Devilish Pointers for New Folk

[Devilish53]

Hello, it is I, yes, me. Here is a guide written on my own experience with RP-ing that some users may find useful - not only in regards to threading and character creation but rp-ing as a whole. This list is entirely my opinion, but I think it applies to the site as a whole.

1. Don’t push yourself - The moment you start forcing yourself to post, the moment rp-ing becomes a chore. People don’t enjoy chores. You’ll come to resent rp-ing here, and lose interest.
2. Just because you’re caught up doesn’t mean you should take on more threads - Something I myself am very guilty of. You just caught up on your 20 active threads after several hours of writing? Congrats. But tomorrow, those 20 rp-ers all only had a single reply each to fire back at you. You’re now back at square one. Just because you’re caught up doesn’t mean you should take more on.
3. Character history isn’t as important as you think - Without a doubt writing a character history is the hardest part of any new character. Namely because you’re coming up with an entire backstory by yourself. Interestingly enough, it’s not only the hardest, but also the most redundant. I’ve seen plenty of rp-ers never reference their characters' history even once in their threads or stories. Make no mistake; you can write a three page thriller for your character and use it to no end. But no-ones going to mind if you don’t. Similarly, no-one ever remembers what entrance music you pick, unless you absolutely go out of your way to drill it in peoples heads.
4. Just because you can join an event doesn’t mean you should - I get it, events and PPV’s are appealing as hell when you’re brand new. But before you join, be aware of the fact that there’s a little more expected regarding new events. It may add stress, or even take away the fun. And often enough that may lead you to abandoning the event altogether - something that may be held against you in the future.
5. You don’t need to bring your wallet - Many rp-ers on LAW have big fancy OC’s with endless streams of artwork. Many don’t, including some of the most active posters. You can still enjoy LAW and rp-ing fully without spending a dime. Coincidently, I’ve seen ALOT of rp-ers last a month or two, and spend a fortune on artwork for an OC that never gets used again. I imagine they regret it.
6. Mixed is hard - This isn’t me crapping on mixed wrestling. LAW doesn’t have as much mixed wrestling as it does fxf. That's a fact. If you come expecting to do purely mixed wrestling, be aware that it is absolutely possible but simply more difficult to find.
7. Discord helps. A lot. - I can’t remember the last match that I didn’t plan on discord. I know many others are the same. It’s not a requirement, but it’ll definitely help you plan and find threads. Especially if you join the server.
8. Wins really don’t matter - Outside of championship reigns (besides the loser belt obviously) wins simply don’t matter. Never once have I seen a character become renowned purely because she won a lot. Your character can still take a hella amount of losses compared to wins and still be taken seriously.
9. Expect the give and take - Beat someone’s main character? Probably be cool if you give back in the future. They adhered fully to your interests in a match? Be nice if you did the same. Not everyone expects it (mutual enjoyment of a thread is often enough) but often enough if you take a big notable win from someone, it’s good to have something in the pipeline to give back.
10. Be up front - Have ideas on how the match will go? Want to adhere to a particular kink? Decided you want to win after all? Spit it out. Honesty and openness triumphs all. Especially regarding kinks - what you may be into could completely turn someone off a thread especially if you just drop it in without asking. I was four pages into a thread once upon a time when my opponent began having their character act in a very particular way. Needless to say, the thread went downhill because I simply hadn’t planned for it.
11. Quality not quantity - One well written, detailed paragraph will do exactly the same job as a full page of often unnecessary detail and repeated information. The only pace you should follow is your own.
12. Don't do more than you have to - Going out of your way to over plan every single interaction will exhaust you. In similar fashion to how exhausting it can be to constantly update everything every time you make a move. Keeping your characters feuds, relationships and timeline up to date is one thing. But updating a personal thread counter/level of activity sort of thing will bore you out of your mind. I know it did for me, which is exactly why I stopped.
13. Don't be afraid to copy - Not one another's characters, stories and threads. Literally your own stuff - it's a good time saver to have a well-written entrance for your character saved and then simply use it every time. Obviously you'll want to add a few changes every now and then, and likely outright change it when there's a special feud or match, but it can make often the most boring part of a thread a two second job. Similarly, there are character templates and match templates across the site you can copy and use.
14. Reaching out is always better - Make no mistake that thread requests absolutely do work, but reaching out to specific users is almost guaranteed to get you a match quicker. It also helps others feel appreciated and more inclined to give, since you've taken the time to go to them specifically rather than put up a broad request.
15. Have an idea in mind - When approaching someone, especially someone you haven't rp-ed with before, it's a good idea to at least have a general idea of what you'd like to do. The more specific the better to be honest, because the other person can get a good feed for what you are after and tailor a response better.
16. Don't adopt just because you can - This one is definitely more personal opinion than anything. But whenever I see a character be put up for adoption, nine times out of ten someone rushes in to snag them simple because it's a pretty new addition to their roster with all the work done along with some history to them. They then never use said character - not only because they don't have a plan for them, but because they don't know how to even generally use them.
17. A 'No' is better than nothing- Nothing can kill the spirt of a new rp-er (or rp-er in general) than them firing off an idea they've always wanted to do with someone, only to be left on 'seen.' This in itself isn't a problem on its own, and is often done by accident by the other party. But imagine ten or so users inadvertedly ignoring a new rp-ers request. That can be soul crushing (speaking from experience here when I first started out) and shut the door on a new member of LAW altogether. Even if you're not interested, at least fire off a 'no thanks' when you get chance.
18. Respect the different opinions towards 'selective posting' - Selective posting is actively replying to threads whilst choosing to ignore others. Regularly. Be aware that there are several different thoughts on this across the site.

[Max19]

Hello,

Thanks for sharing your guide and ideas! It's interesting to hear about your personal experience of RP and the advice you've picked up.