Posting tips

[¡El Bandito!]

So, it happens to everyone: the dreaded writer's block, the inferiority complex, and, once in a blue moon, even the mythical REAL LIFE. Posting isn't always the easiest thing in the world to accomplish, but in order to keep the site running, it's sorta, you know, necessary.

To make sure that posting does run as smoothly as possible, there are a couple things that you should try to keep in mind:

• Typically, the sooner you look at a post and start replying to it, the easier it will be for your reply to write. If you wait too long to reply to something, it can be hard to conjure up the muse to reply to it, and similarly even if you manage to reply, the people you're threading with may have lost their muse. A good goal is to reply within 72 hours (Three days) if at all possible.
  
• Try to reply to threads in the order of 'first replied to' to 'most recently replied to'. This can be hard to do sometimes when you've made some epic plotting and planning with a single particular person, but it's fairer for everyone else that you don't skip over and neglect other threads that have been waiting for a response for longer.
  
• Make sure you're caught up in all the threads you're involved in and can handle them alright before starting or joining any new ones. A good order of reply importance is 'oldest previously replied to → newest previously replied to → new onexone/small group replies → new large group replies. Of course, it's important to keep in mind the amount of impact each thread will have on the overall site as well. Some people need the larger threads to get moving before they can break off into their own plans.
  
• Try for a post a day, if you can. Again, this might not always be possible, but it's a good goal to strive for.
  
• Long posts are nice, and it's nice to have a lot of material to work with. However, sometimes your fellow RPers would prefer a quick five or six hundred word reply to an amazing twelve-hundred plus reply that took a week to write and post. Of course, this depends on the person as well; it might be a good idea to ask them individually and see how okay they are with waiting long periods of time for replies.
  
• Even if it feels like you have no muse or you don't like how a post is coming out, keep working on it anyway. Starting a reply can sometimes be a hassle, but sometimes if you push yourself it can be like turning on a faucet and the words will start flowing. We are our own worst critics, as well; sometimes you need to post something that you may not particularly like or think is your best work in order to push the thread forward. Besides, the post probably isn't nearly as terrible as you might think it is! This isn't a pass to post poor-quality work; it's a reminder that not everything has to be super amazing and perfect.
  
• Sometimes, people tend to worry about 'posting order' in large threads. A good rule of thumb is to wait at least two posts after your own last post before replying again. Also, make sure anyone your character has interacted with has gotten a chance to respond.
  

Now, get out there and get to posting!