Post Lengths
#1
Random OOC thread is random!

But, yeah, what are your feelings towards short and/or long posts? Do you prefer one over the other when role playing? Feel free to expand on this!
#2
I think it really depends on the plot.
Like, if it's sort of dragging on, or something, short posts can really help get through certain events quickly.
But they can also rush things by too quickly, so having detailed, clarifying longer posts help there.

I find it easier to reply to shorter posts, because I feel obligated to reply with roughly the same post length, but I feel a lot of information is lost by them being so quickly paced...

....if any of this makes sense. ;u;
#3
I personally write around 250 words per post. I do prefer if people try to get 200 words since less than that and you can't really get much detail from those posts. And I am a bit intimidated by long posts. I feel bad to give people 250 or so words to their 300+ words. But that's just me >.>
#4
Ahh, the age old question! Is it better to have short and fast replies, or wait longer for a lengthy post? x3

When I take on new threads, I like to try and balance this evenly, so I don't get stuck impatiently waiting forever, or get flooded by speedy writers. I am definitely one of the slower players, and lately my word counts have been getting bigger and bigger, haha. xD It's not something I do on purpose though, my characters tend to be introspective and have a lot to think about. (read: angsty.)

So... I don't have a real preference for who I partner with, nor do I expect my partners to match my word count. But I spit out a lot of words most of the time, so I am long-winded. xD
#5
Depends on what's happening in the thread

If my characters have more to think about, I write more, and like getting more detail.

For fight threads and threads where events are quick paced, I prefer it to be short so the actions don't get lost in all of the words.
#6
My word counts are everywhere. What I write changes every time, but I average around 300 or so words -- sometimes more, sometimes a little less than that.

I dislike feeling the need to write a novel (unless it's for SoSuWriMo or something, haha) when I feel that fewer words would work, too. That said, I do like to embellish my posts with scenery and emotion and other tidbits that you wouldn't include when, say, writing an actual book. This means that, depending on how emotionally charged a situation is, or how much my character wants to speculate on a situation, my word count can easily leap up to 600 to 700 words. Unless it is an epic scene, though, with NPC interaction or a dream or something similar, I rarely go above that.

Generally, I don't mind my partner's post length -- as long as they properly respond to everything in my post. If a player ignores my character's dialogue or actions in favor of scribbling down a 100-word reply that only acknowledges part of my post, I get frustrated. (This is also fully capable of happening in a longer reply, obviously, but I've seen it more often in the short example.)

The only time I really dislike long posts is when the player is obviously just rambling on and on at length about everything but the action. I can't really think of a situation where this happened, though. Usually I run into long posts when Sie writes some lovely 700-word prose and apologies for it pointing out I can skip to last paragraph and I read it all anyway to spite her. 8D

Overall -- I don't care about length? It takes a long time to read a long post when a short one could suffice, but some long posts are well written and enjoyable to read anyway. Smile
#7
I tend to prefer long posts. I think it gives the next player a lot to go off of and makes it easier to reply to. That's how I see it. I have trouble replying to a short posts unless that person says all they needed to say and give enough detail. Also, I mostly tend to write a lot. I also tend to write more if I really like the thread or if it's a plot because my muse is all there.

I think it also matters on who you're threading with. Cause some people I thread with, I write a lot and they tend to as well. Then there's those players I thread with that generally right short posts so my posts are short too.

But in all, I prefer a good long post. Smile
#8
I prefer long posts too, because they're easier to reply with. Of course, I also average 250 - 280 words a post so I also feel like a dick. But I'm getting better with word counts and getting in the 300 range. It's always bothered me that I write so short ;;
#9
I prefer longer posts, but that's just so that i can respond properly. I always feel bad with a below 300 word count, esp when i know i can get more out. I also get really frustrated when people give me 200 words, just because I don't feel that's enough for me to convey what i want, and i reply in kind. xD

(ps I am stupid lmfao)
#10
I try to always be above 300. If I'm really in the zone, I like my posts to be around 400 or 500; it's just where I'm comfortable, and the length I like to reply to.
#11
I move to Help because this is a great discussion and deserves to be on the highlights already IMO. 8B

Also dddd'aaww Raze. ;___; <3

To get:
Don't really matter to me. I've seen REALLY short posts that convey what the character's doing and how they feel perfectly well, and so that's the most important thing to me rather than tons of words. THAT SAID, it's usually... yknow, the other person's post inspiring me. >___> Sometimes in my own replies, I really only have a vague idea (a few sentences, at best) as to what the character's going to do, so it's helpful if the other person has written at least a little bit other than straight action/dialogue (including setting, character feelings, changing scenery/background, etc.). This often "inspires" further babbling in me... like okay:

For example last night, I replied to a Kiripost wherein Cassie was dreaming. Since I, as a person, don't remember my dreams almost ever, I hardly (if ever) remember to write my characters dreaming because I'm dum. So -- I was inspired to add a little guilt-laden dream sequence! TBH I think the last time I wrote anything including a dream was probably post-Haku Kae, so it's awesome when other players either remind me of something (unintentionally or intentionally) in their replies that I'm not doing, etc.

