whatsthesiitch:

Plotting – it’s for cheesy cartoon villains and writers, which means it’s for you! 

Plotting is a great way to get interaction going between two characters and better forge a relationship between two roleplayers, which can result in continued threads, more development, and many other things down the line. It’s pretty much the lifeblood of roleplay, and it’s one of the best ways to develop not only a story, but your character as well. 

However, a common issue that seems to be arising in the roleplay community that no one really talks about is the issue of where the responsibility falls when it comes to plotting. Who’s job is it to come up with the idea? 

The answer is pretty simple – if you’re the one approaching someone to roleplay, you should have an idea in mind. Winging it is fine, but if you want to plot with someone, you should be doing the initial groundwork in getting an idea off the ground. It doesn’t have to be anything specific or ornate – it can be a very general idea, but you have to have something. Asking someone if they want to plot, getting the okay to do it, and then going “what ideas do you have?” is not only rude, it also gives this message that you’re not going to take interaction seriously or that you’re going to be largely putting the responsibility of interaction on them, when you are the one who approached them wanting to roleplay in the first place. You wouldn’t throw a party and expect your guests to plan it, so why would you ask someone to plot and not have something in mind? 

Short on ideas? No problem! Scroll through a wishlist tag, or use a scenario generator, or even search around writing forums and the like for ideas! I’ve gotten plot ideas off of Buzzfeed videos – anything can be used for inspiration. And again, it doesn’t have to be an intricately detailed plot – it can be as simple as your character having to sit next to their character on a crowded bus, and the bus ends up breaking down. Just give them something to work with, and they will work with you.