Joint Posting, for Dummies
I dont claim to be any sort of expert at writing, some people have enjoyed some of the things I've written, and I've had some luck doing "joint posts" with a wide variety of folks. When I saw this forum, I thought "what a great idea" because I've heard some horror stories about JP's gone wrong, that have affected those writing and their characters. So, I'd like to get the ball rolling here, and hear what everyone else has to say on the matter.
My first rule about writing JP's is always write with someone better than you. lol. Seriously, though, seek out people who's writing you admire, and try to match their talent. As in other things, in writing we try to rise to the occaision, and push ourselves to do better.
I also think it's important to engage your partner's character. This seems obvious, but I've been shocked at how many times Ive heard that someone is writing a JP, and it's all about the other person's character. If youre given an opportunity by your partner to explore your character, take it. But be courteous, and return the favor. It seems ridiculous to have to say it... but there it is. People will enjoy writing with you, and the end product will reflect that.
Even a totally self absorbed character can leave opportunities for their counterart to ramble. Granted this takes a bit more work, but it's usually worth it.
Momentum.... Joint Posts have a shelf life. Once rolling, keep it going, letting it slow can be the death knell for a JP. Sometimes a piece finds a life of it's own, and the thing practially writes itself. Most of the time though, it takes some serious thought and pushing to bring them to fruition. So, respond and forward them back to your partner. Even if its short, or mostly nonverbal.
OOC discussions, are kind of important. Even if it's just to set a general tone, or a goal. Myself, I'm not a big fan of planning them, I like to let them go where they will, much like an interaction with another person is unpredictable. That's not very practical for our purposes though. So at least figure out what the other person has in mind, so youre both approaching from the same angle.
Lastly, feed each other. Give your partner something to work with. Nonverbal posts are sometimes called for, and fitting, but make sure you're giving your partner something to dig his or her teeth into. It's hard to drive a JP solo, and a partner who frequently "nods" or "stands with his arms crossed" isn't keeping his or her end of the bargain up.
Well, those are my two cents... and I'm interested to see if anyone else has any thoughts on the matter.
Comments
I think this deserves to be an article in itself for people new to the site. This was great write up for doing JPs.
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Imagination is the seed of intelligence. Nourish it and watch it grow.
Very nice post, Aaron. You talk alot about communicating with your writing partner, and I think that is SO key. For me it can be hard sometimes to talk ooc and verbalize something that I may not like, but for the good of the post, I think it's necessary to keep lines of communication open. ...and this needs to happen immediately, not after something has been eating at you for days.
I love it when a JP takes me for a ride and I don't know where it's going to go, but on the other hand, I do think there needs to be a goal in place. A reason for the joint post that is agreed upon by both parties, so that it has a basic purpose that meets both characters development goals. Even if it's as simple as a 'getting to know each other' goal. Sometimes, without some sort of plan or goal, a piece can become sprawling and finding a place to end it can be difficult.
In addition to all of the things you pointed out, there are two more things that I want to mention. One was an Andy rule, something he taught me to be aware of and the other is confrontation in Joint Posts.
1. Andy always said, it's one thing for ME to say that my character is dangerous or suave (or whatever), but it has a LOT more impact if it's the OTHER character that works it into their thoughts, reactions and dialogue. (Nemesis can write an incredible entrance and that alone could be a good page, but for Raphael to react to it with Nem's Presence and element of surprise in mind, that good page becomes a great page.) I think this is so true, and as a result, I really try when writing a post to catch those character defining things that another character says or does, and try to react to them. I mean, I know that all of us writers do this...but to constantly be looking for opportunities to do this, to showcase the OTHER author/character, can really enhance the feel of the piece.
Asking questions ahead of time, if you're feeling out new characters, such as; How do you want others to see your character? What powers if any would affect the other characters interaction in the piece? These kinds of questions can help your partner know how to set you up and make sure to react to the things that you envision as defining points to your character. All of this can be done, with absolutely no plan or idea as to where your actual JP is going to take you. It's just taking an opportunity to get an idea from your writing partner, how they would 'ideally' like other characters to see their character.
2. Conflict (Character vrs. Character) in joint posts can be a very dynamic and fun place to go, but it's such a delicate kind of undertaking that you should think it through carefully before deciding to do one. Sometimes you don't even know that you're going to end up in a conflict, and sometimes it's really tempting to rewrite so that the conflict is avoided all together. While I think that conflict is something to be respected and written with utmost care and consideration for out of character feelings, I don't think it's something to avoid. The right kind of conflict can add a lot of depth and richness to a game.
I am not talking about game breaking conflict. *grin* I think that writers should always keep the game in mind and never break it on the GM. Sometimes our characters gain a life of their own and we literally don't know where the next post is going to take us. And there's a delicate balance between preserving your character concept and being a pain in the ass. I think that most situations have more than one possible reaction, regardless of your concept. ...and even if it takes a minor rewrite, conflict can be handled without being game breaking. Sometimes a player can feel that their 'concept' only has a narrow group of reactions or possibilities, and I'm a firm believer that regardless of the concept there's more than one way to react to most situations. ...and as a player and writer, picking one that enhances the story for everyone is preferred or asking for a rewrite if things have gone too far.
I also think that when conflict happens, out of character communication has to be very open. Conflict be definition means that someone's character is going to be percieved the winner and that someone is going to be perceived as the loser. There needs to be a consensus and understanding as to how you're going to handle the conflict. Will a GM step in and moderate it? For story purposes, will one of you volunteer to be the loser, and get a story plan in place to fix it later? It doesn't matter how it's resolved, so long as there is an agreement and most importantly that it stays fun. As soon as it becomes not fun, and this type of post has that potential, then it should be scrapped, fixed or concluded.
I agree...after the move and everyone chimes in, we can turn it into an advice article. *grin* Assuming none of the contributors objects.