improved my grammar and altogether helped me associate socially with people.

Do you think that roleplaying can help a writer become published?
Not necessarily. Unless there are people out there scouting for a specific kind of writer, I believe it would be quite difficult to get your work published, especially in regards to the known stereotype of roleplaying; unserious and a less mature version of prose. These are just my own speculations, though. I'm not at all aware.

Anything you want to add: Good luck with your essay

[L△LIA]

Name: I don't give out my real name on the internet, sorry.

Username: Lalia

Age: 26

How long have you been roleplaying? Sixteen years or so. I started when I was around ten and got really into it at about thirteen, I think.

Did you write before you started to roleplay? Yep. I've pretty much enjoyed reading and writing from the start. I was that kid who got grounded from books instead of television.

Were you a member of any other writing sites before this one? Tons. I've probably been a member of a couple dozen other RPGs in my time, as well as several writing critique groups, FictionPress, and even Fanfiction way back in the day.

Were you a member of any other forums before this one? Same answer as above.

How did you get into roleplaying? I accidentally started a Harry Potter RPG site before I actually knew what role playing was — some books have worlds bigger than their stories and I wanted to be a part of that. I ran my site for a while, figured things out, and then started joining rp forums.

What is your favorite thing about roleplaying? When I write a story, I usually plan things out before I start and have some sort of outline for how things will go. I know the ending before I've even written the beginning and sometimes that just doesn't feel very exciting. RPing is more unpredictable — even if I have ideas for what I'm going to write, I don't really know what the person I'm writing has in mind. Whether or not we plan a few ideas out, there are always unexpected twists. Not only do I end up writing plots I couldn't come up with on my own, writing with people more talented than I am constantly pushes me to improve. RPing has caused me to think about the different possibilities of words and writing styles in ways that would have never occurred to me if I were only confined to a notebook and my own mind.

What would you say, if any, are some of the benefits of roleplaying? That whole thing about other people helping to improve my writing. I read some of my old, old posts the other day (from 2001) and you would not believe how far I have come since then. Also, I do a lot of random research because of writing and learn about all sorts of subjects I wouldn't otherwise know a single thing about.

Would you ever/have you ever published your writing? I haven't, but I would — although that involves finishing one of the ten thousand half-written stories I have laying around. Clearly, that's easier said than done.

Do you think roleplaying can grow a writer? Why or why not? Absolutely. RPing communities provide fantastic opportunities for mentorship (such as HGRPG's tutor program or simply a new writer threading with someone who has been around a while) and often give people the motivation to want to improve. Having something you've written be read and appreciated by other people is a big deal.

Do you apply the skills that you have learned on this site into other areas of your life? At work, I'm the person people come to when they need help writing something. I have managers who frequently ask me to check over their reports to their bosses and I'm usually the person others come to when they don't understand directions, memos, or whatever else. No one I work with knows I write for fun, but writing and communication are skills that still cause the people around me to view me as someone who is intelligent and capable, even in areas that fall outside of my personal work responsibilities. In that way, RPing has probably been more helpful to me in the real world than most of the classes I took throughout school, affecting my day to day life far more than any lesson on ancient Egypt, advanced algebra, or chemical reactions.

Do you think that roleplaying can help a writer become published? Yes. Having constant feedback through RPing has helped me identify my writing strengths to build upon them and also to figure out my writing weaknesses for improvement. Knowing what other people like about your writing helps you to write stories that are more engaging and interesting, beyond just personal preferences. Published writing isn't just about the writer, it's about a writer connecting with an audience. What better help could you have?

Anything you want to add: RPing is a collaborative form of self-publishing, in my opinion. Power to the people.

[Deleted]

Name:
Username: puppydogj10
Age: 13
How long have you been roleplaying? around a year
Did you write before you started to roleplay? yep
Were you a member of any other writing sites before this one? nope
Were you a member of any other forums before this one? yep
How did you get into roleplaying? I liked writing but I never heard of writing RPGs. When I typed in Hunger Games RPG this popped up and I thought it was cool because I loved writing.
What is your favorite thing about roleplaying? Writing.
What would you say, if any, are some of the benefits of roleplaying? You become a better writer.
Would you ever/have you ever published your writing? Nope
Do you think roleplaying can grow a writer? Why or why not? Yes because it hones your writing skills.
Do you apply the skills that you have learned on this site into other areas of your life? Yes. I apply it English class when I write.
Do you think that roleplaying can help a writer become published? Yes.
Anything you want to add: Good Luck with your project!

