5 Senses

I've heard people complain that a written rpg is hard. They worry about spelling, grammar, punctuation--and I tell 'em bullshit. (pardon my french)

KTDARPG isn't about format or form. It's about ideas! New thoughts, new viewpoints, new perceptions. Nobody inside our game cares 2-cents if you have perfect grammar. But if your words take us some place new? Now that's what counts...

Our rpg has a lot of wicked creative talents. If you've been drawn to the postings of certain players? I'll tell you their secret: they engage all your senses when they craft a post. Sight, smell, taste, touch, sound--they create a scene that really comes alive when you read it.

What does a character see? On tv that's easy answered--pan the camera left or right so the viewer sees what the character sees. As a matter of fact, for our "tv generation," there's a lot of things we take for granted BUT you can't do that when it's written down. Then, you have to be specific.

What do you see? That's the one everybody gets instinctively. But how about the rest of your senses?

OK, picture a scene. New guy walks into town. Describe it. No, not just what he sees--the carnival or the kids walking or a fire burning. DESCRIBE IT.

What does he hear? The sounds of the kids moving, talking, laughing or maybe even arguing & fighting, or the pounding waves of the surf. What does he feel? The wind? Or is he focused on rain on his face, the raspy feel of his jacket against his skin, or the heaviness of something in his arms? What does he smell? Woodsmoke, someone cooking dinner, the stink of a cesspit nearby, or the scene of someone's perfume. What does he taste? The tang of seasalt in the air, or even the aftertaste of this morning's breakfast.

Action--which most players focus on to the exclusion of anything else--well, that's actually the easy part. You know a character moves, interacts with others, fights, lives, loves.

Smaller things--how the character perceives his world through all his senses--really make that world, and that character, come alive.

Try it sometime. -Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud-9 "The Tribe"