Post by Tensei Kaori on Oct 23, 2006 20:41:08 GMT -5
The Explanatory Post: How to Participate in the Interactive Fanfiction
So, you want to participate in the Interactive Fanfiction, do you? That's great! You're in the right place. This thread will explain everything you need to know about participating – if it's not listed in this post, you'll find a link to the post you need to read. And don't worry – it may seem like alot, but a lot of it is really just common sense once you read it. Still, these things have to be said to ensure that everyone's operating on the same level, and that all our participants have a fair and fun time.
“So,” you're probably wondering, “Where do I start?” Well, you should start at the same point you would for any other RP, IF, or even a game: The Rules. Please remember that by participating in the IF, you agree to abide by its rules – which you can find here.
Once you've read the rules, the next place you need to look is our Storyline Synopsis thread, which is updated with each passing story arc to reflect the plot of the IF. Skipping this thread can leave you lost and confused – and will take a tremendous toll on your character creation. In fact, most people try to create a character without reading this thread end up creating a character that doesn't fit in with the storyline at all and must be rebuilt from the ground up. In order to avoid the stress and extra work, Click Here to read all about the story of our Interactive Fanfiction. You'll also find copies of the thread posted in the Resources, General IF, and Out-of-Character Planning Boards for easy reference.
At long last, it's time to create a character. Like any other RP or IF, we have rules for how to create a character – and how not to. The Character Creation thread has everything you need to know about the do's and don'ts when creating a character for our IF. That thread can be found here.
So now you have a character, but where's a ninja without his or her jutsu? While some staples - like Bunshin no Jutsu and Kawarimi no Jutsu - will always be present in the world of Naruto, for the most part using too many of these pre-created jutsu is frowned upon. We at Konoha Village value originality and creativity, and thus encourage you to be creative and create your own jutsu. See the Jutsu Creation thread for more details – you can read it by clicking here.
Once your character's biography and jutsu have been approved, you're almost ready to go! “But just where do I begin?” you may be asking. “There are so many threads, and a lot of them look like they're full of people already.”
But ah, not so fast! There's still more to be said. Before we delve into where to start, we must first look at how to participate. The IF has a rather specific format, which is designed to improve the participants' writing abilities and to be easy to read. First, let's look at an example of a good way to post in the IF:
”’Crap! I’m late!’ she shouted as she ran down the street. ‘Sensei is going to kill me!’ She ran as fast as she could, hoping she would make it to the Academy before long, but she failed to see the stranger in front of her until it was too late. She crashed into him at full speed and landed in a heap on the ground.”
In this example, Character A is a Ninja Academy student who was running late, and, in her hurry, didn’t look where she was going and therefore ran right into someone – Character B. Author B could have Character B react in several different ways. For example, Character B could get angry at the girl for running into him, he could help her up and see if she’s okay, or he could even walk her to the Academy. In the next post, Character A would respond to Character B’s actions, and in the next, Character B would respond; etc, etc. This continues until whatever is being played out has been played from beginning to end. In our example, it would probably end once Character A reached the Academy and, if applicable, was scolded for being late. Anything else that happens at the Academy would better fit in its own section.
Now, the selection above is an ideal post for our IF format. It is well-written from the third-person perspective in a narrative style, in the past tense.It also allows for other characters to interact without limiting their options or taking over their character.
Now let's look at how notto write for the IF. Some online RPs, even on forums, follow an IM-style format. In the case of our young academy student, it would look something like this:
Crap! I'm late!
*runs down the street*
Sensei is going to kill me!
*crashes into a stranger ahead of her at full speed, landing in a heap on the ground*
This is the prime example of how not to write for the IF. Not only is it awkward to read, it provides little to no expression in the post. Did she notice the stranger at all? Or did she purposely barrel into him at top speed? Was she shouting, speaking, or thinking to herself? There aren't even any quotation marks to let the reader know for certain that she was even speaking aloud. What were her feelings at the time? When posting in the IF, stay away from this style of writing. The only exception would be the Silly Boards, but even then, please use quotation marks.
In short, here are a few basic guidelines for posting:
1) Posts should be in the narrative style.
--YES: “He put the cup on the table.”
--NO: *Puts the cup on the table*
2) Posts should be in the past tense.
--YES: “He picked the cup up again.”
--NO: “He picks the cup up again.”
3) Posts should be from the third-person perspective.
--YES: “He looked at the glass, noting that it was dirty.”
--NO: “I looked at the glass, noting that it was dirty.”
—NOTE ON RULE 3: While posting from the first-person perspective isn't allowed, posting your character's thoughts is perfectly acceptable – and even encouraged.
--EX: “This cup is dirty, he thought as he examined it in the light of the kitchen lamp. I'd better wash it.”