[Ella]

Name: Ella
Username: Ella
Age: Thirteen
How long have you been roleplaying? Three years or so? Since I was about ten years old, I think.
Did you write before you started to role-play? Of course, I started writing at five because of school x3
Were you a member of any other writing sites before this one? Yes, it was a warrior cats RPG
Were you a member of any other forums before this one? Way too many to count, but some Sims 3 ones, a noter Hunger Games forum, the above, and more. 
How did you get into roleplaying? I think I started writing and fell in love, so me and my friends would role-play together and then I started joining sites/ 
What is your favorite thing about roleplaying? I love getting to know and developing my characters, and expressing emotions through them. Also the writing, or frigging course. 
What would you say, if any, are some of the benefits of roleplaying? Getting better and just growing as a writer, getting feedback from other people that normally you wouldn't get when writing a book, story, essay, etc.
Would you ever/have you ever published your writing? Definitely! I never have. but I really want to someday. I have 5,000 unfinished books that I might finish one day and (hopefully) get published. 
Do you think roleplaying can grow a writer? Why or why not? Of course. I feel like I am getting better everyday I write, and I think I've been developing my characters more, another day another story (:
Do you apply the skills that you have learned on this site into other areas of your life? Yes, definitely! They're not all writing, though. I've learned how to deal with people better in general, really, and my writing skills have definitely gotten better since joining, like most people here probably. Seriously just check my first bio.
Do you think that roleplaying can help a writer become published? Yes. It helps you connect better with your characters because you have to do a full, single post without controlling another person, just that one character and I feel that a reader should connect with them, too, and the only way to do that is to have the writer connect with them, also.
Anything you want to add: Hope ya'll do good!

[Knuckles]

Name: Rachel... I will not give out my last name
Username: emsrocks
Age: 22 
How long have you been roleplaying? 1 year and 3 months 
Did you write before you started to roleplay? No, I hated writing which is strange since I joined a site with lots of writing. 
Were you a member of any other writing sites before this one? Nope 
Were you a member of any other forums before this one? Yes, but it wasn't a roleplaying forum.
How did you get into roleplaying? Well, I love the Hunger Games, and I googled Hunger Games RPGs and this one popped up, so I joined. I started roleplaying on it, and found out it's very fun.
What is your favorite thing about roleplaying? I can make characters which express emotions hidden within my mind which I often can't express else where. It also allows me the chance to escape from real life stress from work. I often hide behind the characters, as many have extremely different personalities, and it allows me the chance to be free
What would you say, if any, are some of the benefits of roleplaying?It's helped improve my grammar, and my writing skills a lot. I used to have a lot of run-on sentences, and horrible grammar, but it's definitely helped me improve.
Would you ever/have you ever published your writing? I'm striving to become a published author.
Do you think roleplaying can grow a writer? Why or why not? Yes. I hated writing before I joined this site. I didn't want anything to do with it because I was forced to write in school. I didn't have the best English teachers, and it made writing boring. Roleplaying as allowed me the chance to become fond of writing, and I've been able to express my words more freely, and it has helped me grow with writing.
Do you apply the skills that you have learned on this site into other areas of your life? Yes! My boss has notice extreme grammatical improvement in my narratives on my run reports.
Do you think that roleplaying can help a writer become published?It definitely inspired me to write a book, and I believe it can help anyone. With people constantly critiquing my writing it helps me. It gives me the chance to see what I need work on, and what I can word differently.
Anything you want to add:Roleplaying has helped me find something I truly enjoy, and one day, I really hope want to be a published author.

[✨ zozo.]