The same thing frequently occurs if, like... in exposition/thought process, the character might think or mention something. Obviously, I don't include this in the action, as that would probably be metagaming, but I might include some of my own character's inner thoughts on the same/a similar matter. So -- that sometimes helps ME write longer posts and think up new things.

But really, I don't care -- if I really wanted to babble for every post, I probably could (I do it for SoSu x_x) but it's really draining to try and write superlong posts every time...

To give:
... which is why I try to write write how much I feel like writing and no more/less. Even though it's probably a good exercise to write more/less at times (e.g., trying to restrict yourself to a certain number of words without going over -- probably a good exercise in brevity, which I need DSmile. The only time I feel guilty about this is when it's literally like... a 150 word post. ._.;; Although 'Souls does not enforce a minimum, I do try and shoot for 200 words, just because it's... habit and feels bad if I write less. Otherwise, I don't try to write more to my posts. MAYBE, if I'm literally like 10 words away from the next game points thing, I might add a sentence or two, but that's only sometimes. I'm just as happy posting 286 words and not getting 3 game points~

I do also feel guilty if I throw huge posts at people. It just happens sometimes... and a lot of the time it's me messing with an NPC or just inner character babbles that don't really matter. Hence why I tell people to skip paragraphs. I feel guilty making people waste their time reading stuff that's essentially irrelevant to them/that post. I dunno. I am awkward. 8B
#12
I tend to shoot for 200+ usually, but don't really care much. I write as much as I need to or want to? I don't think about it.

I don't tend to care how much my partner writes as long as it's interesting or relevant, but do feel somewhat intimidated by anything over 750 words? Usually if it's that long, there's a lot of introspection, which can be okay if I'm familiar with the character, but really boring if I'm not and don't know or care about whatever they're expounding on.

Also, Sie, the point was the Cassie wasn't dreaming in that post... <__<;;; But yeah, I know whatchu mean. <3
#13
QUOTE (Cassandra Asylum @ Aug 25 2012, 03:56 AM)
Also, Sie, the point was the Cassie wasn't dreaming in that post... <__<;;; But yeah, I know whatchu mean. <3 [/quote]
I've gotten this wrong three times now haven't I? 8DDDD
#14
I rarely write above 200 words, but that's usually because I have lots of threads to do and I'd rather make short posts to clear my load faster. But usually when I write longer, it's because I ran away with my words.

As for receiving. It depends, if it's a thread that's not one of my favourites, I prefer shorter posts (not really sure why?), but if it's my fav thread I prefer something large to read and fangirl over. But I'm really not fussed all in all tbh.
#15
I'm actually really glad someone asked this, cause I always feel terrible when I write to much or too little, cuase I'm never sure what the other person prefers. So I think this is a great and helpful thread, thank you Aly <3

The one thing about me is, I like to cover almost everything the other person does from Itzal's perspective. So I take the other person's post and kind of show how the every thing is happening with Itzal. And then I like to throw in a little something to get things moving that way it isn't just standing still with the two characters different perspectives on the same thing. So my post do tend to get longer as they go. And it also depends on my character. Like Itzal I tend to write bigger post with because he is the kind of person who always has some kind of emotional conflict because of Eztli. So he is constantly fighting with himself or rambling on in his head, which I show a lot of. So I tend to lean more towards longer post, up in the 600 to 700 range. But sometimes, if I think I can get it to be short and sweet and still cover a lot I'll drop it to the 300 range. I almost NEVER post under 300, unless it is a very slow part of the thread, like the first post or the second. Once things pick up and the two characters meet and start talking, I have to try and limit myself from destroying people with my giant walls of text. I always tell people they don't have to match me because I have a tendency to oveflow at the mouth when I type, like right now. SO my replies go from about 300 to 700+ words depending on the situation. YOu can almost always expet some inner rambling from Itzal though, so I often tell people to skip certain paragraphs.

Okay so for me, getting a reply, I don't really care as long as it usually has something I can go off of. I prefer at least a tiny bit over 200 or 250. Just because I feel that that is a good number to get in at least however much you need for the otherp lay to go off of it. Of course I love longer post and they don't intimidate me at all. I will sit there and read a long post and be all like 8D cause now I can post a somewhat long one back. Though if I get a couple of really long ones in a row, I start cutting out stuff I don't think I really need to add onto and might skip down to a later part to include in my reply, so I can try and get the thread moving fast again, since a lot of long post tend to slow it down. So really I don't care what I get in a reply, as long as it has something I can work with and use to move the thread forward. I prefer longer post but in moderation, for the thread's sake. Big Grin
#16
I personally aim to write 300+ words for every post unless I am completely swamped with threads and want to get out of the hole I've dug myself OR it's a fighting scene. If I have to reply to someone who writes under 200 words for something other than a description only post with no dialogue I honestly tend to not want to reply because I have nothing to respond to.
#17
When Im making replies I have kind of have set bench marks, but really post length is entirely dependent on my muse and what I'm given to work with.

When my muse is shit I will breach 200 but most of the time I try to go for at least 300.


Forum Jump: