Writing a Good Pose

Some of this, you know, if you've played before. We encourage that you read the whole thing anyway, though, because you could still learn something. And if you have advice for others, include it in the advice section!

Basic Guidelines

A pose is a description of your character's actions at one moment in time—things they're doing, things they're saying.

Usually, a pose should be at least three lines long, although a more "average" pose runs somewhere closer to 5-7. When we talk about a line, we mean 78 characters. To see what a certain number of lines looks like on your screen, type:

think repeat(repeat(-,78),LINES)

Replace 'LINES' with the number of lines you want to see.

A three-line pose is not going to be something that comes up regularly. Every now and then, sure, you'll want to keep it to something short and snappy. Otherwise, treat five as a functional minimum, and remember that there's a lot of stuff that comes across in face-to-face interaction: facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, and that's before you even get to basic interactions with your environment. If you're constantly running 10-12 or more, see if you can be a bit more concise when you're in larger scenes, because otherwise people may not be able to fully read them.

Not all of us can be great and poetic writers. All of us can, however, take the time to make sure our poses are proofread, with proper spelling, capitalization, and so on. If you need to, try to find a client with a spell-checker, like MUSHclient.

Your pose should always include your character's name somewhere in it. In large or busy scenes, your character's name should be the first word, or possibly the second, so that people trying to read a lot at once can see right away who is posing. Aside from that, your pose will probably include some things your character is saying, and some things your character is doing.

Speech

Speech can have a lot of punch as far as making a character unique and interesting. This has to be balanced against making sure your speech is still readable to your fellow players.

Contrast the following:

"I almost aint wanna even comment on this shit son…. I dont even kno what to say bout it yo." "That bein said…this shit still goes nahmean."¹ This is an example of how an actual speaker of a heavily vernacular English writes out the way he speaks. It certainly gets across how he talks, but at the same time, how readable is it? Actually, with a little bit better punctuation and spelling, it's not too bad. Most of the difference is in word choice.

"T'wudd bay gude tae worch an' bay shure o' th' bawnkun, boot ah'll bay deed an' gorrun ere thay'rr awee… An' mebbe thart's uz ut shood bay."² So compare this to the previous. These are all - er, well, maybe - familiar words in a basically familiar arrangement, and yet good luck reading any of it. Do not do this. We will totally come punch you in the face. Try to explore your character's voice, but do it with description, not bad typing.

Actions

Because it's only your character's actions, your pose should not include things other people are doing. You also shouldn't assume, if your character does something, that it's going to go exactly the way your character plans: Even if you throw a punch, the other party might duck!

Beyond this, try to get into your character's shoes. Imagine the surroundings and how he or she would be interacting with them. A lot of people gravitate to scenes that allow one to be eating or drinking because it gives something to interact with, but there are lots of options. Chairs to sit on in different ways, tables to pound on or drum your fingers on nervously. A rock on the ground to kick, a chilly breeze to make one button one's coat. Think about your character's particular mannerisms and how they would do things, too. Handing someone a broom is different from shoving it at them.

Personality

Before you finish your pose, it can be a good idea to ask yourself: If I was playing a different character, would this pose have been any different?

Let your character's uniqueness shine through. Whether it's speech, mannerisms, or simply the way they choose to comport themselves, your poses should show people who your character is.

NPCs

Even in a small scene, there's a good chance that there are other people around. Including interactions with these people can really change the tone of a scene. Flirt with the bartender, have the caverns staff trying to clean around you when you won't move, make a scene and note how people stare.

Advice

Have a tidbit of advice for other people? Post it here!

Hooks: One of the most important parts of a good pose is providing hooks for other people to respond to. This means that your character's actions and behaviors need to be presented in a manner where it would be logical for someone else to take note of your character and respond to them. This is especially important in scene set poses, as the point of a scene set is to bring others in to the story you are introducing. -Nessa