Firstly try and structure you posts in a prose, in which a third person, past tense format is preferred.
Example; - Quote :
- Matt stood up from his chair and walked across the room to the window, it was still light outside and he could see all the way across the vacant lot.
Characters speech should be distinct and easy to read, representing your character’s speech, preferably a colour different from other characters in the game and bordered by inverted commas (“”).
Example; - Quote :
- “Man this day is dragging on!” Matt said as he stared out the window.
The characters other actions are often written as part of the paragraph, as if in a novel. Character thoughts should be displayed in italics but not coloured.
- Quote :
- As Matt stood staring out the window he wondered, maybe I could piss off home early today?!?
Separating by paragraphs at conversation breaks or at logical action breaks is a good idea. Strive to not post “one-liners.” That is, don’t simply post
‘Joe the Paladin whacks the goblin.’ That’s boring. Try to weave in some narrative.
‘Joe the Paladin ducks under the goblin’s hammer, easily sidestepping the crude swipe. His ornate mace slams against the goblin’s head, delivering a powerful smite in the name of Thor.’ This is by no means quality material, but it is a step in the right direction.
{{Other symbols can indicate such things as radio calls, speech in languages (may also reflect a colour change) other than the standard assumed language of the campaign, etc. Which symbols mean what can be established as required as the game progresses}}
[OOC: Out of character information, usually statistical information or questions. OOC banter is usually reserved for the OOC/general threads.] Any out of character dialogue not directly related to the OOC thread may be conducted through the use of spoiler tags. For example, rolling might be conducted in a spoiler in the In-Character thread to expedite the combat process etc.
Above all, stay in-character in the in-character threads, and out of character in the out of character threads
Proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation (barring unusual speech patterns or accents as part of a character's defining traits) are encouraged, since confusion resulting from a run-on sentence could lead to mistakes. Running a post through a spelling and grammar checker before posting is a good idea. If you are unsure of your post clarity, run it by me prior to posting or include your intention in a spoiler at the bottom of the post.
Finally, no one is expecting you to be perfect at this right off the mark, if you are unsure of anything or have any questions please ask them. Chances are you aren’t the only one who is confused about it. Also try to have fun! It is a game after all.