Name: Zoë
Username: iZoe
Age: 17 (18 in 3 weeks time)
How long have you been roleplaying? Just coming up 6 years
Did you write before you started to roleplay? Yes, I wrote fanfictions (which we don't mention >.>)
Were you a member of any other writing sites before this one? fanfiction.net and hexrpg.com
Were you a member of any other forums before this one? Nope, this is my first forum!
How did you get into roleplaying? I started writing when I was about 11 or 12, and then when I was 12 I discovered what roleplaying was on Neopets - I then googled different roleplaying sites (eg: 'Harry Potter Roleplay Group') and it took off from there.
What is your favorite thing about roleplaying? I get to breathe life into characters and have them interact with others. It's a challenge, but it's also what I love to do. I get to bond with people over plotting or just general ooc chat, I get to watch my creations react to other characters and have other characters react to them - it's like writing a novel but half the effort c;
What would you say, if any, are some of the benefits of roleplaying? I've made friends I hope to keep forever on this site. I've met some of my best friends here and even been lucky enough to meet some in real life. I get to come here and I'm surrounded by people who are just as passionate about writing as I am and it's a real blessing to be able to share that with people that I otherwise wouldn't be able to do irl. Roleplaying (on this site in particular) has strengthened my English skills throughout highschool and I went from failing Year 12 English to coming top of the class with creative writing. I've learnt so much and I (hope) I've improved because of RPing and there's nowhere to go but up.
Would you ever/have you ever published your writing? I haven't had anything published yet but I'd never say no if the offer was available! It's my dream to write a novel someday so I'd love that to happen.
Do you think roleplaying can grow a writer? Why or why not? Definitely. You improve in some form or another in a 'practice makes perfect' sense. The more you do something the better you'll get at it and the same goes for writing.
Do you apply the skills that you have learned on this site into other areas of your life? Yes re: English Class.
Do you think that roleplaying can help a writer become published? Definitely!
Describe how you became staff on your current site: I was PMed by Lulu asking if I'd like to be a RP Tutor and the rest is history ^^

[анзие (Anz)]

Name: Angeline
Username: Anzie
Age: 18
How long have you been roleplaying?

For a really long time. Maybe a bit above five years? I started originally on some boards in fanfiction.net, then moved on to various other websites. Then I took a break of sorts, but even then I kind of role-played characters in a Skype conversation with another friend.

Did you write before you started to roleplay?

Yes... fanfiction. Then a really old YA-themed book I don't like to look at.

Were you a member of any other writing sites before this one?

Yeah. Livejournal, wordpress, fanfiction.net, fictionpress, dreamwidth, and archive of our own, to name a few.

Were you a member of any other forums before this one?

Yep. The Muse Bunny, We The Role-Players, Reyjavik and one I can't name anymore because I clearly have amazing memory.

How did you get into roleplaying?

Um, I don't actually know. I guess I like writing, but I also like reading other people's interpretations of a certain scene so role-playing is kind of for that. And I have always been a big fan of collaboration? So I just sort of... hopped on the train and haven't ever really looked back.

I suppose in a sense I joined role-playing because it looked like a ton of fun, and really got serious when I was a member of the Muse Bunny.

What is your favorite thing about roleplaying?

Not knowing what your partner is going to write. I mean, you could have this whole scene played out in your head, as dark or as light as you want the scene to be, but with a simple twist your partner could change the situation completely, and I think that's amazing. I love the spontaneity of role-playing.

Besides that I like delving in deeper with my characters. Most of the ones I create for role-play are characters that I've made up prior, with different names and situations that adapt to the setting. But I take the opportunity to create and find out things about my characters that will never actually show up in their own story - except that it exists, even if no one else knows.

What would you say, if any, are some of the benefits of roleplaying?

Improving your skill, and having a chance to read and recognize the strengths of someone else's writing. Role-playing, besides being a chance for me to practice my writing skill, is so helpful in making a person a better writer - and at times, a better person, too. If you want to see examples of this, my very first biography here is as rough as can be, and I like to think that my bios now are much better.

Would you ever/have you ever published your writing?

I would, and I was about to (that damned YA novel I don't want to look at is too ew to publish).