So, now you know how the rules and story of the IF, you know how to create a character and his or her jutsu, and you know how to write your posts. What's next? Well, first you'll need to earn the right to post in the IF. How do you that? Well, it's easy! Simply PM one of our staff members and either list the threads you've read, or link us to them. Once you do this, we'll get you set up and you're good to go!
Tips for Participating in the IF
These are just some quickie notes that are good to know before you begin:
~ When in doubt, ask. It won’t hurt and besides, it’s always best to be on the safe side.
~ Want to do a mission? Great! Either write it yourself or get a group of you together to try and write it. Keep in mind, though, that I need to approve all missions before you begin them.
~If you’re an Academy Student and want to write out taking lessons at the Academy, you may do so as long as it involves something that we know exists in the series (like jutsu and chakra control). You can either NPC a sensei or ask a local Chuunin/Jounin to play along with you. Getting a group of students together to take the same “class” is also a fun idea.
~Be realistic. A Genin isn’t going to be doing A-rank missions all the time, and will know way less jutsu than a Chuunin or Jounin. Upper-ranking ninjas will also be likely to be more mature than the kids, as well.
~If you really want to flesh out your character's past, try writing a “flashback” style post on our Retro/Flashback boards. This can either be a solo thread – written by only you – or an interactive thread – co-written by multiple people just as any RP thread would be. Take a look through some of the threads there – both types exist as good examples for you to learn from.
~The best place to start is the general RP area for your village. There may be a few general threads available - look for threads tagged "open" as these are welcome for anyone; if it isn't tagged, try reading the thread to get a sense of who is welcome to participate - or you could create your own. Get with your fellow IFers on the out-of-character discussion board to plan missions, relationships, or anything else you wish. I will also be leaving the Hokage's inauguration thread open for a while, in order to give others the chance to respond to her inaugural speech.
~The IF is still growing, and as such, not all villages are open yet. If a village you wish to play is not visible in the RP boards, it hasn't been opened yet, but as the IF grows I hope to have all canon villages opened, and maybe some originals if there is enough user interest. You are free to politely suggest a village you wish to be opened next, but please don't harrass the staff about it. A lot of work goes into setting up a village for RP, and we don't always have the time to invest in it.
~You will not get anywhere in the IF unless you show some initiative. Start a thread, post ideas in the planning board, make some mischief on the Silly Boards. Get involved on your own, and people will join you. The Staff aren't here to do everything for you, so look around and find something to do if you're bored (HINT: Starting open threads in common areas like restaurants, training areas, monuments, etc. is a great way to start if you're stuck).
That's everything you need to know. Good luck, and happy IF-ing!
So, you want to participate in the Interactive Fanfiction, do you? That's great! You're in the right place. This thread will explain everything you need to know about participating – if it's not listed in this post, you'll find a link to the post you need to read. And don't worry – it may seem like alot, but a lot of it is really just common sense once you read it. Still, these things have to be said to ensure that everyone's operating on the same level, and that all our participants have a fair and fun time.
“So,” you're probably wondering, “Where do I start?” Well, you should start at the same point you would for any other RP, IF, or even a game: The Rules. Please remember that by participating in the IF, you agree to abide by its rules – which you can find here.
Once you've read the rules, the next place you need to look is our Storyline Synopsis thread, which is updated with each passing story arc to reflect the plot of the IF. Skipping this thread can leave you lost and confused – and will take a tremendous toll on your character creation. In fact, most people try to create a character without reading this thread end up creating a character that doesn't fit in with the storyline at all and must be rebuilt from the ground up. In order to avoid the stress and extra work, Click Here to read all about the story of our Interactive Fanfiction. You'll also find copies of the thread posted in the Resources, General IF, and Out-of-Character Planning Boards for easy reference.
At long last, it's time to create a character. Like any other RP or IF, we have rules for how to create a character – and how not to. The Character Creation thread has everything you need to know about the do's and don'ts when creating a character for our IF. That thread can be found here.
So now you have a character, but where's a ninja without his or her jutsu? While some staples - like Bunshin no Jutsu and Kawarimi no Jutsu - will always be present in the world of Naruto, for the most part using too many of these pre-created jutsu is frowned upon. We at Konoha Village value originality and creativity, and thus encourage you to be creative and create your own jutsu. See the Jutsu Creation thread for more details – you can read it by clicking here.
Once your character's biography and jutsu have been approved, you're almost ready to go! “But just where do I begin?” you may be asking. “There are so many threads, and a lot of them look like they're full of people already.”
But ah, not so fast! There's still more to be said. Before we delve into where to start, we must first look at how to participate. The IF has a rather specific format, which is designed to improve the participants' writing abilities and to be easy to read. First, let's look at an example of a good way to post in the IF:
”’Crap! I’m late!’ she shouted as she ran down the street. ‘Sensei is going to kill me!’ She ran as fast as she could, hoping she would make it to the Academy before long, but she failed to see the stranger in front of her until it was too late. She crashed into him at full speed and landed in a heap on the ground.”
