InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "I AM A GOLDEN GOD!"

Vengeful. (vengeful) wrote in rp_tutorials,
@ 2012-06-18 12:28:00

Not sure if this is the correct place to post this other than rpvents...
...So if this isn't appropriate to the community, I will delete!

Are there any other hopeful authors out there?

I'm trying to write a novel, and at the same time I am RPing. I have three character journals plus a very longterm RP partner with loads of PSLs, the RP partner cuts a lot into my time and I feel is being very dependant on me for their own entertainment.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore RPing and my RP partner, but I really want to focus on my book. I feel like my creativity is getting drained into these journals and storylines when it should be going into my book.

So this is a question to people who are currently writing a novel as well as RPing - HOW do you balance both?

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wordsmith
2012-06-18 11:56 am UTC (link)

For me the answer is deciding how much time I want to put into either activity.
I agree that RP can feel draining - at times it can be like a black hole that consumes your creative urges, but in a nice way - and in order to be able to write both for fun and for, well, work, I try to separate them.
Writing for my book, stories, etc, is work. I decide how much time I want to put into that each day, and then try to delete as many disturbances as possible - I write with a pen and paper, am not logged into chat and won't check my emails.
It's hard, because when I RP I do a hundred things at the same time, I write, I chat with people, I fiddle in Photoshop, I google pictures of my characters; but when I write other texts, I try to focus on that alone, channelling what creative force I have that day, into that text alone. (Goes without saying there are days when I hardly write anything, but I consider that hour of staring out the window a small victory anyway, because I stuck with it.)

So, my advice would be to decide how much time you want to spend with RP each day, and how much time you want to (try and) write. Tell your RP partner why you're doing this (because seriously, we should respect each others dreams!), and how much time you can spend with him/her. Then try to get into a habit where your novel writing and your RP writing each have a spot in your day, but not at the same time, and not more RP than novel writing.

For me, that focus was what I needed to release energy - creative or otherwise - and start using it for novel writing. Whole evenings stopped disappearing to the art of RP, and I began writing other things with more ease.

If you want to discuss this further (in the time you're not writing of course :P), just send me a PM, I was really happy to see that there was another roleplayer who had the same thoughts and problems as I did! <3

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vengeful
2012-06-18 01:25 pm UTC (link)

I have spent far too long letting RP take over most of my time and energy, so I have the urge to write for my book but just don't have anything left over for it and it's become a big block, like a literary sponge absorbing every word!

I know exactly what you mean over evenings disappearing to pure roleplay. It happens too often to me.

Setting times sounds like a brilliant idea. I think i'll try it.

Thank you for this comment it's made me feel so much better already. :)

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