hexperiment
The Experimentalist
I posted this guide long ago in another forum that was dedicated to RP journaling for Skyrim. Since the site is going down soon, I figured I post it here in honor of that site :] Hope it helps.
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I wanted to make a quick guideline on making a journal in case some of you are clueless or even hesitant about making a journal for role-playing purposes. I'm hoping that you can follow this guideline so that you can make an immersive piece of writing with believable characters and engaging story. I am always looking for suggestions on journaling so that I can improve this guideline for everyone else so if you have ideas, please post them.
Getting a Journal
So first, you need to get a journal. Honestly, any paper would do fine but you probably want a diary book, preferably the one that looks authentic. Those are expensive though. But if you have money, here are some of my suggestions:
-Leather cover book preferably the one without magnets or similar modern contraption
-No lined paper. Pages should be blank white
It might be hard to find a journal without any lines but you might want a blank journal if you want to add something other than just words. Even if you are not planning to draw, it's still a good idea to look for unlined ones. Just in case.
Writing a Journal
If your handwriting is awful, you might want to work on that. This is a journal so epic calligraphy isn't necessary. You probably want to write in cursive.
Creating your character's voice
Assuming you got your character down, there are few things to keep in mind when you are writing.
1. Try to avoid using modern colloquial phrases. Instead of saying 'oh my god', you might want to say 'By the nine divine!'
2. Remember your character's personality and background. It might affect how your character writes. For example, if your character is arrogant and self-centered, he might write a journal like it's a fluffing autobiography. If your character is a boastful one, he might exaggerate some details on his battle.
Here are some good questions to ask yourself:
Is my character educated?
Why is my character writing a journal?
What's your character's cultural background?
3. Remember that a journal is a form of reflective writing. You might not want to write down your character's progress of the day strictly chronologically.
Here are some good questions to ask yourself:
When does my character write on his or her journal?
What kind of emotion did your character feel during the day?
What did your character accomplish on that day?
4. Your journal doesn't need to be restricted to the in-game material. If you are feeling creative, make up some NPCs that doesn't exist in the game, imagine a dialogue that might be important to your character's progress or make your own quest for your character to follow.
Also, you should start writing before your start your journal so that you can be prepared when you start your epic adventure. Just because Skyrim isn't out yet doesn't mean you can't write. You can start a prequel journal of your character, something unofficial but it's best if you treat it like one.
I'm always looking to improve this guideline. Please post ideas if you have them.
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I wanted to make a quick guideline on making a journal in case some of you are clueless or even hesitant about making a journal for role-playing purposes. I'm hoping that you can follow this guideline so that you can make an immersive piece of writing with believable characters and engaging story. I am always looking for suggestions on journaling so that I can improve this guideline for everyone else so if you have ideas, please post them.
Getting a Journal
So first, you need to get a journal. Honestly, any paper would do fine but you probably want a diary book, preferably the one that looks authentic. Those are expensive though. But if you have money, here are some of my suggestions:
-Leather cover book preferably the one without magnets or similar modern contraption
-No lined paper. Pages should be blank white
It might be hard to find a journal without any lines but you might want a blank journal if you want to add something other than just words. Even if you are not planning to draw, it's still a good idea to look for unlined ones. Just in case.
Writing a Journal
If your handwriting is awful, you might want to work on that. This is a journal so epic calligraphy isn't necessary. You probably want to write in cursive.
Creating your character's voice
Assuming you got your character down, there are few things to keep in mind when you are writing.
1. Try to avoid using modern colloquial phrases. Instead of saying 'oh my god', you might want to say 'By the nine divine!'
2. Remember your character's personality and background. It might affect how your character writes. For example, if your character is arrogant and self-centered, he might write a journal like it's a fluffing autobiography. If your character is a boastful one, he might exaggerate some details on his battle.
Here are some good questions to ask yourself:
Is my character educated?
Why is my character writing a journal?
What's your character's cultural background?
3. Remember that a journal is a form of reflective writing. You might not want to write down your character's progress of the day strictly chronologically.
Here are some good questions to ask yourself:
When does my character write on his or her journal?
What kind of emotion did your character feel during the day?
What did your character accomplish on that day?
4. Your journal doesn't need to be restricted to the in-game material. If you are feeling creative, make up some NPCs that doesn't exist in the game, imagine a dialogue that might be important to your character's progress or make your own quest for your character to follow.
Also, you should start writing before your start your journal so that you can be prepared when you start your epic adventure. Just because Skyrim isn't out yet doesn't mean you can't write. You can start a prequel journal of your character, something unofficial but it's best if you treat it like one.
I'm always looking to improve this guideline. Please post ideas if you have them.