In this example, Character A is a Ninja Academy student who was running late, and, in her hurry, didn’t look where she was going and therefore ran right into someone – Character B. Author B could have Character B react in several different ways. For example, Character B could get angry at the girl for running into him, he could help her up and see if she’s okay, or he could even walk her to the Academy. In the next post, Character A would respond to Character B’s actions, and in the next, Character B would respond; etc, etc. This continues until whatever is being played out has been played from beginning to end. In our example, it would probably end once Character A reached the Academy and, if applicable, was scolded for being late. Anything else that happens at the Academy would better fit in its own section.
Now, the selection above is an ideal post for our IF format. It is well-written from the third-person perspective in a narrative style, in the past tense.It also allows for other characters to interact without limiting their options or taking over their character.
Now let's look at how notto write for the IF. Some online RPs, even on forums, follow an IM-style format. In the case of our young academy student, it would look something like this:
Crap! I'm late!
*runs down the street*
Sensei is going to kill me!
*crashes into a stranger ahead of her at full speed, landing in a heap on the ground*
This is the prime example of how not to write for the IF. Not only is it awkward to read, it provides little to no expression in the post. Did she notice the stranger at all? Or did she purposely barrel into him at top speed? Was she shouting, speaking, or thinking to herself? There aren't even any quotation marks to let the reader know for certain that she was even speaking aloud. What were her feelings at the time? When posting in the IF, stay away from this style of writing. The only exception would be the Silly Boards, but even then, please use quotation marks.
In short, here are a few basic guidelines for posting:
1) Posts should be in the narrative style.
--YES: “He put the cup on the table.”
--NO: *Puts the cup on the table*
2) Posts should be in the past tense.
--YES: “He picked the cup up again.”
--NO: “He picks the cup up again.”
3) Posts should be from the third-person perspective.
--YES: “He looked at the glass, noting that it was dirty.”
--NO: “I looked at the glass, noting that it was dirty.”
—NOTE ON RULE 3: While posting from the first-person perspective isn't allowed, posting your character's thoughts is perfectly acceptable – and even encouraged.
--EX: “This cup is dirty, he thought as he examined it in the light of the kitchen lamp. I'd better wash it.”
So, now you know how the rules and story of the IF, you know how to create a character and his or her jutsu, and you know how to write your posts. What's next? Well, first you'll need to earn the right to post in the IF. How do you that? Well, it's easy! Simply PM one of our staff members and either list the threads you've read, or link us to them. Once you do this, we'll get you set up and you're good to go!
Tips for Participating in the IF
These are just some quickie notes that are good to know before you begin:
~ When in doubt, ask. It won’t hurt and besides, it’s always best to be on the safe side.
~ Want to do a mission? Great! Either write it yourself or get a group of you together to try and write it. Keep in mind, though, that I need to approve all missions before you begin them.
~If you’re an Academy Student and want to write out taking lessons at the Academy, you may do so as long as it involves something that we know exists in the series (like jutsu and chakra control). You can either NPC a sensei or ask a local Chuunin/Jounin to play along with you. Getting a group of students together to take the same “class” is also a fun idea.
~Be realistic. A Genin isn’t going to be doing A-rank missions all the time, and will know way less jutsu than a Chuunin or Jounin. Upper-ranking ninjas will also be likely to be more mature than the kids, as well.
~If you really want to flesh out your character's past, try writing a “flashback” style post on our Retro/Flashback boards. This can either be a solo thread – written by only you – or an interactive thread – co-written by multiple people just as any RP thread would be. Take a look through some of the threads there – both types exist as good examples for you to learn from.
~The best place to start is the general RP area for your village. There may be a few general threads available - look for threads tagged "open" as these are welcome for anyone; if it isn't tagged, try reading the thread to get a sense of who is welcome to participate - or you could create your own. Get with your fellow IFers on the out-of-character discussion board to plan missions, relationships, or anything else you wish. I will also be leaving the Hokage's inauguration thread open for a while, in order to give others the chance to respond to her inaugural speech.
~The IF is still growing, and as such, not all villages are open yet. If a village you wish to play is not visible in the RP boards, it hasn't been opened yet, but as the IF grows I hope to have all canon villages opened, and maybe some originals if there is enough user interest. You are free to politely suggest a village you wish to be opened next, but please don't harrass the staff about it. A lot of work goes into setting up a village for RP, and we don't always have the time to invest in it.
~You will not get anywhere in the IF unless you show some initiative. Start a thread, post ideas in the planning board, make some mischief on the Silly Boards. Get involved on your own, and people will join you. The Staff aren't here to do everything for you, so look around and find something to do if you're bored (HINT: Starting open threads in common areas like restaurants, training areas, monuments, etc. is a great way to start if you're stuck).
That's everything you need to know. Good luck, and happy IF-ing!
