Writing Vs. Roleplay

## Writing Vs. Roleplay - What's the Difference?

Writing and roleplaying are both a form of telling a story through words(mainly.) but there are a few major differences you should take into account.

## Writing

Writing is mainly done alone, though collaborating on a book is a valid way to write. It has a set plot that the characters go through and the author writes and regulates them all. Writing is generally a more controlled environment, and can take a while.

Writing is predetermined because the plot is already set and the characters interact with each other in a constant way.

Writing can be told through first person, second person, and third person, and have different narrators.

### First Person

First Person is writing the character's perspective, as if that character was the one writing the book and telling their story. An example of this;

"My name is Jane Doe. I am 18-years-old and I attend High School. Today is my last day."

"Shut up!" I yelled.

#### Unreliable Narrator

An unreliable narrator is a narrator whose credibility is compromised.

### Second Person

Second Person is writing the character's perspective as if your reader *is* that character. An example of this;

"Your name is Jane Doe. You are an 18-year-old and you attend High School. Today is your last day."

"Shut up!" You yelled.

* This style is more often than not used in [Character] x Reader fanfiction.

### Third Person

Third Person is writing the character's perspective as if your reader is reading an autobiography of your character. This is one of the most popular writing styles. An example of this;

"Her name is Jane Doe. She is 18-years-old and she attends High School. Today is her last day."

"Shut up!" Jane yelled.

#### Omniscient Narrator

An 'all-knowing' kind of narrator very commonly found in works of fiction written as third-person narratives. The omniscient narrator has a full knowledge of the story's events and of the motives and unspoken thoughts of the various characters.

## Roleplay

A role-playing game is a game in which the participants assume the roles of characters and collaboratively create stories. Participants determine the actions of their characters based on their characterisation, and the actions succeed or fail according to a formal system of rules and guidelines. Within the rules, they may improvise freely; their choices shape the direction and outcome of the games.

Role-playing can also be done online in the form of group story creation, involving anywhere from two to several hundred people, utilizing public forums, private message boards, mailing lists, chatrooms, and instant-messaging chat services to build worlds and characters that may last a few hours, or several years. Often on forum-based roleplays, rules, and standards are set up, such as a minimum word count, character applications, and "plotting" boards to increase complexity and depth of story.

There are different genres of which one can choose while role-playing, including, but not limited to, fantasy, modern, medieval, steam punk, and historical. Books, movies, or games can be, and often are, used as a basis for role-plays (which in such cases may be deemed "collaborative fan-fiction"), with players either assuming the roles of established canon characters or using those the players themselves create ("Original Characters") to replace—or exist alongside—characters from the book, movie, or game, playing through well-trodden plots as alternative characters, or expanding upon the setting and story outside of its established canon.