Ending A Roleplay Or The Neverending Story

[Lydia]

How many times have you actually finished a roleplay that you start?

It has gotten more difficult throughout the years, which is probably a combination of shifting culture in online RP and higher personal standards/expectations.

It’s easy to finish stories if they’re simplistic. As I’ve grown as a writer, my interests have gotten more elaborate, as have my expectations. While this is a sign of personal growth, I think it can also reach a point where it hinders my writing rather than helps it, and makes the whole process more frustrating and burn-out inducing. I’ve deliberately stepped back from some of the intensity and expectations, and I’ve found I enjoy myself more.

Is roleplaying a more enjoyable experience if it is just scenes or a continuous epic tale?

Related to above, I’ll say scenes. Sometimes you get into plotting and planning elaborate stories and by the time you actually start writing it’s already almost stale. There’s a delicate balance to be found between having enough planning to provide clarity/direction and over-planning to the point of defeat. We need novelty, curiosity, surprise. Without those, there’s nothing to discover - and for me, writing is a discovery process.

That doesn’t mean long-term stories are impossible, it just means working scene by scene, as other have noted. The idea of chapters or seasons is awesome - and if the writers need breaks to rekindle their sense of curiosity for the story/characters, that break for planning can provide it.

Character versus plot?

My main focus is on plot for planning purposes, characters for writing. Some of the most enjoyable writing I’ve done is with characters I barely knew when the RP began. Fleshing out those characters during the story itself provides plenty of interesting things to write - instead of merely reacting to events it becomes, again, a discovery process. Which, IMO, is pretty fun.

 

[Asia]

I tend to rp until I want to start a new one, but it really depends on my partner and his style. Sometimes I just enjoy reading and replying even though the plot has run its course. Other times I can't wait to brainstorm new ideas.

 

[Crisismagnet]

As with every Dungeons & Dragons campaign I've ever been a part of, RPs do not end; they simply fade away. I've had stories that transcend years only to fall flat because someone vanishes without a trace and the ones that have gone on the longest seem like they're physically incapable of ending.