Writing a Post []

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====== Writing a Post ======
All right, you've been accepted. The next thing to do is start writing posts, either by yourself or with other people. Don't be alarmed if you write a few - or several - posts alone before someone offers to write with you. Sometimes it takes time for people to get to know you, and some writers are shy (even some who have been writing for a long time). We'll give you some basic guidelines here, but once you've mastered the basic art of writing simulation posts, the sky's the limit.

====== Choose a Topic ======
What are you going to write about? Sometimes this is as simple as choosing a place to go or an activity to partake in. Other times it's a more complex affair, particularly if other writers are going to write with you. For many writers, this is the hardest part of writing a post (regardless of whether they write on [[Nova|Nova]] or a forum). Once you have a topic, things usually go pretty smoothly!

====== What Time Is It? ======
Some simulations will require an exact date and time while others allow for looser continuity, such as simply stating it happens at the same time, before, or after another topic. Follow the guideline for your simulation or ask a game manager for help. Keep in mind that your character cannot be in two places at once; this will help with timing posts that you're taking part in.

Sometimes you will write posts as part of a series. How you determine where each falls in the series is up to you; some writers number the posts while others simply state in the "time" area that it follows another post in sequence.

====== How Long Should It Be? ======
This is up to you and any co-writers you have. However, most simulations will have some basic guidelines on post length. Forum-based simulations may require that each reply be a certain length, while Nova-based simulations may have an overall word count or number of paragraphs you have to reach. Otherwise, it's really up to you. A post is finished when it //feels// finished, which is a sense you'll develop over time. Sometimes there's just nothing else that can be added that makes sense, or you see the perfect ending and don't want to ruin it. Or maybe you just can't come up with anything else and neither can your partner. At that point, just post it. Don't worry about it being perfect. No post is ever perfect. No writer is ever perfect. Perfection isn't even part of the game; you can go ahead and throw it out the airlock because you don't need it. Just be you.

====== What Do I Name It? ======
Titles can be a tricky thing. It's okay to write a post in its entirety before coming up with a title, but every post //must// have a title. Take inspiration from what you wrote about and try to be creative about it. Make a witty joke or use the title of a song that fits the mood of the post. Use song //lyrics// that fit what you wrote. You can even use a quote from one of the characters in the post, if they said something particularly memorable or funny. Your title tells people what sort of post to expect when they open the post to read it. Use this power wisely!

If your simulation requires a certain tag to mark a post as "mature" and your post meets those guidelines, //use the tag or face the wrath of the game managers//. We are extremely serious about this. The tag goes in your title and warns those who don't want to read such things that your post might not be something they want to read.

{{tag>[Guide]}}