Do you think roleplaying can grow a writer? Why or why not?

Yes. This is a great way to help a person develop their own distinct style with various characters, and it fosters a healthy interest in the skill. So why not?

Do you apply the skills that you have learned on this site into other areas of your life?

Well... I don't actually think I'd need to defend myself in an arena full of bloodthirsty tributes, if that's what you mean.

But on a more serious note, I would if the areas of my life relate to writing. However, my coursework is meant to be bland, and creative writing is incredibly textured. So... I suppose for now, outside of the whole writing bit, not really. I haven't had much of a chance.

Do you think that roleplaying can help a writer become published?

Mmm. That depends. I'm sure role-playing is a great stepping stone, but nobody will actually publish what they write on the role-play site, because for one it's always going to be unfinished work, and for another, in role-plays one needs constant energy and drama whereas in a book, there is a certain pattern that most novels follow. It's possible, but it's not the only factor, I suppose.

Anything you want to add:

Hi Meghan, good luck with your essay~

[minie]

Name: Veronica (most of you know it anyway so why not)
Username:minieclover
Age:15
How long have you been roleplaying?for almost 2 years
Did you write before you started to roleplay?yes I would write short stories and attempt to write books

Were you a member of any other writing sites before this one? no this is my first

Were you a member of any other forums before this one?still my first

How did you get into roleplaying?Well I love writing and the hunger games, and so I sort of googled for a good site and this happened
What is your favorite thing about roleplaying? I think their is a lot of good things, but one of the best parts is getting to know other people, but of course my grammar spelling and writing has improved a lot.

What would you say, if any, are some of the benefits of roleplaying? again, meeting people and of course being able to improve your writting

Would you ever/have you ever published your writing? it is like my dream to become a best selling author so yes

Do you think roleplaying can grow a writer? Why or why not? I believe so, because this is writting, maybe not prose writing all the time but it is and it can be a help.

Do you apply the skills that you have learned on this site into other areas of your life?yes especially in German class where we write stories.
Do you think that roleplaying can help a writer become published? it depends, it is a good experience and help, but the type of writing is somewhat different, but it is definitely some sort of help

Anything you want to add: good luck meghan<3

[go away]

Name: Jasmine
Username: FrozenHearted
Age: Not on the intenet, not even for le rooke.
How long have you been roleplaying? Coming up to 6 months
Did you write before you started to roleplay? At school I guess, but no, that doesn't count.
Were you a member of any other writing sites before this one? Nah.
Were you a member of any other forums before this one? Nope.
How did you get into roleplaying? Well I wanted a fun way to play my favourite books and then all the flash games seemed boring and I felt it would be interesting to test my writing skills by roleplaying.
What is your favorite thing about roleplaying? That others appreciate your writing skills rather than just give you a grade and shoo you.
What would you say, if any, are some of the benefits of roleplaying? Ah, it has helped my description skills, sentence starters, reading in between the lines etc. MASSIVELY! My English teachers are telling me I have been doing the best work I have ever done, so that's good news.
Would you ever/have you ever published your writing? I have many ideas, but they have never gotten far, so I doubt in the future because I do have other plans.
Do you think roleplaying can grow a writer? Why or why not? Of course it can! Just by filling out a character form I feel many students on this site have realised that writing is an option because I for one know that when you have an idea, you can let it out so much that is becomes a flood of writing. You can develop every sentence into a paragraph all of a sudden, you can explain your (or rather you character's) feelings in so much more depth and you discover things you have never known before. I don't read books all that often, but because of this site, my reading age has grown by 4 years! I believe roleplaying can grow a writer.
Do you apply the skills that you have learned on this site into other areas of your life? I think I've explained enough previously.
Do you think that roleplaying can help a writer become published? I don't think so because people just believe that roleplayers are nerdy and a bit pathetic. I know my sister feels like I'm talking to a bunch of freaks here and my friends think it's weird. Publishers don't really go scouting for authors on roleplayer sites either so I think roleplay sites are very different. It must be very tricky to get recognised or 'discovered' but it could help their writing skills but thats a different kettle of fish.
Anything you want to add: Good luck on you essay/project mabob.

