Stylistic Comparison

[Kurt]

Heya APW. This week, I'd like to post twoish questions: Which style of RPing do you like more, and which is you feel is effective?

This week, and last week, I used moderately different styles of RPing, although they may look the same from a quick scan. Let me outlay the major differences (I'm not asking you to critique the RPs, although you're free to do so if you'd like):

A Noble Divorce (http://apwprez.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=odrp2012&action=display&thread=15661)

- RP is more detail-oriented (more descriptions of settings, physical characteristics, etc.)
- Less focus on dialogue, especially longer conversations.
- Less-traditional scene, with one or more settings.
- Organic monologue; the monologue is set up like one person talking for a long time in a conversation.


Counting Bodies Like Sheep (http://apwprez.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=odrp2012&action=display&thread=15789)

- Starts In Medias Res (In the middle of the the action)
- Minimalistic description; tell you really all you need to know.
- More focus on dialogue, particularly conversations.
- Removed/contextualized monologue.

I know a preferable style is a mix of both (that's what I'm shooting for), but which style do you like better? I've typically done the second more in APW, but the first I primarily did before becoming to APW. If you have any thoughts, advice, etc., I'm up to listening and will return the feedback favor. Thanks!

[Reaver]

FIRST!!

i would say ur first rp hits harder. u get a better feel for the characters themselves in the situations as opposed to the second rp where it uses dialogue to get he point across. my problem with the second rp is that it sometimes has the issue (not necessarily this rp but in generally this style) of losing the reader. using the dialogue to get the message across might be lost in translation (if that makes sense).

im prolly the last person to give feedback on anything but this sir is my opinion. i think sticking to the first style of rp would be more effective for the kurt noble character.

[SalTal]

This is a lot simpler, to me at least. I read A Noble Divorce and thought “You know, Kurt will be hard pressed to beat this,” because it was a style that I quite like. I like it when the narrator is doing the ‘telling’, when the narrator has a strong voice in it.

Then I read Counting Bodies Like Sheep and I was blown away. It was far superior, despite it being a style (CD stuff then massive blurb of trash) that I personally don’t like. But you do it so well. There might be something in your style, maybe you’ve done it for longer, or maybe you’re just more naturally suited to it. But Counting Bodies was a far superior promo out of the two.

I have always believed (I think I commented as well) that you write dialogue better than anyone - only matched by one or two people. The more you include, the better your promo is. You capture a natural voice so well, and when you do you’re also able to instill the tone that should be there. Instead of relying on profanities and heelish phases to draw heat, the actual wording and logic and development of what you’re saying makes you heel as heel comes. And you do this better with the final, continued monologue rather than the ‘conversation style’ you were going for in Noble Divorce.

I like the inclusion of details so that I can picture it, but I think there is just too much detail in Noble Divorce. Or maybe it’s something else. Maybe the detail you’re focusing on isn’t the right detail you should be focusing on? I know I’m guilty of having done excess detail, but that’s to build the character (materialistic, for example). Descriptions that you provide, while building a picture, don’t enhance the essence of the promo. They simply build the picture. And you build as good a picture in Counting Bodies, even with the minimal description there.

Similarly, I usually love scene swapping and multiple settings, and while I did love it in Noble Divorce, I think you wrote a stronger promo in Counting Bodies by staying put. Let’s not ignore the fact that scene changes takes extra words - words that you can use in a much more powerful monologue.

Finally, starting in media res ... superb. It really was. I have been doing this of late because I just find it a stronger way to start. Keep doing this and don’t waste time starting the ball rolling. You’re a good enough writer to capture what the ‘start’ of a promo would lay out without actually writing it. Flick the start, start like this forever more.

That’s just my opinion though. Take it with a barrel of salt.