by Karla Aguirre

Created on: November 30, 2008

Some may wonder: what is role-playing? It is the act of playing your own character set, usually, in a fictional environment. Role-playing comes in many forms, such as table-top RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons; or live-action role playing (LARP), where you meet with friends and act out the character as you created it but no equipment than the props and costumes you use; it also comes in the form of text-based role-playing as seen in chat programs like mIRC. Different mediums, but they all offer the same: your own fictional character in a fictional world.

Does this add to literature? My answer is yes. If one puts enough effort, depth, and creativity for the game they set up; then they most definitely can come up with enough material for a novel. I have seen from my experiences, just how much someone can come up with. It starts off with a small idea; an idle thought that eventually snowballs into a vivid world full of mystery and wonder. Worlds that are so alive and detailed, Hollywood's best special effects teams couldn't do them justice. When the players have that world in front of them, they can create the people to fit those worlds.

When a player cares enough about the character they are "acting", they want to write more material that simply cannot be written into the game itself. If the antagonist is the player's character of choice, he or she will ponder for days, weeks, and months, even beyond that. He or she wants a better understanding of a character which they have an emotional-connection with, and wants others to understand the character. Who is this character? What do they want? What were they like before they took a path of darkness? What made them this way? So many questions that linger in a player's head, coming from the bond they create when they play the character. Sometimes these questions can only be answered in either a short story or novel (whether professionally published or simply posted online in a literature community).

Sometimes, the inspiration to write literature comes from a simple "what if" thought. What would have happened if the character had taken another path? What if the situation gone another way? Would things be different? How so? Because a lot of these questions cannot be answered the game; it can be far too long and detailed. Role-playing makes it easier to tap into your character's psyche. You empathize with the persona in the game in its environment, you can be surprised by the other characters and situations as your character.

If you are in a good role-playing group where everyone is on the same page, yet provide so many different ideas, and are, of course, open-minded to them; a myriad of ideas will be inspired. However, it doesn't mean that it is THE best option. It works for some and it doesn't for others. There are many downsides to role-playing, but this only works when the group you are in consists of intelligent, mature, easy-going and fun individuals that know how to both question and criticize your ideas, and help them grow. With that perfect recipe, the ideas for literature are endless. In the end a writer must always choose what works best for themselves and their writings.

Learn more about this author, Karla Aguirre.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.