[shrimp]

Name: ~~~
Username: Shrimp
Age: 19

How long have you been roleplaying?

I started in 2006 for a year, then started back up in 2010, took a year off of all writing and now I'm back again so I think that's about 5 years now. Yeah.

Did you write before you started to roleplay?

Not at all - I enjoyed reading but never thought I had the talent to write things that people would be interested in

Were you a member of any other writing sites before this one?

No

Were you a member of any other forums before this one?

I was co-admin of a Warrior Cats site with my friend. It was a cringe-worthy era of my life.

How did you get into roleplaying?

I've always really enjoyed listening to stories and imagining up situations. I think part of it was that I first joined one of those all-action roleplays where you don't write things other than "-runs around in circles-" or something along those lines. It didn't seem like writing and I had never considered myself a writer so I was fine with this type of RP. I joined this site because it seemed really fun to do and only realized I would have to write once I made my character.

What is your favorite thing about roleplaying?

Collaboration is something that you often won't find in other sources of writing besides people helping you edit. Here you literally create a story with another character who you don't know - you don't know what they're going to do and as such you have to be very in tune with your own character, because while you do have a large say in what happens you have to know how your character will react to unexpected (or completely expected) events.

I also really enjoy the ability to combine graphics with writing.

What would you say, if any, are some of the benefits of roleplaying?

You gain experience putting your work out there for other people to read. This not only helps you gain confidence in your own writing but allows you to read other prose and gain experience and insight into what works and what doesn't.

Would you ever/have you ever published your writing?

Had I not started RPing I would never have written, let alone published my work. However, due to RPing I joined my high school's literary art magazine where I had poems published and recently entered a writing competition.

Do you think roleplaying can grow a writer? Why or why not?

When I first joined the site I was an abysmal writer. Being thrust into the Games not only forces you to write often, but to write a variety of situations that all account to you improving your skills.

Do you apply the skills that you have learned on this site into other areas of your life?

Writing anything has become much simpler than before. In addition, as a staff member, I use the organizational and professional skills I've acquired working here for my other endeavors.

Do you think that roleplaying can help a writer become published?

It may help the writer gain the confidence to pursue being published, and it can help the writer gain the skills to become published. So yes, indirectly so.

Anything you want to add:

[RIP Cystine Crystal]

Name: Tatiana
Username: wanderlust
Age: 20
How long have you been roleplaying? five years or so
Did you write before you started to roleplay? Yes, though primarily poetry.
Were you a member of any other writing sites before this one? Several, yes.
Were you a member of any other forums before this one? Many, many before this one, yes.
How did you get into roleplaying? I stumbled across an AU Harry Potter RPG via an ad that was posted on my favorite podcast's website, found characters to which I became really attached, and a few writers with whom I got on well so I decided to join and create characters of my own there.
What is your favorite thing about roleplaying? The sort of campfire story aspect of it. You know, inventing a scenario, putting the appropriate character into it, writing up to a point, and seeing what the next person makes of it from there. I just love that.
What would you say, if any, are some of the benefits of roleplaying? Being creative and inspired by the creativity of your fellow role players, improving your story-telling and writing skills, making friends who are often around more often than RL friends are, and being a part of a larger plot or fandom community that makes you feel not only like you're not alone but also like you belong somewhere.
Would you ever/have you ever published your writing? Yes, I have.
Do you think roleplaying can grow a writer? Why or why not? Yes. Daily practice of all kinds is beneficial to a writer. Besides which, many published writers struggle to master the art of collaboration, and we all have a head-start there.
Do you apply the skills that you have learned on this site into other areas of your life? I did learn to introduce myself and strike up conversations with people I didn't know via my first roleplaying sites. I also have used the skills I've perfected via role playing to get my first short story published. After all, short stories never were my thing until I was forced to write shorter posts to tell just a little bit of the story before relinquishing control to other writers.
Do you think that roleplaying can help a writer become published? Yes.
Anything you want to add: Yay for RPGs! Places where serious writers to play. ^-^